Category Archives: voluntary sector

John Tizard: Let’s radically strengthen the Social Value Act – let’s change culture, not just the rules

The Government is currently consulting on the future and potential strengthening of social value legislation and regulation. John Tizard This is to be welcomed. When a public body spends public money, whether through directly managed services, campaigns to influence public or business behaviour or procuring services and goods, it should always seek to maximise public… Read More...

The voluntary and community sector could have a crucial role in renationalisation

The voluntary and community sector could play a crucial role in returning services to public ownership, says outsourcing commentator John Tizard. The recent report from ‘We Own it@ – ‘When ‘We Own it: a model for public ownership in the 21st century’ – – makes a very strong case for public ownership and public management of public services… Read More...

The sector cannot stand aside from the Brexit debate

It’s time for us to engage with the most existential issue of our time Last week I had the privilege to speak at an excellent conference on our sector and Brexit, organised by the think tank NPC, the Lloyds Bank Foundation and the Brexit Civil Society Alliance. I was struck not only by the broad… Read More...

You don’t build partnerships through competitive tendering

The voluntary and community sector, especially small local VCS groups, can offer so much – and ‘partnership’ between a vibrant and confident local voluntary and community sector and the public sector, especially local government but also the NHS and police, is critical to securing community wellbeing. In any ‘place’ the VCS will not be homogeneous,… Read More...

Let 2019 be the year when the sector is bold and radical

The voluntary and community sector cannot duck out of the political debate. It should expose and challenge policies 2019 is going to be an eventful year and one when we will require the voluntary and community sector to draw on all reserves (and I don’t primarily mean our financial reserves – if we have any)… Read More...

Brexit Matters – and it should matter to the sector

With the biggest challenge for the country since the Second World War swirling around us, why is the sector so silent? Brexit is the most important and fundamental political challenge for this cou ntry since 1945, so where are the voices of charities and the voluntary and community sector? To be silent is a mistake,… Read More...

We have many questions – let’s start to think about answers over the summer

It’s time to take a break but also to prepare to focus on what lies ahead for the sector I know that many VCS colleagues – trustees, staff and volunteers – will have precious little opportunity to have much of a break this summer. Pressures continue to mount, be they from increasing demand for services,… Read More...

Charities and VCSs should treat staff well

The appeal court ruling on sleep-in carers might have satisfied Mencap and other organisations, but the case underlines that government should fund social care properly Last week’s Appeal Court decision upholding an appeal from Mencap on staff payments for sleep-in duties in residential care is deeply disturbing. It raises fundamental questions about employment practices, staff… Read More...

A dozen tenets that national VCS infrastructure bodies might consider

The board of Navca is holding a strategic awayday this week. I’m the honorary adviser to the board and a former vice-chair, so this has made me think about how national infrastructure bodies can best maximise their value. A membership body, Navca is the national representative organisation for local infrastructure bodies such as councils for… Read More...

Local government and the voluntary and community sector must find common cause

If we can do this, writes our columnist, a more sustainable and equitable future awaits Local government and the local voluntary and community sector serve the same communities, yet there is not always the level of cooperation between them that one might expect. This has to change. It must not be another victim of austerity.… Read More...