6 HOW TO ENHANCE THE CAPACITY OF DISABILITY ORGANISATIONS
6.1 Most disability organisations suggested positive ways they had tried to overcome the various difficulties created by a lack of capacity and other factors. Many also set out actions they would recommend to public authorities and the Scottish Government to address capacity issues in the disability sector. These are set out below. They relate to training, more help from public authorities and improved communication.
Training
6.2 A number of organisations consider it important to embed this research project in an overall approach to disability/equality and felt that increased provision of disability equality training to public authority staff would be beneficial.
6.3 Other suggestions about training included:
- Disability awareness induction for all new staff and elected members
- Provision of secondments and shadowing work placements within disability organisations for public authority staff
- Training courses in communication for disability organisations and public authorities
- Training in lobbying skills for disability organisations
- Joint training events
Assistance from public authorities
6.4 Disability organisations see value in the already available National Standards for Community Engagement. They ask that rather than reinventing the wheel, public authorities should actively adopt, promote and implement the National Standards.
6.5 Other ways in which assistance from public authorities would enhance the capacity of disability organisations to engage included:
- Assist disability organisations to recruit and retain volunteers
- Assist disability organisations with awareness raising activities - for example help with costs of leaflets, invitations to events, links on websites
- Provide more resources in kind, for example, office costs, access to human resources advice and administrative facilities such as photocopiers and printers
- Develop support mechanisms to help individuals attend and contribute to meetings with public authorities for example encouraging advocacy or peer support
- Resource and staff forums of disability organisations and disabled people.
- Ensure public authority attendance at established networks and forums.
6.6 One disability panel suggested that there should be a Scottish Minister for Disability. It was considered that this high level, high profile post would enhance the profile of the disability sector.
Communication
6.7 In many ways the capacity of disability organisations is primarily about the level of effective communication between public body and disability organisation. Suggestions about how better communication practices can enhance capacity included:
- Establishment of mechanisms for regular contact which would be preferable to one-off consultation meetings/events, for example local lunchtime networks every 4 - 6 weeks
- Development of a more open door/drop-in ethos by public authority staff
- Consideration of mechanisms and structures to engage with disability organisations that are not contracted providers
- Creation and maintenance of structures within public authorities for sharing information internally and raising awareness of the disability sector locally
- Consideration of the benefits of shared offices, multi-agency buildings/space
- Ensuring all contacts with disability organisations are followed up and that feedback after meetings is provided
- Consolidation and condensing of documents before they are sent to disability organisations (almost a 'clearing house' approach), which will make it easier for organisations to respond; three organisations suggested a role similar to this for local Council for Voluntary Services
- Public authorities dedicating a post to liaison with the disability sector - described as working well in relation to sports development and some children's services
- Easy access to an up to date contacts list of public authority staff relevant to disability organisations