Agenda item

The Committee considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture requesting pre-decision scrutiny of a proposed new Voluntary, Community Social Enterprise (VCSE) Capacity Building Framework for Staffordshire to be considered by Cabinet at their meeting on 15 December 2021 (schedule 4 to the signed minutes).

Working with communities to ensure residents could help themselves and others was central to everything the County did and was a key principle of the Strategic Plan 2018-22. Since 2016, the existing Strategic Capacity Building Partnership Contract had enabled the Authority to:- (i) build capacity in the VSCE sector in a targeted way, focusing on prevention, early help and local need; (ii) support the local VCSE sector to be sustainable and lead on attracting additional funding to the County; (iii) deliver their priorities through strong leadership and; (iv) work effectively with the VCSE sector to co-design commissioning strategies and community based approaches.

However, the County Council’s current VCSE sector capacity building contract was due to end on 31 July 2022. Therefore, work had commenced earlier in 2021 on procuring new arrangements, which included three stakeholder surveys held during May and June. An analysis of the responses received, highlighted the following priorities:- (i) ensure the VCSE sector was sustainable and had sufficient capacity to support Staffordshire’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic; (ii) promote a refreshed relationship with the VCSE sector to allow the Authority to build on the lessons learned since 2016 (particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic) and; (iii) continue to invest in VCSE capacity building to provide stability during a critical period.

It was proposed that the new VCSE Capacity Building Framework should:- (i) ensure sustainability in the VCSE sector as communities continued to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic; (ii) build capacity in communities to support the Authority to deliver their strategic priorities; (iii) provide a flexible, responsive and transparent method of commissioning additional work with the VCSE sector and partners and; (iv) provide an effective way of contract managing VCSE capacity building activity that was efficient to both commissioners and providers. It was also proposed that the new arrangements be implemented for a minimum three-year period with the option to extend for a further year, if required, subject to satisfactory performance and budgetary provision.

During the full and wide-ranging discussion which ensued, Members gave detailed scrutiny to the proposals set out in the report, asking questions and seeking clarification where necessary, including:- (i) feedback received from the existing contract provider; (ii) the valuable support provided by the existing contractor during the height of the 2020/21 Covid-19 pandemic; (iii) the need to ensure any new contract provider could fully align themselves to the Authority’s values and principles and objectives; (iv) performance management arrangements over the course of the contract; (v) the role of Staffordshire’s new Integrated Care System in joint working with the VCSE sector including provision of additional funding.

The Chairman highlighted various priority areas he hoped the new contract provider could assist with, including:- (i) facilitating the establishment of community and social groups and encouraging more people to volunteer; (ii) providing assistance to community groups in applying for grant aid; (iii) promoting digital inclusion and; (iv) encouraging communities to support measures aimed at tackling climate change.

RESOLVED – (a) That the report be received and noted.

(b) That the proposals to recommission Voluntary, Community Social Enterprise (VCSE) Capacity Building support for Staffordshire from 31 July 2022, as set out in the draft Cabinet Report to their meeting on 15 December 2021, be supported.

(b) That the draft Cabinet report be updated to reflect the above-mentioned discussion and various issues raised by the Committee as priority areas for attention by the new Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Capacity Building framework contract provider.