SOSE - Building Practical Training Resources, Suitable for Numerous Businesses
The Client
South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) is the economic and community development agency for the South of Scotland, which supports enterprise across the region.
In 2024, SOSE committed to further embedding the Scottish Government’s ‘Fair Work First’ policy by raising awareness and building capability among local employers.
The Challenge
While national guidance already existed, SOSE needed something more tailored to their local, mostly rural business network. They wanted a bespoke suite of workshop materials that:
1. Would translate the (rather complex) Fair Work policy into practical, accessible content for busy employers in the region
2. Could be delivered by SOSE staff themselves (both in-person and online)
3. Reflected SOSE’s own tone, brand, and strategic outcomes, while still aligning with national messaging
In essence, SOAS wanted the ‘policy’ to be translated into meaningful, employer-friendly training that could be easily adopted by local businesses and would make a real difference in the region.
Our Approach
We began with a discovery process to understand SOSE’s priorities, audiences, and delivery preferences. From there, we:
· Reviewed and distilled the national ‘Fair Work First’ guidance into concise, actionable insights
· Designed a flexible workshop suitable for both online and in-person delivery
· Created a complete set of branded resources, including:
o Slide decks
o Facilitator guides
o FAQs
o Participant resources
o Workbook with built-in activities and prompts
· Worked closely with SOSE to ensure the tone was clear, encouraging, and practical, avoiding any potential ‘Government jargon’ while staying aligned with national policy
The process was highly collaborative, with continuous feedback to ensure the final toolkit was not only aligned to policy, but also usable, motivating, and focused on the employer audience.
The Results
SOSE now has a ready-to-run suite of Fair Work training materials that are:
· Fully branded and modular
· Scalable across delivery formats
· Designed to empower SOSE staff to run the sessions themselves
Early outcomes include:
· Average participant rating of 4.7/5
· Strong feedback on clarity, relevance, and accessibility
· Increased staff confidence in delivering policy-led workshops
Employers praised the sessions for being “encouraging throughout” and for showing that the benefits of adopting fair working practices are both real and achievable.
Client Feedback
As Equality and Fair Work Lead, my role is to support inclusive growth by championing fair work practices. With limited capacity, creating a full training course internally within the timescales simply wasn’t possible.
Future Proof Learning brought external expertise, a fresh perspective, and access to a broader pool of knowledge in fair working practices and employee engagement. This resulted in a more rounded, practical, and relevant end product.
They quickly understood our needs and produced content tailored to the South of Scotland context, while still aligning with Scottish Government messaging. The materials are accessible, practical, and highly relatable for our predominantly small and rural-based client base.
The team were a pleasure to work with — professional, constructive, and collaborative. They weren’t afraid to challenge our thinking in ways that added real value. The process was smooth, straightforward, and genuinely enjoyable.
Future Proof Learning helped us maintain momentum, build capacity, and create tools that will support fair work practices in the region for years to come.
”
Equality and Fair Work Lead, South of Scotland Enterprise