The 2016 Programme for Government pledged to substantially eliminate the poverty and attainment gap within a decade.  A tough enough challenge to achieve.  Since then, COVID has impacted massively on education, childhood development, the economy, incomes, benefits and curriculum delivery.  So where do we now stand in attempting to eradicate by 2026 what may be the biggest driver of long term inequality in Scotland?

This conference will take place online.

Employees are critical to every area of work - too few, too inexperienced or insufficiently skilled creates cost, delay and damage to public services and economic competitiveness.  Yet the current labour market shortage is evident across our public, private and third sectors.  Our ability to deliver critical public services is undermined by it.  The need to grow and compete our way out of recession is threatened by it.  The capacity of our third sector to provide essential safety nets in the midst of growing poverty and household financial breakdown is damaged by it.  So how should organisations anticipate, plan and react in order to attract and retain staff, minimise employee turnover and upskill and innovate with their valuable and scarce staff resource?

This conference will take place online.

Scotland's public services provide critical support to every age group, community and area of activity. They are essential to wellbeing, the economy, public safety and quality of life. However a tsunami of challenges to our services already exist, with many more on the horizon. The labour market is constricted, creating acute staffing shortages. COVID has left services struggling to catch up and keep up with demand. War has driven economic instability and UK government fiscal uncertainty suggests serious funding issues for public services. The context seems to be that change is now permanent. So what can those leading and delivering our critical public services do to cope with the challenges of now and prepare for those which are coming? How can they harness smart service design approaches and core elements of delivery to provide services which remain resilient, reliable and relevant? What opportunities exist to work differently and better in trying to do more with less?

The conference will take place online.

Scotland's voluntary sector and the staff and volunteers working within it deliver vitally important services in every Scottish community.  However, uncertainty in funding, future and capacity is one of the few things the sector can be certain about.  So, does the Scottish Government's new Charities Bill address the challenges the sector and its staff face?  What are the implications of the Bill for future regulation and accountability?  How will and can core issues on funding, staffing, regulation, quality, purpose and status be addressed if not in this Bill?

This conference will take place online.

Everyone wants to be able to motivate, focus and present themselves as effectively as possible in any situation, both in person and online. Being able to do so directly affects how we are perceived at work and is also important for personal relationships. Therefore, understanding how to unlock your confidence, positivity and self-belief is an essential tool in setting and reaching professional and personal goals.

This webinar is online.

Achieving Net Zero will require big investment in sustainable infrastructure and services. It will mean new approaches to how communities are planned and function. It also demands very substantial change in consumer behaviour. However, while public concern about climate change is now at its highest level, this has not resulted in large scale changes in citizen and consumer behaviour. There is a wide gap between wanting to do our bit, but not doing enough. How therefore can consumers get from anxious to active? How can companies and organisations better drive - and be driven by - transformational consumer behaviour?

Online

Everyone wants to be able to be able to motivate, focus and present themselves as effectively as possible in any situation, both in person and online. Being able to do so directly affects how we are perceived at work and is also important for personal relationships. However,  most of us have found ourselves wishing we could just ‘get our act together’ at one time or another. The desire to make yourself seen, clearly heard and understood can often be inhibited. Sometimes that can be due to uncertainty about what you want to say. At other times the challenge is not what you want to say but how to convey it. Therefore, understanding how to unlock your confidence, positivity and self-belief is an essential tool in setting and reaching professional and personal goals.

Online

Scottish Government, councils, education departments, schools, teachers and third sector bodies all want to deliver real progress in tackling poverty and attainment. However its scale, nature and shape has worsened during pandemic. Everything that was already difficult is now more complex and more deeply seated. How therefore do we move forward? This conference will set out the strategic picture we now face, discuss the emerging evidence of what has been happening on the ground and give insight into effective interventions.

Online

This webinar is intended primarily for anyone who is responding to the challenge of working from home and adapting to the demands of remote working while trying to remain connected to colleagues and ‘the office’ - particularly Executive Secretaries and PAs - but is relevant also for anyone experiencing change professionally and personally. John Hotowka specialises in how to strengthen and protect the mental wellbeing of individuals and teams, so that change and uncertainty can be negotiated with peace of mind, focussed action and motivation.

Online

Being able to access business files from any location and on any device is more important than ever. Doing this securely is crucial. Whether we work in an office, remotely or are constantly moving around having smooth access to files, communications and company news can be achieved with OneDrive and SharePoint.

Online