Call for Evidence- Funding of Voluntary Sector Organisation

Introduction

The Prince’s Trust-Cymru is one of the leading organisations in Wales providing services for young people aged between 14-25 who are facing disadvantage and obstacles to life’s opportunities. The Prince’s Trust-Cymru works to ensure that young people are empowered to reach their full potential. When others are saying no to young people, The Prince’s Trust-Cymru [PTC] says 'Yes You Can.’

We target our support towards our target groups-

Educational underachievers
The long term unemployed
Offenders and ex-Offenders
Care leavers

Where The Trust delivers programmes in Wales, they are highly praised, because of the quality and the effective participation of young people other agencies find difficult to engage. Growth has until this year been limited to those areas where funding was secured, predominately the South Wales Valleys and West Wales. It is apparent that PTC is not operating in large areas of Wales, where Trust programmes could be very effective. Work is being progressed to identify appropriate Trust programmes that respond to local needs and to take opportunities for delivery and partnerships.

The PTC supports over 5,000 disadvantaged young people - aged 14-25 in Wales to overcome the obstacles that they face in order to reach their full potential and become productive and economically active.

Numerous evaluations have shown that the work that we undertake really does make a difference to young people and the communities in which they live. The work that we undertake is pro-active in developing key skills in individuals, promoting transition into employment, developing self-esteem and confidence in young people and preventing social exclusion.

Our core programmes give:

young people the skills and qualifications that employers are looking for
support to start up a community business
help with projects that build capacity in communities
mentoring support to those leaving the statutory care system
support for those at risk of under-achievement in school

Many of these services are provided in partnership with local bodies such as Local Authorities, Probation and Employment services. This work is supported financially through involvement in local partnerships such as those relating to 'Children and Youth’, 'European Fundraising’ and 'Youth Access Initiatives’ and the new Skill Build policies.

Obtaining Funding from the Welsh Assembly Government

As is clear from the description above The Trust delivers a wide range of programmes and projects but finds difficulty in obtaining funds from the Welsh Assembly Government. The Trust believes that part of the problem lies in the departmentalisation of funding routes within the Assembly, where organisations have to fit neatly into grant schemes or not obtain funding at all.

This can create problems when dealing with issues such that span several ministerial portfolios, as the Trust does. For instance our start up onto self-employment programme can be seen as a skills development opportunity; an economic growth programme and a social justice programme and as such, there is limited obvious immediate direction about how to pursue funding.

As we [the Trust] have been told that the Welsh Assembly Government retains very little money centrally with the majority being allocated to local authorities or local health boards and the predominance of partnership working in Wales, the implications on fundraising and operational activities for voluntary organisations are enormous. Partnerships have to be managed and maintained in order for the Trust to keep abreast of the policy priorities and general direction of service planning. This requires staff time and resources and if not well managed can be a diversion from service delivery.

The NEET intervention agenda (including that for 14 - 15 yr olds) is a national priority and regarded as one of the key drivers for reducing crime and improving employability (and thereby economic performance) Local authorities, LEA and youth services are extremely focussed both on funding and their own local agenda’s. It is also an intensely competitive environment, despite the overarching principle of partnership working, as organisations jostle for a share of the credit and the financial cake. The local authorities are criticised for wanting new and innovative ways of working with young people rather than continuing funding programmes that are shown to work.

An example is PTC’s Xl programme - an alternative curriculum for young people in danger of school exclusion; or who have lost interest in learning; or are underachieving in school. This programme was part funded directly by WAG but with the devolved allocation of money directly to schools, the numbers of schools involved decreased. It took the Trust sometime to gain clarity around where budgetary responsibility lay - with the LEA or with the individual school.

In general terms because of the focus of The Trust’s work we should be involved in discussions around 14-19 learning pathways, however when attending the meetings it is difficult to see how the voluntary sector will be involved as most of the attendees are school heads and issues discussed seem to be around school activities. It is difficult to see how voluntary sector can get funding or fit in with the requirements. In addition as a national organisation seeking to offer parity of opportunity to young people across Wales, the servicing of 22 partnerships each with slightly differing priorities, requires significant resource.

Staff find that the young people with whom they work are becoming more complex in their needs and exhibit a range of emotional and learning needs not met by a single response. The Trust finds itself in a position where one of its programmes - Team fits into the DCELLS Skill Build funding route, although not at the expected level, and can respond to basic skills deficits but cannot fund the additional support some young people need.

The point at issue is that the funding for each young person following the Team programme is different depending on how the contract holder chooses to apply the overall contract value to the different elements of their contract. This means that funds do not necessarily follow the learners’ needs or outcomes, which creates difficulties for the Trust in trying to develop the programme and in setting budgets and targets.

Community based work has found poor literacy and numeracy levels amongst young people in some communities. We regularly come across substance abuse and homelessness and witness generally impoverished lives some young people experience. However the resources, staff time and money, to respond to those issues are not readily available to the Trust, because funding has been allocated for a specific piece of work with young people and not for the 'incidentals’ of their lives.

An example of this is Prince’s Trust Community Action Programme - working with young people in their communities to improve that community and build its capacity to regenerate itself. Young people who are illiterate, have learning difficulties or poor basic skills or who are drug abusers have all taken part in the programme but little support has been found for them locally other than the expertise and time of the Prince’s Trust staff.

The Prince’s Trust has concerns that the new guidance to local authorities for the formulation of a single plan to encompass all services for those ages 0 to 25 will exclude projects which are not seen by the LA as new or innovative but do have a proven track record of success, such as PTC’s Team programme or Community Action Programme.

Cymorth funding is meant to bridge the GAP in provision of services but decisions are being made about funding before the needs assessment for the single plan is completed. It is of concern that funding will be removed from projects that are working and this may be identified as a gap when the needs assessment is completed. It does also seem that most of this funding will now go to provide provision by local authorities and very little if any will be used for voluntary sector organisations.

Ease or difficulty in complying with constraints or condition placed on funding

Complying with funding or grant condition from the Welsh Assembly is not onerous but it is notable that the same requirements exist regardless of the amount of funding provided. The Trust feels that grant conditions should be proportionate with the amount of money allocated.

The procurement and tendering procedures established by the Welsh Assembly Government and increasingly by local authorities demand a level of expertise and administration which may preclude local voluntary groups from tendering for work. Perhaps the Welsh Assembly Government could facilitate workshops to demonstrate the process and show small voluntary organisation how and why the tendering process works and how they can take part.

Prince’s Trust