Sefton CVS
Sefton CVS (in partnership with the Community Empowerment Network) State of the Sector Report 2009/10
Contents
Page No
¾ Introduction
Relevant Priorities / Acknowledgements / Background
2
Definitions
3
Summary of Findings
4
¾ Methodology
Process / Timescale / Limitations
¾ Results
6 6
7
Response Rates
7
Detailed Findings
7
Primary Area of Work Main Areas of Work Strategic Work Areas Beneficiaries Training Geographic Area of Service Geographic Area of Service – Area Committee Areas Premises Access Languages Staff / Volunteers / Trustees Diversity Monitoring Structure User Led Organisations User Involvement Membership Quality Assurance Funding Funding Specifics Statutory Funding Annual Income Perceptions / Opinions (NI4 / NI7)
7 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 21
¾ Conclusions
22
¾ Implications
23
¾ Recommendations
24
¾ References / Disclaimer & Copyright
25
¾ Appendices
26
2
2
Appendix 1 – Questionnaire Appendix 2 – Constituency Maps
26 30
INTRODUCTION This State of the Sector report has been produced to provide information on the known Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) Sector operating in Sefton. The data used, has been gathered through a sector-wide mapping exercise. Relevant Priorities The Sefton Local Area Agreement 2008-11 targets: National Indicator 4 - percentage of people who feel that they can influence decisions in their locality This indicator has been considered from an organisational perspective through inclusion of the question ‘Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your ability to influence local decisions that are relevant to your organisation?’ – mirroring the wording in the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations commissioned by the Office of the Third Sector National Indicator 7 - Environment for a Thriving 3rd Sector This indicator has been considered through inclusion of the question ‘Taking everything into account, overall, how do the statutory bodies in your local area influence your organisation’s success?’ – mirroring the wording in the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations commissioned by the Office of the Third Sector This report and the continuous data gathered through Sefton CVS will serve to inform the Sefton Borough Partnership, and within this the Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership, of progress against these priorities. Acknowledgements This report was written by Ann Cartwright, Information & Monitoring Officer, Sefton CVS on behalf of the Community Empowerment Network (CEN). The production of this report has been made possible by the support of: • VCF Sector organisations responding to the Sefton CVS mapping exercise • Sefton CVS colleagues • Sefton MBC’s Analysis & Intelligence Management (AIM) Unit Background Sefton CVS has made a significant investment (as part of a Merseyside consortium of CVS’s) in the Volbase database to meet data-management needs; there is currently the equivalent of a full-time post devoted to utilising and developing Volbase. Volbase is an Access-based system designed to address the requirements of a VCF infrastructure organisation and was developed through close work with CVS’s. It is a unified records management system, which allows all organisation and contact records to be managed in one place: avoiding duplication, maximising efficiency and addressing data protection requirements. Volbase not only enables efficient database management but also supports mapping of the sector through generating questionnaires, with pre-filled fields (Appendix 1) and tracking the status of each individual organisation throughout the process. All profile data gathered is retained against the organisation record and is fully searchable. 3
Sefton CVS has established a good relationship with the known VCF Sector operating within Sefton. Mapping of the sector has been actively facilitated since 2005 and very healthy response rates have consistently been achieved. The questions included have been developed with reference to Sefton CVS expertise, general CVS practice, the NCVO Voluntary Sector Almanac, the experiences of 3rdBase (the Volbase database developers) and through lessons learnt during previous mapping exercises. The information gathered has served to inform the strategic objectives and service delivery of Sefton CVS. Definitions Community Empowerment Network A network of geographic, thematic and resident-based networks / forums / groups enabling a wide range of Voluntary, Community and Faith organisations to access networking opportunities and have a voice and representation in decision-making processes and structures. Local Area Agreement 2008-11 The delivery plan for the Sustainable Community Strategy (a document setting out the overall vision for the borough), it identifies the strategic priorities for Sefton. Office of the Third Sector As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy Sefton Borough Partnership Sefton’s Local Strategic Partnership - the principal, multi-agency, strategic decision-making partnership within Sefton with representation from Public, Private and Voluntary, Community and Faith Sectors. The Sefton Borough Partnership is responsible for the Sefton Community Strategy and for delivery against the Local Area Agreement priorities. Safer & Stronger Communities Partnership Sefton’s Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership (SSCP) combines Sefton’s statutory and voluntary organisations who work together to reduce crime and disorder, and improve the environment across the borough.
4
Summary of Findings • The main areas of work identified by VCF Sector organisations operating within Sefton are Children & Families (27%), Young People (26%), Older People (23%) and Information, Advice and Guidance (18%). Faith (14%) and Sport & Recreation (10%) are the most popular Directory categories selected. • The Children & Young People (36%) and the Healthy Communities & Older People (31%) agendas are the strategic work areas most supported by VCF activity. In comparison, 22% contribute to the Safer & Stronger Communities agenda and 11% to the Economic Development & Sustainability agenda. • Children and Young People (aged 0-25) are the principle beneficiaries of VCF Sector services provided in Sefton. Local Community and Older People are also identified as beneficiaries by a significant number of organisations. • The number of organisations supporting traditionally under-represented communities has increased by nearly 3% since the 07/08 survey, with support for International Workers nearly doubling (88% increase). • 14% of responding organisations specified that they deliver training, nearly half of these organisations offering accredited courses. • There would appear to be more service provision focused on the north of the borough than the south; however a more even spread was reported in the previous survey. 47% of organisations specify that they deliver services at a local level (ie: Southport & Formby or South Sefton focused), and 79% of responding organisations are physically based within Sefton. • A quarter of responding organisations own their own premises, a further 34% lease or rent their accommodation. Additionally, 12% specify that they have a room available for community use. • The sector would appear to be actively responding to the needs of people with disabilities, there is a 34% increase reported across the different facilities provided by organisations to improve access to services. There is also a 17% growth in organisations reporting people with physical disability as beneficiaries. • The VCF sector organisations responding employ 3368 full-time and 2134 part-time paid staff operating within Sefton. They benefit from the involvement of 13770 volunteers and have 3368 committee members who also give their time and expertise unpaid. These figures are down on the previous mapping; however, as they are drawn from 63% of the known sector, these figures are likely to be much higher in reality. In total, 31% of responding organisations have full-time staff, 33% have part-time staff and 69% work with volunteers. • 70% of organisations responding are Registered Charities with 21% specifying they have Company Limited by Guarantee status. • 6.6% of organisations responding identify as being user-led. The most represented user groups within this are Residents at 29% and Carers at 21%.
5
• 45% of responding organisations have a structure whereby users / clients contribute to decision-making within the organisation (eg: advisory panel / user on committee/board), reportedly there are over 32,600 service users involved in these structures. • 335 organisations specified that they have a mailing / membership list (40.9% of responding organisations) with over 1¼ million members reported (this figure is not Sefton specific and includes regional / national members and possibly some repeat counting of service-users). • 12.6% of responding organisations have specified that they use an established quality assurance system, with Investors in People proving most popular followed by PQASSO and Charter Mark. • Donations / Collections, Fund Raising Events / Activities, Membership Subscriptions and the Local Authority are the most common sources of funding. Encouragingly only 13.8% (decrease of 1% on 2008 figures) of organisations responding are using Grant Making Trusts as their main source of funding, indicating a move away from reliance on grant funding and towards more traditionally sustainable income generation. • 70% of the organisations responding generate the majority of their income from either internal sources, the general public or from Governing / Umbrella bodies. This type of funding is traditionally considered more sustainable than a reliance on grants or funding programmes, however, the full impact of the recession on public-giving is yet to become apparent. • 11% of organisations benefit from tax-effective giving, an initiative which supports charities to take advantage of tax reliefs and maximise their income. There is definite potential to develop this area as 70% of organisations responding identify as having charitable status. • 47% of the responding organisations have an annual income of under £10k. In total, 66% have an annual income under £100k. • 22% of responding organisations specified they are satisfied to some degree with the level of influence of their organisation (compared with the Sefton figure of 14% drawn from the national survey); conversely 10% expressed dissatisfaction (compared to 29% for Sefton in the national survey). • 23% of responding organisations specified that overall, local statutory bodies are a positive influence on their organisations success (compared with the Sefton figure of 15% drawn from the national survey); conversely 4% have specified that statutory bodies are a negative influence (compared to 19% for Sefton in the national survey).
6
METHODOLOGY Process Information was gathered through a comprehensive annual mapping exercise of the 1305 known VCF Sector organisations and projects, either based in, or operating within, Sefton. Questionnaires (Appendix 1) were circulated to all VCF organisations on the Sefton CVS Volbase database. The database was continuously updated as responses were received. Timescale December 08 - Original mapping questionnaires distributed February 09
- Repeat questionnaires sent out to non-responding organisations
April / May 09 - Final responses processed Autumn 09
- Information analysed and report produced
Limitations The organisational information gathered is self-defined; therefore the quality of response is dependent on the knowledge and understanding of the main contact as identified on the Sefton CVS database. The level of detail required to assimilate a thorough State of the Sector report led to the production of a comprehensive questionnaire, however every effort has been made to keep this manageable and to ensure clarity and ease of response. There are many factors determining whether an organisation will respond to the mapping exercise (capacity / change of contact / newly established / etc), therefore there will inevitably be slight variance in the number and nature of organisations responding on an annual basis. Some unexpected responses have been identified, particularly in relation to Sefton specific figures (national organisations have, on occasion, quoted national figures – eg: Staff / Volunteer numbers) - where identified these have been excluded from the final analysis. Having analysed the responses of 820 organisations / projects (representing 62.7% of the known sector) percentages quoted throughout this report are statistically significant; however number counts will not be entirely accurate as it has not been possible to achieve a 100% response rate. The actual values for the sector are therefore likely to be higher than the figures quoted. Some questions allow respondents to choose more than one category; in these cases the percentages quoted are against the total number of respondents, as this is considered more relevant. This has resulted in percentage totals of over 100 (eg: Access - Pg13 / Structure Pg16 / Funding Sources - Pg18). The geographic mapping of the sector (Appendix 2) focuses on the actual location of services rather than their area of delivery, therefore this does not fully illustrate opportunity to access services (ie: an organisation may be placed in Crosby but deliver services borough-wide). In addition, the geographic mapping does not include organisations based outside Sefton but delivering services within the borough.
7
RESULTS Response Rates The 2008/9 mapping exercise secured 649 responses from the 1307 VCF Sector organisations operating within Sefton, this equates to a healthy response rate of 49.7%. A further 171 organisations had responded to the previous mapping exercise (early 2008). This information has been treated as current for the purpose of this analysis as fundamental information is unlikely to have altered significantly in this time period. Therefore the responses of 820 organisations / projects have been analysed, representing 62.7% of the known sector operating within Sefton. The percentages quoted within this report are statistically significant. The sample size involved generates a confidence interval of +/- 2.1% at a confidence level of 95% (+/- 2.75% at a confidence level of 99%). The reduced sample size (649) secured in respect of the newly introduced sections (Strategic Work Areas / Training / Geographic Area Committee Areas / Quality Assurance / Diversity Monitoring / Perceptions/Opinions) generates a confidence interval of +/- 2.7% at a confidence level of 95% (+/- 3.6% at a confidence level of 99%). Detailed Findings Primary Area of Work This is a breakdown of the primary areas of work specified by responding organisations. As can be seen Faith is the most significantly represented followed by Sport & Recreation. 112
120 100
81 80 59
59
60
58
55
55
47
52
47 35 18
17
Young People
Older People
Mental Health
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
Information, Advice & Advocacy
Housing / Homelessness Support
Health
Faith
Environment
Education, Training & Employability
Disability
Crime & Community Safety
Community, Tenants’ & Residents’ Associations
Children & Families
Arts, Culture & Heritage
Black & Racial Minorities (BRM)
2 0
9
7
Women’s Groups
20
12
11
Support for Carers
20
Sport & Recreation
27
Service / Ex-service Organisations
40
The following table gives a breakdown of these values and the corresponding percentages: 8
Primary Area of Work Arts, Culture & Heritage Black & Racial Minorities (BRM) Children & Families Community, Tenants’ & Residents’ Associations Crime & Community Safety Disability Education, Training & Employability Environment Faith Health Housing / Homelessness Support Information, Advice & Advocacy Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Mental Health Older People Service / Ex-service Organisations Sport & Recreation Support for Carers Women’s Groups Young People
Number 59 11 59 47 12 58 35 27 112 55 20 55 2 18 47 7 81 9 17 52
% 7.2 1.3 7.2 5.7 1.5 7.1 4.3 3.3 13.7 6.7 2.4 6.7 0.2 2.2 5.7 0.9 9.9 1.1 2.1 6.3
The primary areas of work have also been mapped into constituencies, according to the geographic location of responding organisations, giving a visual representation of the location of VCF services across Sefton (Appendix 2). Main Area of Work The following gives a more holistic picture of service delivery than the previous ‘Primary Area of Work’ analysis, as this captures the number of organisations covering particular areas of work as part of their service delivery even if this is not their primary focus (ie: a Faith organisation may also provide services relating to Children & Families and Older People). Organisations identified up to 4 categories as their main areas of work, therefore this better illustrates which service areas have significant VCF provision within Sefton. 250 224
217
200
185
150
140
136
151
150
135
123 101
100
84 69
57
53
45
41
50
YoungPeople
Women’s Groups
Support for Carers
Sport &Recreation
Older People
Mental Health
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &Transgender
Information, Advice&Advocacy
Housing/ Homelessness Support
Health
Faith
Environment
Education, Training&Employability
Disability
Crime&Community Safety
Associations
Community, Tenants’ &Residents’
Children&Families
Black &Racial Minorities (BRM)
Arts, Culture&Heritage
Service/ Ex-serviceOrganisations
10
4
0
46
29
As can be seen, the most significantly represented service areas are Children & Families and Young People with fewest organisations specifying that they touch on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender and Service / Ex-service categories as part of their work. 9
Strategic Work Areas 299 of the organisations responding also specified which of the local strategic work areas their organisation contributed to, the results are as follows:
11% Children & Young People 36% Healthy Communities & Older People
22%
Safer & Stronger Communities Economic Development & Sustainability
31%
As can be seen most responding organisations feel that they contribute to the Children & Young People and the Healthy Communities & Older People agendas with fewest working on Economic Development & Sustainability issues. Beneficiaries The following represents the specified beneficiaries of responding organisations. 350 297 300 260 232
250 209
197
191
200
152 150
84
64 39 13 17
55 63
44 21 25
14 11
38
71 60 63
49 23 21
137
115
108
102
86
100 50
138
122
9
83
84
71
52
94
47 25
12
26 6 6
Alcohol misusers Animals Black & Racial Minorities Carers Children 0-4 Children 5-7 Children 8-13 Drug / Substance misusers Ex-offenders / Offenders Faith communities Families Homeless people International Workers Lesbians, Gay Men & Local Community Local Environment Lone Parents Men Other Parents People isolated by location People living in residential care People Over 50 People Over 80 People who have been abused People with basic skills needs People with HIV / Aids People with learning difficulties People with learning disability People with mental ill-health People with physical disability People with sensory disability Refugees / Asylum Seekers Residents Service / Ex-service Tenants Transgender / Transsexuals Travellers / Gypsies Unemployed / Low Income Victims of Crime Voluntary Organisations Volunteers Women Young People 14-19 Young People 20-25
0
This indicates that Children and Young People (aged 0-25) are the principal beneficiaries of VCF Sector services provided in Sefton. As expected Local Community also features highly, indicative of the close relationship the VCF Sector generally has with local residents.
10
It would be logical to expect that the beneficiaries least well catered for would be those least represented within the Sefton population (eg: Transgender / Transsexuals, Travellers / Gypsies, People with HIV / Aids) and this would appear, generally, to be the case. However it is worth noting that, when compared to the previous mapping (07/08), the number of organisations supporting these traditionally under-represented communities has increased by nearly 3%. This suggests VCF services actively developing / adapting to respond to the service needs of groups who traditionally have limited provision. Support for International Workers within the VCF sector has nearly doubled in the last 12 months (88% increase), again demonstrating how VCF services quickly evolve and adapt to respond to changing needs locally.
Beneficiary Category Alcohol misusers Drug / Substance misusers International Workers Lesbians, Gay Men & Bisexuals People with HIV / Aids Service / Ex-service Transgender / Transsexuals Travellers / Gypsies TOTAL
2007/8 Number 8 23 9 11 10 11 6 7 85
% 0.8 2.3 0.9 1.1 1.0 1.1 0.6 0.7 8.3
2009 Number % 13 1.6 21 2.6 14 1.7 11 1.3 9 1.1 12 1.5 6 0.7 6 0.7 92 11.2
Training 14% (91/649) of responding organisations specified that they deliver training, nearly half of these organisations (43/649 – 6.7%) offering accredited courses. Geographic Area of Service The following represents the geographic focus of organisations’ service delivery:
7% 20% 23%
South Sefton Southport and Formby Sefton Merseyside UK/National 27% 23%
More organisations would appear to be providing localised services in the north of the borough than in the south, however, this does not necessarily imply there are fewer organisations in the south. This result could also indicate that more South Sefton based organisations are delivering services borough-wide or simply that a higher response rate was achieved from organisations providing services discreetly in the north. 11
Geographic Area of Service - Area Committee Areas In order to better understand the results above, responding organisations were also asked to specify which Area Committee Area/s they deliver services in. The 356 responses secured do indicate that Southport, Formby and Crosby have the highest proportional service provision, with Sefton East and St Oswalds, Netherton & Orrell having access to fewest services; however this is dependant on the number of organisations responding from each area and more focused research would be required to fully explore this.
Crosby
11%
16% Formby Linacre/Derby
22% 16%
Litherland/Ford Sefton East
11%
12% 12%
Southport St Oswalds/Netherton/Orrell
79.3% of organisations (642) are physically based within Sefton. Premises The following gives the breakdown of organisations’ accommodation status:
19%
25% Owner Occupiers Lease or Rent
6%
Occasional Room Hire Do not use Premises Other 16% 34%
In addition 97 organisations have a room available for community use (11.8%).
12
Access 552 organisations (67.3%) gave responses when asked to specify the facilities available to enable people with disabilities to access services. This breaks down as follows: Facility Braille Information Induction Loops Large Print Information Minicom Parking Sign Language Services Toilets (adapted) Wheelchair Access Other
% of Sample 2008 4.1 19 15 2.9 35.2 4 43.8 50.9 1.9
% of Sample 2009 5.6 21.6 17.9 3.8 44 4.3 52.3 60.4 1.2
As can be seen the percentages are consistently higher in 2009, this would suggest that the sector is actively responding to the needs of people with disabilities and providing more facilities to improve access to services. Languages Organisations are asked to list languages in which they provide information or access to interpreters. 37 organisations (4.5%) indicated that they offer support with languages, including the following: Language Albanian Arabic Bengali Cantonese Farsi French Gujerati Hindi Kurdish Mandarin Polish Portuguese Punjabi Russian Spanish Turkish Urdu Other
% of sample 2008 0.2 1 0.6 0.7 0.3 1.7 0.9 1.2 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.9 0.5 1.2 0.3 0.9 0.4
% of sample 2009 0.2 1 0.7 1.1 0.5 2.1 1.1 1.5 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.9 1 0.7 1.6 0.5 1.1 1.5
Again the percentages are consistently higher in 2009; however, there is definite potential to increase the number of VCF organisations offering support with languages. This would improve access to services for people without English as their first language. 13
Staff / Volunteers / Trustees The following indicates how many organisations work with paid employees (full-time and/or parttime) and/or volunteers. Notably the 21.6% of organisations who have not indicated that they have any staff or volunteers may have neglected to complete this section, although some of the smaller organisations will be run purely by committee. Organisation staff / volunteer breakdown
Number of organisations 18 35 64 139 22 74 291 177
Full-time staff only Full-time + part-time staff Full-time + volunteers Full-time + part-time + volunteers Part-time staff only Part-time + volunteers Volunteers only Zero staff / volunteers
% 2.2 4.3 7.8 17 2.7 9 35.5 21.6
full-time staff
2.2%
7.8%
4.3% 17%
9% 35.5%
2.7% part-time staff
volunteers
21.6%
Organisation staff / volunteer breakdown Total with full-time staff Total with part-time staff Total with volunteers Orgs with committee members
14
Number of organisations 256 270 568
% 31.2 32.9 69.3
516
62.9
This table illustrates the levels of employment, volunteering and trusteeship within the VCF Sector operating in Sefton; figures are known to be even higher in actuality as responses have not been secured from the entire sector. April 2009 figures VCF Sector 2009 Sefton MBC Apr 091 excluding school based staff
Sefton NHS Apr 092 Health & Safety Executive Mersey Docks & Harbour Company Arriva North West
Paid Staff (full-time) 3055
Paid Staff (part-time) 2134
Volunteers 13770
Committee Members 3368
2361
2052
no data
no data
721 1015
877 276
31 no data
no data no data
550approx
2
0
no data
2833
251
no data
no data
The total number of staff employed within the VCF Sector is greater than those employed by any individual statutory sector employer or private business locally (see table above). It is not possible to calculate accurately the earnings / economic value of those active within the VCF Sector operating in Sefton, as wage scales and hours worked / volunteered are not currently available. However, using national minimum wage (£5.733 as at end Mar 09) and assuming full-time equates to 35 hours per week, the earnings of full-time staff alone are in excess of £31million per annum. A similar calculation using the average national weekly wage figure (£4894) gives full-time staff earnings in excess of £77million per annum. In reality these figures are even higher as responses were not secured from the entire sector operating locally. Further information on the economic contribution of the VCF Sector in the North West is available in a Voluntary Sector North West report5 Diversity Monitoring 17.6% (114/649) of responding organisations have specified that they collect diversity monitoring information (organisations may collect monitoring from several / all of these categories) 90
81
80 70
68
64
60
51
50 40 30 20 10 0 Staff
Volunteers
Committee Members
Users / Clients
1
March 2008 – Sefton MBC - Human Resources Dept [Accessed Sep 09] March 2008 – Sefton NHS - Human Resources Dept [Accessed Oct 09] 3 May 2009 – Directgov 4 2009 Annual Survey of Hours & Earnings – Office of National Statistics 5 December 2007 – VSNW - The Contribution of the Voluntary and Community Sector to the Economy of the North West 2
15
Structure 2% 2% 1%
Charitable Trust 1%
Community Interest Company 21%
Company Limited by Guarantee Constituted Group / Association Excepted Charity 10%
Friendly Society
2% 2% 1%
Industrial Provident Society
70%
Other Registered Charity
16%
Registered Social Landlord Social Enterprise or Co-operative
The chart shows the breakdown of the legal status of organisations. 720 organisations responded to this question, however many have selected multiple answers; therefore the percentages quoted will not total 100. As can be seen 70% of responding organisations specify Registered Charity status. This breakdown practically mirrors the results of the 2008 mapping exercise. User Led Organisations 54 organisations identified themselves as user-led (6.6% of respondents). The specified user groups are as follows: Carers 6%
2%
Disabled people 21% Elderly people Gay,lesbian, bisexual or transgender people
29%
People with ill health 17% Residents 4% 17%
Women
4% Young people
User Involvement 368 groups (45% of responding organisations) have specified that they have a structure whereby users / clients contribute to decision-making within the organisation (eg: advisory panel / user on committee/board). Reportedly there are 32,618 service users involved in these structures, though not all of these will be Sefton residents. 16
Membership 335 organisations specified that they have a mailing / membership list (40.9% of responding organisations) with over 1¼ million members reported (this figure is not Sefton specific and includes regional / national members and possibly some repeat counting of service-users). Quality Assurance 103 responding organisations (12.6%) have specified that they use an established quality assurance system. This breaks down as follows: Quality Assurance System Number % of sample Charter Mark 18 2.2 Investors in People 42 5.1 ISO 9000 8 1 PQASSO 20 2.4 Quality First 2 0.2 Social Auditing 4 0.5 VISIBLE 4 0.5 Other 34 4.1
Of the quality assurance systems in use, Investors in People is most frequently used, with PQASSO and Charter Mark also proving popular.
14%
Charter Mark
26% Investors in People ISO 9000 PQASSO Quality First
3% 31%
3% 2%
Social Auditing VISIBLE Other
15% 6%
17
Funding 652 organisations responded specifying their main funding sources, this breaks down as follows (some organisations have selected multiple categories): Funding Sources % 2008 % 2009 Charity Shop Income 1.9 1.8 Donations / Collections 29.5 26.8 European Programme 3.5 4 Fund Raising Events / Activities 27.1 23.3 Governing / Umbrella Body (eg: Sports/Church) 2.9 1.5 Grant Making Trust 14.7 13.8 Health Authority / PCT 9.1 10.6 Income Generation / Social Enterprise 10.8 18.4 Investment Income 2.4 3.2 Legacies 2.6 4.8 Loan Finance 0.4 0.6 Local Authority 19.5 23.9 Lottery Funding 7.8 10.6 Membership Subscriptions 25.5 21.6 Other Statutory Funding 2.1 3.1 Other 3.1 11.7 Private Companies / Sponsorship 3.1 3.2 Regeneration / Central Government 8.3 7.1
Almanac General Public General Public Public Sector General Public Voluntary Voluntary Public Sector Internal Internal General Public Private Public Sector Voluntary Internal Public Sector n/a Private Public Sector
More organisations have selected ‘Other’ as a category in 2009 and this should be considered when comparing figures across the years. 30
25
20 %2008 %2009
15
10
5
18
Other
Regeneration / Central Government
Private Companies / Sponsorship
Other Public Sector Funding
Membership Subscriptions
Lottery Funding
Local Authority
Loan Finance
Legacies
Investment Income
Income Generation (eg: admission fees / charges)
Health Authority / NHS Sefton (PCT)
Grant Making Trust
Governing / Umbrella Body (eg: Sports / Church)
Fund Raising Events / Activities
European Programme
Donations / Collections
Charity Shop Income
0
The funding sources have been assigned categories corresponding to those in the NCVO UK Voluntary Sector Almanac 2007 The State of the Sector. The breakdown of this is as follows:
VCF Sector Income Analysis 2007 Almanac (National)
Sefton 2008
Sefton 2009
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 General Public
Public Sector
Private Sector
Voluntary Sector
Internal
Local results indicate that the proportion of Public Sector and Internal funding has increased since 2008. There is less Public and Private Sector funding and more Internal and Voluntary Sector funding reported locally when compared to the national study. This is unsurprising, as the Almanac research is focused on a national database of registered charities (and does not include smaller community groups); therefore the organisations involved are likely to be larger and more able to secure public / private sector funding. Funding Specifics Organisations were asked to specify what proportion of their funding was generated internally. 355 organisations responded and the breakdown is detailed below. Encouragingly over 70% of the organisations responding generate the majority of their income from either internal sources, the general public or from Governing / Umbrella bodies. This type of funding is traditionally considered more sustainable than a reliance on grants or funding programmes, however, the full impact of the recession on public-giving is yet to become apparent. 14.6
7.0
less than 10% 10-25%
7.0
26-50% 51-75%
59.4
76-100% 11.8
Only 3.2% of responding organisations have specified that they use full cost recovery principles. 19
6.6% (54) of the 820 respondents specified they were in receipt of statutory funding (either contract or grant - some receiving both) this is a 57% increase on the 4.2% reported last year. 2008 (% of 710) 2009 (% of 820) Number % Number % Statutory Contract 17 2.4 30 3.7 Statutory Grant 19 2.7 36 4.4 Tax-effective Giving (eg: Gift Aid) 94 13.2 93 11.3 This would appear to contradict the figures quoted in the previous section (Local Authority – 23.9% / Health Authority / PCT – 10.6%). It would require further investigation to establish the reason for this – there may have been some misinterpretation of the question. It is also possible that some organisations, who are in receipt of statutory funding, neglected to correctly answer the contract / grant question. Only 11.3% of organisations have specified that they benefit from tax-effective giving, an initiative which supports charities to take advantage of tax reliefs and maximise their income. The actual number of organisations is consistent with the results from the previous survey. Statutory Funding The organisations in receipt of statutory contracts and statutory grants have identified the following primary areas of work, though there is some duplication with organisations in receipt of both contract and grant funding:
Primary Area of Work Arts, Culture & Heritage Black & Racial Minorities (BRM) Children & Families Community, Tenants’ & Residents’ Associations Crime & Community Safety Disability Education, Training & Employability Environment Faith Health Housing / Homelessness Support Information, Advice & Advocacy Mental Health Older People Sport & Recreation Support for Carers Women’s Groups Young People TOTAL
2008 Contract Grant 2 1 2 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 17
3 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 19
2009 Contract Grant 1 5 1 1 3 3 1 2 4 5 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 29
1 1 3 2 1 3 3 5 3 1 1 2 35
This table illustrates the service areas reportedly securing statutory contracts and grants.
20
Annual Income 403 organisations have submitted responses to this question, this breaks down as follows:
Income Band Under £1k £1k-£10k £10k-£25k £25k-100k £100k-£250k £250k-£1m Over £1m
2008 Number % 107 22.7 129 27.3 61 12.9 70 14.8 35 7.4 34 7.2 36 7.6
2009 Number % 89 22.1 99 24.6 61 15.1 57 4.1 34 8.4 36 8.9 27 6.7
As can be seen 47% of the responding organisations have an annual income of under £10k. In total, 66% have an annual income under £100k.
30 25 20 2008
15
2009 10
£250k-£1m
£100k-£250k
£25k-100k
£10k-£25k
£1k-£10k
Under £1k
0
Over £1m
5
It is logical to assume that, in the majority of cases, organisations not responding to the mapping exercise are smaller groups with limited capacity; therefore it is likely there are a greater proportion of groups with annual income under £10k than these figures suggest.
21
Perceptions / Opinions The government’s Office of the Third Sector commissioned a National Survey of Third Sector Organisations administered from September to December 2008. Included in this survey were questions drawn from the government’s National Indicator 4 – ‘the percentage of people who feel that they can influence decisions in their locality’ and National Indicator 7 – ‘an environment for a thriving third sector’. These questions have been replicated in our local survey to enable some comparison and both sets of results are laid out below Organisational Influence - NI4 National%
Sefton%
35 30 25 20 15 10
No answer provided
Not applicable
Don't know
Very dissatisfied
Fairly dissatisfied
dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor
Fairly satisfied
0
Very satisfied
5
The percentage nationally specifying they are satisfied to some degree with the level of influence of their organisation is 14% compared with the local result of 22.2%; conversely 29% have expressed dissatisfaction according to the national survey, compared to 10.1% locally.
Organisational Satisfaction - NI7 National%
Sefton%
60 50
22
No answer provided
Don't know
Very negative influence
Negative influence
Neither positive nor negative influence
Very positive influence
10 0
Positive Influence
40 30 20
The percentage nationally specifying that overall, local statutory bodies are a positive influence on their organisations success is 15% compared with the local result of 23%; conversely 19% have specified that statutory bodies are a negative influence according to the national survey, compared to 4% locally. The national and local results are not directly comparable, as the government survey has not been entirely replicated, however the drastic differences in the national and local figures are quite concerning. There are some potential issues around the methodology of the national survey, for example it is very unusual to see ‘no answer provided’ included in percentage calculations, however this approach has been adopted for the local results in order to enable comparison. It is also not clear which Sefton groups have been included in the national survey as the organisations have been drawn from a national database, and this information cannot be accessed without charge. CONCLUSIONS This study has established a current, realistic picture of the VCF Sector operating within Sefton evidencing the contribution made by the sector to both local service delivery and the local economy. The findings correlate closely with those from the previous study, indicating a consistency and resilience within the sector, and reinforcing the accuracy of these findings. The VCF Sector operating within Sefton is very diverse, encompassing a range of organisations with very different service areas, beneficiaries, structures, sizes and funding sources. Faith, Children & Young People and Sport and Recreation are the most popular Directory categories selected by the sector locally. Children and Young People (aged 0-25), Local Community and Older People are the principal beneficiaries of VCF Sector services provided in Sefton. The majority of the sector locally delivers services without ever drawing on statutory funding. The VCF Sector actively develops / adapts to respond to the service needs of underrepresented communities who traditionally have limited provision. Sector organisations are beginning to monitor the diversity of their staff, trustees, volunteers and service-users, however there is the potential to enhance this and organisations could be further supported to monitor diversity effectively. There is evidence of the close relationship between VCF Sector organisations and their communities. The Sefton VCF Sector is largely indigenous with organisations developing organically in response to locally identified need, often addressing gaps in statutory sector provision. The Sefton VCF Sector has considerable community reach and is a good source of local intelligence, making early involvement of the sector beneficial to any community engagement initiative. The knowledge, ideas and solutions prevalent within the VCF Sector could be harnessed to improve the planning and delivery of services. The sector is well placed to assist the statutory sector with consultation and engagement under their Duty to Involve. More organisations would appear to be providing localised services in the north of the borough than in the south, however, this does not necessarily imply there are fewer organisations in the south. This result could also indicate that more South Sefton based organisations are delivering services borough-wide or simply that a higher response rate was achieved from organisations providing services discreetly in the north. 23
The Sefton VCF Sector contributes to the governance agenda through trusteeship and serviceuser engagement / participation. The Sector supports service-users to directly influence service delivery with over 32,000 service users involved in organisational decision-making structures. Also many organisations are user-led, demonstrating genuine community engagement / ownership. The Sefton VCF Sector generally is moving away from reliance on grant funding and toward traditionally more sustainable income generation. Smaller organisations would be likely to benefit from working collaboratively together to maximise efficiency and improve sustainability (eg: sharing back office functions / securing funding for joint post / joint bidding – either geographically or thematically). This is an area that could be expanded, as there are a large number of smaller organisations locally. The Sefton VCF Sector is beginning to take advantage of tax reliefs and maximise their income, however there is definite potential to further develop tax effective giving as 70% of organisations responding are registered charities and therefore eligible. The Sefton VCF Sector is a significant contributor to the local economy, employing more people (sector-wide) than any individual statutory / private sector employer. The sector generates inward investment (eg: Lottery / grant monies) and uses resources creatively and efficiently, maximising income generation. The very respectable response rate achieved is indicative of the willingness of the VCF Sector to engage and the healthy relationship established between Sefton CVS and the sector locally. IMPLICATIONS The VCF Sector provides innumerable services and benefits to the Sefton community and impacts significantly on a wide range of strategic priorities / areas including: Stronger and Safer Communities Community Empowerment / Influence Community Engagement Health & Well-being (including Public Health) Transforming Social Care Every Child Matters Economic Development / Worklessness Social Enterprise Social Capital Community Cohesion / Inclusion Volunteering / Civic Participation Regeneration Environment / Climate Change Uncertainty over sustainable funding places key services at risk and seriously restricts the Sector’s ability to maximise its efficiency and therefore its contribution. A properly resourced VCF Sector (with an appropriate balance of contract and grant funding and strong strategic involvement and influence in multi-agency partnership working) would achieve even more in terms of campaigning for change, delivering public services, strengthening and empowering communities and increasing civic participation. This would meet government aims and increase the VCF Sector’s already significant contribution to Sefton's society, economy and environment.
24
RECOMMENDATIONS Creating the right ‘Environment for a Thriving 3rd Sector’ be viewed as a cross-cutting priority that adds value across all strategic service areas. The local intelligence gathered in relation to this, and also that around organisational influence, should be maintained and referenced alongside the national survey results. The VCF Sector be recognised and valued as a critical service provider locally and as a significant contributor to the local economy. The VCF Sector be recognised as a crucial resource, enabling early involvement of the community, promoting community ownership / guardianship and ultimately delivering sustainable development through the active engagement of local people. The contribution made by the large percentage of the sector that is not in receipt of statutory sector grants or contracts is largely hidden and resources should be targeted at measuring the impact of those services operating “under the radar”. There is evidence from other programmes and areas that small grants programmes would support the Sefton VCF Sector in maximising its contribution to the delivery of strategic objectives, aligned with the Local Area Agreement and this approach should be promoted and advocated for across partners. The Sefton Community Empowerment Network, which provides opportunities for the VCF Sector to network and influence decision-making, and enables partners to access VCF Sector knowledge / expertise, be supported to continue. The CEN should review its operating methodology, however, in the light of this survey and the governance review. This State of the Sector report be used as a reference tool to assess the profile of the VCF Sector in regard to service provision. When establishing new services, it will serve to highlight current VCF Sector service provision and support planning processes. The local intelligence gathered in relation to the national indicators (NI4 / NI7) should be maintained and referenced alongside the national survey. Transparent and accessible procurement procedures be fully implemented by commissioning bodies. VCF Sector service providers need to be actively encouraged to tender for all relevant commissioning opportunities and these tenders should be competitively considered. Sefton CVS should provide an ‘Introduction to the VCF Sector’ for elected members / strategic directors / senior managers (drawing on this report, ward specific data and local knowledge), this could form part of induction processes. The VCF Sector continues to be supported to ensure fitness for purpose. This should include practical, capacity building support (eg: policy / procedural support), funding advice and assistance, opportunities for networking, and access to information, advice, guidance and learning and development opportunities. Additional information / support should be provided to the VCF Sector focused on: taking advantage of tax relief, enabling the sector to maximise their income offering support with languages, giving people without English as their first language better access to services collaborative working (sharing of back office functions / staff / joint bidding) Equality Impact Assessments / diversity monitoring This unique, accurate and timely intelligence should be valued and Sefton CVS should continue to map the known VCF Sector operating within Sefton on an annual basis. 25
REFERENCES NCVO, 2007. The Voluntary Sector Almanac 2007 – The State of the Sector http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/index.asp?id=5150&terms=almanac [Accessed 29 May 2008] Directgov, May 2009. Newsroom - New £5.80 minimum wage rate from October http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_178175 [Accessed 13 Nov 2009] OFFICE OF NATIONAL STATISTICS, 2009. Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285 [Accessed 13 Nov 2009] VSNW, December 2007. The Contribution of the Voluntary and Community Sector to the Economy of the North West http://www.vsnw.org.uk/files/File/Revised%20VSNW%20short%20formatted%20version%20%20alignment.pdf [Accessed 13 Nov 2009]
DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT Whilst every effort is made to ensure that accurate information is provided, neither Sefton CVS, the Board of Trustees, the Editor nor the contributors undertake any liability for any errors or omissions. Sefton CVS does not accept any liability for the content of, or issues arising from, the use of websites featured in this document. Your use of information in the State of the Sector Report 2009/10 The information in this document, including text and graphics, is protected by copyright, trademark laws, design rights, database rights and other intellectual property rights, which are the property of Sefton Council for Voluntary Service or a third party. Copyright: Sefton Council for Voluntary Service 2010. All Rights Reserved. Unless stated otherwise you may use the information in this document only for non-commercial, personal use. You may not use the information in this document for any unlawful purpose. Except as expressly set out above, you may not reproduce, publish, broadcast, transmit, modify, adapt, create derivative works of, store, archive or in any way commercially exploit any of the Content. Without limitation, you may not do any of the following without prior written permission from Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (and neither may you allow a third party to do any of the same): - redistribute any of the Content, (including by using it as part of any syndication, content aggregation, archive or similar service); or - remove the copyright or trade mark notice from any copies of Content made under these terms and conditions; or - use any machine, electronic, or similar device to read or extract the Content by automated or machine based means. Sefton Council for Voluntary Service, 3rd Floor, Merseyside 3tc Centre, 16 Crosby Road North, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 0NY. Tel: (0151) 920 0726 Fax: (0151) 920 1036 email: [email protected] Registered Charity No. 1024546 Company Registered by Guarantee No. 2832920 26
Appendix 1 Mapping Questionnaire
27
28
29
30
Appendix 2 Constituency Maps
31
32
33
34
Contents
Page No
¾ Introduction
Relevant Priorities / Acknowledgements / Background
2
Definitions
3
Summary of Findings
4
¾ Methodology
Process / Timescale / Limitations
¾ Results
6 6
7
Response Rates
7
Detailed Findings
7
Primary Area of Work Main Areas of Work Strategic Work Areas Beneficiaries Training Geographic Area of Service Geographic Area of Service – Area Committee Areas Premises Access Languages Staff / Volunteers / Trustees Diversity Monitoring Structure User Led Organisations User Involvement Membership Quality Assurance Funding Funding Specifics Statutory Funding Annual Income Perceptions / Opinions (NI4 / NI7)
7 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 21
¾ Conclusions
22
¾ Implications
23
¾ Recommendations
24
¾ References / Disclaimer & Copyright
25
¾ Appendices
26
2
2
Appendix 1 – Questionnaire Appendix 2 – Constituency Maps
26 30
INTRODUCTION This State of the Sector report has been produced to provide information on the known Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) Sector operating in Sefton. The data used, has been gathered through a sector-wide mapping exercise. Relevant Priorities The Sefton Local Area Agreement 2008-11 targets: National Indicator 4 - percentage of people who feel that they can influence decisions in their locality This indicator has been considered from an organisational perspective through inclusion of the question ‘Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your ability to influence local decisions that are relevant to your organisation?’ – mirroring the wording in the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations commissioned by the Office of the Third Sector National Indicator 7 - Environment for a Thriving 3rd Sector This indicator has been considered through inclusion of the question ‘Taking everything into account, overall, how do the statutory bodies in your local area influence your organisation’s success?’ – mirroring the wording in the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations commissioned by the Office of the Third Sector This report and the continuous data gathered through Sefton CVS will serve to inform the Sefton Borough Partnership, and within this the Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership, of progress against these priorities. Acknowledgements This report was written by Ann Cartwright, Information & Monitoring Officer, Sefton CVS on behalf of the Community Empowerment Network (CEN). The production of this report has been made possible by the support of: • VCF Sector organisations responding to the Sefton CVS mapping exercise • Sefton CVS colleagues • Sefton MBC’s Analysis & Intelligence Management (AIM) Unit Background Sefton CVS has made a significant investment (as part of a Merseyside consortium of CVS’s) in the Volbase database to meet data-management needs; there is currently the equivalent of a full-time post devoted to utilising and developing Volbase. Volbase is an Access-based system designed to address the requirements of a VCF infrastructure organisation and was developed through close work with CVS’s. It is a unified records management system, which allows all organisation and contact records to be managed in one place: avoiding duplication, maximising efficiency and addressing data protection requirements. Volbase not only enables efficient database management but also supports mapping of the sector through generating questionnaires, with pre-filled fields (Appendix 1) and tracking the status of each individual organisation throughout the process. All profile data gathered is retained against the organisation record and is fully searchable. 3
Sefton CVS has established a good relationship with the known VCF Sector operating within Sefton. Mapping of the sector has been actively facilitated since 2005 and very healthy response rates have consistently been achieved. The questions included have been developed with reference to Sefton CVS expertise, general CVS practice, the NCVO Voluntary Sector Almanac, the experiences of 3rdBase (the Volbase database developers) and through lessons learnt during previous mapping exercises. The information gathered has served to inform the strategic objectives and service delivery of Sefton CVS. Definitions Community Empowerment Network A network of geographic, thematic and resident-based networks / forums / groups enabling a wide range of Voluntary, Community and Faith organisations to access networking opportunities and have a voice and representation in decision-making processes and structures. Local Area Agreement 2008-11 The delivery plan for the Sustainable Community Strategy (a document setting out the overall vision for the borough), it identifies the strategic priorities for Sefton. Office of the Third Sector As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy Sefton Borough Partnership Sefton’s Local Strategic Partnership - the principal, multi-agency, strategic decision-making partnership within Sefton with representation from Public, Private and Voluntary, Community and Faith Sectors. The Sefton Borough Partnership is responsible for the Sefton Community Strategy and for delivery against the Local Area Agreement priorities. Safer & Stronger Communities Partnership Sefton’s Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership (SSCP) combines Sefton’s statutory and voluntary organisations who work together to reduce crime and disorder, and improve the environment across the borough.
4
Summary of Findings • The main areas of work identified by VCF Sector organisations operating within Sefton are Children & Families (27%), Young People (26%), Older People (23%) and Information, Advice and Guidance (18%). Faith (14%) and Sport & Recreation (10%) are the most popular Directory categories selected. • The Children & Young People (36%) and the Healthy Communities & Older People (31%) agendas are the strategic work areas most supported by VCF activity. In comparison, 22% contribute to the Safer & Stronger Communities agenda and 11% to the Economic Development & Sustainability agenda. • Children and Young People (aged 0-25) are the principle beneficiaries of VCF Sector services provided in Sefton. Local Community and Older People are also identified as beneficiaries by a significant number of organisations. • The number of organisations supporting traditionally under-represented communities has increased by nearly 3% since the 07/08 survey, with support for International Workers nearly doubling (88% increase). • 14% of responding organisations specified that they deliver training, nearly half of these organisations offering accredited courses. • There would appear to be more service provision focused on the north of the borough than the south; however a more even spread was reported in the previous survey. 47% of organisations specify that they deliver services at a local level (ie: Southport & Formby or South Sefton focused), and 79% of responding organisations are physically based within Sefton. • A quarter of responding organisations own their own premises, a further 34% lease or rent their accommodation. Additionally, 12% specify that they have a room available for community use. • The sector would appear to be actively responding to the needs of people with disabilities, there is a 34% increase reported across the different facilities provided by organisations to improve access to services. There is also a 17% growth in organisations reporting people with physical disability as beneficiaries. • The VCF sector organisations responding employ 3368 full-time and 2134 part-time paid staff operating within Sefton. They benefit from the involvement of 13770 volunteers and have 3368 committee members who also give their time and expertise unpaid. These figures are down on the previous mapping; however, as they are drawn from 63% of the known sector, these figures are likely to be much higher in reality. In total, 31% of responding organisations have full-time staff, 33% have part-time staff and 69% work with volunteers. • 70% of organisations responding are Registered Charities with 21% specifying they have Company Limited by Guarantee status. • 6.6% of organisations responding identify as being user-led. The most represented user groups within this are Residents at 29% and Carers at 21%.
5
• 45% of responding organisations have a structure whereby users / clients contribute to decision-making within the organisation (eg: advisory panel / user on committee/board), reportedly there are over 32,600 service users involved in these structures. • 335 organisations specified that they have a mailing / membership list (40.9% of responding organisations) with over 1¼ million members reported (this figure is not Sefton specific and includes regional / national members and possibly some repeat counting of service-users). • 12.6% of responding organisations have specified that they use an established quality assurance system, with Investors in People proving most popular followed by PQASSO and Charter Mark. • Donations / Collections, Fund Raising Events / Activities, Membership Subscriptions and the Local Authority are the most common sources of funding. Encouragingly only 13.8% (decrease of 1% on 2008 figures) of organisations responding are using Grant Making Trusts as their main source of funding, indicating a move away from reliance on grant funding and towards more traditionally sustainable income generation. • 70% of the organisations responding generate the majority of their income from either internal sources, the general public or from Governing / Umbrella bodies. This type of funding is traditionally considered more sustainable than a reliance on grants or funding programmes, however, the full impact of the recession on public-giving is yet to become apparent. • 11% of organisations benefit from tax-effective giving, an initiative which supports charities to take advantage of tax reliefs and maximise their income. There is definite potential to develop this area as 70% of organisations responding identify as having charitable status. • 47% of the responding organisations have an annual income of under £10k. In total, 66% have an annual income under £100k. • 22% of responding organisations specified they are satisfied to some degree with the level of influence of their organisation (compared with the Sefton figure of 14% drawn from the national survey); conversely 10% expressed dissatisfaction (compared to 29% for Sefton in the national survey). • 23% of responding organisations specified that overall, local statutory bodies are a positive influence on their organisations success (compared with the Sefton figure of 15% drawn from the national survey); conversely 4% have specified that statutory bodies are a negative influence (compared to 19% for Sefton in the national survey).
6
METHODOLOGY Process Information was gathered through a comprehensive annual mapping exercise of the 1305 known VCF Sector organisations and projects, either based in, or operating within, Sefton. Questionnaires (Appendix 1) were circulated to all VCF organisations on the Sefton CVS Volbase database. The database was continuously updated as responses were received. Timescale December 08 - Original mapping questionnaires distributed February 09
- Repeat questionnaires sent out to non-responding organisations
April / May 09 - Final responses processed Autumn 09
- Information analysed and report produced
Limitations The organisational information gathered is self-defined; therefore the quality of response is dependent on the knowledge and understanding of the main contact as identified on the Sefton CVS database. The level of detail required to assimilate a thorough State of the Sector report led to the production of a comprehensive questionnaire, however every effort has been made to keep this manageable and to ensure clarity and ease of response. There are many factors determining whether an organisation will respond to the mapping exercise (capacity / change of contact / newly established / etc), therefore there will inevitably be slight variance in the number and nature of organisations responding on an annual basis. Some unexpected responses have been identified, particularly in relation to Sefton specific figures (national organisations have, on occasion, quoted national figures – eg: Staff / Volunteer numbers) - where identified these have been excluded from the final analysis. Having analysed the responses of 820 organisations / projects (representing 62.7% of the known sector) percentages quoted throughout this report are statistically significant; however number counts will not be entirely accurate as it has not been possible to achieve a 100% response rate. The actual values for the sector are therefore likely to be higher than the figures quoted. Some questions allow respondents to choose more than one category; in these cases the percentages quoted are against the total number of respondents, as this is considered more relevant. This has resulted in percentage totals of over 100 (eg: Access - Pg13 / Structure Pg16 / Funding Sources - Pg18). The geographic mapping of the sector (Appendix 2) focuses on the actual location of services rather than their area of delivery, therefore this does not fully illustrate opportunity to access services (ie: an organisation may be placed in Crosby but deliver services borough-wide). In addition, the geographic mapping does not include organisations based outside Sefton but delivering services within the borough.
7
RESULTS Response Rates The 2008/9 mapping exercise secured 649 responses from the 1307 VCF Sector organisations operating within Sefton, this equates to a healthy response rate of 49.7%. A further 171 organisations had responded to the previous mapping exercise (early 2008). This information has been treated as current for the purpose of this analysis as fundamental information is unlikely to have altered significantly in this time period. Therefore the responses of 820 organisations / projects have been analysed, representing 62.7% of the known sector operating within Sefton. The percentages quoted within this report are statistically significant. The sample size involved generates a confidence interval of +/- 2.1% at a confidence level of 95% (+/- 2.75% at a confidence level of 99%). The reduced sample size (649) secured in respect of the newly introduced sections (Strategic Work Areas / Training / Geographic Area Committee Areas / Quality Assurance / Diversity Monitoring / Perceptions/Opinions) generates a confidence interval of +/- 2.7% at a confidence level of 95% (+/- 3.6% at a confidence level of 99%). Detailed Findings Primary Area of Work This is a breakdown of the primary areas of work specified by responding organisations. As can be seen Faith is the most significantly represented followed by Sport & Recreation. 112
120 100
81 80 59
59
60
58
55
55
47
52
47 35 18
17
Young People
Older People
Mental Health
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
Information, Advice & Advocacy
Housing / Homelessness Support
Health
Faith
Environment
Education, Training & Employability
Disability
Crime & Community Safety
Community, Tenants’ & Residents’ Associations
Children & Families
Arts, Culture & Heritage
Black & Racial Minorities (BRM)
2 0
9
7
Women’s Groups
20
12
11
Support for Carers
20
Sport & Recreation
27
Service / Ex-service Organisations
40
The following table gives a breakdown of these values and the corresponding percentages: 8
Primary Area of Work Arts, Culture & Heritage Black & Racial Minorities (BRM) Children & Families Community, Tenants’ & Residents’ Associations Crime & Community Safety Disability Education, Training & Employability Environment Faith Health Housing / Homelessness Support Information, Advice & Advocacy Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Mental Health Older People Service / Ex-service Organisations Sport & Recreation Support for Carers Women’s Groups Young People
Number 59 11 59 47 12 58 35 27 112 55 20 55 2 18 47 7 81 9 17 52
% 7.2 1.3 7.2 5.7 1.5 7.1 4.3 3.3 13.7 6.7 2.4 6.7 0.2 2.2 5.7 0.9 9.9 1.1 2.1 6.3
The primary areas of work have also been mapped into constituencies, according to the geographic location of responding organisations, giving a visual representation of the location of VCF services across Sefton (Appendix 2). Main Area of Work The following gives a more holistic picture of service delivery than the previous ‘Primary Area of Work’ analysis, as this captures the number of organisations covering particular areas of work as part of their service delivery even if this is not their primary focus (ie: a Faith organisation may also provide services relating to Children & Families and Older People). Organisations identified up to 4 categories as their main areas of work, therefore this better illustrates which service areas have significant VCF provision within Sefton. 250 224
217
200
185
150
140
136
151
150
135
123 101
100
84 69
57
53
45
41
50
YoungPeople
Women’s Groups
Support for Carers
Sport &Recreation
Older People
Mental Health
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &Transgender
Information, Advice&Advocacy
Housing/ Homelessness Support
Health
Faith
Environment
Education, Training&Employability
Disability
Crime&Community Safety
Associations
Community, Tenants’ &Residents’
Children&Families
Black &Racial Minorities (BRM)
Arts, Culture&Heritage
Service/ Ex-serviceOrganisations
10
4
0
46
29
As can be seen, the most significantly represented service areas are Children & Families and Young People with fewest organisations specifying that they touch on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender and Service / Ex-service categories as part of their work. 9
Strategic Work Areas 299 of the organisations responding also specified which of the local strategic work areas their organisation contributed to, the results are as follows:
11% Children & Young People 36% Healthy Communities & Older People
22%
Safer & Stronger Communities Economic Development & Sustainability
31%
As can be seen most responding organisations feel that they contribute to the Children & Young People and the Healthy Communities & Older People agendas with fewest working on Economic Development & Sustainability issues. Beneficiaries The following represents the specified beneficiaries of responding organisations. 350 297 300 260 232
250 209
197
191
200
152 150
84
64 39 13 17
55 63
44 21 25
14 11
38
71 60 63
49 23 21
137
115
108
102
86
100 50
138
122
9
83
84
71
52
94
47 25
12
26 6 6
Alcohol misusers Animals Black & Racial Minorities Carers Children 0-4 Children 5-7 Children 8-13 Drug / Substance misusers Ex-offenders / Offenders Faith communities Families Homeless people International Workers Lesbians, Gay Men & Local Community Local Environment Lone Parents Men Other Parents People isolated by location People living in residential care People Over 50 People Over 80 People who have been abused People with basic skills needs People with HIV / Aids People with learning difficulties People with learning disability People with mental ill-health People with physical disability People with sensory disability Refugees / Asylum Seekers Residents Service / Ex-service Tenants Transgender / Transsexuals Travellers / Gypsies Unemployed / Low Income Victims of Crime Voluntary Organisations Volunteers Women Young People 14-19 Young People 20-25
0
This indicates that Children and Young People (aged 0-25) are the principal beneficiaries of VCF Sector services provided in Sefton. As expected Local Community also features highly, indicative of the close relationship the VCF Sector generally has with local residents.
10
It would be logical to expect that the beneficiaries least well catered for would be those least represented within the Sefton population (eg: Transgender / Transsexuals, Travellers / Gypsies, People with HIV / Aids) and this would appear, generally, to be the case. However it is worth noting that, when compared to the previous mapping (07/08), the number of organisations supporting these traditionally under-represented communities has increased by nearly 3%. This suggests VCF services actively developing / adapting to respond to the service needs of groups who traditionally have limited provision. Support for International Workers within the VCF sector has nearly doubled in the last 12 months (88% increase), again demonstrating how VCF services quickly evolve and adapt to respond to changing needs locally.
Beneficiary Category Alcohol misusers Drug / Substance misusers International Workers Lesbians, Gay Men & Bisexuals People with HIV / Aids Service / Ex-service Transgender / Transsexuals Travellers / Gypsies TOTAL
2007/8 Number 8 23 9 11 10 11 6 7 85
% 0.8 2.3 0.9 1.1 1.0 1.1 0.6 0.7 8.3
2009 Number % 13 1.6 21 2.6 14 1.7 11 1.3 9 1.1 12 1.5 6 0.7 6 0.7 92 11.2
Training 14% (91/649) of responding organisations specified that they deliver training, nearly half of these organisations (43/649 – 6.7%) offering accredited courses. Geographic Area of Service The following represents the geographic focus of organisations’ service delivery:
7% 20% 23%
South Sefton Southport and Formby Sefton Merseyside UK/National 27% 23%
More organisations would appear to be providing localised services in the north of the borough than in the south, however, this does not necessarily imply there are fewer organisations in the south. This result could also indicate that more South Sefton based organisations are delivering services borough-wide or simply that a higher response rate was achieved from organisations providing services discreetly in the north. 11
Geographic Area of Service - Area Committee Areas In order to better understand the results above, responding organisations were also asked to specify which Area Committee Area/s they deliver services in. The 356 responses secured do indicate that Southport, Formby and Crosby have the highest proportional service provision, with Sefton East and St Oswalds, Netherton & Orrell having access to fewest services; however this is dependant on the number of organisations responding from each area and more focused research would be required to fully explore this.
Crosby
11%
16% Formby Linacre/Derby
22% 16%
Litherland/Ford Sefton East
11%
12% 12%
Southport St Oswalds/Netherton/Orrell
79.3% of organisations (642) are physically based within Sefton. Premises The following gives the breakdown of organisations’ accommodation status:
19%
25% Owner Occupiers Lease or Rent
6%
Occasional Room Hire Do not use Premises Other 16% 34%
In addition 97 organisations have a room available for community use (11.8%).
12
Access 552 organisations (67.3%) gave responses when asked to specify the facilities available to enable people with disabilities to access services. This breaks down as follows: Facility Braille Information Induction Loops Large Print Information Minicom Parking Sign Language Services Toilets (adapted) Wheelchair Access Other
% of Sample 2008 4.1 19 15 2.9 35.2 4 43.8 50.9 1.9
% of Sample 2009 5.6 21.6 17.9 3.8 44 4.3 52.3 60.4 1.2
As can be seen the percentages are consistently higher in 2009, this would suggest that the sector is actively responding to the needs of people with disabilities and providing more facilities to improve access to services. Languages Organisations are asked to list languages in which they provide information or access to interpreters. 37 organisations (4.5%) indicated that they offer support with languages, including the following: Language Albanian Arabic Bengali Cantonese Farsi French Gujerati Hindi Kurdish Mandarin Polish Portuguese Punjabi Russian Spanish Turkish Urdu Other
% of sample 2008 0.2 1 0.6 0.7 0.3 1.7 0.9 1.2 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.9 0.5 1.2 0.3 0.9 0.4
% of sample 2009 0.2 1 0.7 1.1 0.5 2.1 1.1 1.5 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.9 1 0.7 1.6 0.5 1.1 1.5
Again the percentages are consistently higher in 2009; however, there is definite potential to increase the number of VCF organisations offering support with languages. This would improve access to services for people without English as their first language. 13
Staff / Volunteers / Trustees The following indicates how many organisations work with paid employees (full-time and/or parttime) and/or volunteers. Notably the 21.6% of organisations who have not indicated that they have any staff or volunteers may have neglected to complete this section, although some of the smaller organisations will be run purely by committee. Organisation staff / volunteer breakdown
Number of organisations 18 35 64 139 22 74 291 177
Full-time staff only Full-time + part-time staff Full-time + volunteers Full-time + part-time + volunteers Part-time staff only Part-time + volunteers Volunteers only Zero staff / volunteers
% 2.2 4.3 7.8 17 2.7 9 35.5 21.6
full-time staff
2.2%
7.8%
4.3% 17%
9% 35.5%
2.7% part-time staff
volunteers
21.6%
Organisation staff / volunteer breakdown Total with full-time staff Total with part-time staff Total with volunteers Orgs with committee members
14
Number of organisations 256 270 568
% 31.2 32.9 69.3
516
62.9
This table illustrates the levels of employment, volunteering and trusteeship within the VCF Sector operating in Sefton; figures are known to be even higher in actuality as responses have not been secured from the entire sector. April 2009 figures VCF Sector 2009 Sefton MBC Apr 091 excluding school based staff
Sefton NHS Apr 092 Health & Safety Executive Mersey Docks & Harbour Company Arriva North West
Paid Staff (full-time) 3055
Paid Staff (part-time) 2134
Volunteers 13770
Committee Members 3368
2361
2052
no data
no data
721 1015
877 276
31 no data
no data no data
550approx
2
0
no data
2833
251
no data
no data
The total number of staff employed within the VCF Sector is greater than those employed by any individual statutory sector employer or private business locally (see table above). It is not possible to calculate accurately the earnings / economic value of those active within the VCF Sector operating in Sefton, as wage scales and hours worked / volunteered are not currently available. However, using national minimum wage (£5.733 as at end Mar 09) and assuming full-time equates to 35 hours per week, the earnings of full-time staff alone are in excess of £31million per annum. A similar calculation using the average national weekly wage figure (£4894) gives full-time staff earnings in excess of £77million per annum. In reality these figures are even higher as responses were not secured from the entire sector operating locally. Further information on the economic contribution of the VCF Sector in the North West is available in a Voluntary Sector North West report5 Diversity Monitoring 17.6% (114/649) of responding organisations have specified that they collect diversity monitoring information (organisations may collect monitoring from several / all of these categories) 90
81
80 70
68
64
60
51
50 40 30 20 10 0 Staff
Volunteers
Committee Members
Users / Clients
1
March 2008 – Sefton MBC - Human Resources Dept [Accessed Sep 09] March 2008 – Sefton NHS - Human Resources Dept [Accessed Oct 09] 3 May 2009 – Directgov 4 2009 Annual Survey of Hours & Earnings – Office of National Statistics 5 December 2007 – VSNW - The Contribution of the Voluntary and Community Sector to the Economy of the North West 2
15
Structure 2% 2% 1%
Charitable Trust 1%
Community Interest Company 21%
Company Limited by Guarantee Constituted Group / Association Excepted Charity 10%
Friendly Society
2% 2% 1%
Industrial Provident Society
70%
Other Registered Charity
16%
Registered Social Landlord Social Enterprise or Co-operative
The chart shows the breakdown of the legal status of organisations. 720 organisations responded to this question, however many have selected multiple answers; therefore the percentages quoted will not total 100. As can be seen 70% of responding organisations specify Registered Charity status. This breakdown practically mirrors the results of the 2008 mapping exercise. User Led Organisations 54 organisations identified themselves as user-led (6.6% of respondents). The specified user groups are as follows: Carers 6%
2%
Disabled people 21% Elderly people Gay,lesbian, bisexual or transgender people
29%
People with ill health 17% Residents 4% 17%
Women
4% Young people
User Involvement 368 groups (45% of responding organisations) have specified that they have a structure whereby users / clients contribute to decision-making within the organisation (eg: advisory panel / user on committee/board). Reportedly there are 32,618 service users involved in these structures, though not all of these will be Sefton residents. 16
Membership 335 organisations specified that they have a mailing / membership list (40.9% of responding organisations) with over 1¼ million members reported (this figure is not Sefton specific and includes regional / national members and possibly some repeat counting of service-users). Quality Assurance 103 responding organisations (12.6%) have specified that they use an established quality assurance system. This breaks down as follows: Quality Assurance System Number % of sample Charter Mark 18 2.2 Investors in People 42 5.1 ISO 9000 8 1 PQASSO 20 2.4 Quality First 2 0.2 Social Auditing 4 0.5 VISIBLE 4 0.5 Other 34 4.1
Of the quality assurance systems in use, Investors in People is most frequently used, with PQASSO and Charter Mark also proving popular.
14%
Charter Mark
26% Investors in People ISO 9000 PQASSO Quality First
3% 31%
3% 2%
Social Auditing VISIBLE Other
15% 6%
17
Funding 652 organisations responded specifying their main funding sources, this breaks down as follows (some organisations have selected multiple categories): Funding Sources % 2008 % 2009 Charity Shop Income 1.9 1.8 Donations / Collections 29.5 26.8 European Programme 3.5 4 Fund Raising Events / Activities 27.1 23.3 Governing / Umbrella Body (eg: Sports/Church) 2.9 1.5 Grant Making Trust 14.7 13.8 Health Authority / PCT 9.1 10.6 Income Generation / Social Enterprise 10.8 18.4 Investment Income 2.4 3.2 Legacies 2.6 4.8 Loan Finance 0.4 0.6 Local Authority 19.5 23.9 Lottery Funding 7.8 10.6 Membership Subscriptions 25.5 21.6 Other Statutory Funding 2.1 3.1 Other 3.1 11.7 Private Companies / Sponsorship 3.1 3.2 Regeneration / Central Government 8.3 7.1
Almanac General Public General Public Public Sector General Public Voluntary Voluntary Public Sector Internal Internal General Public Private Public Sector Voluntary Internal Public Sector n/a Private Public Sector
More organisations have selected ‘Other’ as a category in 2009 and this should be considered when comparing figures across the years. 30
25
20 %2008 %2009
15
10
5
18
Other
Regeneration / Central Government
Private Companies / Sponsorship
Other Public Sector Funding
Membership Subscriptions
Lottery Funding
Local Authority
Loan Finance
Legacies
Investment Income
Income Generation (eg: admission fees / charges)
Health Authority / NHS Sefton (PCT)
Grant Making Trust
Governing / Umbrella Body (eg: Sports / Church)
Fund Raising Events / Activities
European Programme
Donations / Collections
Charity Shop Income
0
The funding sources have been assigned categories corresponding to those in the NCVO UK Voluntary Sector Almanac 2007 The State of the Sector. The breakdown of this is as follows:
VCF Sector Income Analysis 2007 Almanac (National)
Sefton 2008
Sefton 2009
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 General Public
Public Sector
Private Sector
Voluntary Sector
Internal
Local results indicate that the proportion of Public Sector and Internal funding has increased since 2008. There is less Public and Private Sector funding and more Internal and Voluntary Sector funding reported locally when compared to the national study. This is unsurprising, as the Almanac research is focused on a national database of registered charities (and does not include smaller community groups); therefore the organisations involved are likely to be larger and more able to secure public / private sector funding. Funding Specifics Organisations were asked to specify what proportion of their funding was generated internally. 355 organisations responded and the breakdown is detailed below. Encouragingly over 70% of the organisations responding generate the majority of their income from either internal sources, the general public or from Governing / Umbrella bodies. This type of funding is traditionally considered more sustainable than a reliance on grants or funding programmes, however, the full impact of the recession on public-giving is yet to become apparent. 14.6
7.0
less than 10% 10-25%
7.0
26-50% 51-75%
59.4
76-100% 11.8
Only 3.2% of responding organisations have specified that they use full cost recovery principles. 19
6.6% (54) of the 820 respondents specified they were in receipt of statutory funding (either contract or grant - some receiving both) this is a 57% increase on the 4.2% reported last year. 2008 (% of 710) 2009 (% of 820) Number % Number % Statutory Contract 17 2.4 30 3.7 Statutory Grant 19 2.7 36 4.4 Tax-effective Giving (eg: Gift Aid) 94 13.2 93 11.3 This would appear to contradict the figures quoted in the previous section (Local Authority – 23.9% / Health Authority / PCT – 10.6%). It would require further investigation to establish the reason for this – there may have been some misinterpretation of the question. It is also possible that some organisations, who are in receipt of statutory funding, neglected to correctly answer the contract / grant question. Only 11.3% of organisations have specified that they benefit from tax-effective giving, an initiative which supports charities to take advantage of tax reliefs and maximise their income. The actual number of organisations is consistent with the results from the previous survey. Statutory Funding The organisations in receipt of statutory contracts and statutory grants have identified the following primary areas of work, though there is some duplication with organisations in receipt of both contract and grant funding:
Primary Area of Work Arts, Culture & Heritage Black & Racial Minorities (BRM) Children & Families Community, Tenants’ & Residents’ Associations Crime & Community Safety Disability Education, Training & Employability Environment Faith Health Housing / Homelessness Support Information, Advice & Advocacy Mental Health Older People Sport & Recreation Support for Carers Women’s Groups Young People TOTAL
2008 Contract Grant 2 1 2 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 17
3 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 19
2009 Contract Grant 1 5 1 1 3 3 1 2 4 5 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 29
1 1 3 2 1 3 3 5 3 1 1 2 35
This table illustrates the service areas reportedly securing statutory contracts and grants.
20
Annual Income 403 organisations have submitted responses to this question, this breaks down as follows:
Income Band Under £1k £1k-£10k £10k-£25k £25k-100k £100k-£250k £250k-£1m Over £1m
2008 Number % 107 22.7 129 27.3 61 12.9 70 14.8 35 7.4 34 7.2 36 7.6
2009 Number % 89 22.1 99 24.6 61 15.1 57 4.1 34 8.4 36 8.9 27 6.7
As can be seen 47% of the responding organisations have an annual income of under £10k. In total, 66% have an annual income under £100k.
30 25 20 2008
15
2009 10
£250k-£1m
£100k-£250k
£25k-100k
£10k-£25k
£1k-£10k
Under £1k
0
Over £1m
5
It is logical to assume that, in the majority of cases, organisations not responding to the mapping exercise are smaller groups with limited capacity; therefore it is likely there are a greater proportion of groups with annual income under £10k than these figures suggest.
21
Perceptions / Opinions The government’s Office of the Third Sector commissioned a National Survey of Third Sector Organisations administered from September to December 2008. Included in this survey were questions drawn from the government’s National Indicator 4 – ‘the percentage of people who feel that they can influence decisions in their locality’ and National Indicator 7 – ‘an environment for a thriving third sector’. These questions have been replicated in our local survey to enable some comparison and both sets of results are laid out below Organisational Influence - NI4 National%
Sefton%
35 30 25 20 15 10
No answer provided
Not applicable
Don't know
Very dissatisfied
Fairly dissatisfied
dissatisfied
Neither satisfied nor
Fairly satisfied
0
Very satisfied
5
The percentage nationally specifying they are satisfied to some degree with the level of influence of their organisation is 14% compared with the local result of 22.2%; conversely 29% have expressed dissatisfaction according to the national survey, compared to 10.1% locally.
Organisational Satisfaction - NI7 National%
Sefton%
60 50
22
No answer provided
Don't know
Very negative influence
Negative influence
Neither positive nor negative influence
Very positive influence
10 0
Positive Influence
40 30 20
The percentage nationally specifying that overall, local statutory bodies are a positive influence on their organisations success is 15% compared with the local result of 23%; conversely 19% have specified that statutory bodies are a negative influence according to the national survey, compared to 4% locally. The national and local results are not directly comparable, as the government survey has not been entirely replicated, however the drastic differences in the national and local figures are quite concerning. There are some potential issues around the methodology of the national survey, for example it is very unusual to see ‘no answer provided’ included in percentage calculations, however this approach has been adopted for the local results in order to enable comparison. It is also not clear which Sefton groups have been included in the national survey as the organisations have been drawn from a national database, and this information cannot be accessed without charge. CONCLUSIONS This study has established a current, realistic picture of the VCF Sector operating within Sefton evidencing the contribution made by the sector to both local service delivery and the local economy. The findings correlate closely with those from the previous study, indicating a consistency and resilience within the sector, and reinforcing the accuracy of these findings. The VCF Sector operating within Sefton is very diverse, encompassing a range of organisations with very different service areas, beneficiaries, structures, sizes and funding sources. Faith, Children & Young People and Sport and Recreation are the most popular Directory categories selected by the sector locally. Children and Young People (aged 0-25), Local Community and Older People are the principal beneficiaries of VCF Sector services provided in Sefton. The majority of the sector locally delivers services without ever drawing on statutory funding. The VCF Sector actively develops / adapts to respond to the service needs of underrepresented communities who traditionally have limited provision. Sector organisations are beginning to monitor the diversity of their staff, trustees, volunteers and service-users, however there is the potential to enhance this and organisations could be further supported to monitor diversity effectively. There is evidence of the close relationship between VCF Sector organisations and their communities. The Sefton VCF Sector is largely indigenous with organisations developing organically in response to locally identified need, often addressing gaps in statutory sector provision. The Sefton VCF Sector has considerable community reach and is a good source of local intelligence, making early involvement of the sector beneficial to any community engagement initiative. The knowledge, ideas and solutions prevalent within the VCF Sector could be harnessed to improve the planning and delivery of services. The sector is well placed to assist the statutory sector with consultation and engagement under their Duty to Involve. More organisations would appear to be providing localised services in the north of the borough than in the south, however, this does not necessarily imply there are fewer organisations in the south. This result could also indicate that more South Sefton based organisations are delivering services borough-wide or simply that a higher response rate was achieved from organisations providing services discreetly in the north. 23
The Sefton VCF Sector contributes to the governance agenda through trusteeship and serviceuser engagement / participation. The Sector supports service-users to directly influence service delivery with over 32,000 service users involved in organisational decision-making structures. Also many organisations are user-led, demonstrating genuine community engagement / ownership. The Sefton VCF Sector generally is moving away from reliance on grant funding and toward traditionally more sustainable income generation. Smaller organisations would be likely to benefit from working collaboratively together to maximise efficiency and improve sustainability (eg: sharing back office functions / securing funding for joint post / joint bidding – either geographically or thematically). This is an area that could be expanded, as there are a large number of smaller organisations locally. The Sefton VCF Sector is beginning to take advantage of tax reliefs and maximise their income, however there is definite potential to further develop tax effective giving as 70% of organisations responding are registered charities and therefore eligible. The Sefton VCF Sector is a significant contributor to the local economy, employing more people (sector-wide) than any individual statutory / private sector employer. The sector generates inward investment (eg: Lottery / grant monies) and uses resources creatively and efficiently, maximising income generation. The very respectable response rate achieved is indicative of the willingness of the VCF Sector to engage and the healthy relationship established between Sefton CVS and the sector locally. IMPLICATIONS The VCF Sector provides innumerable services and benefits to the Sefton community and impacts significantly on a wide range of strategic priorities / areas including: Stronger and Safer Communities Community Empowerment / Influence Community Engagement Health & Well-being (including Public Health) Transforming Social Care Every Child Matters Economic Development / Worklessness Social Enterprise Social Capital Community Cohesion / Inclusion Volunteering / Civic Participation Regeneration Environment / Climate Change Uncertainty over sustainable funding places key services at risk and seriously restricts the Sector’s ability to maximise its efficiency and therefore its contribution. A properly resourced VCF Sector (with an appropriate balance of contract and grant funding and strong strategic involvement and influence in multi-agency partnership working) would achieve even more in terms of campaigning for change, delivering public services, strengthening and empowering communities and increasing civic participation. This would meet government aims and increase the VCF Sector’s already significant contribution to Sefton's society, economy and environment.
24
RECOMMENDATIONS Creating the right ‘Environment for a Thriving 3rd Sector’ be viewed as a cross-cutting priority that adds value across all strategic service areas. The local intelligence gathered in relation to this, and also that around organisational influence, should be maintained and referenced alongside the national survey results. The VCF Sector be recognised and valued as a critical service provider locally and as a significant contributor to the local economy. The VCF Sector be recognised as a crucial resource, enabling early involvement of the community, promoting community ownership / guardianship and ultimately delivering sustainable development through the active engagement of local people. The contribution made by the large percentage of the sector that is not in receipt of statutory sector grants or contracts is largely hidden and resources should be targeted at measuring the impact of those services operating “under the radar”. There is evidence from other programmes and areas that small grants programmes would support the Sefton VCF Sector in maximising its contribution to the delivery of strategic objectives, aligned with the Local Area Agreement and this approach should be promoted and advocated for across partners. The Sefton Community Empowerment Network, which provides opportunities for the VCF Sector to network and influence decision-making, and enables partners to access VCF Sector knowledge / expertise, be supported to continue. The CEN should review its operating methodology, however, in the light of this survey and the governance review. This State of the Sector report be used as a reference tool to assess the profile of the VCF Sector in regard to service provision. When establishing new services, it will serve to highlight current VCF Sector service provision and support planning processes. The local intelligence gathered in relation to the national indicators (NI4 / NI7) should be maintained and referenced alongside the national survey. Transparent and accessible procurement procedures be fully implemented by commissioning bodies. VCF Sector service providers need to be actively encouraged to tender for all relevant commissioning opportunities and these tenders should be competitively considered. Sefton CVS should provide an ‘Introduction to the VCF Sector’ for elected members / strategic directors / senior managers (drawing on this report, ward specific data and local knowledge), this could form part of induction processes. The VCF Sector continues to be supported to ensure fitness for purpose. This should include practical, capacity building support (eg: policy / procedural support), funding advice and assistance, opportunities for networking, and access to information, advice, guidance and learning and development opportunities. Additional information / support should be provided to the VCF Sector focused on: taking advantage of tax relief, enabling the sector to maximise their income offering support with languages, giving people without English as their first language better access to services collaborative working (sharing of back office functions / staff / joint bidding) Equality Impact Assessments / diversity monitoring This unique, accurate and timely intelligence should be valued and Sefton CVS should continue to map the known VCF Sector operating within Sefton on an annual basis. 25
REFERENCES NCVO, 2007. The Voluntary Sector Almanac 2007 – The State of the Sector http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/index.asp?id=5150&terms=almanac [Accessed 29 May 2008] Directgov, May 2009. Newsroom - New £5.80 minimum wage rate from October http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_178175 [Accessed 13 Nov 2009] OFFICE OF NATIONAL STATISTICS, 2009. Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285 [Accessed 13 Nov 2009] VSNW, December 2007. The Contribution of the Voluntary and Community Sector to the Economy of the North West http://www.vsnw.org.uk/files/File/Revised%20VSNW%20short%20formatted%20version%20%20alignment.pdf [Accessed 13 Nov 2009]
DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT Whilst every effort is made to ensure that accurate information is provided, neither Sefton CVS, the Board of Trustees, the Editor nor the contributors undertake any liability for any errors or omissions. Sefton CVS does not accept any liability for the content of, or issues arising from, the use of websites featured in this document. Your use of information in the State of the Sector Report 2009/10 The information in this document, including text and graphics, is protected by copyright, trademark laws, design rights, database rights and other intellectual property rights, which are the property of Sefton Council for Voluntary Service or a third party. Copyright: Sefton Council for Voluntary Service 2010. All Rights Reserved. Unless stated otherwise you may use the information in this document only for non-commercial, personal use. You may not use the information in this document for any unlawful purpose. Except as expressly set out above, you may not reproduce, publish, broadcast, transmit, modify, adapt, create derivative works of, store, archive or in any way commercially exploit any of the Content. Without limitation, you may not do any of the following without prior written permission from Sefton Council for Voluntary Service (and neither may you allow a third party to do any of the same): - redistribute any of the Content, (including by using it as part of any syndication, content aggregation, archive or similar service); or - remove the copyright or trade mark notice from any copies of Content made under these terms and conditions; or - use any machine, electronic, or similar device to read or extract the Content by automated or machine based means. Sefton Council for Voluntary Service, 3rd Floor, Merseyside 3tc Centre, 16 Crosby Road North, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 0NY. Tel: (0151) 920 0726 Fax: (0151) 920 1036 email: [email protected] Registered Charity No. 1024546 Company Registered by Guarantee No. 2832920 26
Appendix 1 Mapping Questionnaire
27
28
29
30
Appendix 2 Constituency Maps
31
32
33
34
