We are delighted to share that Bounce OT Stirling CIC has been featured as an employer case study by Living Wage Scotland, recognising our long-standing commitment to fair pay, financial security and people-first employment.
The case study explores why we became a Living Wage Employer, the impact accreditation has had on our staff and organisation, and our decision to build on this commitment by becoming a Living Pension Employer.
For us, this feature is much more than positive recognition. It provides an opportunity to share our experiences openly and demonstrate that small social enterprises can lead meaningful change through fair, ethical and sustainable employment.
You can read or download the complete Living Wage Scotland case study here:
Read the Bounce OT employer case study
Living Wage accredited since 2018
Bounce OT has been an accredited Living Wage Employer since 2018.
Becoming accredited directly aligned with our purpose and values. It formalised our commitment to fairness and dignity, provided a practical way to help address in-work poverty and enabled us to lead by example as a socially responsible employer.
The real Living Wage is based on the cost of living, rather than simply the statutory minimum an employer is legally required to pay. This distinction matters to us.
Our employees undertake skilled, responsible and often emotionally demanding work. They build trusting relationships with individuals and families, adapt environments and activities around different needs, and help people participate in ways that may not be possible elsewhere.
We want everyone working at Bounce OT to be paid fairly for the value of this work.
Living Wage accreditation provides external recognition of that commitment. It demonstrates that fair pay is not simply an aspiration within our organisation. It is a standard against which we are prepared to be independently assessed.
Turning our values into practical action
Bounce OT is fundamentally values-led. Our services are rooted in dignity, participation, inclusion and wellbeing, and we believe our responsibility as an employer is to put those principles into practice for our team.
Paying the real Living Wage is one of the clearest ways in which we can do that.
Employees told Living Wage Scotland that the commitment gives them a greater sense of fairness and security:
“The real Living Wage means fairness and security. It’s reassuring to know my pay reflects the real cost of living, not just the minimum. It reduces stress outside of work and helps me focus, show up with energy, and give my best in sessions.”
Another employee explained how accreditation reflects the relationship between our organisational values and our employment practices:
“It tells me Bounce OT genuinely values its team and is committed to doing the right thing, something that really matters in a role where consistency, trust and quality support make a difference to families.”
Staff also described the difference that fair pay can make to everyday financial confidence:
“It’s made a noticeable difference to my sense of financial security. It has eased some of the pressure that comes with rising living costs and has helped me plan with more confidence. Things like household budgeting and future planning feel more manageable.”
The challenges of making fair pay sustainable
Becoming a Living Wage Employer was the right decision for Bounce OT, but that does not mean it was without challenges.
For a small social enterprise, the most significant consideration is ensuring that budgets, funding applications and service prices reflect the full cost of responsible employment.
That cost extends beyond an employee’s hourly wage. It includes employer National Insurance contributions, pension contributions, holiday entitlement, employee benefits, training, supervision and other associated employment costs.
These challenges are particularly relevant across charities, community organisations and social enterprises, where services are frequently supported through restricted grants or commissioned contracts.
Fair employment therefore requires more than good intentions. It requires careful financial planning, realistic service pricing, strong governance and funding arrangements that recognise what quality services genuinely cost to deliver.
The organisational benefits of the real Living Wage
Living Wage accreditation has brought tangible benefits to Bounce OT.
One of the most important has been improved staff retention and workforce stability. We deliver a relationship-based service in which trust, familiarity and consistency are particularly important.
Retaining skilled and experienced employees helps us provide continuity for the children, young people, adults and families who use our services. It reduces disruption, protects organisational knowledge and allows staff to develop a deeper understanding of individual communication, sensory and support needs.
Our commitment to fair and ethical employment has supported our wider credibility with funders and stakeholders. This includes successful funding outcomes such as securing a £100,000, two-year grant from The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland for a new project in Stirling.
Building on fair pay through the Living Pension
In 2025, Bounce OT built on its Living Wage commitment by becoming an accredited Living Pension Employer.
We were already making pension contributions at the level required by the accreditation. However, we wanted to formalise this commitment and provide our team with the reassurance of a recognised external standard.
Living Pension accreditation was therefore a natural next step in our development as a people-first employer.
While the Living Wage considers whether someone’s pay reflects the cost of living today, the Living Pension focuses on helping employees build greater financial security for later life.
Why a Living Pension matters
Pensions can easily be overlooked, particularly when employees are managing immediate household expenses and other financial priorities.
However, inadequate retirement savings can create significant financial hardship and uncertainty later in life. Employers have an important role in helping people build their long-term financial security.
For Bounce OT, a Living Pension is about much more than retirement savings. It is a long-term investment in people and communities.
It reflects our belief that the value people create through their work today should help provide the security they deserve tomorrow.
What Living Pension accreditation means to our staff
Staff responses to our Living Pension accreditation have been extremely positive.
Employees see it as a genuine sign that Bounce OT values their wellbeing and long-term financial security. The reassurance of a recognised standard has strengthened trust in the organisation and demonstrated that we are prepared to invest in our team as we continue growing our services.
One member of staff explained:
“A Living Pension means Bounce OT is genuinely investing in me as a person, not just as an employee. It’s easy for pensions to be overlooked, especially when life is busy and you’re focused on day-to-day costs. Knowing my employer is committed to a recognised Living Pension standard gives me reassurance that my future is being taken seriously too.”
They continued:
“As a full-time Senior Therapeutic Play Leader, I put a lot into my role and into the families we support. Having an employer that thinks long-term makes a real difference. It builds trust, strengthens morale and makes me feel valued. It also signals integrity, which makes me proud to be part of the Bounce OT team.”
This feedback captures why accreditation matters to us. It is not only about the contribution recorded on a payslip. It is about the trust employees place in their employer and their confidence that the organisation is considering their future as well as their present contribution.
Supporting our team beyond wages and pensions
Living Wage and Living Pension accreditation sit within a wider package of employment practices designed to support wellbeing, flexibility and a healthy work-life balance.
Our support includes:
- flexible working arrangements where appropriate;
- opportunities to work from home where compatible with the role;
- an additional day of leave for each employee’s birthday;
- annual leave that increases with length of service;
- Duvet Days, offering flexibility or time away from work where operational capacity permits;
- a Westfield Health cash plan;
- access to 24-hour GP support;
- cashback towards optical, dental and physiotherapy costs;
- contributions of up to 50 per cent towards annual gym membership;
- regular one-to-one supervision;
- professional autonomy and opportunities to influence how roles develop;
- investment in training and professional development; and
- opportunities for meaningful career progression.
These arrangements reflect the reality that employee wellbeing is affected by many connected factors. Pay, pensions, health, flexibility, leave, workload, development and workplace culture all contribute to whether someone feels secure, respected and able to thrive.
We continue to review our employment offer with our team. Listening to employees helps us understand what is working, where pressures remain and which improvements would be most meaningful.
Sharing our experience through Living Wage Scotland
Being chosen as a case study for Living Wage Scotland’s main website is a significant honour for Bounce OT.
The employer case study developed from detailed conversations about why we pursued accreditation, the challenges involved, the impact on our employees and the lessons we have learned.
It gives us a national platform through which to share the perspectives of our staff and demonstrate the connection between responsible employment and high-quality community services.
We hope it will be particularly useful to:
- small businesses considering Living Wage accreditation;
- charities and community organisations working with restricted funding;
- social enterprises balancing social impact with financial sustainability;
- employers considering Living Pension accreditation; and
- funders and commissioners considering the true cost of quality service delivery.
We have been open in the case study about both the benefits and the challenges. Paying fairly requires planning, discipline and difficult financial decisions. It means ensuring that funding applications, contracts and service prices recognise the full costs involved.
However, our experience also shows that these decisions can strengthen an organisation. They can improve retention, morale, credibility, organisational culture and the consistency of services provided to the community.
Our message to other employers
We encourage other employers to consider Living Wage and Living Pension accreditation because they offer practical and visible ways to demonstrate a commitment to fair and ethical employment.
This can be particularly valuable for organisations whose work depends on strong relationships and continuity. Recruitment and retention do not affect the workforce alone. They also affect the individuals, families and communities who rely on consistent services.
We recognise that every organisation has different financial circumstances. Accreditation may require employers to review their budgets, pricing, funding assumptions and long-term workforce plans.
However, this process can also help organisations understand the true cost of delivering a sustainable service.
The real Living Wage reflects the cost of living and supports the principle that work should provide dignity, fairness and greater financial security. A Living Pension builds on that commitment by considering employees’ future needs.
When small and local employers adopt these standards, their impact can extend beyond their own workforce. They help create an expectation that decent work should be the norm and contribute to a stronger, fairer local labour market.
Proud to be a values-led employer
Living Wage accreditation is more than a commitment to a particular hourly rate. Living Pension accreditation is more than a commitment to a pension contribution.
Together, they make a visible statement about the kind of organisation Bounce OT wants to be and the value we place on our people.
We are extremely proud that our journey has been recognised and shared as a Living Wage Scotland employer case study. Most importantly, we are grateful to our staff for contributing their experiences and for bringing our values to life through their work every day.
As Bounce OT continues to develop, we will continue working to provide employment in which people feel fairly rewarded, trusted, supported and able to plan for their futures.
Fair work is not separate from our social purpose. It is an essential part of it.
