Do you work for/run a VCSE organisation in Cardiff? We want to hear from you.
Cardiff Third Sector Council has commissioned Richard Newton Consulting to support the development of a Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Strategy which is to be co-produced with involvement from the breadth of the sector operating in Cardiff. The Strategy is intended to strengthen the role of the VCSE sector in the provision of solutions to the City’s challenges and support future discussions about how and why the public sector should work with and invest in the sector.
We want the strategy to be owned by Cardiff’s voluntary sector, and ensure that all voluntary sector organisations (including unregistered groups, social enterprises, CIOs, CICs, charities and other relevant groups) have full opportunity to participate.
Please take part in our Survey to further inform our work.
We will be holding 4 on-line focus groups (Cardiff West, Cardiff North, Cardiff Central & South, Cardiff East) each lasting 90 minutes. If you work across the city, or can’t make the time allotted to your area, please feel free to register for an alternative event.
References:
There has been an increasing acceptance that support in local communities plays an important role in improving an individual’s health and wellbeing and the wider community benefits that flow from these outcomes.
Community-centred public health: Taking a whole-system approach (publishing.service.gov.uk) Effective place-based working across sectors and in partnership with communities can improve health outcomes and meet other local priorities.
Key legislation in Wales also references the need to ensure community resilience in order to empower people to take positive steps towards personal care and wellbeing, avoid crisis and, in turn, reduce the demand on public services.
Social-services-and-well-being-wales-act-2014-the-essentials.pdf (gov.wales) The Act imposes duties on local authorities, health boards and Welsh Ministers that require them to work to promote the well-being of those who need care and support, or carers who need support.
Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 – The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires public bodies in Wales to think about the long-term impact of their decisions, to work better with people, communities and each other, and to prevent persistent problems such as poverty, health inequalities and climate change.
During the pandemic the sector re-confirmed its strength and value in tackling inequalities, improving wellbeing and meeting needs in a person-centred way.
The community response to coronavirus (COVID-19) – UK Health Security Agency (blog.gov.uk) This blog discusses the roles and activities of communities following the outbreak of COVID-19, and their resilience in the face of new challenges posed by this pandemic.
Emerging-Vulnerabilities-report-2-002.pdf (wcva.cymru) Emerging Drivers of Vulnerability to Health Inequity in the Context of COVID-19: Perspectives and response from the Voluntary and Community Sector in Wales
The-Community-Paradigm_EXEC-SUMMARY.pdf (newlocal.org.uk) calls for a new local model of public service delivery based on the difference the VCSE Sector made during the pandemic – one that is more collaborative and places the design and delivery of public services in the hands of the community they serve.
Building stronger welsh communities consultation – the key findings includes the value of cross-sector collaboration in times of crisis , the disconnection between public bodies and communities as a barrier to community action, and the need for a positive vision and strategy for Wales.
Working together, both as a sector and as an important partner, to develop, shape and co-deliver the range of services and activities across sectors that respond to local needs, will be strengthened by having a clear, agreed set of expectations about how we will work together in genuine collaborative partnership to get the best for our communities out of more joined up approaches.
Local Authority Funding of Third Sector Services | Audit Wales This report examines the effectiveness of local authorities’ arrangements for funding third sector services. The report concludes that local authorities are not always making the best use of the third sector nor doing enough to ensure they are securing value for money.
Different-Futures-Wales-final-report.pdf (wcva.cymru) highlights the importance of the VCSE sector in responding in a timely manner to crisis, addressing inequalities, working collaboratively and the importance of making changes in the way we deliver services in order to achieve the recovery we aspire to.