Current work

Commercial Sponsorship in the Public Sector

In 2006 the SCC published a set of guidelines on commercial activities in schools following wide-spread concern that there had been a steep increase in sponsorship, advertising and marketing projects targeted at UK schools. To read the schools guidelines, click here.

The SCC, at the request of the Scottish Government, is now drafting guidelines to cover all public sector organisations. It is anticipated that the work will encompass both health services and local government services (such as libraries and leisure centres).

The aim of the guidelines will be to help providers and other key stakeholders assess any commercial sponsorship offered to the service and to aid businesses by providing them with clear criteria for best practice in providing sponsorship to the public sector.

The guidelines are due for publication in June 2008.

For further information please contact Jennifer Wallace, Policy Manager (email: jwallace@scotconsumer.org.uk) or telephone 0141 227 6450.

Call for Improvement - conference

towards a strategic approach to customer care in public services - Perth, 5 October 2007

Lost in translation

On 24 March 2006, the Scottish Consumer Council, along with NHS Health Scotland and the National Resource Centre for Ethnic Minority Health, held a seminar focusing on the translation of health information for people whose first language is not English.  There is a strong feeling that the time is ripe for a more strategic approach in Scotland, with more effective sharing of resources which already exist, improvements in quality, and a clear strategy at national level.  More than 100 people registered for the seminar, coming from all over Scotland.  A full report, including an agenda for action, as well as all the presentations from the day, can be found here.

Polish information: proof of concept

To inform the work of the Translation, Interpreting and Communication Support Services Implementation Group (TICSIG) set up by the Scottish Executive Equality Unit, the SCC is leading a piece of work to explore the feasibility of creating a central resource for storing translated information in the public sector.  The SCC is working with the NHS eLibrary and a small advisory group on this project.

Health literacy

The SCC is planning a conference on this topic later in 2007.  Health literacy is a term which is beginning to be used in Scotland, and the SCC thinks it would be useful to bring together some key players to explore the meaning and significance of the concept, and to explore some of the ways in which health literacy could be given a higher priority in Scotland.

The National Consumer Council has produced a series of reports on meeting basic needs.

NCC Research into consumer essentials

NCC report Everyday Essentials: meeting basic needs (pdf)