Agenda item

Purpose of the report: Policy Development and Review

(i) To provide the Board with the full year, 2014/15 outcomes-based performance information for voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) infrastructure organisations, co-commissioned by the County Council, Boroughs and District Councils and Clinical Commissioning Groups.

(ii) To share with the Board changes relating to Surrey Compact.

(iii) To update on the broader strategic development and relationship building with the wider VCFS in Surrey.

(iv) To share with the Board work relating to the ‘Driving up Volunteering across Surrey’ project.

Witnesses:

Rachel Crossley, New Models of Delivery Lead

Saba Hussain, Strategic Partnership Manager

Barbara Musgrave, Director of Surrey Compact

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Strategic Partnership Manager introduced the report and informed the Board that there were approximately 5,700 voluntary organisations in Surrey with a small number of infrastructure organisations that support them, known as Council for Voluntary Services (CVS).  They are tripartite funded by Surrey County Council, Borough and District Councils and Clinical Commissioning Groups and the amount of total grant funding to each of the CVS ranges from £60,000 to approximately £150,000 depending primarily on the amount the local Borough or District commits to them and the size of the area it covers.  The CVSs support voluntary organisations with governance, finding volunteers, representation and liaison and general capacity building.  The Board was informed that a Performance Management Framework was in place and a survey was sent out to all VCFS organisations in September to assess how the CVSs are performing. The Strategic Partnerships Manager updated that taking the performance information collectively commissioners were confident that value for money was being received; that the infrastructure support was effective; there was a thriving VCFS in Surrey and work was ongoing to continue to drive improvements year on year where needed.

2.    The officer reported the Surrey Compact was established to drive improvements and best practice ways of working between public bodies and the VCFS.  From April 2016 the way the Compact will be delivered is changing.  There will be no funding for a Surrey Compact organisation but Surrey County Council and partners would share the responsibility to ensure work is ongoing to raise the profile of the Compact and working to the best practice principles.

3.    The Director of Surrey Compact informed the Board that the organisation was established ten years ago.  Before this, there were poor commissioning processes and practices across various aspects of working with the VCFS.  Over the years much improvement has been driven,and now there are effective working relationships, e.g., there is generally co-design, improved marketing, engagement and support around commissioning.

4.    It was noted that the Surrey Compact Support Group would not continue to meet but a similar group comprising champions from public and VCFS organisations would be introduced to take forward the work of the Compact.  Work is ongoing with partners to understand what these structures will be and who will take responsibility for which areas of work, for e.g., Surrey Community Action will host the website and codes of the Compact.

5.    Officers also highlighted there is currently a strong working relationship with the VCFS and over the year members of the Surrey Charities Chief Executives’ Group (SCCEG) in particular, have supported the Council across a broad range of work programmes and new proposals to drive better outcomes for the residents of Surrey.

6.    The Board questioned how VCFS work coincided with the Family, Friends and Community Support project (FFCS).  Officers updated that there was proactive activity to ensure work areas are joined up across services. For example, the infrastructure organisations had specific outcomes worked into their grant funding agreements for 2015-16 to facilitate and drive the FFCS agenda locally .  Officers will continue to work with infrastructure organisations to monitor the progress against these outcomes.  The Board expressed that more reference was needed to emphasise the link between both programmes.   Members of the FFC Champion Group stated that the group was currently looking at gaps where there was a need for volunteering.

Mike Bennison left at 2.30pm.

7.    The Board were informed of a new project to drive up Volunteering in Surrey which again is linked closely to the FFCS programme.  The focus of this initially will be looking inwards, increasing volunteering through the Employee Volunteer Scheme and pre-retirees; utilising the broad range of specialist skills staff have in a strategic and useful way.  The Volunteering Strategy has been refreshed and a plan of action to embed a culture of volunteering in Surrey has been developed. Officers reported that currently recorded numbers of volunteering through the Employee Volunteering Scheme were relatively low but this does not reflect the actual volunteering staff are currently engaged in.  It is likely staff are undertaking volunteering without recording it on the system but also high workloads and lack of an easy accessible system to engage may be preventing staff from volunteering.  The ‘Building Up Volunteering Project’ is looking at all aspects relating to employee volunteering improving both the processes and profile of this.

Recommendations:

The Board agreed:

•       a) outcomes-based performance management framework information provided in the report covering the 2014/15 period;

•       b) the Board would like to review performance framework information going forward on an annual basis;

•       c) Supports the direction of travel of the Volunteering Project;

•       d) Agreed the Board would like to receive an update on the Volunteering Project as part of the annual VCFS reporting;

•       e)  That the relevant officers include Members on the membership of the replacement group for the Surrey Compact Support Group;

•       f)  That Surrey County Council continues to encourage staff to volunteer and creates opportunities and time for them to do so.

Action/further information to be provided:

Officers to circulate Volunteering Strategy and the original proposal document for the Driving up Volunteering Project.