About Us

Our Story

In 1946 a group of parents and professionals came together to establish an organisation which could support children with cerebral palsy to go to school, get a job and look forward to a more independent lifestyle.

The organisation was Capability Scotland, or The Scottish Council for the Care of Spastics as it was then known. The first service, Westerlea School, opened in Edinburgh and became the foundation for the many services we now provide.

As the new Chief Executive I look forward to leading Capability Scotland into the future and taking on the new opportunities and challenges we face. Over the past 65 years we have been able to build on our strong cerebral palsy heritage to provide modern, flexible services to people with a range of impairments throughout Scotland.

Our Vision

Today, our vision is that we will be a major ally in supporting disabled people to achieve full equality and to have choice and control of their lives by 2020. Our Mission is to transform people's expectations of what is possible and to ensure that disabled people achieve equality.

These are not just words. Throughout our organisation and in all our activities the disabled people we support and work with, whether directly or indirectly, are at the centre of everything we do. We are committed to our Vision and continue to work tirelessly to achieve it.

Our services and the people who use them

Today Capability provides services directly to around 1000 disabled people at over 25 locations around Scotland, supporting people at every stage of their lives and at home, work and school.

Through our schools, early years and childcare services we support not only disabled children at crucial times in their life but their families and carers. We have many services which focus on giving disabled people the opportunity to live independent lives whether that is in their own homes, participating in their local or wider community, or finding employment. For those who would like we can also provide residential and respite services. In 2011 we have increased our focus on Allied Health Services ensuring we can continue to support those people with the most complex needs.

The people who use our services, our customers, are involved in every aspect of Capability from recruiting staff to determining how our services are run. At the heart of this lies our Quality Management System. I am delighted that Capability was the first organisation of its type in Scotland to be awarded the ISO 9001: 2008 standard. The fact that we continue to hold this prestigious accreditation is testament to the ongoing dedication of the Capability team and the involvement of everyone who uses our services.

Working for political change

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters Capability is able to continue its work campaigning with and on behalf of disabled people and providing specialist advice, consultancy and information. Capability has a strong track record in campaigning. Using our influence, we raise the profile of the issues that really matter to disabled people and campaign for changes in the law which will genuinely improve people's lives.

Each year our dedicated advice service responds to over 3000 enquries on a diverse range of disability issues. Meanwhile, businesses and organisations as varied as the Scottish Prison Service and Visit Scotland are benefitting from the training and consultancy services offered by our disability equality team.

Our people and our partners

Of course all this great work would not be possible without our team of staff and volunteers who work with commitment and enthusiasm and, above all, with a strong belief in our Vision.

Equally, Capability's strong partnerships with other organisations are also a contributing factor in our continued success. Whether we are working with local authorities to provide services or as part of a campaigning alliance with other disability organisations, we couldn't achieve all that we do without these important relationships. Capability is a founding member of the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) and Disability Agenda Scotland (DAS), as well as the international organisation United Cerebral Palsy (UCP).

The future

From a small beginning Capability has grown into a national organisation which, with the help of our supporters, is making a difference to the lives of disabled people in Scotland everyday.

And, I am pleased to say, our story doesn't end here. There is still much more for us to achieve and we look forward to continuing in our role as an ally of disabled people for many more years to come.