Government funding may force charity to make staff redundant

The third sector organisation supports almost 6,000 people living across Scotland's largest city to provide vital support and services.

But its chief executive Tressa Burke has warned the ability to continue with the “vital” programmes” is becoming strained amid financial constraints.

Writing exclusively for The Herald on Sunday, Ms Burke said seven members of staff will be lost by March 2025 as the organisation struggles to make up funding originally provided by the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 grants and the Social Isolation and Loneliness Funding.

She describes potential cuts are “shocking and shameful”.

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The group is awaiting news on how secure their core grant funding from the Scottish Government’s Equality Inclusion and Human Rights fund is. But if it’s not protected, six more could lose their jobs in March, leaving just four workers to support vulnerable people in Glasgow.

Ms Burke said: “I am bewildered by the juxtaposition of disabled people’s overwhelming need for support, and the GDA’s track record in meeting those needs, with the current state of funding for our organisation.

“It is unthinkable that during this Disability History Month, Glasgow Disability Alliance is preparing to make redundant more than 40% of its staff who deliver vital support for wellbeing and access to services.

“And there could be more – we are awaiting news of our core grant from the Scottish Government’s Equality Inclusion and Human Rights Fund.

“If this is not protected, another six staff will be affected. In total, 72% of GDA’s entire staff are at risk.”

Tressa Burke, chief executive of the Glasgow Disability Alliance. (Image: Tressa Burke) She went on to say: “In total, 93% of staff facing redundancy are disabled people, including myself. Our sister Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) Inclusion Scotland and Disability Equality Scotland are in the same position and this is shocking and shameful given our roles.”

The three DPOs recently withdrew from a working group with the Scottish Government which sought to address inequalities in access to work energy and vital equipment.

After 20 months of involvement, the organisations argued they could no longer justify their involvement in as it accused the Scottish Government of falling short on plans for a Disability Equality Plan. Ministers were urged to increase investment in debt advice services and the removal of social care charges.

However, the group was one of seven organisations that previously backed the Scottish Government’s at-risk National Care Service, with ministers urged not to scrap the plans completely after unions and council leaders withdrew support for the struggling legislative proposals.

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But Ms Burke, writing for The Herald, warned First Minister John Swinney not to take the group’s support for granted.

She said: “We have currently given full backing for a National Care Service to reform social care, raise standards and drive accountability.

“But our support should not be taken for granted. We also need the Disability Equality Plan with our core asks embedded. These two initiatives are inextricably connected and the loss of faith in one will destabilise trust in the other.”

She added: “We can’t do this on our own. We need the Scottish Government to show progress. We need funding for DPOs protected, increased investment in advice accessible settings fund and we need social care charges to be scrapped.”

The warnings from the GDA come weeks after human rights charity Making Rights Real told The Herald some publicly funded charities were reluctant to publicly condemn decisions taken by SNP ministers in fear of being “silenced” financially.

Clare MacGillivray, director of the third sector organisation, said: “The long arm of the Government often stretches to silence organisations that receive funding from the state.”

A Scottish Government Spokesperson said: “We recognise the multiple barriers disabled people face every day and we appreciate the work of Disabled People’s Organisations, including Glasgow Disability Alliance, in helping us lay the necessary foundations for systemic change.

“We have regular engagement with Glasgow Disability Alliance, and other Disabled People’s Organisations, including on a working group which is looking at the viability of a social tariff mechanism to help those affected by fuel poverty.

“Confirmation of funding to all our key partners and stakeholders will be made as soon as possible after the Budget statement on 4th December.”