Towards inclusive service delivery through social investment in Scotland. An analysis of five sectors, with particular focus on financial services

This report has been prepared for the European Commission Horizon 2020 funded project RE-InVEST: rebuilding an inclusive value based Europe of solidarity and trust through social investments. The economic crisis of 2008 has impacted across Europe in multiple ways through unemployment and changing labour markets, poverty, and reductions in service provision. The RE-InVEST consortium is exploring the social investment strategy of the European Commission in response to the financial crisis of 2008 and its impact on vulnerable groups. The RE-InVEST consortium is looking at the impact on human rights and capabilities across 12 coun­tries (13 regions) covered by the project. RE-InVEST as a project looks to provide building blocks based on solidarity, trust and social investment. An important aspect of this process is giving space to vulnerable groups through participatory methods and a crossing of knowledge through lived experiences. This is con­ducted through the Participatory Action Research with Human Rights and Capability approaches. This research explores the experiences of people in recovery from addiction and their use of financial services. This area of engagement can be seen as crucial to any approach to social investment – without access to financial services a social investment approach to addressing poverty and inequality will be signifi­cantly constrained