Third Sector Partnership Council

Transcription

1 Third Sector Partnership Council Work Stream Updates Background This paper to note contains details of progress made by the remaining work streams that are not presenting papers to the meeting on 31 st May Actions: Members are invited to note the contents of this paper.

2 Work Stream: Asset Transfer 1. Following discussions with the Cabinet Office, who manage the epims system, Property Division have now established the Third Sector on the Wales section of the database. Access to epims cannot be given to every single third sector organisation, as it would simply get unmanageable. The proposal is that it will be co-ordinated via the local Third Sector umbrella organisation. 2. In terms of information captured to date, Gwynedd CC have submitted a significant amount of information in respect of Community/Third sector assets within their local authority boundary area. With regards the Third Sector umbrella organisations, BAVO has been identified as the first formal pilot for data capture and a meeting has been set up with the Cardiff Voluntary Sector, with the aim of establishing them as the second pilot. 3. The original membership of the working group has been less engaged than would have been ideal. Membership of the group is therefore being revisited, Development Trust Wales, have expressed an interest in being engaged on the Asset Transfer agenda. They also provided details of other contacts who will also potentially add value to the work stream, this smaller group will agree key areas to be developed and tackled over the next few months. Work Stream: Climate Change 4. The climate change work stream has undertaken a series of actions to assist main stream third sector organizations consider the impact of climate change on their work and beneficiaries. This has included a number of case studies and a series of information sheets available from WCVA and CVC and VC websites. 5. Future work leading to a report to the TSPC will look at how far existing agencies and financial resources are succeeding in providing the necessary support to enable the third sector maximize its contribution to tackling climate change and reduce its own carbon footprint. Work Stream: Simpson 6. The work on delivering the commitments within each of the Simpson Commitments is gaining momentum and there is considerable effort being shown from across Local Government, Welsh Government and necessary delivery partners (including Third Sector) to ensure the scoping work (and delivery planning) will deliver the best results for Wales. 7. The recommendations set against the Welsh Government have either been completed or are an ongoing commitment to ensure the Third Sector are

3 engaged throughout the process and that Best Practice evident across Wales can be utilised in developing policy and a local, regional and national level. 8. The following provides an update against each of the recommendations in the paper Recommendation 1: that the Welsh Government and Welsh Local Government Association share information with the WCVA about the areas covered by the Compact Completed - A copy of the Compact for Change is on the Welsh Government website. It has also been signed as a paper through the Public Services Leadership Group (PSLG) of which Graham Benfield, Chief Executive, WCVA, is an observing member Recommendation 2 : that the WCVA and Third Sector organisations confirm the areas in which they have an interest Given the response to recommendations 4 and 5 below this is regarded as completed Recommendation 3: The Wales Council for Voluntary Action and County Voluntary Councils should lead consideration about how best to align Third Sector activity on the new regional footprint. This does not necessarily mean that current arrangements that work effectively need to be unpicked Recommendation 4: The Compact should include a requirement that the owners of each of the actions in the implementation contracts should engage with the Third Sector Completed - WCVA sent a letter to June Milligan, Director General for Local Government and Communities in February 2012 which indicated the Third Sector leads for specific 'themes' and also the Third Sector leads for the regional footprint areas. Gwent is yet to be confirmed. This was distributed to PSLG members and members of the Organisational Development & Simpson Implementation (ODSI) work stream in March It will be for the Third Sector leads and ODSI chief executive leads to identify how they might best work together as well as continuing engagement through the policy areas Recommendation 5: The WCVA and CVCs should facilitate this engagement by identifying a lead contact from the Third Sector in each case Completed - a letter was sent to June Milligan, Director General for Local Government and Communities from Phil Jarrold, Deputy Chief Executive, WCVA, in February 2012

4 8.6.1 Recommendation 6: that the Welsh Government and WLGA where appropriate should cascade good practice in strategic commissioning, such as set out in Fulfilled Lives Supportive Communities, throughout the work streams established under the Compact Ongoing - Part of the role of ODSI is to ensure best practice is considered across each of the themes of work within the Compact for Change and where appropriate use this good practice to inform the working of other regional collaborations. Work Stream: WEFO 9. Engagement of the Third Sector with the development of future EU programmes ( ) has continued, principally through the engagement of sector representatives with the European Programmes Partnership Forum, which has met on a couple of occasions since the last meeting of the TSPC. 10. The sector has also inputted to the Reflections Exercise, conducted by WEFO to help shape the strategic direction and priorities for the next round of programmes. 11. Cabinet considered the Welsh Government position on the strategic direction for future programmes on 24 th April: the Deputy Minister will be making an oral statement, setting out the Government's view on the principles and priorities that should guide the development of the new programmes, on 8th May The detailed development of future programmes will now commence in earnest; taken forward through the work of a number of dedicated work streams, on which it is envisaged that the sector will be properly represented. 13. The importance of extending the dialogue around the development of future EU programmes to the widest possible stakeholder community is well recognised and in this context, WEFO policy officials have engaged, during April, in a series of pan-wales events, organised by the WCVA, aimed at informing Third Sector organisations of the opportunities and constraints associated with the new programmes so that they are best able to formulate their thinking in readiness for the post 2013 period. Work Stream: Work Skills 14. The group has met six times and meetings have been attended on a regular basis by a core group of members; all members receive papers. Members agreed to work towards two short term practical objectives. The first of these related to identifying current learning provision mapping gaps and identifying duplication. The second has been to pilot a third sector providers joint skills offer through the new WCVA website; this will come on line in August 2012.

5 15. The group s longer term objectives relate to the wider third sector skills agenda. We are examining the role of recognised learning in workforce development, how the demand for high level ICT skills can be met, the use of technology in learning and how we develop future third sector leaders. In each of these areas we will be reporting back on how suppliers of learning programmes and initiatives can work together to maximise take up from those working in the third sector. Work streams reports for November The agenda is subject to ministerial confirmation however currently it is planned that The WEFO Work Stream shall report back on implementation issues. The second paper will either be a report back on UK government relations (on issues wider than welfare reform that is the subject of a full paper for the May 2012 meeting) or an initial report back on capital asset transfer.