The Role of the Voluntary Sector in Public Service Delivery in the UK Voluntary Sector Excellence Project, Finland Wednesday, 10 November 2004

Home Secretary’s Civil Renewal Agenda “We must aim to build strong, empowered and active communities, in which people increasingly do things for themselves and the state acts to facilitate, support and enable citizens to lead self-determined, fulfilled lives.” Rt. Hon. David Blunkett, Home Secretary, “Civil Renewal: A New Agenda”, the Edith Kahn Memorial Lecture, June 2003

Public Sector Reform “We are proposing to put an entirely different dynamic in place to drive our public services: one where the service will be driven not by the managers but by the user – the patient, the parent, the pupil, and law abiding citizen.“ The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP, July 2004

4 Principles 4 Principles: n Standards n Devolution and Delegation n Flexibility n Expanding Choice

The UK Voluntary and Community Sector n 150, 000 Charities in the UK n 20% increase in number of Charities over last ten years n 32% increase in income since 1991 n Charities contribute £7.2bn to UK economy

Added Value of the VCS n Focus on users n Independence n Knowledge, expertise, experience - reach n Flexibility/innovation

The Compact The Compact on Relations between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS), 1998 Five Codes of Good Practice: n Funding n Volunteering n Consultation n BME n Community Groups

The Cross Cutting Review 2002 “To explore how central and local government can work more effectively with the Sector to deliver high quality services.” n Published Sept 2002 n Review of the role of the VCS in service delivery n Part of the 2002 Spending Review (SR2002)

Barriers to VCS service delivery n Capacity issues n Funding and procurement practice n Partnerships/promoting the Compact

What are we doing? n ChangeUP n Futurebuilders n Guidance to Funders n Think Smart…Think Voluntary Sector n Funding code

The Future…NAO Funding Review The National Audit Office review of departmental progress in implementing the funding recommendations in the CCR. n Commissioned by the Home Office as part of PSA 8 n Fieldwork 85% complete n Report to Public Accounts Committee Spring 2005

The Future…Spending Review 2004 The SR 2004 sets out the Governments policy priorities for the VCS: n Continued futurebuilders investment n Continued capacity building investment n Increased awareness amongst local funders n £90 million Invest-to-Save budget n New PSA Target “To increase voluntary and community engagement, especially amongst those at risk of social exclusion.”

The Future…New VCS Review The new HMT VCS Review has four main strands: n Improving understanding; n Building stronger local partnerships; n Targeting public services; and, n Co-ordinating national funding. n Hoping to publish in November 2004.

Thank you