Agenda item: 5

Report to:North Somerset Partnership Board

Date:17th May 2016

Title of Report:Strengthening the Community & Voluntary Sector

Purpose of Report:

As an identified priority for NSP, this report seeks to provide:

  • context of the sector,
  • evidence about the ‘baseline’
  • discussion of what projects and initiatives are already underway
  • further action required to achieve the objective.

Summary:

The Board aspires to support an economy in North Somerset in which:

  • The local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE)Sector is strengthening
  • Local VCSE groups attract funding from a variety of sources enabling them to do more
  • Public Services engage with the local VCSE sector both to improve their services and, where possible, to enable communitiesto help themselves

To achieve these outcomes North Somerset requires a robustVCSE sector engagement and influence structure that can:

  • Measure the level of VCSE sector activity and impact of that activity
  • Identify gaps in service provision and work to develop creative responses to address need
  • Be aware of funding opportunities and can support VCSE sector organisations to access funds
  • Develop a coordinated, needs based and costed strategy for engagement and co-production between public services and the VCSE sector
  • Provide a collaborative link between policy makers and those affected by policy to influence strategic decision making and provide business intelligence that can shape policy to ensure effective use of resources.
  • Offer training and support to the VCSE sector so that it is robust, skilled and commission/bid ready

The VCSE sector Leader’s Forum, led through VANS, has the potential to oversee and deliver engagement and influence.

Recommendations:

  1. The Partnership is asked endorse the concept of an engaged and vibrant VCSE sector
  2. The Partnership is asked to agree that the VCSE Leaders Forum develops a fully costed workplan
  3. The Partnership support the VCSE Leaders Forum to explore a range of potential funding opportunities to drive this work forward

1Background:

At its meeting on 2 December 2015, the Partnership had a workshop session sharing priorities and identifying synergies and common themes. A broad set of areas were identified and John Wilkinson (Head of Transformation and Policy NSC) was tasked with recasting these themes as outcomes which the partnership would seek to achieve together.

At its meeting on 1st March 2016 the Partnership endorsed the key themes and desired outcomes the partnership aspires to achieve for North Somerset.

This paper offers a route to progress the Theme: Strengthening the Community & Voluntary Sector.

1.1Overview

Historically the VCSE sector (circa 556 organisations in North Somerset) has worked mainly in silos on specific workstreams to deliver services in North Somerset. The Impact survey (Nov 2013) shows a desire to work better together and for a co-ordinated approach to activities. An updated survey is currently being undertaken.

The voice and influence of the VCSE sector is not fully maximised mainly due to lack of investment in infrastructure and coordination.

The VCSE sector is well placed to support the delivery of key workstreams to develop a vibrant and flourishing North Somerset offer.

Investment in engagement with the VCSE sector would lead to:

  • Joined up services and increased partnership working across sectors;
  • Greater opportunities to meet strategic objectives;
  • Value for money in service delivery;
  • Greater community cohesion;
  • Improved health and well being for North Somerset residents;
  • Greater opportunities to address social inequalities

1.2Maximising VCSE resources

Examples of key North Somerset initiatives in which the VCSE sector can deliver results are:

  • Building Better Opportunities- bespoke personalised programmes to support access to education training and work
  • Well Being Alliance
  • Community Access Review
  • Heart of Weston
  • My Neighbourhood and one project
  • High Impact Families
  • Community Connect
  • Syrian Refugee initiative

The issue is that without investment in research and a coordinated and strategic approach to VCSE sector engagement then the services that the sector offersare limited and lack a joined up and coordinated approach.

Polices and strategies that prove the desire for an engaged and skilled VCSE sector that can help communities to deliver and help people help themselves include:

  • NHS Five Year Forward View
  • North Somerset Corporate Plan
  • The emerging Transformation and Sustainability Plan
  • North Somerset Prevention and Early Intervention Strategy
  • North Somerset Public Mental Health Strategy
  • North Somerset Obesity action plan.

The VCSE sector is not currently efficient or effective enough both be a partner in and to help shape policy based on identified need.

1.3Maximising potential income strands

There is genuine potential to secure funding in a coordinated manner. Over and above traditional routes there are opportunities to develop, for example:

  • Social Value plan to release private investment in Neighbourhood/ community work. A 1% levy on procurement contracts for community development work would provide private investment and release current public funding commitments for neighbourhood projects.
  • Social impact bonds building on the current pilot work there is opportunity to consider the role Social Impact bonds can play in funding service provision.

The VCSE sector requires support and training to raise its fundraising skills and to coordinate joint working on programmes so it can be counted as a valid partner in the development of North Somerset.

NHS England has recognised that smaller VCSE organisations are not able to fully engage in commissioning due to their size, and limited capability to satisfy PQQ criteria. Co-production and collaboration are options that hold the key to generating funded work as well as work that satisfies need.

2Details:

The proposal is to strengthen and join up the VCSE sector in North Somerset through investment in infrastructure through the work of VANS and the VCSE Leaders’ Forum.

The Leaders’ Forum proposes to engage on a voice and influence programme that will work alongside the Partnership and report to the Partnership.

Key components are:

  • Endorsement of the VCSE Leaders Forum as the partnership that can steer the work
  • Voice and influence- research and impact work to provide data on need, gaps and solutions
  • Training for the VCSE sector- to ensure it is skilled, empowered and responsive to maximise opportunities and deliver services.
  • Information exchange- to ensure the VCSE sector is fully engaged in policy work to support a vibrant North Somerset
  • Intelligence development to maximise funding opportunities
  • Coproduction support to ensure the right organisations are involved and skilled to develop service strands
  • Upskilling communities to be able to own and deliver services without recourse to public funding

A fully costed plan is required, initial estimate is £55,000 per annum for 3 years to fund a voice and influence research post and the on costs of delivering the workplan, to include partner events and training.

3Engagement and consultation:

1)Key concerns consultation December 2015

2)State of the Sector conference January 2016

Key messages from conference:

STRENGTHS / OPPORTUNITIES
Diversity of organisations / Facilitate greater engagement
Working together – to promote consortium working- VCSE Leaders Forum / Willingness to build on partnerships and joint working
Trust of community organisations enables public sector to work more closely / For smaller orgs working with larger orgs support with training and funding bids (learning from/support/resources)
‘Fleet of foot’ voluntary sector advantage to public sector – opens door to new approaches / VANS role -Core infrastructure to work with cluster of orgs. Conduit of involvement
Collaboration – who is best placed to do what – recognise the strengths / To celebrate voluntary sector : improves quality of life/looking after disadvantaged people encourage more involvement
Strong voluntary sector (needs to be more connected) / Linking with education/universities
VANS role to support and influence two way communications with commissioners / If voluntary sector know what they need
Match up with volunteers with specific skills set ie accountants etc

3)VCSE leaders Forum meetings throughout 2015 and 2016

4)State of the sector Impact assessment work- May/ June 2016

4Financial implications:

Pump priming funding will be required to support the development of this work. We estimate that this will be in the region of £55,000 per annum for 3 years.

5Equalities implications:

The work would help ensure that inclusion is an integral part of development and that integration rather then segregation is a core motivation.

Author name, position and organisation:

Cara MacMahon CEO Voluntary Action North Somerset.

On behalf of the North Somerset VCSE Leader’s forum

APPENDIX 1

Summary Report on VCSE sector concerns presented to People and Communities Board. 25th January 2016

Survey Monkey Responses

In response to the call for comment on:

‘the implications for all board member organisations / sectors of the Comprehensive Spending Review and a general update on particular budget pressures for 2016-17.’

Between 12th – 17th December 2015 VANS asked its VCSE members and partner organisations to complete a short survey thirty-six organisations responded.

In summary from the survey

  • Quite a number of organisations are still unsure how the CSR may affect their work. 34.21%
  • Most organisations believe there will be less public sector investment in their work. 72.22%
  • Organisations worry they may need to do more for less funding. 63.89%
  • There is an appetite to develop new partnerships. 40.63%
  • Organisations believe their work is cost effective and adds value: 34.38%

General observations

The short term- annual nature of service level agreements/ funding is a concern and curtails forward planning and creative thinking.

Many VCSE sector organisations support some of the most vulnerable people within our society. They are positive in their approach to change but were looking for more direction and information on how they could work with others to deliver services effectively.

Transparent and open processes would be beneficial.

The quality and effectiveness of voluntary sector services would benefit from better co-ordination between all providers.

APPENDIX 2

VCSE Leader’s Forum

DRAFT Terms Of Reference

This is the terms of reference for all parties acting to strengthen the Community and Voluntary Sector in North Somerset.

  1. THE NORTH SOMERSET VCSE LEADER’S FORUM

The Forum will seek to ensure delivery of North Somerset Partnership Board’s aspiration to support an economy in North Somerset in which:

  • The local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (CVSE)Sector is strengthening
  • Local VCSE groups attract funding from a variety of sources enabling them to do more
  • Public Services engage with the local VCSE both to improve their services and, where possible, to enable VCSE groups to help themselves

To achieve these outcomes North Somerset requires a robustVCSE sector engagement and influence structure that can:

  • Measure the level of VCSE sector activity and impact of that activity
  • Identify gaps in service provision and work to develop creative responses to address need
  • Be aware of funding opportunities and can support VCSE sector organisations to access funds
  • Develop a coordinated, needs based and costed strategy for engagement and co-production between public services and the VCSE sector
  • Provide a collaborative link between policy makers and those affected by policy to influence strategic decision making and provide business intelligence that can shape policy to ensure effective use of resources.
  • Offer training and support to the VCSE sector so that it is robust, enskilled and commission/bid ready

The objective of the Forum is to deliver these outcomes and through that work to support and develop Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise groups and individuals within North Somerset providing a unified, single point of access for the VCSE sector.

Training

Where partners come together to deliver training or other paid for services under the work programme, division of work, resources and payments will be agreed on an individual case basis.

Funding to support the work

Funding will be sought from The North Somerset Partnership Board to allow the Forum to deliver its work

2. MEETINGS

There will be meetings every two months to link with North Somerset Partnership Board meetings. This will ensure that reports are provided to the Partnership Board in a timely fashion. Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS) will co-ordinate the meetings, and all partners will strive to attend. The purpose of the meetings will be to ensure the work programme is delivered

3. IT IS MUTUALLY UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED BY AND

BETWEEN THE PARTIES THAT:

  • The Forum aims to benefit the North Somerset Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise Sector and wider (residents) where applicable.
  • There is no onus on any partner to commit funding to the project apart from support in kind

These Terms of reference do not include the reimbursement of funds or expenses between the parties.

4. RECORD RETENTION

All organisations will maintain records on project outcomes according to their policies. Efforts shall be made to prevent duplication of record keeping. Records or information may be shared between partners where there is no breach of the Data Protection Act 1998. The key records will be held in VANS. All partners agree to provide relevant documents to VANS when requested to do so.

5MEMBERSHIP

The membership of the Forum will be made up of the Senior Officer of strategic VCSE organisations in North Somerset. On particular work streams additional representatives maybe invited to attend.

Initial members:

Lead partner- accountable body: VANS

For All Healthy Living Centre

Citizens Advice North Somerset

Healthwatch

Vision North Somerset

Curzon Cinema

Carers Trust Phoenix

NS Enterprise Agency

Springboard

Homestart

BME network

XTND

Rep from Heart of Weston

Rep from My Neighbourhood

APPENDIX 3:

Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS)

VANS Mission is to represent, develop and empower the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in North Somerset to be at the forefront of positive social change and development.

There are three key aspirations that underscore the services we want to deliver in North Somerset. These are:

  • The infrastructure body for the voluntary, community, social enterprise sector (VCSE)
  • A vibrant and bespoke volunteer centre offer.
  • A holistic person centred approach to health and wellbeing.

Medium term priorities are:

1-The infrastructure body for the VCSE sector

  • Broker and advocate for the VCSE sector to maximise social value dividend opportunities.
  • Broker and advocate for the VCSE sector to maximise community capacity opportunities as part of development contracts.
  • Broker and advocate for VCSE sector to maximise partnership development and co-production opportunities.
  • Provide opportunities for the sector to work together and share best practise.

2-Vibrant and bespoke volunteer centre service

  • Provide a local, searchable, web-based database of volunteering opportunities.
  • Offer support to VCSE sector organisations to help them to recruit volunteers.
  • Offer advice and support to people looking for volunteering opportunities.
  • Develop a service to support young people to gain volunteering experience.
  • Support VCSE organisations and public sector bodies to deliver high-quality, meaningful volunteering.
  • Deliver volunteering programmes.
  • Work with public and private sector to develop the three days a year volunteering initiative.

3-Holistic person centred approach to Health and Wellbeing

  • Ensure that we are at the forefront of engaging commissioners with the opportunities for joined up work with the VCSE sector.
  • Support people to contribute to their community and communities to provide their own solutions.
  • Develop volunteer pathway contracts to support people who are most excluded to thrive.
  • Develop volunteer buddy contracts to enhance the services offered by health partners.
  • Realise potential for additional investment for community cohesion work through maximising community capacity, social value and corporate social responsibility dividends.

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