7 HOW WELL CONNECTED ARE DISABILITY ORGANISATIONS?
7.1 The survey and the fieldwork gathered information about the networks and forums disability organisations participate in and how organisations gather and disseminate information. This enabled a description of the connections and relationships disability organisations have across Scotland. In addition it explored how best to share good practice, knowledge and experience amongst groups, as well as with service providers and policy makers
7.2 The networks of national disability organisations are predominantly Scotland-wide in their focus. Of the networks listed by national organisations 32% were national networks/forums. This is much higher than the responses from local organisations - with only 9% of all connections listed being national network/forums.
Table 7.1: Types of connections listed by disability organisations
| National | Local |
|---|
% | Number | % | Number |
|---|
National network/forum | 32 | 47 | 9 | 31 |
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Local network/forum | 0.0 | 0 | 8 | 25 |
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National organisation/Association/society | 57 | 84 | 44 | 145 |
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Local association/society | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
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Local disability groups/organisations | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 21 |
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Scottish Government Group/working party/committee | 8 | 12 | 1 | 4 |
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Local government or NHS working group/committee | 0.0 | 0 | 27 | 89 |
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None | 3 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
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Total Networks Listed (responses) | 100 | 147 | 100 | 330 |
|---|
(Source: Online Survey)
7.3 Whilst membership of national forums varies, both local and national disability organisations have links to individual national bodies - either in the same field or different areas of activity of impairment. There is strong evidence of 'national' to 'national' contact with over half (57%) of all memberships/networks listed by national organisations being to other national organisations. There is also strong evidence of 'local' to 'national' connections, with 44% of all local memberships being with national organisations. There was however no evidence of national organisations identifying links with local organisations.
7.4SCVO was the most frequently mentioned affiliate body by both local and national organisations. Among local organisations the three most commonly mentioned were ( SCVO, by 14 locals), Inclusion Scotland (by 10 locals) and Scottish Disability Equality Forum (by 9). Of the 25 local organisations who reported they were members of a local forum - 9 listed Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council.
7.5 The survey findings indicated that small local organisations, reliant on volunteers, are less well connected. Of the organisations with no staff at all, over one in ten are not members of any forums/networks and a further tenth are only linked to one local network.
7.6 In interviews and focus groups, organisations identified a range of advantages to being part of a formal network/forum. However a number of challenges faced by many current networks and their members were also described.
Table 7.2: The benefits and challenges of formal networks/forums
Benefits | Challenges |
- Sharing information/access to information
- Streamline representation/ collective representation to public authorities - 'one voice'
- Vehicle for lobbying
- Peer support
- Structured/more structured links into decision making
- Can be a mechanism for action/getting things done
- Opportunities for joint/shared training
- Good to put a face to names
- Can raise profile of organisation
| - Some have no relevance to day to day operations of disability organisations
- Can easily just become talking shops
- Lack of follow up or implementation
- Resources are often not available for someone to co-ordinate/run the forum
- Essential to cascade information through organisations who attend forums
- Disability organisations lack time/resources to commit to all useful forums
- Can depend upon skills of a few individuals
- Organisations must be prepared to make a stir
- Small organisations can be dominated by larger ones
- Need to agree common statements and protocols
- No budget and no staff
|
(Source: Fieldwork)
7.7 At least half of all organisations in the online survey reported that they share information about what they do by attending or participating in network and forums.
7.8 Another aspect of being connected is for organisations to have a presence on the internet. During the mapping process the research team were able to locate a website for 203 of the 215 identified national organisations. This means that 95% of national bodies can be contacted and read about via the internet. This is much higher than for local organisations.
7.9 Website addresses could only be found for just under half (46%) of the local organisations on the database. Having a website was identified by the majority of organisations as a key way of gathering and disseminating information. However very few disability organisation websites were found in some of the more rural areas of Scotland, for example, only a third (34%) of disability organisations in Dumfries and Galloway have a website.
Table 7.3: Local organisations with identified website
| All organisations in area | Number of organisations with a website | % with a website |
|---|
Western Isles | 21 | 2 | 10 |
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Dumfries & Galloway | 68 | 23 | 34 |
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Shetland | 11 | 4 | 36 |
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Scottish Borders | 48 | 18 | 38 |
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Tayside | 108 | 42 | 39 |
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Ayrshire & Arran | 87 | 34 | 39 |
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Greater Glasgow | 89 | 35 | 39 |
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Highland | 153 | 61 | 40 |
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Grampian | 157 | 65 | 41 |
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Orkney | 14 | 6 | 43 |
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Lanarkshire | 66 | 29 | 44 |
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Fife | 54 | 30 | 56 |
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Glasgow City | 118 | 70 | 59 |
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Forth Valley | 42 | 27 | 64 |
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Edinburgh and Lothian | 156 | 101 | 65 |
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All Organisations | 1,185 | 547 | 46 |
|---|
(Source: Mapping Database)
7.10 Another aspect to being 'connected' within a sector is how information is collected and disseminated. The table below shows the range of ways this is done by disability organisations.
Table 7.4: How disability organisations share information
| National | Local |
|---|
From a given list | Number | % | Number | % |
|---|
At our meetings | 67 | 65 | 227 | 81 |
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By attending other organisation's meetings | 65 | 63 | 202 | 72 |
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Through membership of networks | 58 | 56 | 145 | 52 |
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Via newsletter | 63 | 61 | 127 | 45 |
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Via website | 92 | 89 | 147 | 52 |
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Email to members | 50 | 49 | 90 | 32 |
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Publicity leaflets/posters | 63 | 61 | 154 | 55 |
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Unprompted |
|---|
Events | 8 | 8 | 23 | 8 |
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Press/other media | 9 | 9 | 26 | 9 |
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Total respondents | 103 | | 281 | |
|---|
(Source Online Survey; 384 out of 505 provided data)
% do not add up to 100 as organisations could indicate more than one activity
7.11 Disability organisations appear to use similar means of information dissemination and sharing, but to different extents. Attending meetings is a key way of keeping informed. Membership of networks was reported by half the organisations as a way of sharing information. A higher percentage of national organisations use newsletters and, as noted above, a much higher percentage of national organisations share information via their website.