LG 9 - Interlink, The County Voluntary Council for Rhondda Cynon Taff
Proposed Local Government Measure Committee Consultation on legislation to reform service improvement by local authorities and community planning
From: Interlink, The County Voluntary Council for Rhondda Cynon Taff
Date: 17th November 2008
Contact: Simon James, Chief Executive Officer
1.0 Introduction
Interlink has been heavily involved in representing the voluntary sector in developing numerous community strategies, strategic partnerships and are actively involved in supporting improvements in policy formation and the planning, design and delivery of services provided or commissioned by statutory sector partners.
2.0 Expertise
It is crucial for long-term service improvement and to improve local decision making for the statutory sector to fully engage with the voluntary sector and other partners. Service improvement comes mainly from learning from experience. The voluntary sector, working with citizens such as communities and service users, are vital in supporting the statutory sector to improve the planning, design and delivery of services, using all of the expertise and knowledge available within their communities.
Due to the nature of the Sector, the professionals employed are very committed and specialised in their area of service provision and have a huge amount of expertise in terms of community engagement, and a complex knowledge of the provision of and accessibility to a whole range of services at a local level. It is this knowledge that is vital to policy formation and service planning.
In Rhondda Cynon Taff their is an increasing willingness to listen, work alongside and use the expertise available in the voluntary sector to plan, design and deliver services. The statutory sector often has limited experience and expertise of public engagement and service user involvement, although with the help of the voluntary sector, this is gradually improving with more examples of good practice. This work needs to be further supported, developed and encouraged.
3.0 Challenge and Performance
It is evident that in many service areas, as well as the lack of expertise and experience, there is also the associated problem of limited critical challenge. It is often evident that without the involvement of stakeholders such as the voluntary sector and service users, there is no-one able to take an objective and external view of the decision making process. A key role within citizen centred service provision is the role of the voluntary sector in championing and facilitating the voice of citizens and service users to ensure citizens are at the centre of policy decisions and the planning, design and delivery of services.
Interlink is active on all statutory strategic partnerships in RCT and is represented on a range of commissioning processes. We are currently engaging with a new community strategy process in RCT. There is a lack of awareness or challenge in this process, with a draft document prepared and led by one individual. It is interlink, on behalf of the voluntary sector, who has been the body to challenge the lack of engagement of not only the voluntary sector, but all strategic partners in RCT. The voluntary sector is essential as an objective external voice to provide critical challenge.
However, there is rarely adequate challenge to the role and performance of partnerships at any level. Good relations between Chief Executives and other Senior Officers within different agencies are considered more valuable than robust challenge. It is often the voluntary sector who can be the voice who raises controversial issues on behalf of others, offering positive constructive challenge, appreciated at all levels by all partners. For example, many of Interlink’s points and issues raised at a strategic level, come from statutory sector colleagues working on the ground.
It is clear that without this voice, many areas of poor service provision would go not be acknowledged. We are often in the position where partners are being informed of successful projects, developments and services and strategic and policy decision being based on this evidence. The voluntary sector, being well networked, on the ground and close to people using services, is often the Sector best able to address these gaps in knowledge, evidence and accurate information. However, much more robust management of partnerships and joint working is required to improve policy formation and service planning.
4.0 Partnership
By the nature of the Sector, how it is funded, the people in it and the nature of the work it does, the voluntary sector is a diverse, having to adapt to change, be innovative, open to new approaches and highly networked. Many voluntary sector organisations survive on these traits. The voluntary sector is therefore the Sector most able to bring this culture and these approaches to Policy formation, encouraging partners at a strategic level to use good practice, share ideas and take risks.
By its nature, the statutory sector represents large organisations with complex decision making structures; they are risk averse; learning, development and change are much slower. The best policy and partnerships result in balancing the different cultures, strengths and weaknesses of the different sectors and if these relationships are to work, they must be based on equality.
5.0 Recommendations
The proposed Measure reinforces the need not only to consult with but to fully involve a wide range of stakeholders including the voluntary sector, in the development and governance of processes for the implementation of community strategies and service improvement frameworks
The proposed Measure identifies governance and performance arrangements for community strategies and joint service improvement frameworks. For example, Overview and Scrutiny Committees with effective representation from citizens including stakeholders from the statutory and voluntary sectors and service users.
Simon James
Chief Executive Officer
Interlink
Maritime Offices
Woodland Terrace
Maesycoed
Pontypridd
CF37 1DZ
