Shropshire Voluntary and

Community Sector Assembly

Annual Report

2017/18

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Message from the Chair

About the Shropshire Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly (VCSA)

The VCS Assembly works for the benefit of voluntary, community and social enterprise groups and organisations working in Shropshire. The Assembly was established in 2007 and is based on the belief that collective representation is more influential than a series of individual voices; and that cooperation generates shared strength through a pooling of energy, ideas and resources. The Assembly provides a means for voluntary and community organisations throughout Shropshire to meet and exchange information, ideas and good practice.

Shropshire VCS Assembly is a partnership body focusing on engagement and joint working across sectors. Shropshire Council hosts the VCSA and supports it in working to engage other public sector partners. Key functions of the VCSA include:

Communication and information provision Representation and awareness

Influence and policy development Cross sector working Networking and mutual support

The Assembly aims to respond to the needs of the VCSE sector and to opportunities for joint working across sectors.

The VCS Assembly is free to join, all you need to do is complete a simple membership form. To download a membership form, find out more about the VCS Assembly and access our key publications please visit: www.vcsvoice.org

If you have any questions please email us at vcsassembly@shropshire.gov.uk.

Looking back over the year it always amazes me the amount of ground covered. We’ve not quite achieved the heights of Brexit, the election of Donald Trump and the announcement of a Royal Wedding but we have been busy as an Assembly raising issues that mattered to our members and the voluntary and community sector at large.

Early on in the year we established a system by which voluntary and community groups that had contracts or grants with Shropshire Council could raise their concerns. We continued to campaign for the continuation of ‘Preventative Service Contracts / Grants’ for adult social care – and have secured continued commitment to these for at least a further year. We are in the midst of lobbying government regarding the proposed changes which will affect Community Transport. By the time you read this VCSA Board representatives will have been down to London to meet Tracy Crouch MP and Minister for Civil Society to raise concerns for and examples of good practice in our community and voluntary sector locally. I’m pleased to say I have also introduced some organisational reform in the Assembly too as we developed a new co-opted recruitment position on the Board – to see if a skills based approach could help us in future.

We held a very successful VCSA networking evening in Shrewsbury just before Christmas and are planning some more in the north and south of the County later in the summer in an effort to respond to feedback from VCSA members last year’s annual gathering. I am looking forward to my second year as VCSA Chair and hoping that we see a growth in membership and further reports of progress – our biennial state of the sector survey certainly shows some positive signs even if the grants and contracts environment continues to be challenging.

As always, I welcome opportunity to meet you all and represent you and the sector when and where I can.

Chris Child—VCSA Chair/Chief Executive, Energize Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

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The VCSA Board and Forums of Interest

VCS Assembly Support—Shropshire Council Commissioning Support

Sarah Dodds

Kate MacDonald

Shadow Chair

Vice Chair/County Sports Partnership

Shropshire Infrastructure Partnership

Green Shropshire Xchange

Partners for Social Enterprise Shropshire

Co-opted Board Member

Voluntary Sector Health and Social Care Forum/ Vice Chair

Shropshire Telford & Wrekin VCS Mental Health Forum

Shropshire Older People’s Assembly

Shropshire Criminal Justice Forum

Local Area and Volunteer Forums Representative/ Vice Chair

Shropshire Pan Disability Forum

0-25 Summit

Shropshire Community Transport Consortium

Shropshire Compact Representative

Feedback and Insight Team Leader

Insight Officer

Shadow Chair to VCSA Board. Represents the Assembly on a strategic level at various meetings with partners and at key events.

Chair to VCSA Board. Providing information and communication networks for those involved in sport and physical activity across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

Working together to ensure VCS groups and organisations in Shropshire have access to the support and services they need.

An inclusive network of organisations working together to promote a sustainable future for the people of Shropshire.

A partnership committed to working together to support the social enterprise sector in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Co-opted on to the VCSA Board after the 2016 VCSA Review.

Offering voluntary sector groups, whose work involves health and social care, the opportunity to come together and build partnerships.

Developing effective working relationships between commissioners, providers, carers and users of mental health services.

Highlighting key issues concerning the welfare of older people and bringing them to the attention of those planning and delivering services.

Providing a platform for discussion, consultation and information exchange for organisations with an interest in criminal justice.

Bringing organisations working across all types of disabilities (including learning, physical, mental and sensory) together.

A forum for not-for-profit organisations providing services for children, young people and their families.

Independent charities and voluntary organisations, working to support local people by providing door to door transport throughout Shropshire.

Ensures that Compact working is being adhered to locally and keeping up to date with national Compact developments.

Represents smaller and volunteer based VCSE organisations in the North of the County.

Co-ordinates the work of the FIT Team covering VCSE engagement, public engagement and insight reporting, pre commissioning engagement and complaints reporting.

Focus on understanding and interpreting feedback from customers, communities, providers and partners to identify learning and key points to contribute to inform commissioning. Also works with front line services, pro-viders and partners, advises and supports them to carry out a wide range of engagement activity from surveys to focus groups.

Rachel Wintle

Chris Child

Julia Baron

Tony Green

Judith Wester

Nicola McPherson

Tony Wilson

Heather Osborne

Angela Parton

Laurel Roberts

Pauline James

Richard Parkes

Linda Cox

Jackie Jeffrey

Marie Monk-Hawksworth

Other Key Representatives

Shropshire Council Shropshire CCG SALC Police and Crime Commissioner DWP Marches LEP

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Updates From The VCSA Forums of Interest

Green Shropshire xchange is the network of local environmental groups across Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, working on sustainable solutions. During the past year we have supported the 20's Plenty conference, the Ludlow Green Festival and also the Whitchurch Blackberry fair. Local projects have benefitted from seed corn funding from our Lottery award. Our autumn conference included presentations on Farming and Brexit, the Marches energy agency, the Shrewsbury food hub and the Sustainable transport group. We are now in the process of reviewing the role of GSX.

The Pan Disability Forum has met quarterly over the past year. Guest speakers have given very interesting and informative talks on topic of the day, these have included : June 2017 - Gemma Jones , Citizen Portal Manager , Shropshire Council speaking about Shropshire Choices Website , members were impressed about the range of information available on all aspects of Adult Social Care services. September 2017 - Lennie Worthing , Housing Shropshire Council explaining about the HOLD project ( Home Ownership for people with Long Term Disabilities) , a fantastic fund operated by the Council which provides much welcomed housing support for people with disabilities. December 2017 - David Gregg, Housing , Shropshire Council talked about the Disabled Facilities Grant including eligibility criteria and types of works supported. Members find this type of information extremely useful and report back information gained to their respective forums and groups . March 2018 - James Warman , Assistive Technology Officer . We were particularly pleased that James was able to attend the forum to provide an overview about how technology can support people living safely in their own homes for longer , lots of questions... and answers! Members particularly like the part of the meeting " What we do " . This year the forum members that have promoted the work they do by way of a short presentation at meetings including Inclusively Fit, Arthritis UK and Shropshire Deaf & Hard of Hearing Forum. December 2017 Jean Robinson stood down as Chair person after several years of doing a sterling job in the position. The forum welcomes June Jones as new Chair and wish her well in the role. The Forum is run on a voluntary basis and has recently been successful in securing a small amount of grant funding which will contribute towards meeting costs.

Shropshire Older People’s Assembly SOPA has agreed to continue

holding two public meetings each year, and additional consultation meetings as required and to increase the publicity and promotion of SOPA. Membership of the steering group has expanded and updates and information are regularly circulated to the members. The April 2018 Public Meeting is focusing on alternatives to health and social care such as alternative therapies and assistive technology. The October 2018 topic will be chosen by the membership nearer the time.

In last year’s VCSA Annual Report the County Sports

Partnership reported on the new national strategy for sport

and how this had identified wider social outcomes as a determinant

for public and lottery investment. In Shropshire we have responded

to this with many new projects tackling issues such as engaging older

vulnerable people at risk of falls, traveller communities, tackling

drug and alcohol addiction, tackling childhood obesity, improving

educational attainment and helping those furthest from the job

market to improve their skills.

A new County Sports Partnership Strategy has been developed

which further uses insight to highlight the impact that could be

delivered and will be launched in the summer of 2018 – we hope

many across the voluntary and community sector will be able to

attend – watch this space – we really need everyone to join in.

As Shropshire Council and other public sector partners experience

challenging financial settlements this is also having an impact on the

‘traditional’ sport and leisure provision with centres and

communities having to find new ways of operating – we’re not

aware of any closures yet, and where there is a will there is a way.

The County Sports Partnership offers a source of advice,

information and practical support to any organisation in this

situation – we connect people and organisations to other national

and local partners too – to help them achieve their ambitions.

Over the last year, the Voluntary Sector Mental Health Forum of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin have

had regular attendance at each forum meeting; 20 plus organisations have attended. We are hugely grateful for secretarial support from the membership office at SSSFT. The forum’s circulation list has grown over the last year, from 40 individuals and organisations in 2017 to 74 at present. The forum seeks to positively support Mental Health Forum member organisations as they continue to try to meet increasing demands on their service with ever decreasing resources. The forum also helps new employees in Mental Health Service Provision to understand the activity, challenges and issues in Shropshire. During the last year there have been considerable and demanding changes in statutory services; the forum continued raising concerns, issues and providing constructive challenge where necessary. Community Remodelling changes have impacted hugely on the mental health voluntary service provision. A great strength of Shropshire’s Mental Health Forum membership is that we have the flexibility to adapt and fill some of the gaps left through major changes. The Mental Health Voluntary Sector has done what it does best and ensures that our service users and beneficiaries are at the heart of the changes and they are impacted as little as possible.

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The Criminal Justice Forum last met in person in September 16. Attendance from the statutory sector has always been very good but attendance from the voluntary sector has been low and patchy (understandably given the pressure on organisations).

Since September 16 I have not called another physical meeting but regularly email out items of interest to the forum which come my way. Anyone who would like to be added to the Criminal Justice Forum mailing list please contact Angela Parton angela.parton@yss.org.uk.

Shropshire Community Transport Consortium Shropshire Community Transport Consortium

represents groups throughout Shropshire providing transport across the County and into Powys and Telford & Wrekin. We provide transport for those who would otherwise have difficulty or find it impossible to get out and about to reach essential services and activities. The majority of our drivers are volunteers, with a small number of paid bus drivers. This year we recorded over 130,000 passenger journeys. We are experiencing challenging times with the proposed changes to our Licencing by the Department for Transport and we would like to thank all of those VCS organisations and individuals who have supported us. We are confident that by working together and with Shropshire Council, we will be able to build an even stronger community transport sector for the future. This is particularly important going forward as we play a key role in supporting so many individuals around the County access vital preventative services and tackle loneliness.

Partners for Social Enterprise have continued to build momentum after the success of our Social Enterprise Place for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin status at our very well attended launch in November 2017.

Our key partner in the SE Place is SEUK, who attended the event and took part in a safari visit to local social enterprises. PSE membership continues to grow and we are now represented in many places across the area. One of our members is offering ‘free’ sponsorship at the Young Enterprise Awards and will be attending the event.

In addition, one of our directors will be representing us at a national social enterprise place event in Salford on 23/24th April, where there will be great opportunities to raise awareness to the work PSE is doing for the SE Place in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The Health and Social Care Forum is very active and meets five times a year for meetings lasting around three hours. Meetings are structured to give an opportunity for guest speakers to address the Forum, as well as the opportunity to share information between Forum members. This year speakers were: • Janet Gittins, Planning and Partnership Manager, CCG - to give an update on the CCG • Katy Warren, from Help2Change, attended twice to update us on the progress with the Social Prescribing pilot in

Oswestry • Tracy Dutton –Service Manager for Provider Services at Shropshire Council , and Andy Begley - Director Adult Services

and Housing at Shropshire Council (who attended twice) - to update the forum with the current situation in Adult Social Care and Val Cross to talk about the All Ages Carers Strategy.

• Julia Clarke (SaTH) spoke about hospital reconfiguration, Keith Mansell talked about the remodelling of the Mental Health Services, and we heard from Kath Smith about plans to consult through Future Fit.

The opportunity to network with other organisations is particularly attractive to smaller organisations which are often isolated in Shropshire and frequently only have few (if any) employed staff. The meetings therefore attract regular attendance from between 13 and 16 people. Over the past year 32 different people attended representing 26 different VCS organisations. For those unable to attend in person we offer the opportunity to be on our mailing list (currently 45 organisations) to receive regular email bulletins of matters of interest. The Forum supported Qube on the submission of an application to the Social Prescribing Fund, and we also campaigned about the Shropshire Council Prevention Strategy and the loss of CCG funding to VCS organisations.

New members are always welcome. Please contact Julia Baron julia.baron@shropshire-rcc.org.uk or 01743 237876 for further information.

Shropshire Providers Consortium’s membership has grown to 55 and we have continued to support

organisations to work collaboratively to secure a wide range of contracts and funding opportunities:

Building Better Opportunities (BBO) Shropshire: SPC is the Partnership Coordinator for the Landau partnership, working with 18 VCSE, local government and housing sector organisations to support people experiencing complex barriers, to move towards and into work. Members are benefitting from the experience of working within a large partnership and with the complex and rigorous reporting requirements of an EU/Big Lottery project.

Shropshire Inclusively Fit: partnering with Energize and Shropshire Disability Network, this Big Lottery Reaching Communities funded project helps people with disabilities to engage in fitness and sports activities. This year 38 people with disabilities have been engaged in activities and nearly 200 people have made more informed choices on where they can be more active using the online resource.

Awards for All Funding: an autumn programme of dragons’ den style charity events was organised to connect businesses and members across five market towns.

My Money Matters: SPC is partnering with Citizens Advice Service Shropshire to deliver the Three Parishes Big Local Partnership for the villages of Weston Rhyn, Gobowen and St Martins, helping people with benefits and financial issues.

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This Year’s Highlights

Change and Compact Group The Change and Compact Group has been working on a wide range of issues and projects over the last 12 months. The Change and Compact group, with its regular meetings and project focus, has worked effectively to compliment the work of the VCSA Assembly Board. Work areas have included:

• Coordinating the VCS Assembly’s Prevention Research project.

• Feeding into Shropshire Council’s Prevention Services pre-commissioning work.

• Organising an event for Shropshire Council’s elected members to brief them on the work of the VCS Assembly and the wider sector (November 2017).

• Working with Shropshire Association of Local Councils (SALC) to deliver an event on the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) (November 2017).

• A joint meeting with local MPs facilitated by SALC (January 2018).

• Establishing VCS representation and engagement within the One Public Estate programme (considering new opportunities to make the more effective use of the public sector estate).

• Establishing VCS representation within the Town and Parish Council Forum and SALC Executive.

• Working with Shropshire Infrastructure Partnership to highlight concerns about losses in VCS infrastructure and mapping remaining provision.

• Developing a volunteering evidence base by bringing together national and local data, key issues and concerns and potential areas of focus for the future.

• Facilitating VCS involvement in Shropshire Council’s scrutiny work including scrutiny groups considering Community Transport and Welfare Reform.

• Maintaining ongoing updates on shared areas of interest including Social Value and Shropshire Council’s Big Conversation.

Not only has the group been able to take forward a number of projects, but a significant benefit has also been the establishment of a closer working relationship with representatives from Shropshire Association of Local Councils (SALC) and Shropshire Council.

Preventative Work In 2017 the VCSA undertook research into Preventative Services and the impact of proposed cuts by Shropshire Councils Adult Social Care budget, which was under threat due to the significant reduction in national budget awarded to Local Authorities. 15 organisations completed an in depth questionnaire which resulted 3 reports, highlighting the value and contribution of the sector, a prospectus on the kinds of services and support available and an impact assessment. Some of the key findings included:

• In total, the 15 organisations provide 29,990 hours of staff time per month (498 members of staff: many part time) and the remainder of service provision is carried out by volunteers.

• The volunteer time contributed by the 15 organisations is worth £165,262 every month and approximately £1.98 million a year based on the national minimum wage.

• The 15 organisations support 41,339 beneficiaries and 26,588 of those are considered frail, vulnerable and at high risk.

• 57% of all the preventative activities and services currently delivered (approximately 45 activities) are considered to be at risk or reduction or closure within the next 12 months.

• If investment into the VCSE reduces, the 15 organisations believe 58 activities/services could see reduced opening times, 20 a reduction in range/scope and 15 a change in eligibility criteria.

• The 15 VCSE organisations believe that the loss of social activities will have the most widespread impact in particular leading to social isolation, an impact on carers, an impact on the wider community and generating increased demand for public sector services.

Although this is a snapshot of a small number of organisations, it is indicative of the current environment and proved stark reading emphasizing the fragility of the sector and these vital services that make a huge difference to the lives of many and underpin health and care services in Shropshire. The reports have been used to highlight these issues at a local and national level. Shropshire Council have been particularly responsive and identified the use of reserves to maintain the funds while a review of Preventative Services is undertaken.

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Community Transport This year has been a roller-coaster ride for Community Transport – local, not-for-profit provision of transport for people who might otherwise be isolated. It encompasses a broad range of services, from lift-giving by volunteer car drivers, to dial-a-ride minibus services for disabled and elderly people, to local bus services that would otherwise not exist because they cannot survive on a commercial basis.

In Shropshire we provide nearly 150,000 journeys every year, combatting loneliness and providing our flexible, friendly and compassionate door to door support.

We rarely come under the spotlight but in July last year, the Department of Transport issued a letter stating proposed changes to the way we are Licenced, to create a level playing field with the commercial sector. It set out a new approach, contrary to the official guidance that had been applied for decades. It believed only a handful of operators would be affected.

In Shropshire, the proposed changes would have meant complete closure of all 8 organisations, causing massive detrimental impact on the most vulnerable in our communities. Nationally, 95% of organisations would close.

In November last year, a Parliament Select Committee inquiry found no widespread evidence of unfair competition. Their concern was that the Government should ‘not use a sledgehammer to crack a nut’ and that ‘the wider social value of the UK’s unique, not-for-profit, community-based approach should be jealously guarded’.

The department published a consultation in February, with a promise that it would be used as a “fact-finding exercise to improve and enhance our understanding of the sector”, to more fully understand the likely effects of its proposals.

We would like to thank everyone who submitted responses to the Department, including Shropshire Council, in support of our services. It really has made a difference.

On 10th May this year, a Westminster Hall debate was held. There was huge all party support for our sector and a unanimous plea to the Minister for Transport, Jesse Norman, to re-think the Departments approach.

On 14th May, Jesse Norman sent out guidance to local authorities reinforcing his message not to end any CT contracts pending further clarification of the law.

The fight is not over but we are more optimistic that sense will prevail.

Social Prescribing This year the VCSA has been involved in the development of social prescribing in Shropshire. Social prescribing is a non-medical intervention designed to improve health and well-being. It is aimed at people with certain conditions and who may be isolated. Participants must be registered with a Shropshire GP and receive a 1:1 interview to help them identify their needs. They are matched with a community service which can fulfil that need.

A pilot project was developed and started in Oswestry by the Healthy Lives Steering group; a subgroup of the joint Commissioning group, the purpose of which is to develop and deliver the Healthy Lives Partnership Prevention Programme.

The VCSE was instrumental in the development of the Oswestry pilot and 2 stakeholder events were held with very high attendance and interest. Subsequently the quality framework was developed, with the input of the sector, referral organisations were identified and the pilot began in May 2017 and still continues.

In the summer of 2017 the Department for Health asked for applications for social prescribing projects. The criteria for the fund was that it needed increasing financial commitment from local health partners as the 4 year project progressed. The Health Lives Steering group decided to pursue this funding and the VCSA representative on this group took it to the Health and Social Care Forum. At the forum it was agreed to have an open recruitment process for deciding the lead organisation for the bid. This was carried out and Qube in Oswestry were successful. An agreement for the match funding was also signed and the application submitted. Unfortunately the application was not successful but willingness to fulfil some of the aspirations of the bid remained and Social Prescribing in Shropshire has continued to move forward under the Healthy Lives Group with VCSA representation. There are now social prescribing projects in Bishops Castle and Albrighton with others planned.

In continuing to work together however, funding has been realised to develop social prescribing further; particularly the involvement of the VCSE sector and a new development project to provide infrastructure for social prescribing will be starting over the summer of 2018.

Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) VCSA involvement in the Sustainability Transformation Plan (STP) for Shropshire has continued with representatives sitting on groups such as the Neighbourhood/Out of Hospital Group and sub groups such as Healthy Lives. Following discussions with the new Programme Lead an invitation has been issued for Shropshire and Telford to have VCSA representation on the Delivery Board and we are currently exploring how this may be achieved to best effect.

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VCSA Overview 2017/18

52 Weekly

Newsletters Have Been

Issued

2 Special Edition

Newsletters

600+ News Stories

Have Been Shared

872 Twitter

Followers...

143 ...More Than

2017

242

VCSA Member Organisations

332 Individual Members

6 New Members

Since 2017

Works with over

100 partners

from 29 different organisations

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Information Event 2017

On 8th November 2017, Shropshire VCSA and Shropshire Association for Local Councils (SALC) hosted a joint event which was designed

to:

• Enable organisations to learn more about the General Data Protection Regulation.

• Find out more about best practice in data protection and how to prepare for changes.

• Gain an insight into how the regulations may impact upon town and parish councils and the voluntary and community sector.

• Enable participants to will feel more prepared and able to respond to GDPR.

The event was well attended and a full summary was circulated to meeting attendees.

Welfare Reform: The Big Debate 2

On Wednesday 4th October 2017 VCSE organisations and Public Sector representatives were invited to attend a Big Debate on Welfare Reform. Jackie Jeffrey from Citizen’s Advice Shropshire opened the event by explaining that the aim of the debate was to gather stories and feedback about welfare reform, understand local evidence, impact and the experiences of people in Shropshire. The event would not provide a Welfare reform masterclass but table experts would do their best to take questions and provide answers.

Jackie explained that austerity has affected some of our most vulnerable clients; and the ability across all sectors to give the support required to help clients. Public and VCS services have seen a reduction in incomes and have had to rationalise services.

The event highlighted that there is less provision and support out there and so it’s important we get a clear strategic view of what is happening. The information gathered at the Big Debate was fed back via Shropshire Council Scrutiny to Elected Members.

Networking Event

In November 2017, Shropshire VCSA Board members hosted the first VCSA Networking event in Shrewsbury. Attendees discussed how

the VCSA could be promoted more effectively, how organisations can support each other more and how the VCSA can engage with

small community organisations. As the event was successful the VCSA Board are hosting two further events during Small Charities

Week on the 18th June in North Shropshire, Market Drayton and on 19th June in South Shropshire, Craven Arms. All VCSA members

and non-members are encouraged to sign up.

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Meeting Description

VCSA Change and Compact Group

This group brings together Shropshire Council and other partners with VCSA Board representatives including the Vice Chair, Shadow Chair, two Forum representatives and Compact Champion together with Shropshire Council to discuss key areas of change, undertake horizon scanning work and pilot new approaches. The Compact element maintains good relationships with local commissioners and ensures good practice guidelines are clearly communicated.

Health and Wellbeing Board Including Board, Development Workshops, Comms, Lay Reference Group and other sub groups.

The VCSA has a seat at the Health and Wellbeing Board and fully participates in the work of the Board and its sub groups. The VCSA Chair, Vice Chair and a number of Board representatives support this work.

Better Care Fund (BCF) Strategic Groups Including the Reference Group and Transformation Group.

Representatives from the Health and Social Care Forum have been working to represent the VCSA at Better Care Fund strategic groups.

Better Care Fund (BCF) Working Groups Including Supporting People To Live Independently Longer, Reference and Prevention Groups.

A large number of VCSA representatives support the implementation of the Better Care Fund. The VCSA works to ensure the appropriate representatives attend the BCF delivery groups and representatives work to feedback issues to the Board, particularly where action or responses are required.

Healthwatch Shropshire Stakeholder Group and Grant Panel

The VCSA works in support of Healthwatch Shropshire and has a seat on the stakeholder group and grant panel.

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust – Patient and engagement panel

The VCSA values the opportunity to work with the NHS Trust and aims to maintain relationships to ensure key issues are communicated widely.

CCG Patient and Public Involvement (PPEC) Led by the CCG, this group brings together a range of stakeholders to focus on public and patient involvement in the work of the CCG and health.

Community Safety Partnership Board This Board takes an overview of community safety issues in Shropshire and VCSA involvement is essential in order to ensure connections across sectors are made and maintained.

Social Value Group Led by Shropshire Council this group brings local commissioners together with the VCSA to understand best practice relating to the Public Services (Social Value) Act.

Social Inclusion Marches LEP Including Mini Group, Stakeholder events and VCSE representatives on ESIF Committee.

This has been a significant area of work for the VCSA and continues to develop. Large numbers of VCSA members have been engaged with the work through the stakeholder events, training opportunities, research projects and communications.

Children’s Trust Including Board and Area Forums

The VCSA is represented in its work with the Children’s trust by the 0-25 Summit. Regular area forums also allow the wider membership of the VCSA to get more involved.

Early Help Including Stakeholder Group and Partnership Board

The 0-25 Summit is currently working with Shropshire Council to explore and influence changes in the area of Early Help.

Shropshire Safeguarding Children’s Board The VCSA is represented at the Shropshire Safeguarding Children’s Board—providing important VCSE input.

0-25 SEND Strategic Board A 0-25 Summit representative attends this group which provides regular reports on progress towards outcomes and effectiveness of the strategy for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities to the Shropshire Children’s Trust.

Safeguarding Adults Board Including the Learning and Development Sub group of the Keeping Adults Safe in Shropshire Board

The VCSA is represented at the Safeguarding Adults Board and updates are fed through to the VCSA Board.

STP Neighbourhood Group and Prevention Group

The purpose of the Neighbourhood Reference Group is to support the development of the strategic plans of Shropshire’s Sustainability and Transformation Plan Neighbourhoods work stream and to ensure that different sectors and services are working in partnership. The group’s members are representatives of the local authority and health services, the voluntary and community sector, social landlords and patient participation groups

Town and Parish Council Forum The purpose of the Forum is to share learning and find solutions to common strategic issues to enable town and parish councils to prepare plans to support the delivery of local services. Voluntary and community sector representatives are invited to the Forum to take part in the discussions, share expertise and to keep up to date with any opportunities for the VCS, e.g. partnering with local councils to develop and deliver community services .

Mental Health Partnership Board Including the MH Needs Assessment Steering Group and MH Suicide Prevention Steering Group

The Mental Health Partnership Board is a strategic forum to advise and lead the strategic direction of mental health commissioning and service delivery in Shropshire. Having a representative from the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Mental Health Forum assists the Board to deliver truly collaborative working and ensures that the promotion of emotional wellbeing and appropriate support for mental ill health in Shropshire is at the core of everything the Board sets out to do.

Representation and Partnership

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Key Findings from Value and Future Needs Survey 2017/18

106 VCSE organisations responded. This sample is approximately 6% of all registered VCSE organisation in Shropshire.

Overall, the number of organisations reporting changes in their income is quite even; however organisations with an annual

income of over 500k, 42% had seen a decrease in their income, 68% had seen an increase in their expenditure and 32% had seen a decrease in their level of reserves.

17% of organisations rely on grants or core funding to support their organisation as well as grants from non-statutory bodies,

National Lottery grants and earned income from contracts. 28% of organisations have donations and fundraising activity in order to support their organisation. Survey respondents are likely to have a number of sources of income.

Financial Aspects

Volunteers and Staff

103 of the organisations who responded to the survey have volunteers.

The organisations that responded have a total number of 16,000 volunteers.

The average number of hours worked by the total volunteer numbers is 4 per week. The social value of these hours worked by these

volunteers, each week is £480,000. In the past 12 months 21% of organisations have seen their volunteer numbers de-

crease and 33% of organisations have seen an increase.

The total number of organisations who have paid staff is 72 of 106 respondents. The survey respondents employ 1796 paid

members of staff. 842 of these staff are full time, 952 are employed on a part time basis. Over the past 12 months the majority of

organisations reported that they hadn’t seen their staff numbers change whereas 20 organisations reported an increase in paid staff

and 17 had seen a decrease.

Services and Service Users

The survey respondents provide a wide variety of services. Only 1% of organisations provide capacity-building and infrastructure

support. 12% of organisations provide culture and leisure services, 10% provide training and 13% provide volunteering and

supported employment services. 15% of respondents provide transport services.

The main service users groups of the survey respondents were older people (14%), people with physical disabilities (10%), people

with mental health needs (9%), socially excluded/vulnerable people (6%) and the general public (11%). Only 1 organisation supports

LGBT, 4 organisations supporting people with addiction problems (2%) and 8 organisations supporting carers (3%).

Relationships 94 organisations reported to have a relationship with public sector bodies of which 79% reported a positive relationship.

96 organisations have a relationship with other VCSE organisations, 97% of which have a positive relationship.

43 organisations have a positive relationship with the private sector and only 1 organisation has a negative relationship.

56 organisations have reported that they have a relationship with Town and Parish Councils; 1 organisation has reported a negative

relationship and 44 have a positive relationship .

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So on to 2018/19…

In the next 12 months the VCSA Board will work hard with the wider membership and partners to ensure that the voice of the voluntary sector is included in future decisions, changes and developments. The VCSA Board encourages Forums of Interest and individual members to be involved in the work of the Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly in Shropshire and feed in key issues, challenges and ideas.

Here are some of the focus areas for the coming year…

• Develop, nurture and maintain strong working relationships with Public Sector Partners.

• Inform VCSA Members of

- Changes to data protection policy

- Developments in Welfare Reform and Universal Credit

- National and local consultations

- Changes to national and local policy

• Host further networking opportunities for VCSA Membership and attract new members.

• Follow the progress of the Civil Society Strategy and consultation results.

• Continue to work in close partnership with the Change and Compact Group.

• Continue to be the voice of the VCSE in Shropshire.

• Continue the core work of the VCSA Board including

- regular communication with VCSA Members and Forums of Interest

- working widely across the Marches LEP

- working with partners to secure involvement in local projects

- development of evidence bases, research and impact reporting

- the voice of the wider VCSA membership and VCS is represented

We look forward to working with you in 2018/19!

The Year Ahead

12

Post: Shropshire VCS Assembly,

Shirehall, Abbey Foregate,

Shrewsbury, Shropshire,

SY2 6ND

Website: www.vcsvoice.org

Twitter: @VCSVoice

Email: vcsassembly@shropshire.gov.uk

Tel: 01743 258521