ELCAP: Sustainable Development Strategy

ELCAP is a leading Scottish social care charity that provides care and support for people who are affected by learning disabilities or mental health problems. With a team of 330 employees, ELCAP provides support ranging from a few hours a week to round the clock care to over 200 people whose
ages range from eight to 91.

As part of their strategic plan, ELCAP wanted to create a sustainable development strategy based on the SDGs. They had done some big picture thinking and knew that this would help them with procurement, attract better talent to their organisation and help diversify their income stream.

Most importantly, ELCAP recognised that aligning their organisation with the SDGs was the right thing to do to help create a better world. They wanted to create a small-sub committee to explore this for their organisation.

Using the SDG Compass adapted for the third sector, the committee discussed and explored the work of the organisation in relationship to the SDGs before creating measurable goals to work towards within their strategy.

ELCAP identified 5 key SDGs that they were already working towards within their organisation along with 1 additional SDG that represented a quick win for them. They also explored ways to amplify their impact and
develop their organisational strategy in the coming
years, fully aligned with the SDGs.

By the end of our work together, ELCAP had created a Sustainable Development Strategy that allowed them to both showcase what they were already doing as well as offering them something to aspire to in the coming years.

They now intend to embed the SDGs into the core of their organisation by communicating their commitment to the SDGs with their staff on a regular
basis and apply it to their procurement process.

ELCAP also plans to become a real-life example for the Third Sector of how to embed global goals into local work and inspire others to do the same.