After 7 years working in the voluntary sector, I know that we deliver work both cost-effectively and to high standards. At The Care Forum we’re committed to supporting our sector to evidence this to funders and commissioners.
Over 5 years or so we’ve been working in South Gloucestershire with the council and with VCSE partners to ensure we can collectively evidence the impact and financial benefit of our work. We’re proud that together in South Gloucestershire we ensured that the Council now uses an outcomes based model with the VCSE, and the next phase of this work is underway too.
We’re currently working with the Council and VCSE to develop shared approaches to both outcomes and impact measurement. This will help the Council to better understand and measure what it funds, and help to demonstrate even better the cost-effectiveness and impact of what VCSE organisations do. The Care Forum has shared our own impact measurement tool as part of this process, which we know from feedback has already been used by VCSE partners to start to better evidence their impact – and we’re really proud and pleased to have been able to contribute in this way to support others.
We know that for many organisations ongoing austerity and the knock on effects on local authorities continues to pose challenges – including the current review by South Gloucestershire Council of the Better Care, Stronger Communities funding. Please let us know what sessions The Care Forum could run to continue to support you during this time – Ronnie, James and Nick are always open to hearing from VCSE partners, and details are below.
Email vss@thecareforum.org.uk
Telephone 0117 965 4444 and ask for one of the South Gloucestershire Voluntary Sector Service Team – Nick Dean, James Picardo or Ronnie Wright.