VCS Support Serv 7 6 11

Transforming Voluntary and Community Sector Support Services

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What is supposed to achieve?

Co-ordinated, coherent and customer-focused.

Providing services that build capacity, quality and sustainability 2

Support offered under seven performance areas 1. Improving your funding and financial stability  Help to consider generating income; advice on setting up a bank account; developing a basic book keeping system.

2. Providing better services  Help to identify a vision, mission and aims; monitoring and reviewing what you do.

3. Managing your organisation better  Help to improve how you govern your organisation: how the board meets and operates; help to develop and review policies.

4. Improving how you manage volunteers and staff  Help to identify roles and responsibilities of volunteers; volunteer induction programmes or handbooks.

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Support offered under seven performance areas 5. Developing Skills within your organisation  Help to assess the skills in your organisation and how they are best being used; identifying training needs.

6. Improving your premises and environmental impact  Help with an audit of your premises; updating your Health and Safety policy or environmental policy.

7. Getting your voice heard and increasing your Influence  Help to get linked in to the VCS and local networks; supporting to have a role in making decisions that affect the sector.

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Services offered in units of support To help groups improve their performance 

A free one-off support session (one unit)

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A series of free support sessions (up to four units)

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A bursary scheme for Voscur training sessions

Support provided by Voscur staff or partner agencies.

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How will these be provided? 

Face to face: such as an outreach visit, or attending a training course

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Telephone support: discussions that support a group to work through a range of issues

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Electronically: on-going email support and signposting to web-based / other resources

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Research based: VCS support staff preparing information, resources and data for a group.

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The criteria for qualifying Criteria set by Bristol City Council, groups:      

1) working with socially excluded groups in a deprived area of Bristol, or working with equalities communities 2) with under £50,000 annual turnover 3) seriously thinking about being contracted to deliver services 4) who are new and planning on meeting a gap in services 5) experiencing financial or operational crisis 6) meeting specific goals aimed at improving the lives of children and young people in Bristol.

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What will the support sessions measure? ď Ź

1) How a group has developed or improved from the support received.

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2) The impact of our help to the group.

Support given by: Voscur staff and external specialist agencies, so far: Volunteering Bristol, Ethical Property Foundation.

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What is the process for applying?    

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Step one: direct contact or third party referral.

Step two: discussions about what area(s) of support the group requires under the 7 performance areas Step three: a short screening questionnaire based on Bristol City Council’s qualifying criteria.

Step four: an assessment from the information the group provides to find out if it qualifies for the free support service.

Step five: a decision made; the group advised.

Step six: if eligible, agreement between Voscur and the group about what support will be provided.

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After the assessment ď Ź

If a group does not qualify: we will aim to refer them to other help or resources.

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If a group does qualify: we will discuss the type of support they need; one-off support, a series of support sessions (up to 4units), or a training bursary.

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A one-off support session Group’s needs discussed towards achieving improvement under one or more of the seven performance areas.

Group asked to indicate their current situation; type of support agreed and provided, such as:     

a grant finder session help reviewing their polices support, or bursary for Voscur training advice on commissioning an organisational health check.

An evaluation completed at the end to assess improvement achieved.

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A series of support sessions Group’s needs discussed towards achieving improvement under one or more of the seven performance areas.   

Agreement between Voscur and group about how, what and why Assessment / health check carried out to identify current situation Actions planned and support provided.

Support can include:  Help to become constituted  meetings with the Board to work through an organisational crisis  on-going feedback on a funding application  help to develop policies.

An evaluation completed at the end by both parties to assess improvement achieved.

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Who can apply for the service? 

Any VCS group whether new or well established

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Social enterprises or CICs if needing support on Governance

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Individuals considering setting up a group

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Voscur members and non-members.

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Contact details 

From more information or to request a screening please contact us on:

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Tel: 0117 909 9949

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Email liz@voscur.org paddy@voscur.org support@voscur.org ruth@voscur.org 14