Tackling in-work poverty: Over £2.5 million awarded to projects across Scotland

• Business in the Community £255,000
  Test and Demonstration

This project will develop and embed a practical digital tool, through coproduction with people experiencing in work poverty and employers. It will identify and address issues for affected employees and provide meaningful steps for employers to take to improve outcomes for both employees and employers.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Better targeted protections for workers.

• Scottish Trade Unions Congress £275,000
  Test and Demonstration

This project aims to support workers in low paid work to build their collective power; provide workers with training, resources and support to organise collectively; identify key employment issues in targeted sectors and communities and develop collective approaches and organising opportunities.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Increased bargaining approaches and amplified voice for low paid groups, including migrant workers, social care staff, young workers and creative sector staff.

• Centre for Local Economic Strategies £275,000
  Test and Demonstration

Developing an in-work progression model for a target cohort in the Edinburgh and South city region. CLES will establish a ‘Progression Partnership’ of relevant government bodies, agencies, trade unions and employers through which stakeholders agree to develop a pipeline of opportunities for lower-banded employees lacking in requisite skill sets for advancement within their sector.
What is the potential change this work could lead? A new approach to employment progression.

• Timewise
  £298,460
  Test and Demonstration

This project aims to change the way in which roles in key low wage industries are designed and advertised. It will unlock more secure/increased hours and progression opportunities for low paid workers and those facing structural barriers to fair work, by working with employers in target sectors to open up more of their vacancies to flexible working options and predictable hours.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Improved job design and flexibility in frontline roles.

• Enable Works
  £300,002
  Development Award

This project aims to embed disability inclusion within small and medium enterprises and large employers across Scotland. By generating evidence-based learning and practical guidance for Scottish employers to foster disability-inclusive workplaces, the project seeks to improve job quality for disabled and neurodivergent individuals, particularly those underrepresented in the labour market and overrepresented in low paid, insecure work.
What is the potential change this work could lead? More accessible workplaces and roles for disabled employees.

• Learning and Work Institute
  £100,000
  Development Award

This project focuses on bringing learning from other successful national and international in-work progression programmes and apply this to a Scottish context.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Improved progression opportunities in Scotland.

• Worker Support Centre
  £150,000
  Development Award

This project will work with seasonal agricultural workers and migrant social carers. It aims to increase understanding of worker’s experiences by supporting collective articulation of barriers to fair work standards and improving working conditions by influencing key stakeholders of influence over conditions of work.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Fairer conditions for workers on restrictive visas.

• Living Wage Scotland £313,654
  Test and Demonstration / Influencing

The project aims to work with social care employers on identifying, developing, testing and embedding changes at an organisational level to improve job standards to reduce in work poverty. There will be an emphasis on assessing organisations’ change readiness to implement Living Hours accreditation criteria as key indicators of pay and job security, with flexibility to explore broader dimensions of fair work and reward, including pension provision.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Better working conditions for the Social Care workforce

• Fife Gingerbread £326,075
  Test and Demonstration / Influencing

This project will aim to address employer practice and behaviour over systemic barriers for lone parents to access and progress in the labor market. Through a test and demonstration approach, delivered in partnership with One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS), Strathclyde Business School (SBS) and The Collective Scotland (TCS), the project will create a lone parent positive charter and then embark on a big change campaign to change employer practice.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Due to the challenges of getting into employment, lone parents are particularly vulnerable to low paid, insecure work. Raising the bar for this population group will help to raise the bar for all.

• Close the Gap
  £289,459
  Test and Demonstration/ Influencing

The purpose of the project is to gather evidence on young mothers’ labour market experiences and use this to influence employment practice and policymaking so young mothers have increased access to fair work and reduced poverty. The project, which will be delivered in partnership with Save the Children, will also produce a campaign led by a Young Mums advisory group targeting young mothers so that they better understand their employment rights. The aim is to improve job quality for young mothers by tackling the systemic labour market barriers which trap them in in-work poverty.
What is the potential change this work could lead? Creating more fair work for young mothers, reducing women's in-work poverty and therefore child poverty.