VCS Summit Update

Presentation to Key VCS stakeholders

Work in Progress on a VCS Commissioning Board

Mark Richardson

Chief Executive, VSF

Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF)

About us...• 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, 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.

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

Process since Summit

• On Council side, lead by Paul Masters, ACE, with support of CC Partnership Team and Procurement Unit

• On Sector side, lead by VSF, with support of Susan Stopforth, independent consultant, funded through ‘Thriving Third Sector’ outcome of Local Area Agreement (until end December)

• VSF Trustees Task Group established to guide work, Chaired by Jon Rolls of Rezolve. (VSF Trustees are drawn from membership, with exception of independent Chair and Vice Chair)

• Series of meetings between VSF staff and CC, also met with PCT Stakeholder Engagement Lead

• Mapping of current CC VCS grant and contract funding• Second VCS meeting at Chasewater on 28th October

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 might work

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. Specification drawn up by public procurement outside of Board, as directed by Commissioners

7. Tender advertised on usual tendering website(s)

8. Bids submitted by organisations or consortia

9. Board helps to review effectiveness of services

Benefits for Council

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

• Reduced costs of interacting with sector

• Easier to build a consensus with sector 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

Proposed Board Work Programme

1. Grants for VCS organisations from April 2011 (short term transition arrangements)

2. Re- commissioning of VCS work formerly funded by LAA (where there is agreement that such work is vital to the delivery of Big Cornwall and there is a risk that the work will cease when LAA monies are withdrawn in March 2011.)

3. Re-commissioning of other VCS contracts considered essential to ‘Big Cornwall’s where current delivery end March 2011

4. Consideration of proposals for innovation (including social enterprise hubs, use of next generation broadband for advice to individuals, a new approach to personalisation and proposals for environment goods and services).

Terms of Reference

• Board meets at least 4 times a year, but much more regularly to start with because of need for fixes (monthly for first six months)

• Regular review of membership, role and structure

• Deputies must be of senior status

• Interaction between Commissioning and Procurement (Part B)

• Principle of co-production

• ‘Ways of working’ document as an Annex

Attendance, public sector

The following officers will attend the Board:

1. Paul Masters, ACE, CC, provisional Chair

2. Liz Calcutt, CC, Procurement Lead

3. Felicity Owen, CC/NHS, Public Health Lead

4. Antek Lejk, NHS, Observer

5. Gwen Doswell, CC, Social Care Lead

6. Guy Chappell, Children and Young People Lead

7. Kim Mundy, CC, Communities Lead

8. Sandra Rothwell, CC, Economy, Planning & Environment Lead

9. Paul Rickard, Democratic Services, Secretariat (ex-officio)

Plus other officers on an ad hoc basis as required.

Secretariat arrangements / roles

• Democratic oversight through procurement process, cabinet members, annual budget setting rather than direct seat(s) on Board

• Chaired by PM, ACE, showing Council commitment• VSF oversight and scrutiny function. No direct

‘voice’ theme.• Joint Council / Sector secretariat, with full

transparency via Council and VSF websites

Attendance, VCS

1. 10 x VCS Theme Leads, as discussed later

2. VSF CEO, Oversight and scrutiny

3. Secretariat, VSF officer (ex-officio)

In total from both sides 18 members and 2 ex-officio.

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 from Council

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

Priority is currently funded VCS activity where SLAs or contracts end March 2011 (there is a commitment to examining new proposals, but current activity comes first)

All tenders and contract decisions remain with Cornwall Council

There will be transparency via Council and VSF websites

Themes for VCS Commissioning Board

Practical Maximum of 10 ‘active’ themes

Can add or change themes

BUT: Priority is existing funding post March 2011

Any new or innovative proposals will have to wait for this to be sorted first

VCS Themes and Leads

1. Volunteering Ian Jones, Volunteer Cornwall

2. Health and social care Tracey Rouse, Age Concern

3. Public health Scott Bennett, Cornwall Brook

4. Community Support Peter Jefferson, CRCC

5. Advice to individuals John Ede, Citizens Advice

6. Equalities and Diversity Theo Blackmore, Disability Cornwall*

7. Children & young people Steve Clark, CN4C

8. Environment Ian Smith, CEP

9. VCS skills for workforce Andrew Green, LP

10. Social enterprise Jon Rolls, ReZolve

*Interim lead, to be finalised

Theme Prospectus

• Target groups of users• Needs assessment• Delivery options • Finance • Invest to Save• SROI (Social return on investment)• Links to other themes• Risks

Work Programme

• December – Terms of reference, Council cuts to VCS, Future of LINK

• January – Council cuts to VCS, review of benefits & advice, VCS response to Health Hubs, building VCS capacity, future of Children’s centres

• February – Volunteering, Health Hubs public sector reply, Council cuts to VCS, role of VCS in public health, Council paper on future procurement methods

• March – Community support, future of small grants, asset transfer, services for children & young people, Joint strategic needs assessment

Questions and Answers Today

Health warning – I will attempt to answer questions to the best of our knowledge, but these proposals are still evolving, so many elements are currently uncertain.