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The prospects for local infrastructure: straws in the wind?
The document details a workshop focusing on the future of local infrastructure, featuring speakers from various organizations discussing the challenges and strategies for voluntary and community sectors in light of funding cuts and shifting governmental structures. Key initiatives highlighted include building partnerships, securing contracts, and the importance of engaging local communities in decision-making processes. Additionally, case studies from Hackney CVS and Brighton and Hove Community Works illustrate successful approaches to funding and service delivery amidst a changing landscape.
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The prospects for local infrastructure: straws in the wind?
- 1. Workshops PM3: The prospectsfor local infrastructure: straws in the wind? Chair: Terry Perkins, Development Officer, NAVCA Speakers: Neil Cleeveley, Deputy Chief Executive, NAVCA Jake Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer, Hackney CVS Sally Polanski, Chief Executive Officer, Community and Voluntary Sector Forum
- 2. Changing environment • Infrastructurespecific funding gone • Frontline first • Shifting geographical boundaries (CCG, PCC..) • Marketisation – demand led funding • Tailored support
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- 4. Independent Commission onthe Future of Infrastructure Key tasks: • Gather evidence • Invite views • How infrastructure responds to challenges • Propose practical action
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- 7. It all startedwith the luncheon clubs… Jake Ferguson Chief Executive Officer Hackney CVS
- 8. About Hackney • 2,000+VCS groups, very diverse - 80% under £50k turnover • Respectful and productive relationships between VCS and public sector • Lots of provider networks • Formal mechanisms for VCS to participate in strategic decision making structures, grant panels etc. • Lots of co-production of local strategies
- 9. About Hackney CVS •£1.5m turnover – mix of income from public sector (Council/NHS/MOPAC), BIG Lottery Fund • 19 staff with 24 sessional young people • Juggling 20-30 projects at any one time - Lead lots of consortia and partnerships • Have had BASIS, TLI and other funds but not as a main source of income • Provide two hubs in Hackney – income from hot desks and conference room c£35k • Major income from leading partnerships and proactive business cases to public sector
- 10. Some of ourpartnership work We are not a typical CVS in that we do direct delivery with local partners e.g.: • Families First Family Intervention programme - BIG • Mayor’s Mentoring Programme - GLA • Stop and Search work - MOPAC • Social Prescribing & Innovation grants - CCG • Healthwatch – LB Hackney • Take Care of the Pennies – Lloyds TSB • Luncheon Club contracts – LB Hackney
- 11. So what’s thisabout luncheon clubs? Heard in 2011 that Council were cutting luncheon clubs Worked with Council to look at alternatives Agreed to model SPV in Manchester Secured £50k development money from Council to develop SPV Then used TLI to continue its development So what are the key lessons? • Work with the commissioners with the problem/offer solutions • Ensure you have sector buy in – any SPV needs members! • Mirror best practice and be confident about your approach
- 12. So where arewe now? • Hackney CVS now managing £120k luncheon club contracts and supporting 20 clubs to develop and work in partnership • SPV has secured £270k three year Carers Contract for Hackney with 15 partners • SPV is leading £5.75m bid around older people and social isolation with 50 VCS and public sector partners • SPV is leading bid to reduce hospital admissions and improve discharge rates
- 13. The lack ofgrants & resources for local VCS support Solutions: • Hackney Giving • Joint bid writing and development – has secured over £3m this way • Pro-bono help from business sector staff • Supporting cohorts of sector more, fewer one to ones • Apprentices and volunteers – we would be lost without them!
- 14. Bringing the voiceof local people to the decision making table • We still use elected VCS reps but public sector want more from users/residents • Community Insight approach has provided very valuable • Started using approach after riots • Mayor’s partnership event in July will feature video, audio and written evidence from 14 local community groups about how Hackney is changing.
- 15. What’s next? • Makingsure we have the capacity to continue to expand and diversify • Continue to be proactive in taking business cases to the public sector • Retain experienced and committed staff team • Work with sector to tackle big issues for Hackney through partnerships – domestic violence and childhood neglect, young black men
- 16. Over to you… Eitheron your own or in groups with the people around you, use the “twitter “ cards on your chairs to answer the questions on the next slide, comment, raise new questions or generally entertain the audience (in an infrastructure related way!). In the spirit of twitter, keep your comments short and succinct.
- 17. Over to you… •How can we, as infrastructure bodies working in more complex and challenging times, ensure the smaller and BMER VCS don’t lose out? • How can we keep grants on the agenda and available locally? • How can we survive as infrastructure bodies financially?
- 18. Case study: Brighton andHove Community Works Sally Polanski CEO Brighton and Hove Community Works
- 19. Sharing our learning •How our recent history helped secure our future • What we offer the public sector • Developing our services for others
- 20. Our recent history •TLI merger • New and unprecedented City Council Policy on Third Sector and Communities • Joint Commission on infrastructure, community development and community engagement
- 21. We want voluntaryand community action to have the greatest possible impact on people in Brighton and Hove. We put in place the support and networks that make it happen.
- 22. Who was involvedin our TLI project? • CVSF • Business Community Partnership / Skills Exchange • Volunteer Centre • Performance Development Service • Working Together Project • Southeast Wellbeing Consortium • Trust for Developing Communities • Plus Strategic Working Group, independent Chair and the wider VCS
- 23. Our immediate future •Community Works Third Sector and Communities Partnership: £1.6mn contract 2014-17 and complex delivery chain • Taking Account 3: Economic and Social Audit of the Voluntary and Community Sector • Political uncertainty in the context of greatest cuts yet
- 24. Our offer tothe public sector Partnership - Prospectus model for commissioning - Social Value Policy Panel - Consultation and engagement … but not as we knew it Value - Consultancy - Special Purpose Vehicle for umbrella contracts - Networks Flexibility - Shifting policy/priorities - Crisis support
- 25. Developing our services Toour members - Target groups aligned with city priorities - Consultancy, training and paid for services To others - Specialist consultancy and community engagement - Business partnership - Focal point for volunteering services
- 26. Over to you… It’s“twitter” time again. Just to remind you of the rules… Either on your own or in groups with the people around you, use the “twitter “ cards on your chairs to answer the questions on the next slide, comment, raise new questions or generally entertain the audience (in an infrastructure related way!). In the spirit of twitter, keep your comments short and succinct.
- 27. Over to you… •In the context of cuts, how can infrastructure offer representation AND partnership to the public sector? • How do we, as infrastructure organisations, balance achieving diverse membership and inclusion with facilitating delivery partnerships that may exclude and divide? • Our remit is vast. We do a lot of things – some fairly well, others potentially less so. What do we want to do brilliantly and how do we make that our key to success in the future?
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- 29. Thank You Neil Cleeveley DeputyChief Executive NAVCA Tel: 0114 289 3954 Email: neil.cleeveley@navca.org.uk Web: www.navca.org.uk Jake Ferguson Chief Executive Officer Hackney CVS Tel: 020 7923 8357 Email: jake@hcvs.org.uk Web: www.hcvs.org.uk Sally Polanski CEO Brighton and Hove Community Works Tel: 01273 234023 Email: sally@bhcommunityworks.org.uk Web: www.bhcommunityworks.org.uk
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Editor's Notes
- #3 Challenges for infrastructure Unprecedented cuts Welfare reforms – increasing need & demand Increased competition Grants to contracts Infrastructure being bypassed
- #4 Unsettlement of infrastructure? There is significant change underway: Closures, reductions in services and changes of focus Mergers and partnerships Moves towards new funding models New relationships with local business New relationships with the private sector Rob MacMillan’s themes: New support needed De-coupling Reconfiguration Changing delivery mechanisms Demand-led Hollowing out
- #5 Emerging findings Communications: many people still don’t know what the sector does Funding: Austerity – less funding v increasing demad Transfer of services & ‘assets’ but not resources New finance models – PbR, social investment, SIB Partnerships: Scope for more, but resource intensive Cross sectoral? Commissioning: Harder for local small & medium Markets – rhetoric leading practice? Voice & influence – vital for small advocacy groups, but getting squeezed Infrastructure reclaiming Community Development
- #6 TLI Mergers, partnerships, alliances , hubs: Resource sharing Co-location Shared services Sustainable funding: Local giving Placed-based brands Harnessing business capacity: Skills sharing United Way – business relationship CSR (London, Merton. Rethinking voice & engagement: Virtual Voices Panel (Worcestershire) Virtual assembly (Wakefield) Online solutions – blended with face to face support Diagnostic & referral systems
- #7 NAVCA’s Independent Commission is intended to put the future of local infrastructure in our own hands There will be challenges and choices…………….but many are already adapting Time to hear from a couple of them…… but before that, any questions?