Public service co-operatives

Our response to the Modernising Commissioning Green Paper in January 2011 offered NAVCA's assessment plans for public service co-operatives, in particular:

• The importance of partnership working between new organisations and existing providers so that new mutuals do not simply supplant well respected existing community provision.
• The necessity for safeguards to ensure that new mutuals have inclusive governance arrangements, are accountable to local communities and service users and have asset locks in place.
• The need for financial support to encourage more formal collaborations, consortia or mergers.

Effective brokers

NAVCA members are well placed to broker relationships between existing organisations and the new mutuals, by increasing understanding of what each partner brings, and identifying how new mutuals could support and complement existing voluntary and community sector service delivery.