Round Table Discussion: Funding Cuts Children and Young People Session

Transcription

1 Rund Table Discussin: Funding Cuts Children and Yung Peple Sessin Date: 07 th February 2011 Venue: BVSC Attendees: Chris Glynn Head f Children s Cmmissining, Birmingham City Cuncil Lisa Martinali Directr f Cmmunity Regeneratin, Castle Vale Regeneratin Services Claire Rigby Manager, Fairbridge Brian Carr Chief Executive, BVSC Julie Whiteman Plicy, Cmmunicatins and Marketing Manager, BVSC Katy Bunn Plicy and Cmmunicatins Crdinatr, BVSC Welcme and Intrductins Brian welcmed all t the meeting and set ut the aim f the meeting: t bring tgether key vluntary and cmmunity sectr leaders and public sectr cmmissiners, t discuss pririties fr actin and cllabratin in terms f minimising the impact f the cuts n beneficiaries and t agree a cnsistent apprach t cmmunicatins with the vluntary and cmmunity sectr. Brian explained that these series f rundtable discussins fllwed n frm the Third Sectr Assembly s funding cuts events in The aims f these events were t map the ptential impact f the cuts n the sectr and its beneficiaries. The findings f these events were discussed at a Vluntary Sectr Chief Executive s Meeting, where it was agreed t design an nline survey t map the cuts and the impact generally acrss the sectr. This survey has been designed and distributed thrugh varius netwrks. BVSC: Feedback frm the Assembly funding cuts events and survey Katy prvided an verview f the main themes that arse frm the Assembly s funding cuts events: Cncerns fr beneficiaries, especially vulnerable peple where will service users g if a service has t clse? Cncerns fr the lng term unemplyed and peple at risk f lsing jbs where will supprt cme frm? Impact n infrastructure wh will supprt small vluntary and cmmunity rganisatins? Decmmissining wh will pick up the gaps? Cncern fr the survival f very specialist services and the lss f skilled staff BVSC designed an nline funding cuts survey t map evidence f the impact f the funding cuts n the vluntary sectr and its beneficiaries. This survey will be fllwed up again in March t cmpare results and impact. Overview f the impact f the funding cuts n the vluntary and cmmunity sectr and its beneficiaries (based n 78 rganisatins that cmpleted the survey by Friday 4 th February 2011): 43 rganisatins have stated that they have at least ne funding surce at risk f being cut

2 24 rganisatins ut f the 43 rganisatins that have at least ne funding surce that is at risk f being cut, have been infrmed in writing that they will definitely receive a funding cut 21 ut f 25 rganisatins have nt cmpleted an Impact Assessment and 19 ut f 29 rganisatins have nt cmpleted a Scial Return n Investment Supprt needs frm Birmingham City Cuncil: Better strategic engagement with the vluntary sectr t enable ur expertise t assist in service design and develpment Mre cmmunicatin frm them abut funding cuts Greater hnesty and integrity Transparency Up t date infrmatin regarding ther funding avenues fr third sectr rganisatins Supprt frm BVSC: BVSC shuld lbby fr fairer lcal cmmissining that can enable lcal services t be retained and lbby n the effect f the cuts n the vluntary sectr Netwrking, training, funding infrmatin Supprt with funding applicatins Access t cmmissiners Linking rganisatins tgether t centralise ffice csts and service supprt Chris cmmented that rganisatins can talk t cmmissiners abut impact assessments, and Brian added that cmmissiners shuld be talking t each ther abut shared utcmes Discussin: Identifying pririties and actins Chris Glynn: Yuth Funding des nt cme thrugh the Children and Yung Peple Directrate, althugh rganisatins culd perceive that it des. Backgrund: this year there has been a 26% cut and children s Area Based Grant (ABG) tk the biggest hit. Decmmissining will be taking place and VCS Matters is engaged in this prcess. Each vluntary rganisatin has been given criteria: hw d yu scre against this and are they aligned with ur pririties? All rganisatins are at risk even if nt funded thrugh ABG and sme services have been decmmissined nce reviewed. Lisa asked if an rganisatin is faced with being decmmissined, is there an pprtunity fr the rganisatin t challenge? Chris respnded that each rganisatin has ne named wrker in the directrate and help was given fr the quarterly and annual appraisals. There is a nminated decmmissining fficer t prvide supprt t rganisatins regarding impact assessments. Hwever, it has been difficult identifying services t decmmissin as all rganisatins delivered psitive utcmes fr children and yung peple; we were assessing the best versus the gd. With regards t current funding streams, the carers grant and Children and Adlescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) were ABG funded but nw mainstream funding has been made available fr these. CAMHS bulk f funding ges t Birmingham Children s Hspital. There will be mainstream funding available fr vluntary rganisatins. The grants are finalised, hwever it is up t the cuncil t decide hw they are spent but the cuncil is getting a smaller prprtin f a smaller cake.

3 There is currently a changing envirnment within health. There will be ne PCT instead f three frm April GP cmmissining will have an impact n CAMHS and this will put pressure n the discretinary spend with the vluntary sectr. Chris felt that the revised Cmpact and funding prpsals are a threat t the vluntary sectr. Why nt put all services ut t tender? Vluntary sectr rganisatins rarely cme ut as tp prviders e.g. three vluntary sectr prviders tendered t deliver children s residential hmes, but they didn t make the tp five. One f the main reasns was the cst because vluntary sectr rganisatins mimic the wage structure f the Lcal Authrity whereas the private sectr desn t. Brian stated that the reasn why many rganisatins are nt able t measure their impact might be due t the fact that there is n agreed way f measuring and valuing the added value and it seems unfair t be judged n pricing structures. Chris cmmented that the private sectr als bring their wn funding. Crprate prcurement: mrph current agreements int cntracts, fixed term and nt ut t tender- decide whether r nt t restrict this t the vluntary sectr. There is value in the vluntary sectr, but this value needs t be prved. The Directrate has cntinued t invest in Shrt Breaks and Early Years at the level f grant frm Gvernment. Future Operating Mdel and the three pririties: universal services, additinal needs and cmplex needs. Chris added that he is currently trying t engage with schls arund universal services. There are cncerns abut the yuth sectr and the savings it will have t make. Arund 4 millin has been earmarked t g. Lisa stated that at a recent reps meeting Jhn Smail and Harry Fwler stated there was a clear figure fr the cut but they were uncertain abut what services are ging t be cut. We need t think abut the impact lcally and acrss the city hw can we fill the gaps? As a sectr, hw d we wrk tgether? Chris wasn t sure hw many vluntary sectr rganisatins are invlved in Yuth Services. In Liverpl vluntary rganisatins are running children s centres, there is a different vluntary sectr ecnmy. Brian stated that this was histrical, as Birmingham has a different infrastructure than ther cities. VCS Matters culd d sme research and cmparing the lgic mdel and Brighter Futures hw des this fit in? Cmmissiners t rll ut evidence based prgrammes: Integrated Yuth Supprt Services (IYSS), path rlled ut but there is nt the capacity fr Triple P (Psitive Parenting Prgramme). Benefits f IYSS need t be taken int accunt. Lgic mdel use f evidence, way f thinking hpefully it will cntinue. Lisa stated that she was cncerned abut the apparent uncertainty f hw gaps will be filled. In terms f cmmunicatin, it wuld be really useful t have this update and mre infrmatin n hw decisins are being made, as it wuld be gd t feed this back t the sectr. Hw are the cuts being crdinated acrss the city as a whle e.g. unemplyment? There are cuts in play, whilst at the same time we are trying t encurage peple int wrk; hwever, there are less places fr peple t send children t. This has an impact and a direct cnsequence. What are the pririties frm the utside? The cuts seem haphazard.

4 Chris respnded that acrss the piece, there is a ratinale fr pririties fr mney. In terms f cmmunicatins we have sent ut letters, internal cmmunicatins als play a part we can nly d s much. With regard t the Yuth Sectr, Chris stated that sme cmmunicatins did nt take place due t plitical issues. But there needs t be a cnsistent prcess fr cmmunicatin. There is an pprtunity t step up, the vluntary sectr is a partner and a critical friend. We can change its relatinship with the cuncil. Claire discussed the pprtunities fr Enterprising Grants which are grups f businesses that have funding, we need t identify where the funding cuts are happening and where the pprtunities are fr investment. Birmingham and Slihull Mental Health Trust there is the pprtunity t lk at Eurpean funding research based prjects. Lts f peple are ding bits but there is currently n cmmunicatin. The vluntary sectr needs t be mre practive in this area. Brian cmmented that sme vluntary rganisatins cnsider certain streams f funding t be a right. Hwever, public mney is mre and mre pen t cmpetitive tendering. We need t lk at this issue cllectively, mving ut f ur sils and lking at glbal issues and ffers t bring t the table. Future perating mdels are currently being cnsidered fr VCS Matters what can we d t be sustainable and nt t rely n specific funds? Chris asked if many rganisatins in Birmingham had applied fr the Transitin Fund. Brian guessed that nt many rganisatins have and that natinally, it has been less subscribed than expected. One criticism was that the criteria were weighted away frm the sectr e.g. knwledge abut which funding areas were at risk f being cut. Claire cmmented that Fairbridge culd nt prve that their funding was ging t be cut. Chris cmmented that rganisatins did nt have t prve that funding wuld definitely be cut, but they had t shw reasnable evidence. Brian added that the Transitin Fund is nt intended t be used t cntinue the service. It wuld be interesting t find ut hw the fund was spread ut acrss service delivery themes and the prprtin f funding awarded. A discussin tk place arund Cperatives and Mutual s. Brian stated that it wuld be useful t have a clear idea f what the planned cperative will lk like in rder t understand the pprtunities present t fster vluntary actin. There needs t be mtivatin t make a cperative succeed. Chris cmmented that the cperative will be Traded Services such as catering in schls and utdr services, but Chris stressed that the cperative was still evlving. Vluntary sectr representatives were cncerned that the cperative/mutual is an internal agreement with the city t mp up cmmissining pprtunities. Chris agreed t find ut if there is any further infrmatin/plans fr the cperative. Vluntary sectr representatives stated that it wuld be useful t map yuth activities that are nt funded by Birmingham City Cuncil. Lisa cmmented that yuth prviders wh perate at a lcal level had varius funding streams and are als reliant n vlunteers. It was agreed that it wuld be useful t map CYP rganisatins that prvide yuth activities and their funding streams t identify gaps. This infrmatin culd als be shared with the Lcal Authrity.

5 Delegates discussed ptential future questins fr the BVSC Funding Cuts Survey. It was agreed t include a questin arund the future cmplexin f funding hw are they intending t bid fr future funding; t what extend are rganisatins changing their funds; hw is their prvisin changing? Immediate pririties fr actin: Wrking with schls t help with cmmissining. This engagement wuld be strnger if we apprached them with a cnsrtium f suppliers, ensuring we meet a schl s needs with high quality services Yuth activity map: BVSC/VCS Matters t lead n Make suggested changes t the BVSC funding cuts survey Future Operating Mdel: bring tgether grups active in settings already Big Lttery Fund: if rganisatins are prepared t apply fr lttery funding then we need t cnsider hw we target the funding. Organisatins will need t have a slid understanding f Birmingham s pririties. Big Lttery Fund want t see cllabrative bids which need t be ratified by the public sectr. Fr example, with the Parenting Fund each bid had t be apprved by the Lcal Authrity. Hwever, timing is key as sme rganisatins wrte their bids and then apprached the Lcal Authrity at the last minute. Chris Glynn suggested that it wuld be useful t have a link with smene at the Big Lttery Fund and perhaps a representative frm the Big Lttery culd attend the next VCS Matters summit t fcus n the bigger picture and areas f funding available. Brian t fllw-up n the prgress f Cmmunity Based Budgets in Shard End All delegates agreed t cmmit t meet again in tw mnths time