We are talking about a fascinating and, in many ways, huge question. It is worth pointing out the number of people who are employed or are volunteering in the third sector and the amount of money that is concerned. Our submission notes some of the recent SCVO data that shows that the third sector spends approximately £423.5 million on health-related activity and £1.6 billion on social services. However, that money comes from a budget pot of £13-plus billion, so it is a fraction of the overall pot.
It seems like a large number of people are working in the third sector, but we need to think about how large the numbers are, proportionately, and who the people are. Given the atrocious funding landscape and the working conditions in which many of the people are working and volunteering, it seems that there is more than enough work to go around; in fact, there is probably scope for many more people to be involved in such work.
I am not sure that the figures take into account the legions of people who volunteer. The legions of people who provide unpaid care in Scotland save the Scottish economy something in the region of £10 billion a year. The Scottish health survey that came out this week showed that seven out of 10 unpaid carers feel that they get no support to provide their care, and they experience increasing problems with their mental health and wellbeing. We have great legislation that, on paper, provides them with all sorts of rights and opportunities to afford themselves of those rights, but we know that partnerships are now saying that families will have to expect to do more, because there is not enough money in the public purse to fund the services.
I have digressed, but the human rights-based approach has a lot to offer. The change that Jamie Greene mentioned is already beginning to happen; we see that in the increased use of rights in rhetoric, as well as in strategy and policy. The big piece of work that is taking place with the human rights leadership group, which has been tasked with creating an active Scottish Parliament that incorporates economic, social, cultural, environmental and other rights into Scots law, will bring about an even bigger shift. A cultural shift is required, as well as a shift in money and perceptions. We need to move away from a medical or charitable model in which people in society are recipients of care towards a more active approach that involves people in their communities. People need to be seen as capable of being active and involved members of their communities. The barriers that stop people from doing that are not just bad things; they infringe on people’s rights to be actively involved in their communities. People have a lot to offer, but they need to be afforded those opportunities.