Welcome

Mark Richardson

Chief Executive

Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum

Tel: 01872 241584

Email: admin@cornwallvsf.org

Representing Cornwall’s VCS

• The VSF is a small registered charity and company limited by guarantee. We have been around in one shape or another for 17 years. We are a charity that supports other charities

• Our focus is on supporting our colleagues to speak up on behalf of the voluntary sector and, where necessary, to act as the voice of sector in local strategic discussions.

• As part of that role we hold a contract with Cornwall Council to support voluntary and community representation on strategic public sector partnerships.

Local Voluntary Sector structures

• Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF) acts as an umbrella body for the local voluntary sector, with a variety of roles and functions including delivery of the local Compact and facilitating VCS representation.

• The VSF has a Board elected annually by its membership. Individuals on the Board are sponsored by a broad range of active organisations including Age Concern, Citizens Advice, Rezolve, Groundwork, the Learning Partnership, plus the various VCS support organisations. The Chair and Vice-Chair are independent members.

Visit http://cornwallvsf.org

• The VSF has a very active website with information about current opportunities for involvement with the public sector

• Reports from our VCS representatives are published online

• Nearly 1000 news articles in less than 3 years, over 600 organisations receiving daily updates via email, facebook, twitter.

The national context• Deficit reduction• Protecting frontline

services and communities• Localism – ‘small state’• Social action – ‘big society’

– identify need; design, deliver and evaluate services

Our view of role of the sector?• To protect and promote interests of excluded

people• To promote and train people for participative

engagement• To facilitate and develop structures for

representative engagement• To empower local people and communities

Funding cuts survey, March 2011

• 21 charities, snapshot of situation in Cornwall• 539 staff, £14,441,537 income• 71 job losses, 136 jobs at risk (then)• 71% were facing loss of at least 25% of funds• 29% were facing loss of 50% or more• National and local funds lost• Impact is reduced capacity to provide a service to

communities

Recap of VCS Summit 30th Sept, Eden Project

– Fifty attendees, drawn equally from Public Sector (including Council, Police, Health) and key VCS organisations (initial list of 28)

– Agreement on development of VCS Commissioning Board proposed by Paul Masters, Cornwall Council Chief Executive

– Notes of Summit available at http://www.cornwallstrategicpartnership.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=289

Evolving Remit of VCS Commissioning Board

1. Scoping of need

2. Performance and value for money

3. A common understanding of spend

4. Shaping procurement exercises

5. New ways of delivery and challenging traditional approaches by both public and voluntary sector

How it works (sometimes)

1. VCS Theme Lead consults colleagues

2. Evidence based Theme prospectus from VCS Theme Lead

3. Board discussion and recommendations to Commissioners

4. Discussion notes posted on public and VSF websites

5. Commissioners review recommendations and decide actions

6. Any specifications drawn up by public procurement outside of Board, as directed by Commissioners

7. Tenders advertised on usual tendering website(s)

8. Bids submitted by organisations or consortia

9. Board helps to review effectiveness of services

Benefits for public sector

• A ‘one stop shop’ for local voluntary sector delivery

• Reduced costs of interacting with VCS

• Easier to build a consensus with VCS for action

• Value for Money and savings through innovation on delivery

• Breaking down delivery silos

Benefits for Sector

• High level input into scoping of Council priorities and needs

• Possibility of longer term contracts (three years)• Opportunity to bid for alternatives to in-house

delivery• Route forward for local sector enabling us to

compete with private sector and large national vcs providers

Attendance, public sector

The following officers attended the Board:

1. Paul Masters, ACE, CC, Chair

2. Liz Calcutt, CC, Procurement Lead

3. Jane Royale, CC/NHS, Public Health Lead

4. Julie Green, Commissioner, NHS, Observer

5. Ann Hughes, CC, Social Care Lead

6. Sue Coleman, Angela Andrews, Children and Young People Leads

7. Sophie Hosking, CC, Communities Lead

8. Andrew Forward, CC, Economy, Planning & Environment Lead

9. Caroline Coad, Police

Plus other officers on an ad hoc basis as required.

VCS Themes and Leads

• Volunteering Ian Jones, Volunteer Cornwall

• Health and wellbeing* Tracey Rouse, Age Concern

• Community support* Peter Jefferson, CRCC

• Advice to individuals* John Ede, Citizens Advice

• Equalities and diversity* Judith Cook, Inclusion Cornwall et al

• Children & young people* Richard Mckie, Youth Work Partnership

• Environment Ian Smith, CEP

• VCS skills for workforce* Andrew Green, LP

• Social enterprise Jon Rolls, ReZolve

• Community safety* (To be determined...)

Criteria for VCS Leads

VCS Lead candidates must demonstrate some or all of the following:• having trust of parties to lead behalf of Theme group the process of

communicating with Cornwall Council

• track record of delivery in this area of activity

• primary purpose of organisation

• quality standards as demonstrated by recognised kitemark

• position on relevant local sector partnerships and networking arrangements

• not already leading on another area of activity

• agree to regular feedback to group, oversight by VSF and group review of role after 6 months

• ‘Theme Lead’ is a senior manager (preferably at Chief Executive level) with sufficient time, authority and capacity to represent and engage with the organisations within their theme, without substitution

Bottom Lines

VCS Leads have to be able to carry their colleagues and bind them into what is discussed

All tenders and contract decisions remain with public sector

There is transparency via Council and VSF websites

Work over last 12 months

Early priority was VCS activity where SLAs or contracts end - £465k into VCS infrastructure in 2010-11

Extension of LINK, engagement around Healthwatch

Health and wellbeing theme meets with GPs, Peninsula Health and Portfolio holder attends. Co-producing Prevention strategy with ASC

Social Impact Bonds dialogue

VCS Infrastructure investment for further 4 years

Capacity building funding over £100k via Learning Partnership – first activity training for Equality and Diversity theme,

Police and probation join Board, new ‘Community safety and offender management’ theme. Becomes 7th Active Theme group to meet.

Joint funding bids: latest ‘Warm Homes, healthy people’ (last week)