Crisis support for development trusts facing financial, governance or reputational emergencies in Scotland
DTAS provides short-term, intensive crisis support to help member organisations in Scotland stabilise, make informed decisions, and find a clear path forward — included as part of DTAS membership.
What is the DTAS crisis support service?
Sometimes organisations face situations that go beyond day-to-day challenges — situations where the ability to keep operating is genuinely at risk. The DTAS crisis support service is designed for exactly those moments.
We provide intensive, time-limited support — around 10 days — to help your board understand the situation, make informed decisions, and identify a clear path forward. We don’t take over. We support the process and help your board stay in control.
This service works alongside our core member support and workplace wellbeing services, which provide broader ongoing support for DTAS members across Scotland.
What counts as a crisis for a development trust?
A crisis is a serious, time-critical situation that requires immediate attention. This service is for organisations dealing with one or more of the following:
Financial crisis
Risk of insolvency or inability to meet financial obligations within the next 3 to 6 months.
Governance crisis
A breakdown in governance, leadership or internal relationships that is preventing effective operation.
Reputational crisis
Significant external conflict or community challenge that is threatening your organisation’s trust and legitimacy.
Not sure if your situation counts as a crisis? Get in touch with your advisor or contact the member support team — we can help you work out what kind of support is most appropriate.
What DTAS does during a crisis
Over an intensive period of around 10 days, your DTAS advisor will work closely with your board to stabilise the situation. This includes:
Understand the situation
Meeting with the board — online or in person — to get a clear picture of the risks, pressures, and priorities your organisation is facing.
Coordinate support
Bringing together the right internal and external specialists — legal, financial, HR, or other — to address the most urgent issues.
Find a way forward
Supporting your board to develop a recovery plan — or, where necessary, to manage a positive and dignified wind-up of the organisation.
What the crisis support service doesn’t cover
This service is time-limited and focused on stabilisation. It doesn’t replace professional advice or ongoing management. Specifically, it doesn’t include:
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Legal, HR, financial or insolvency professionals — we’ll help you access these, but they sit outside this service -
Acting as an ongoing caseworker or operational manager after the crisis period -
Resolving long-standing issues that require board ownership and decision-making to address
Crisis support FAQs
Other services that might help
Core member support
Ongoing advisory support across all areas of your organisation’s development and resilience.
Workplace wellbeing
Support to build a healthier workplace culture and look after your team through pressure and change.
Funding programmes
Three programmes to help members grow capacity, access emergency grants, or strengthen their foundations.