Services

Our creativity, calmness and care are at the core of everything we do, as is our commitment to providing valuable resources free of charge. We follow these operating principles, which we developed based on client feedback about what we’re like to work with:

Engaging: Participatory, enthusiastic, energetic, we enjoy connecting people, organisations and ideas.

Ethical: Working and communicating with honesty and integrity, we share our ideas and tailor our approaches so they belong to, and work for, our clients.

Efficient: Dependable and trusted, delivering in time and on budget. We analyse quickly and design tailored responses, seeking to understand before trying to change or influence.

Enterprising: Experimental, visionary, positive, proactive. We invest in innovation and learning and are willing to take risks, testing and developing ourselves in new situations.

Excellent: We are calm, confident leaders, committed to quality, innovation and improvement.

Exceptional: We stand out.

Our programme approach

Our unique programmes bring in-house or cross-sector groups together to develop responses to shared challenges. The typical model is a year-long programme of meetings and events, using action learning approaches to develop and test new solutions, build leadership skills, improve relationships and bridge the gap between knowing and doing.

Thematic programmes: examples and resources (click headings for PDF downloads)

Beyond Survival Sponsored by Scottish Government, this sustainability guide was produced with and for survivor-support organisations. Alongside key sustainability indicators, it features an outcome framework, evaluation ideas, cost benefit analysis tools and case studies. Although no design work was done, the content more than makes up for it.

Coping with Complexity Partnering with CCPS, this programme promoted systemic leadership (and system change) by providing opportunities for people who are pioneering new approaches to health and social care to share and explore their ideas with their peers.

No Place for Sectarianism The first publication to come from our newly developed programme approach in 2014. This fascinating guide is the result of a funder (Impact Funding Partners) giving space for funded organisations to devise their own evaluation framework.

Making a Statement Created with a team of local authority commissioners from around the country, this policy guidance helped councils implement elements the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. It was subsequently referenced in the Statutory Guidance for the Act and used by almost every local authority. Several other resources produced using a similar approach are available from Shared Care Scotland.

Equal, Expert and Valued This guide, developed with the Coalition of Carers in Scotland and updated annually since 2016, has led to improvements in the way carer representatives are included in the statutory duties of Integrated Joint Boards.

Our in-house programmes develop individual organisations’ strategies, cultures and leadership, so the outputs are understandably not available for publication. Contact us to discuss our unique approach and how it can benefit your organisation.