Children and Young People’s Executive 7th March 2008
8
Leicestershire Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Review
Background
The County Council is proposing to create a single infrastructure body for the
voluntary sector in Leicestershire. This body would replace the existing
infrastructure bodies (including CCP, VAL’s, LCVYS).
The attached Appendix 1 is a draft ‘Broad Outcome’ specification to be used
in tendering for the new organisation and is open for consultation.
There will also be detailed requirements for each service area. Detailed
requirements for Children and Young people have been drawn up from
existing SLA’s and job descriptions to ensure that the specific needs of
children and young people are covered (Appendix 2).
Decisions required by DMT
Executive are asked to note and comment on the attached “Broad Outcome
Requirements for Leicestershire Voluntary and Community Sector
Infrastructure Organisation”.
Equalities Issues/Implications
None
Safeguarding Issues/Implications
None
Author: Peter Chester
Date: 27th February 2008
Draft
Appendix 1: Broad Outcome Requirements for Leicestershire Voluntary
and Community Sector Infrastructure Organisation
DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION
Leicestershire Voluntary and Community Sector Infrastructure
Outcomes
Leicestershire County Council and Leicestershire Together Partners want to
commission a Countywide Infrastructure Organisation (CIO) who will be
based in the county and accessible. It will achieve the following outcomes:
High Level Outcomes:
Outcome 1 – Voluntary and Community Sector Leadership, Engagement
and Representation
CIO will be able to demonstrate that it represents the diverse Voluntary and
Community Sector (VCS – Appendix A) in Leicestershire. It will support the
VCS to engage effectively with all appropriate strategic bodies and
partnerships including the Local Area Agreement with elected representation.
CIO will provide the mechanism including a range of communication
strategies for Leicestershire Together partners to engage effectively with the
VCS to enable them to shape future strategies, policies and practices at
county, district or sub-regionally as required by the funding partners.
Outcome 2 – Capacity Building and Support to VCS
CIO in partnership with Community Hubs will support the diverse frontline
voluntary and community organisations across the county to work more
effectively and efficiently by developing their capacity, quality and reach to
deliver services. Local VCS will be supported to develop an outcomes based
approach to assess their impact on individuals and communities. CIO will
support to the VCS to develop partnerships and identify opportunities to
become sustainable. CIO will advice and support Community Hubs and VCS
to gain additional funding to develop new and existing services
Outcome 3 – Volunteering
CIO will work with the diverse range of organisations across the county to
develop a volunteering infrastructure that meets local needs including those of
organisations using volunteers and that supports the Leicestershire
Sustainable Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement outcomes.
Outcome 4 – Expert advice and support
CIO will support the funding partners by providing expert advice and support
on their behalf to the VCS and work in partnership with the agencies to deliver
the programme of activities agreed annually. CIO will provide expert advice
on specialist policy areas covering Health, Older people, Children and Young
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people, vulnerable people taking into account the needs of Black and Minority
Ethnic and new communities and the need for equality in service delivery.
High level requirements for each outcome
Outcome 1 – Voluntary and Community Sector Leadership, Engagement
and Representation
CIO will be able to demonstrate that it represents the diverse VCS in
Leicestershire. It will support the VCS to engage effectively with all
appropriate strategic bodies and partnerships including the Local Area
Agreement with elected representation. CIO will provide the mechanism
including a range of communication strategies for Leicestershire Together
partners to engage effectively with the VCS to enable them to shape future
strategies, policies and practices at county, district or sub-regionally as
required by the funding partners.
The CIO will:
1) Work with the VCS in Leicestershire to ensure that it is acknowledged as
the strategic representative organisation for the VCS.
2) Act as an umbrella representative for the VCS and participate in the
planning and policy formulation as required by the funding partners and
partnerships.
3) Provide and maintain an integrated database of VCS by type of interest
service provided in the sub-region that is easily accessible by all
agencies.
4) Have a marketing strategy to raise the profile of VCS and its impact with
key stakeholders.
5) Provide a range of two-way communication channels between the VCS
and Leicestershire Together partners.
a) To assist Leicestershire Together partners by providing a range of
engagement programmes and events with the VCS on relevant matters
including providing policy briefings on issues of local, regional or
national significance especially where specified by funding partners.
b) To work with partners communication programmes to co-ordinate the
planning of events and activities.
6) Establish and co-ordinate a clear and transparent system of VCS
representation and networking which provides an accountable forum for
communication, discussion, consultation and election of ‘voices’ that
reflect the issues faced by the diverse VCS including those providing
specialist services.
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7) To facilitate and support VCS representative to effectively participate in a
range of partnerships including Leicestershire Together, theme
partnerships and cross cutting partnerships.
8) Work closely with the following agencies to provide support, professional
advice to:
a) Community Hubs in the districts to develop locality focused responses
and resources
b) Local Involvement Network to ensure there is co-ordination of activities
and responses where appropriate
c) Rural agencies and develop their capacity to engage effectively in the
VCS and deliver quality services
d) Community Transport providers to develop comprehensive and quality
services
e) Health and social care providers covering all groups including care
programme groups
f) Specific community/interest groups to develop their capacity to engage
effectively in the VCS and deliver quality services.
9) Support the implementation of the Leicestershire Compact and its codes
of good practice.
10) Be versatile in response to changing requirements from funding partners.
Outcome 2 – Capacity Building and Support to VCS
CIO in partnership with Community Hubs will support the diverse frontline
voluntary and community organisations across the county to work more
effectively and efficiently by developing their capacity, quality and reach to
deliver services. Local VCS will be supported to develop an outcome’s based
approach to assess their impact on individuals and communities. CIO will
support to the VCS to develop partnerships and identify opportunities to
become sustainable. CIO will advice and support Community Hubs and VCS
to gain additional funding to develop new and existing services.
The CIO will:
1) Work with local community hubs to identify gaps in existing VCS service
coverage in terms of areas of interest, community needs and locality. To
work with local partners and Leicestershire Together develop services
with local groups to meet identified needs.
2) Support community cohesion agendas for Leicestershire particularly in
relation to new communities at a local level through development of social
capital and promote good community relations across and between
communities.
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3) Support new and existing organisations through a range of services
including Human Resources advice, ICT support, governance advice,
funding advice to be ‘fit for purpose’ and self sustaining.
4) Support the VCS to actively engage their service users to help shape
service delivery.
5) Ensure that the VCS are confident of receiving advice and support from
the CIO.
6) Work with Community Hubs, VCS and other partners to attract additional
funding to Leicestershire to develop new and existing services to meet the
priorities identified by Leicestershire Together through:
a) Provision of funding advice and support using the funding toolkit
b) Promoting partnership/ consortium models to enable VCS to take up
procurement opportunities and make best use of resources to develop
new services.
7) Develop and provide a wide range of training opportunities based on
identified need and new developments through a co-ordinated programme
with other training partners.
8) Work with VCS to develop outcome-based performance measures that
evidence/reflect that the objectives of people using the services are being
met and achieve appropriate quality standards. Work within the single
performance system for the County including its requirements for
performance reporting and improvement planning
9) Identify, develop and promote best practice by keeping up with changes in
legislation, local and national policy development across the range of
services required by funders and provide a mechanism to communicate
the implications of the developments in accessible formats to the VCS
and funders.
10) To lead the VCS to develop appropriate responses to new developments
and challenge the development where there may be adverse implications.
To provide opportunities to network and share knowledge on these
developments.
11) Working with community hubs to proactively identify VCS that need
advice on governance and management of VCS and support them to
develop strategies to strengthen their organisation.
12) Ensure information can be provided in sensible formats to support service
analysis and policy formulation.
13) Deliver efficiencies, directly as an organisation and working across the
VCS in line with public sector efficiency targets.
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Outcome 3 – Volunteering
CIO will work with the diverse range of organisations across the county to
develop a volunteering infrastructure that is accessible and meets local needs
including those of organisations using volunteers. The volunteering strategy
and infrastructure supports the Leicestershire Sustainable Community
Strategy and Local Area Agreement outcomes.
CIO will:
1) work with Community Hubs, other agencies and use new technologies and
other resources to provide countywide access to potential and existing
volunteers.
2) Provide potential volunteers including youth volunteers with support and
advice to match their motivations to volunteer with appropriate
volunteering opportunities.
3) Stimulate interest in volunteering with positive messages delivered about
the diverse nature and conditions of volunteering with full use being made
of new technologies to promote the work.
4) Promote good practice in working with volunteers to all volunteer-involving
organisations through active support, volunteer-specific training, access to
accreditation and appropriate resources to ensure that volunteers
understand client needs/ conditions.
5) Encourage volunteer involving organisations working with volunteers who
are supporting vulnerable people that they are targeted to those most in
need. The volunteering involving organisations encourage and promote
an ethos of promoting independence and looking at preventive support
rather creating dependency.
6) Will ensure that capacity building teams work with volunteering teams to
develop new groups or support groups through targeted volunteering to
reflect the diverse community profile of Leicestershire.
7) Maintain awareness of local, regional and national government proposals
and policies which may impact on volunteers. To provide appropriate
information and training that impacts to volunteering organisations and
volunteers.
8) Develop standardised outcome based performance measures with
volunteering organisations that evidence/ reflect that the objectivities of
people using the services are being met and evidence equality of service
delivery in relation to need, ethnicity and diversity.
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Outcome 4 – Expert advice and support
CIO will support the funding partners through named contacts by providing
expert advice and support on their behalf to the VCS and work in partnership
with the agencies to deliver the programme of activities agreed annually
(Appendix B). CIO will provide expert advise on specialist policy areas
covering Health, Older people, Children and Young people, vulnerable people
taking into account the needs of Black and Minority Ethnic and new
communities and the need for equality in service delivery.
The CIO will:
1) Work in partnership with health and social care agencies to ensure that
the objectives of the care programmes as agreed with funders are
delivered including those for Older people and Children and Young
People.
2) Ensure that the infrastructure, policies, procedures and activities
undertaken will meet the needs of people and communities in rural areas
and any adverse impacts will be challenged.
3) Lead and support the development of groups from BME communities
including new communities to enable them to meet their needs and
engage with the wider communities. Challenge any adverse impacts of
policies, procedures or new developments.
4) Lead and support the development of VCS services including volunteering
to meet the needs of Children and Young people across the age range up
to 25 years.
5) Co-ordinate with the County Council, Community Hubs and Community
Transport providers the development and implementation of the
Community transport strategy.
6) To promote and distribute grants on behalf of funders where appropriate
in accordance with relevant funder’s criteria.
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Appendix A
What defines the voluntary and community sector (VCS)?
Voluntary organisations are formally structured, not-for-profit; independent
and not part of government; managed by unpaid, voluntary management
committees or boards of trustees; have paid employees and volunteers; may
be registered charities and/or companies limited by guarantee and/or friendly
societies.
Community organisations are local community and self-help groups; more
informal; often made up entirely of volunteers; any staff are likely to be parttime; independent; without regular income or funding. Community groups are
often at the hub of community action and are formed in response to a local
need.
Volunteering is an important expression of citizenship and essential to
democracy. It is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society
and the community, and can take many forms. It is undertaken freely and by
choice, without concern for financial gain.
Social Enterprises are businesses that trade in the market in order to fulfil
social aims. They bring people and communities together for economic
development and social gain.
Umbrella organisations also sometimes referred to as infrastructure
organisations - are an important force in the VCS. The VCS has developed
organically; it has not been centrally planned. Umbrella organisations attempt
to link the different levels and type of voluntary sector activity. They fulfill four
main functions; development, services to other organisations, liaison and
representation. However it is also acknowledged that not all
Umbrella organisations perform all of these functions (Deakin Commission
1996).
Trustees and Management Committees are the group of people legally
responsible for the control and management of a charity, which includes
members of a charitable associations management committee and directors
of charitable companies. Certain specific statutory responsibilities arise from
being a trustee.
The VCS covers a wide range of interest areas including health and social
care, faith, ethnic and community, welfare, self help, toddler, housing, leisure,
sports, culture and environmental groups.
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Appendix B
Specialist Services will be required for:
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Children and Young People covering Early Years, Extended Service,
Youth Service
Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust - Care
Programmes/ Chapters of the PCT operating plan
Older people
Vulnerable People including people with learning disabilities
Black and Minority Ethnic and new communities
Community Transport.
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Appendix 2: Children and Young People’s Service – Voluntary Sector
Requirements
Overall aim:
To help improve outcomes for children and young people in Leicestershire by
promoting and enabling engagement and effective partnership working between
voluntary and community sector (VCS) and statutory bodies and partners
providing services for children and young people.
Overall outcome:
Effective strategic VCS input into and with Leicestershire’s Children’s Trust
1. Voluntary and community sector supported and informed relating to
children and young people services
i.e. Ensure VCS aware of children and young people’s service developments,
strategies, specific action plans, resource issues, bidding opportunities,
consultation
The infrastructure body must, in relation to children and young people:
 Identify and communicate relevant national and local policies /
strategies
 Identify and disseminate relevant information
 Raise awareness within VCS of relevant issues
 Provide advice and support
 Promote collaborative and supportive working practices within VCS
 Promote discussion / dialogue within VCS
 Provide training
 Facilitate mentoring arrangements.
2. Represent views of VCS on children and young people’s forums, boards
and planning groups
The infrastructure body must, in relation to children and young people:
 Enable meaningful involvement of VCS on key strategic partnerships /
planning groups
 Collate views of VCS
 Support representation
 Facilitate communication / consultation / dialogue within VCS.
3. Develop contribution of VCS organisations to address the children and
young people’s (Every Child Matters) agenda through service planning,
development and delivery
The infrastructure body must, in relation to children and young people:
 Map the voluntary and community sector against Every Child Matters
outcomes
 Facilitate VCS involvement in Children and Young People’s Plans,
Sustainable Communities Strategy and Local Area Agreement
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Facilitate involvement of VCS in Extended Services and integrated
working
Help identify health and social care / wellbeing needs
Facilitate and support interaction with planning and provision of adult
services where appropriate.
4. Provide open, neutral and independent VCS representation in relation to
children and young people’s commissioning processes
The infrastructure body must, in relation to children and young people:
 Represent the interests of the VCS in the development of multi-agency
commissioning arrangements at county and district levels
 Develop knowledge / awareness and rationalisation for procurement
processes and opportunities
 Support VCS to ‘skill up’ in relation to commissioning processes
 Develop knowledge / awareness and rationalisation for grants and awards
etc
 Explore funding opportunities that VCS can bring to support children and
young people’s services.
5. Support / coordinate opportunities for volunteering
6. Provide quality assurance
Specific issues that will need to be addressed through infrastructure
organisation:
A. Overall
Partnership and Representation
 Enable and support the effective involvement of the voluntary and
community sector in the partnership planning processes of children &
young people’s services, especially the Children and Young Peoples
Strategic Partnerships (Leicestershire and Rutland), the Child and
Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and other partnerships as
required.
 Work with CVS and generic health workers to ensure that local networks
of voluntary & community groups with an interest in children & young
people’s services are involved in planning and consultation at a PCT and
District level, ensuring two-way input and communication between the
local and countywide planning levels.
 Develop a “Children’s network” of voluntary and community sector
organisations whose constituents are impacted by the delivery of children
and young peoples services.
 Promote co-operation and collective working between member
organisations of the Children’s Network (sharing ideas, resources and
examples of good practice).
 Ensure regular meetings of the “Children’s Network” take place and
undertake the tasks associated with the servicing of this network e.g.
organising of dates and venues, agenda preparation, minute taking.
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Ensure representation of the interests of voluntary and community groups
on the relevant Leicestershire Children’s Trusts groups (for example,
Children’s Trust Board, age related groups, commissioning group) as well
as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Sub group.
Provide support, briefing, information and training as necessary to
voluntary sector representatives to enable their full participation in the
partnership planning processes, ensuring a cross-referencing of
information between them.
Support and develop partnership working with key statutory partners
including Primary Care Trusts, local authorities and Strategic Health
Authority to promote the value and contribution of the voluntary and
community sector.
Raise awareness amongst voluntary and community organisations, and in
particular minority ethnic and other hard to reach community organisations
regarding the role of the Children’s Network.
Work with the voluntary and community sector to help identify health and
social care needs to inform the planning and commissioning of services.
Consultation and Information
 Identify and facilitate a variety of methods of consultation with the
voluntary and community sector to ensure their effective involvement in
the development of key plans for improving children and young people’s
services in Leicestershire; including consultation with children and young
people themselves.
 Provide the voluntary and community sector with information about
national and local children specific policy issues, initiatives and
programmes, through the “Children’s Network,”, newsletters, website and
other links.
 Advise and support voluntary & community groups on issues related to
children and young people, and funding available from bodies such as
PCTs or local authorities.
B. Early Years
Partnership and Representation to include:
 Developing and maintaining an early years and childcare services
Network for VCS Children & Young people which will take account of and
relate to any overarching VCS Children & Young Peoples Forum for
Leicestershire, ensuring once established regular meetings of this network
take place.
 Network to include at least 7 family focussed voluntary sector
organisations. Meetings to be scheduled to run no less than 3 times per
year and achieve 66% attendance from members.
 Facilitating effective engagement by the VCS throughout the partnership
planning processes during the development of early years and childcare
services via acting as an advocate for this sector.
Supporting and enabling the VCS outputs to incorporate:
 Facilitating informed VCS involvement within the development and role out
of early years and childcare Services in Leicestershire.
 By June 2009, and every 12 months thereafter, repeating survey to gauge
the level of understanding and perceived relevance of childcare to their
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core work with at least 50 relevant voluntary sector organisations,
increase the score by 20% on the 2008 baseline by June 2009.
Identifying the impact made on families in accessing Early Years services
as a result of voluntary sector organisations input.
Undertaking a variety of methods of Consultation with the voluntary and
community sector to ensure their effective involvement in the development
of early years and childcare Services.
Establishing a mechanism by which information distribution to and from
voluntary and community sector organisations can be tracked and
reported on. Ensuring that at least 80% of those organisations identified
as relevant in the baseline receive all relevant information discussed at 05 governance group meetings.
Providing the voluntary and community sector with information about
relevant national and local policy issues, initiatives and programmes,
through appropriate, already established and new mechanisms.
Holding voluntary sector Childcare Sufficiency Assessment briefing
morning with at least 15 relevant voluntary sector organisations as
required.
VCS participation in development of early learning and childcare Services
outputs will encompass:
 Identifying potential funding sources, develop specialist knowledge and
support VCS organisations, in partnership with Leicestershire early
learning and childcare Services teams, that will enable VCS organisations
to develop external funding applications for the delivery of activity relating
to early years and childcare Services; methods of support will include
providing advice and support to specific bids.
C. Extended Services
Partnership and Representation to include:
 Developing and maintaining an Extended Services Network for VCS
Children & Young people taking account of and relating to any overarching
VCS Children & Young Peoples Forum for Leicestershire, ensuring that
once established regular meetings of this network take place.
 Facilitating effective engagement by the VCS throughout the partnership
planning processes during the development of extended services via
acting as an advocate for this sector.
Supporting and enabling the VCS outputs to incorporate:
 Undertaking a variety of methods of Consultation with the voluntary and
community sector to ensure their effective involvement in the development
of Extended Services.
 Providing the voluntary and community sector with information about
relevant national and local policy issues, initiatives and programmes,
through appropriate, already established and new mechanisms.
VCS participation in development of Extended Services outputs will
encompass:
 Facilitating informed VCS involvement within the development and role out
of Extended Services in Leicestershire.
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Identifying potential funding sources, develop specialist knowledge and
support VCS organisations, in partnership with Leicestershire Extended
Services teams, that will enable VCS organisations to develop external
funding applications for the delivery of activity relating to Extended
Services; methods of support will include providing advice and support to
specific bids.
D. Youth Services
 Ensure effective coordinated and consistent engagement of the Voluntary
Youth Sector and the wider Voluntary Sector at a strategic level with the
County Children’s Trust.
 Provide single, direct, point of contact for:
o VCS youth work services
o Leicestershire County Council youth services staff
o other key agencies
o general public.
 Engage in strategic planning for youth work and provide a strategic link for
the Leicestershire voluntary youth sector and
o Leicestershire County Youth Service
o Relevant strategic groups strategy developments (e.g.
Leicestershire Children’s Trust Board, 13 plus Group)
o the wider Voluntary Youth Sector and regional agencies in the East
Midlands
o in developing ‘Publicising Positive Activities’.
 Provide awareness briefings on the change agenda for Every Child
Matters/Youth Matters and other Government initiatives and how these will
impact locally.
 Support Voluntary Sector Youth organisations to enable the voice &
participation of their young people.
 Enable young people from Leicestershire Voluntary Youth Sector
membership to be collectively engaged in participation activities.
 Support the County Youth Service in the Coordination of grants to the
Voluntary Youth Sector.
 Provide local, regional & national information to LCVYS members through
a weekly email and postal bulletin.
 Promote and allocate a variety of infrastructure support funds (building
repairs etc) and delivery funds (Holiday Youth Activities) to the VCS
 Provide conduit for briefings and updates on local and national youth work
issues from Leicestershire Youth Service to wider VCS.
 Provide a website to include info on: News bulletins, VCS member details,
Documents, VCS strategic reps, Diary of events, Links.
 Provide regular forums for key staff and volunteers including two full day
forum events throughout the year.
 Develop and maintain appropriate management information systems on
voluntary youth service organisations.
 Support Voluntary Youth organisations to develop and use safe policies
and procedures when working with young people.
 Support Voluntary Youth organisations to develop quality management
systems.
 Support opportunities for young people to gain recorded or accredited
outcomes.
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Peter Chester
11th February 2008
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