‘cuts both ways’: a voluntary sector response to council budget cuts 13 february 2014 phil...
TRANSCRIPT
‘Cuts Both Ways’:A voluntary sector response to council budget cuts
13 February 2014
Phil MawhinneySenior Policy OfficerCommunity Action Southwark
1. Session outcomes
Participants will gain –
• Knowledge of how CAS is influencing Southwark council on the impact of budget cuts.
• Knowledge of the different tools used to collect and share evidence.
• Ideas for how to influence their local council.
1. OutlineTime Item
2.30• Introductions• Worth our while influencing councils?• Context : cuts• Narrative + evidence
3.30 Refreshments
3.35• Films: prevention• Policy asks• Recap
4.25 End
1. Introductions
In pairs, report the other person’s –
• Name
• Organisation
• Borough
• What they want to get from this workshop
2. Worth our while?
Is it worth your while to try and influence the council on budget cuts?
Why?
3. Context: council budget cuts
10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/160
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
399
365344 342
322
290
Southwark Council spending power, 2010/11-15/16
Rev
enu
e S
pen
din
g P
ow
er,
£m
• Council spending power cut 27% over 6 years.
• 15/16 likely to be 11% cut.
• Less council funding for VCOs.
• Driver/context
3. Context: council budget cuts
Qu 1: National
• Nationally, we are halfway through 8 years of planned fiscal consolidation.
• By the end of 2013/14, the government will have achieved how much of this consolidation?
a) 26%
b) 44%
c) 52%
3. Context: council budget cuts
Answer 1.
a) 26%
b) 44%
c) 52%
Source: IFS
However – ‘the benefit cuts and the cuts to day-to-day spending on public services have been relatively back-loaded’.
3. Context: council budget cuts
Qu 2: Local government
• Local government spending is set to fall by how much between 2008 and 2015?
a) 15%
b) 30%
c) 40%
3. Context: council budget cuts
Answer 2.
a) 15%
b) 30%
c) 40%
• Because funding covers new service burdens – the underlying cut for existing services is even higher.
Source: JRF
3. Context: council budget cuts
Qu 3: London councils
• Of 32 London boroughs, how many are seeing a cut in spending power per person of >£200 (2011-15)?
a) 18
b) 22
c) 27
Answer 3.
a) 18
b) 22
c) 27
Southwark, £249
Hackney, £338
Richmond, £39
3. Context: council budget cuts
Qu 4: Voluntary sector funding
• NCVO estimates public funding for charities to decline by how much 2010-18?
a) 9%
b) 12%
c) 21%
3. Context: council budget cuts
Answer 4.
a) 9%
b) 12%
c) 21%
• If cuts are disproportionate – as suggested by Compact evidence – it could be 15%.
Source: NCVO
3. Context: council budget cuts
Qu 5: Voluntary sector impact
• How many voluntary organisations in London had to close services in 2012, according to an LVSC survey?
a) 41%
b) 51%
c) 71%
3. Context: council budget cuts
Answer 5:
a) 41%
b) 51%
c) 71%
Source: LVSC
• 60% reported a reduction in overall funding.
• 66% saw an increase in demand for their services.
3. Context: council budget cuts
Champions?
Image: downloadwallpaper.hdcom
4. Narrative
2 narrative options –
Image: ft.com
No cuts! Where would you be without us?
4. Narrative
VCS make tangible difference in people’s lives
VCS bring VALUE – prevents higher costs to stat. services
Sensible use of public money
Imagine no VCS – needs would go unchecked, higher costs
Joseph + Mark, Youth Futures
Evidence/metrics on local VCS as a sector. • Concrete, contribution, economic• # organisations, # employees
4. Evidence
Name others!
4. Evidence
4. Evidence
Also –
• # working with children/older people etc.
• £ charity (local) spending
• # organisations
• # employees
• # volunteers
• £ of volunteering
• £ leveraged in
Refreshments
5 minutes!
1. OutlineTime Item
2.30• Introductions• Worth our while influencing councils?• Context: cuts• Narrative + evidence
3.30 Refreshments
3.35• Films: prevention + themes • Policy asks• Recap
4.25 End
• Films – case studies of VCS prevention/value• 5 themes / areas of VCS work• Website
5. Films – prevention + themes
5. Films – prevention + themes
Themes?
i.e. VCS work
5. Films – prevention + themes
Themes reflect council priorities –
• ‘Fairer Future Promises’
• Health & Wellbeing Strategy
• Economic Wellbeing Strategy
• Children & Young People’s Plan
E.g. parenting classes,
high quality youth work.
E.g. prison, hospital
• Prevention, reducing pressure on stat. services.
5. Films – prevention + themes
Youth futures (4.00-4.15)
• Support and build confidence of young people at risk of exclusion.
• Prevention – police resources, costs of unemployment.
Family Action (1.55-2.22)
• Support isolated families – children and parents.
• Prevention – fewer children into care system.
– fewer parents requiring mental health services.
5. Films – prevention + themes
• Narrative – what would happen if VCS didn’t exist
• Evidence – employees, volunteering, leveraged income
• Examples – of prevention, projects
Role play!
• Pairs – 1 council leader, 1 VCS advocate
• 3 minutes to argue for the value of the local VCS, risks of cutting
• Prompts
5. Films – prevention + themes
‘Early Action Commission’
• Independent • Long-term, cross-sector view• How can the council, NHS, police etc. work with
the VCS to prevent needs escalating
6. Policy asks
Support from – • Council CEO• Corporate Strategy (demand management)• Health & Wellbeing Board• CCG (self-management)
What Can You Do? As a Southwark councillor, you can support our Value the VCS campaign in a number of ways:
1. Early Action & Voluntary Sector Commission Support our call for an independent, multi-agency commission to be set up in 2014 to look at how the council, NHS, police and other agencies can work with the VCS to act early and prevent needs and costs from arising.
2. Social Value & better commissioning Improve council commissioning so that social needs are met more effectively, such as by fully embedding social value.
3. Council Budget Formulate budgets that invest in prevention and long-term solutions, rather than making short-term reductions resulting in escalating needs.
4. Keep up to date Follow the campaign as we continue to film local charities. See our website and follow us on Twitter at @valuetheVCS.
6. Policy asks
Think + discuss!
1. Early Action a good hook?2. Commission effective in your borough?3. What would you do differently?4. Other policy asks?
6. Policy asks
6. Policy asks
7. Recap
Participants will gain –
• Knowledge of how CAS is influencing Southwark council on the impact of budget cuts.
• Knowledge of the different tools used to collect and share evidence.
• Ideas for how to influence their local council.
7. Recap
• Worthwhile? – pros/cons, politics
• Context – cuts, national/London/VCS
• Response narrative – value, what if no VCS?
• Evidence – sector, employees, volunteers, funding
• Examples – films, prevention, cost-saving
• Role play
• Policy – Early Action Commission (+ Social Value)
Phil Mawhinney
Senior Policy Officer
Community Action Southwark
[t] 0207 358 7018
www. valuethevcs.org.uk
@valuetheVCS
Contact