Meeting the Challenge Together
The Third Sector Strategy for Wakefield District, 2013-2016
Foreword
The Third Sector in the Wakefield district has traditionally been the bedrock of voluntary and community activity providing much needed support within communities and to individuals. Reliant upon countless hours of volunteer time it has been built with a professional and caring approach that has meant that the sector has become a vital part of the district’s make-up.
It is a complex arena that embraces small, local, volunteer led groups as well as large charitable organisations. In recent years it has responded to ever changing need and challenge with resourcefulness and innovation. This has seen the sector embracing change, broadening the approaches to delivery and sustainability and increasing the options for local services and commissioning.
The Third Sector Strategy has been developed by representatives from the sector and across the Wakefield Together Partnership to ensure that expanding activity continues to provide vital and valuable contributions to the district’s life. The Strategy will ensure that we embed the sector’s future in change, valuing individual contributions, volunteering and innovation, enabling local people to meet their aspirations and live their lives well within stronger, supportive neighbourhoods.
Paula Bee
Chair of the Third Sector Strategy Group
Executive Summary
These are challenging times.
If there is one lesson to take from the current climate it is that no one organisation can tackle these challenges alone. Wakefield Together is aware that to retain the sense of pride, neighbourliness and collective spirit that defines our district, organisations need to work together to develop and sustain communities. There is a need to strengthen further existing and emerging partnerships to lever the capacity of third sector organisations and harness civic activism and pride throughout the district to deliver the pledges and priorities of the District Plan.
This is a strategy to make this happen.
Unemployment, poverty and inequality are the social challenges we must urgently address. Our young people need a sense of hope and opportunity. Our older people need not only care and support, but also opportunities to remain active and engaged in civic life. We all have a part to play, from citizens and the smaller self-help groups through to established voluntary organisations and larger, service delivery charities and social enterprises.
The third sector is a key partner within Wakefield Together and this Strategy demonstrates its role in supporting delivery of the pledges and priorities of the Wakefield District Plan. In particular, in achieving key results around reducing poverty and inequalities; promoting health and wellbeing; encouraging a sense of belonging and trust within communities; and raising aspirations – including increased access to opportunities and employment.
This Strategy also connects with the priorities of thematic plans such as the Jobs and Growth Plan, Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Community Safety Plan and works to support existing and emerging service delivery models operating across the Partnership, particularly around Troubled Families and area based working.
To this end, this Third Sector Strategy has four strategic objectives for the next three years:
1. To encourage active citizenship and voluntary action through effective third sector engagement within local communities
2. To increase opportunities for the third sector to design and deliver public services
3. To ensure the third sector has the appropriate opportunities to influence policy and decision making
4. To ensure effective infrastructure support is developed for the third sector throughout the district
These objectives lie at the heart of the shared vision for Wakefield which is set out in the District Plan and the detailed action plan that accompanies this Strategy outlines how collective working across the public, private and third sectors will achieve this shared ambition.
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The Third Sector Strategy
1. Why Do We Need a Strategy?
1.1 Background
The landscape for public services across the Wakefield district is shifting rapidly. Budget pressures, rising demand and changing public expectations mean local public services are being asked to do more with less. The scale of the challenge means public services cannot do this alone and more must be done to lever the capacity and resources of communities to ensure that local needs are met.
Evidence suggests that when public services and communities work hand in hand, real improvements can be made. Wakefield Together acknowledges that its pledges and priorities can only be achieved when citizens, communities, the third sector and business sector are involved. This means investing in and building on efforts to grow the capacity of citizens and local voluntary and community groups, enabling them to play leading roles in the development of their communities.
It also means refocusing learning and development activity within public services so that professionals, practitioners and policy-makers are better equipped to understand and engage with communities.
Wakefield district is home to many voluntary and community organisations that are bringing their own insight, time and energy to helping meet the most pressing needs in the district. But these organisations are also sharing the challenges of resource pressures and increasing demand.
This Strategy sets out our collective approach to maximising the capacity of those third sector organisations that are already making a positive contribution, levering the latent potential of other organisations and mobilising a greater level of active citizenship.
The action plan that accompanies this Strategy at Appendix 1 sets out the means by which we will increase the level of co-production between public agencies and the third sector in Wakefield; a genuine partnership to achieve common goals.
1.2 Links Between This and Other Strategies
The Third Sector Strategy forms part of the overall strategic plan framework for Wakefield Together. Its relationship with the other Partnership plans and strategies is set out below:
1.3 Vision and Priorities for the District
The shared vision for the district, published in the Wakefield District Plan 2013-2016 is that:
‘We want Wakefield to be a thriving 21st Century district. A place where everyone can achieve their full potential and where our most vulnerable people are protected. We will do this by building and sustaining stronger communities, creating vibrant places and investing in our future to ensure we succeed.’
Wakefield Together has identified five key pledges for the district to support delivery of this vision. These are:
· To strive to create job opportunities, raise skill levels and help local people into employment
· To strive to meet the housing needs of the district
· To strive to reduce health inequalities within the district
· To continue to make the district safer by reducing the level of crime and anti social behaviour in the district.
· To strive to create a better quality environment
Working collaboratively with statutory agencies and others, the third sector is integral to the delivery of all these pledges and is already making a vital contribution to supporting wellbeing and promoting aspiration, especially amongst our most vulnerable communities.
In addition, the sector has a critical role to play in service delivery through Personalisation and the area working model which is shared across the Wakefield Together Partnership.
The aim of area working is to: ‘improve the quality of life and outcomes for people living within communities and reduce the inequalities’. There are four strands to the programme which are:
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The role of the sector in contributing to delivery models is self evident but there is scope to achieve more and this Strategy helps to set out how the energy and talents of the sector can be harnessed to best effect.
The Personalisation Agenda is closely linked to the Area Working model and focuses on empowering individuals through choice and control, via self-directed support. It is also about making sure there is an integrated community based approach for everyone. This involves building community capacity and local strategic commissioning so that people have an informed choice and support regardless of age or disability, including support provided by user-led organisations.
2. Definition
By the ‘third sector’ we mean;
‘Not for profit independent, voluntary and community groups or organisations formed by local people, or those with a local interest, to improve the quality of lives for themselves and/or fellow citizens across the Wakefield district’.
These include registered charities; voluntary organisations; community groups; faith groups involved in social action; tenants groups, cooperatives and mutuals, community interest companies and social enterprises.
3. Principles
This Strategy is underpinned by a core set of principles which defines our approach to supporting the third sector across the Wakefield district:
1. We will make use of existing local assets – emphasising what the community has and building on it
2. We recognise that everyone has something to contribute and will harness this capacity
3. We are committed to making a difference to the district but take the long view - there are no quick fixes, if change is to be lasting
4. We will ensure that support is accessible for local communities and third sector organisations at neighbourhood, parish and district level
5. We embrace diversity and recognise solutions are needed which respond to local circumstances, rather than taking a ‘one size fits all’ approach
6. We are committed to collaboration, recognising that an indicator of a healthy third sector is one that challenges and advocates for the needs of citizens and local people
4. Strategic Objectives
The above principles have been developed to specifically support the four strategic objectives of the Strategy which are:
1. To encourage active citizenship and voluntary action through effective third sector engagement within local communities
2. To increase opportunities for the third sector to design and deliver public services
3. To ensure the third sector has the appropriate opportunities to influence policy and decision making
4. To ensure effective infrastructure support is developed for third sector throughout the district
5. Where are we now?
5.1 The local context
Wakefield district faces the challenge of rising numbers of residents out of work and significant levels of deprivation within some of our neighbourhoods. The effects of the Welfare Reform Act (2012) will be felt hardest in our most deprived communities, with many more households being placed under stress. Pockets of poverty remain in parts of the district and 21% of our young people are now considered to be living in poverty.
People are living longer and the population is getting older; it is predicted to have grown by over 50% by 2031 which represents close to an additional 100,000 people. This ageing population inevitably brings increased demand for health and social care services, for accessible transport and housing and other core services, Personalisation is driving forward key changes in the approach to care at a time when the dignity of people using public services is being brought into keen focus. These pressures are increasing at a time when public service resources are shrinking and when alternative models of delivery are required if local needs are to be met.
5.2 The public sector in Wakefield
Almost all public sector organisations across Wakefield are required to make considerable savings over the coming years. Wakefield Council faces significant financial challenges and has developed its ‘Catalyst Council’ programme through which it aims to develop new models for delivering services, including service transfer to local communities. Other public sector agencies such as the NHS and the Police also face significant funding cuts as part of the Government’s austerity measures, driving the need for more collective responses and shared resources to make sure local needs are met.
Through Wakefield Together, the district has developed a local delivery model framed around the seven area. Key partners such as the Council, Wakefield District Housing and the Police are now coordinating their efforts and resources through joint working to improve delivery and outcomes for local people.
5.3 The third sector in Wakefield
Wakefield is home to a well-established third sector. There are 567 registered organisations in the district with an annual income of £78m. In addition, there are an estimated 742 unregistered groups, whose income is unknown.
The sector ranges from the smallest self-help and campaigning groups to large service delivery organisations and national charities and employs a total of around 2,800 people.
The range of activities and services carried out by the sector is diverse:
· 30% of groups deliver leisure activities, including sport and recreation
· 22% carry out community development and mutual aid
· 25% work in the field of education and lifelong learning
· 20% within health and wellbeing
Wakefield district however, also has the lowest number per capita of both registered and unregistered groups across West Yorkshire with correspondingly low levels of organisational income. Organisations face challenges in meeting the growing needs of local communities and equally, are supported by organisations that have been facing their own challenges. Positive developments have begun with the move to create a single point of support called NOVA Wakefield District, but there is also a need to develop strategic engagement between the third sector and public sector decision-makers and create more opportunities for the sector, small and large, to share and collaborate expertise, resources and delivery for the benefit of Wakefield’s communities.
5.4 The business sector in Wakefield
The private sector is critical to developing jobs and economic growth in the Wakefield district. Links with the third sector have traditionally been weak but are gradually improving with initiatives such as the Wellbeing Consortium. Considerable potential remains to improve collaboration with the private sector to address the challenges outlined above, particularly through mechanisms such as first, the Wakefield Enterprise Partnership.
6. Going Forward
This Strategy is seeking to address the above issues and specifically in ensuring third sector organisations, small and large, are able to continue to grow and develop. This will mean maximising opportunities for the sector to be involved in the design and deliver of local services; harnessing the capacity, skills and energies of local people to grow community based action; and fostering more strategic relations with the business and public sectors through a genuine programme of collaboration and joint working.