Developing a strategic voice for the Voluntary and Community Sector in Worcestershire
Discussion and Consultation Paper
Over the last few years a group of voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations in Worcestershire have been working together to make sure that the VCS in Worcestershire have a say in how the services provided by organisations such as Worcestershire County Council and NHS Worcestershire, are delivered. They have also worked hard to make sure that VCS organisations are able to take part in county-wide discussions and decisions that affect them, and the people they are there to support. They developed a group called the ‘Voices Hub’ which made sure that VCS organisations in Worcestershire were able to get involved with public sector partnerships such as the Worcestershire Partnership, sometimes known as the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).
Funding for the Voices Hub finished in March 2011, but Worcestershire County Council and NHS Worcestershire have funded some work to see how the VCS can continue to participate in these types of partnerships in the future.
Impact Consultancy are doing this work to explore:
• How the VCS in Worcestershire can work better together in the future to identify what the important issues are for the sector
• How the VCS in Worcestershire can make sure that they are listened to by organisations, such as Worcestershire County Council, and can help identify local priorities and shape how services are delivered
• How the VCS can reflect the wide range of different views and expertise and different types of organisations that make up the voluntary and community sector
This work will try to find a new way of bringing together all different shapes, sizes and types of VCS organisations to make sure that organisations, like Worcestershire County Council and the NHS, to take on board the things that effect VCS groups and listen to what they have to say.
A conference will be held in September to gather the views of VCS organisations in Worcestershire of how this might happen, but we are keen to hear your views before the conference. To help guide you we have written a discussion paper which sets out the ‘principles’ which should form the basis of any new ‘model’. These principles are:
• Independence
• Inclusivity, Equality and Diversity
• Realism
• Sustainability
• Participation / Reflection over Representation
A full explanation of these principles is provided in the full discussion document which is available from your local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), from Community First or from any of the other members of the Worcestershire Infrastructure Consortium. A full list of these organisations can be found at http://www.winc.org.uk/home
The discussion document also suggests that the new ‘model’ for the VCS should be required to do the following:
1. Provide strategic leadership for VCS organisations in Worcestershire
2. Provide, and support, credible, independent and trusted voices for the VCS, reflecting the views and perspectives of organisations and service users around key issues that affect them.
3. To help the VCS, public and private sector to work more closely together and develop better relationships
4. Provide a route through which public and private sector organisations can consult and communicate with the sector
5. Help VCS organisations to be able to respond to new opportunities coming out of changes in central government e.g. commissioning and procurement
6. Be a channel through which the sector can influence and challenge public policy and decision making through taking part in decision making processes
7. Shape and inform service delivery based on the sectors knowledge and experience of working with hard to reach groups and the needs of service users
8. Support the VCS&SE to collect evidence to support its views e.g. undertaking research
9. Promote the contribution, values and achievements of the sector.
We are keen to receive feedback from as many VCS organisations in Worcestershire as possible, particularly those organisations that traditionally find it difficult to engage or struggle to see the value of engagement for their organisation. To this end we would like to hear your responses to the following questions:
To what extent do you agree with the principles listed on page 1?
Are there any other principles you think we should consider?
How do you think a strategic voice for the VCS&SE can best be achieved?
To what extent do you agree with the requirements listed above?
Does the new model need to fulfil any additional requirements?
Which of these requirements, if any, are most important?
How can we ensure accountability between any new model and the VCS?
What would encourage your organisation to engage with any new structure?
Are there any other comments you wish to make?
To respond to the consultation questions on-line please use the survey monkey link below https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/worcestershirevoices . Alternatively you can either email or post your response to Claire Carter, Impact Consultancy, 2, Frodesley Court Barns, Frodesley, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY5 7QH jigsawconsultancy@btinternet.com.
Should you wish to speak to someone directly about the work or the content of this paper please do not hesitate to call or email; Claire Carter, Impact Consultancy on 01694 731 759 / 07984 609 025.