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Understanding The VCS

Understanding The VCS. Just a bunch of volunteers, aren’t they?. VCS – A Definition. The VCS is diverse, active and passionate It includes voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives, mutuals, and companies both large and small

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Understanding The VCS

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  1. UnderstandingThe VCS Just a bunch of volunteers, aren’t they?

  2. VCS – A Definition • The VCS is diverse, active and passionate • It includes voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, cooperatives, mutuals, and companies both large and small • Organisations in the sector share common characteristics: • Value-driven, person centred, social model • Accountable by governance structures – real people, real communities (usually unpaid) • work delivered for the public benefit, beyond the membership of individual voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) • Not for profit – principally reinvest any financial surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives • independence of both formal structures of government and the profit sector • They are full of expert, professional paid staff - not only volunteers

  3. Scope of the VCS • Adult Education • Advice • Advocacy • Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking • Arts/Culture • Asylum Seekers & Refugees • Bereavement • Birth/Pregnancy • Campaigning • Carers • Children • Chronic Medical Condition • Community Care • Community Development • Community Safety • Counselling • Cultural • Economic Development • Education • Elderly • Employment Support • Environment • Faith/Religion • Families • Family Support • Gay/Lesbian • Grant Giving • Health • Health & Social Care • HIV/AIDS • Housing • Immigration • International Dev. • Learning Disability • Leisure • Men • Mental Health • Parenting • Physical Disability • Play • Public Health/Health Promotion • Racial Harassment • Relationships • Self Help • Sensory Disability • Sexual Abuse • Single Parents • Social Activities • Sport • Support • Training • Volunteering • Women • Youth

  4. Scope of the VCS • The ways in which the sector works, the activities it carries out and the beneficiaries it supports, are very diverse • building social capital • providing services to the public and to particular community groups • providing advocacy on behalf of communities and the individuals • contributing expertise and experience to policy formulation

  5. Size of the VCS – National Picture • Total number of VCS groups in England 138,72 Micro charities Less than £10,000 Small charities £10,000 to £100,000 Medium charities £100,000 to £1 million Large charities £1 million to £10 million Major charities More than £10 million

  6. VCS in Leicester/Leicestershire

  7. VCS in Leicester/Leicestershire

  8. VCS in Leicester/Leicestershire

  9. VCS in Leicester/Leicestershire

  10. What can the VCS add • Value, innovation and quality in delivering public services • Efficient and effective services that can produce better and lasting outcomes • Ability to engage at a community level and understand the real needs of the community • building social capital, that is, building relationships and bridges within and across communities that help to bind society together • meeting special needs/niche interests through significant expertise and experience, especially with complex needs • maintaining an independent voice – structural and legal independence allows it to assume a role as a constitutional check or balance • full involvement of stakeholders across sector divides • acting with flexibility and speed – its independence allows it, within legal and constitutional boundaries, to respond to changing needs

  11. Barriers to cross-sector Contracts • May be cost differences due to some of their approaches • If no costs are put in for involvement, the VCS will no longer be able to be engaged in multi agency meetings/forums/initiatives • Finance, shift to equity and loan finance – cash flow ! • Change in VCS ethos from “caring to charging” • Governance, Boards/Trustees – (memorandum & arts) • Language differences

  12. Positives of working with the VCS • Well governed • Value, innovative and experienced in delivering public sector contracts • Ability to engage at a community level and understand the real needs of the community • Trusted by their communities and potentially deliver and focus services to hard to reach areas Cross sector working may well influence any potential commissioning ?

  13. Thank you David Barsby david.b@valonline.org.uk 0116 2575047

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