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Transition Group Q&A

Posted: 12 July 2022, in News

What is the Transition Group (TG)? 

After the award of the grant for the SEI to SES, we recognised the need for three things. First, that services to social enterprises should remain unaffected in the short-term. Second, that we should look to make sure that the long-term future of the social enterprise movement is as secure as possible. And third, that the governance of the SEI reflects the movement as a whole. The TG has been established to consider these issues, take soundings, and report back to the SES Board. 

Why was it set up? 

In managing these issues, where two intermediaries (SES and SENScot) are being replaced by the SEI, we felt it was important that a properly planned transition could take place to ensure that the role and achievements of SENScot were recognised and built upon. 

The TG has been established to ensure that what emerges in the future is the result of an open and transparent process and has the widest support of the social enterprise movement in Scotland.  

When will the TG meet?  

The next meeting of the TG will take place on Friday, July 29. Further meetings are planned for August 19, September 23, October 10 and October 24. These are expected to be face-to-face with some hybrid capacity.  

What will it discuss? 

The TG will focus on some of the big issues of strategic importance to social enterprises. These have been identified in various surveys and conversations during the development of the bid to Scottish Government. 

  • Future membership criteria for the SEI. 
  • Future governance structures of the SEI. 
  • Functions and services – the future membership offer and value proposition. 
  • Communications strategy for the SEI. 
  • The voluntary code and its importance going forward. 

How will it operate? 

The TG will operate through a combination of: 

  • Member meetings. 
  • Online events and consultations. 
  • Engagement events to test out provisional conclusions. 
  • Utilising the results of the survey commissioned from Community Enterprise and other opinion work it might do itself. 

When will it report, and who will it report to? 

It is anticipated that the TG will report in October. The TG will feedback its recommendations to the sector before finalising them.  Formally it will report to the Board of SES (as the grant holder). 

What will happen with any recommendations? 

These will be considered by the Board of SES and given careful consideration, and the response will be informed by the commitments SES made in its business plan. SES wants to be able to accept the recommendations as far as possible, but until the work is concluded, it is not right to make a commitment to meet all of them until the work is complete.  

How can I contact the TG?  

To contact the TG please email contactTG@socialenterprise.scot.

What happened at the first meeting of the TG? 

The transition process to the SEI is open and transparent and we have included a dedicated section on the SES website about the TG.  

At the first meeting, the group focused on three key themes: membership and future governance of the SEI, functions and services to be provided by the new intermediary, and critical relationships for the SEI.  

We expect to continue to share papers following the meetings of the TG, and updates will be posted regularly here.