Scotland Welcomes Catalonian Social Service Providers to Learn About Innovative Models for Tackling Complex Social Care Issues

A group of people assembled together, smiling for the camera

In May 2024 we were very happy to welcome Fundació iSocial to Scotland for a study visit, where they visited several organisations engaged in the social care sector in Scotland.

Fundació iSocial is a membership organisation promoting innovation in the social services sector. Their membership includes 20 organisations in Catalonia who actively support clients at risk of social exclusion, and Fundació iSocial were keen to tailor a study visit focusing on innovative models used in Scotland to tackle issues around those facing social exclusion.

How It Came Together

Following referrals from both Social Enterprise Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, International Social Enterprise Observatory (ISEO)’s Jo Seagrave and James Finnie set up a call with Joan Roca and Irene Rodriguez of Fundació iSocial to support an inward study visit to Scotland.

Upon our initial communication with Fundació iSocial, we learned that there was already plans underway for scene-setting presentations by Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise Inclusive Model Team and Health and Social Care Partnership representatives. ISEO’s role was to identify and facilitate visits to third sector organisations and offer logistical support.

Following an initial call in January 2024, Joan and Irene conducted a planning visit in February 2024 to meet key agencies and potential hosts supporting the visit. Here, Jo and James presented a variety of third sector organisations that would meet their brief and have interesting models for their members to learn from and be inspired. Thereafter, ISEO facilitated introductions and supported visit planning to Kibble and Social Bite.

Beginning Their Visit

Fast forward to May 2024 on a bright sunny morning in Glasgow where 30 visitors from social care enterprises and Fundació iSocial were welcomed at the Health & Social Care Alliance office to kick off their visit.

This began with an overview of the Scottish Health and Social Care system including Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) and the new mental health and wellbeing strategy launched in June 2023.

IJB’s were established in Scotland in 2014 to support health boards and local authorities to integrate adult health and social care services and budgets, through delegation to a locally accountable body. Visitors learned about the work of IJBs, membership, accountability and challenges in achieving their objectives.

This was followed by presentations from Scottish Enterprise’s Inclusive Models Team who talked about the role of Co-operative Development Scotland in supporting companies and community groups who want to adopt employee ownership or co-operative business models.

They also talked about how this dovetails into the wider third sector. Alongside this, they also discussed the Scottish Government working group that has been set up to undertake a review of how best to significantly increase the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and co-operatives in Scotland. A review which has since published in ‘Developing Scotland’s Economy: Increasing the Role of Inclusive and Democratic Business Models’.

Thereafter, the group heard about CEIS’ social innovation projects driving social impact at a community, international and academic level including ISEO.

Hitting the Road

These presentations set the scene for two and a half day visits across Scotland’s Central Belt highlighting the innovative work of enterprises in addressing complex social care issues. The visits incorporated Simon Community Scotland, partner of Digital Lifelines partner Simon Community Scotland, Homes for Good, Quarriers, Kibble, Aberlour, Blackwood Helenvale, Penumbra, Carr Gomm and Social Bite.

ISEO attended visits to Kibble in Glasgow and Social Bite in Edinburgh. In Glasgow, the delegates were welcomed to Kibble’s Skills Academy, where they heard about Kibble’s 170-year-old history in supporting young people facing adversity.

They learned about the evolution of the charity and about the services and support they offer today including residential care, education and skills, fostering and adoption.

They also had the opportunity to tour the impressive 66,000 square feet Skills Academy. A facility containing training kitchens that cater for all Kibble facilities and partners St. Mirren Football Club; a nursery and training spaces for car mechanics, carpentry, horticulture, construction and many more sectors.

In Edinburgh, the delegates were welcomed to Social Bite HQ where they heard about Social Bite’s mission to provide homes, jobs, food and support to those experiencing homelessness. As well as being eager to hear the background to Social Bite and their 3 pillars of work: 1) Free food, 2) Homes and 3) Jobs, the delegates were particularly interested in the Housing First Pathfinder Model and Social Bite’s fundraising and campaigns due to the success and profile they have raised. Joan Roca, International Relations commented:

Image courtesy of Social Bite

On behalf of Fundació iSocial and the whole delegation, I would like to THANK YOU for your support! Visiting the organisations you recommended us (Kibble and Social Bite) was a valuable opportunity for all our participants and we really appreciate all the knowledge they shared with us.

We very much enjoy creating trips like this for clients, and it was great to have Fundació iSocial in Scotland for a visit. You can see a much more detailed breakdown of what they learned on their trip, as well as some shots from Kibble’ Skills Academy, in the video below.

If you’d like to plan a visit to explore Scotland’s social enterprise ecosystem, contact us now.

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