Children's services provided by local voluntary and
community sector organisations are being cut - preventative
services are the hardest hit. Vital VCS services are being taken in
house by local public bodies and current commissioning practice is
discouraging voluntary and community organisations from applying.
These are some of the key findings in
Frontline Hopscotch, an analysis by Sheffield Hallam
University of a NAVCA survey.
Commenting on the report Kevin Curley, Chief Executive, said:
"These findings paint a disappointing picture. We need to see more
community involvement, not less! We need a level playing field on
which VCS service delivery organisations can operate. Community
organisations know local people, they know what makes them tick.
They also build community ownership and help improve local
services. There is a very real danger we will lose the vital
preventative work of small groups amongst the most disadvantaged
communities. This sort of local community action is key to
sustaining local social, economic and environmental well-being and
to the development of social capital."
Recognising the dislocation between government rhetoric
and what is actually happening on the ground, Curley said: "It
seems that local spending decisions are going against the grain of
government policy. This doesn't fit with the national guidance and
the government needs to act. In general, there is increased
engagement with VCS but actual service provision by the VCS seems
to be losing out to the pressure to achieve efficiency savings.
"
Frontline Hopscotch - VCS engagement in delivering change for
children: a jumpy start or a step back? (pdf,
1.1Mb)