By Theresa Gillard
Head of External Relations, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC)
A programme to help professionals from Voluntary and Community organisations and Local Authorities work together effectively.
In 2007/08 Birmingham City Council and Croydon Council achieved Beacon status for their excellence in ‘increasing voluntary and community sector service delivery’. The award was underpinned by their partnership working with their local Community Voluntary Services – Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) and Croydon Voluntary Action (CVS).
The Birmingham and Croydon cross sector partners were successful in gaining funding from The Beacon Peer Support programme from Communities and Local Government (CLG) and Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA); and are taking this programme forward by inviting other Local Authorities and Third Sector organisations to reap the benefits of partnership and build stronger working relationship between the public and third sectors by:
1. Sharing the Learning
We are delivering presentations and attending network meetings to share with voluntary organisations the learning gained in Birmingham and Croydon by having a partnership approach to working with Local Authorities; with the aim of improving the working relationships between the third sector and their Local Authority.
2. Facilitating Peer to Peer Support.
The aim of Peer to Peer Support is to match in the first instance, Third Sector Chief Executives with a local authority member (with a brief or interest in working with the third sector), to improve working relationships and share leadership skills. This gives you the opportunity to find out more about each others’ work (ranging from day to day responsibilities to the wider contexts within which you operate) and the challenges you face. You can also use the opportunity to ask questions, offer and take advice as well as share ideas on how the Voluntary and Community Sector and Government can work together more effectively.
Why?
Developing and sharing your leadership skills
- Share understanding of the issues you are facing.
- Share best practice.
- Improve local service delivery.
- Foster a better understanding of the issues which impact on your role politically and strategically.
- Learn to add value to the delivery of services to your community and in your area of interest.
Help you to disseminate good practice. - Help you contribute to improving delivery against N17 and supporting local indicators within the LAA in Developing a commissioning framework; Relationship management and
Implementing the compact.
If you would like to take part in this programme, please contact us by E-mail: theresag@bvsc.org or by Telephone: 0121 678 8829 or steve.phaure@cvalive.org.uk Telephone: 0208-683-5919.
