Spotlight on … our Business Development Team
Getting value for the public purse, while ensuring we are a sustainable organisation, is a key part of the work of SCRA’s Business Development Team. We talk to Michelle Hamilton, Business Development Manager and Jay Knezovic, Business Improvement Officer, to find out more…
Can you give an overview of the work of the team?
Our Business Development Team plays a key role in helping SCRA improve, adapt and plan for the future. The team supports organisational development by analysing data, identifying opportunities for improvement and delivering projects that strengthen the way SCRA operates.
Our work includes supporting sustainability initiatives, developing evidence to inform decision-making and helping the organisation understand and improve its performance. For example, the team has led work to establish and analyse energy use across SCRA buildings, providing valuable information to support sustainability planning and future organisational decisions. Through innovation, planning and continuous improvement, we help ensure SCRA delivers effective, efficient and sustainable services for children, young people and families across Scotland.
Ensuring we are as a sustainable organisation as possible is critical to the work that you do. Can you give some examples of recent successes?
With different buildings across Scotland, monitoring our energy use is extremely important – from a finance point of view and through the environmental lens too. We have now managed to upgrade all our old-style meter readers over to automatic meter readers. This means fewer visits from energy supplier to read meters, so less travel. Plus it means we can identify any issues sooner and we have better monitoring of our consumption in real time.
We have been working hard to reduce bottled water machines. We have almost 80 per cent of our estate using plumbed in water supplies and we aim if possible (there’s some issues with a few properties) to get to 100 per cent. This means less use of plastic and less vans on the road for bottle deliveries and sanitations.
We are now working in partnership with Hey Girls, can you tell us a little bit more about that?
The Hey Girls sanitary products is a fantastic initiative. It is highly sustainable because it combines environmental responsibility with social impact. As a social enterprise, Hey Girls reinvests 100% of its profits into tackling period poverty, ensuring that every purchase helps provide period products to someone in need. Its products are designed with sustainability in mind, using natural, responsibly sourced materials such as organic cotton and plant-based ingredients, while also offering reusable options including period pants and menstrual cups that help significantly reduce waste. In addition, Hey Girls works with organisations across the UK like SCRA to improve access to free period products and education, creating long-term social change while reducing the environmental impact associated with traditional disposable products. This combination of ethical sourcing, waste reduction, community benefit and reinvestment of profits makes Hey Girls an excellent example of a truly sustainable initiative and we are proud to collaborate with them.
Due to the administrative nature of our work, we do use a lot of paper, can you let us know what you have been doing to reduce paper and printing?
We have been helping drive the organisation’s commitment to sustainability by reducing reliance on paper and printed materials. Working alongside colleagues across the organisation, the team is supporting waste-minimisation initiatives, promoting digital alternatives to paper-based processes and exploring a move from paper light to more paperless ways of working. This includes supporting efforts to reduce printing at Hearings, minimise unnecessary paperwork and identify opportunities to digitise information sharing, helping SCRA reduce waste, lower costs and lessen its environmental impact. We will continue with these efforts going forward.