Consultation Meeting: LIMITED PLACES STILL AVAILABLE - BOOK NOW!

This event is essential for any groups who receive Core or Compact Funding via the Local Authority

• Monday 13^th September 2010, 2-4 pm at the Scout & Guide Headquarters on Bryn Road.

Speakers:

• Cllr. Stuart Rice Cabinet Member Finance
• Carol Green - Director, SCVS
• Lauren Howlett and Ali Bond - SCVS Collaborative Communities Team

During June 2009 the Business Assurance section of the C&CS completed phase one of an independent review, analysing current working practices involved in the issuing of Compact and Corporate grants to the Voluntary Sector. This review was the second in a series of three phases.

The Business Assurance section was tasked with carrying out the second phase review to look at all grants that are issued by the Council. This stage covered:

• The collation of financial data in relation to funding the voluntary and community sector
• Capturing the current working practices,
• Benchmarking best practice with other Councils
• Developing a framework for the Council to formulate a 'new way of working' with the Voluntary Sector.

The report mainly concentrated on Corporate & Grant funding to the Third Sector with some collation of SLA funding by departments where known, though the latter section will be the focus of further work. Following the completion of this report SCVS met Cllr Stuart Rice (Cabinet Member for Finance C&CS) and staff involved in the report.

The C&CS will be looking to ensure that A) money given to the Voluntary & Community Sector evidenced value for money, a clarity of purpose and fit with C&CS strategies and B) there was a closer communication and involvement of other agencies, e.g. ABMU, who also funded the sector.

Included in the report were a number of recommendations aiming to further these aims:

• The development of a new improvement/change fund
• The creation of a multi-agency investment board bringing together key partners who have a major role in the process, such as the Police and ABMU.
• Developing strong links with the Better Swansea Partnership to provide the rational for a strategic approach to funding services.
• Consideration be given to increasing the duration of the funding round from one to three years, this would give the voluntary sector improved planning capability and lead to a more focussed approach to achieving outcomes (though this may not be possible in the current climate!).

The consultation meeting will give the Sector the opportunity to discuss these recommendations and the future of the relationship between the C&CS and the Third Sector.

All Third Sector organisations working in Swansea are invited to attend, please complete and return the booking form (available to download below - if you cannot access the Word Document, contact Claire Davies) by no later than 4pm on Friday 10th September 2010 to claire_davies@scvs.org.uk