Living on Quality Street

A

Support needed for groups to develop their own quality standards and evaluation templates (training and info from infrastructure organisations)

B

To be user-led not funder-led and used to provide responsive services, making sure what we provide is what people want (which changes over time)

C

Should be of high quality, which is valuable in raising morale within the CVS. Outcomes and impact must be evaluated rather than just the outputs of a project

D

The Brighton Local Information System (BLIS) could be used to greater effect to provide a statistical resource

E

The CVS should be supported in the sharing of good practice, exploring the possibility of peer assessments and organising opportunities to exchange ideas about quality

F

CVS groups and organisations should make sure they have a strong collective voice by joining the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum and local neighbourhood forums.

G

CVS must prioritise costing the services we deliver and therefore knowing the monetary value of the services we provide. CVS organisations spend too much energy spent ‘begging' for money from funders - the value of our services should be recognised and the services paid for.

H

Being unable to provide consistent and ongoing services in communities due to inconsistent funding is a significant barrier to the CVS being able to provide quality services and should be addressed.

A

Accountability needs to be strengthened - budgets for the commissioning of services should be more transparent

B

Continuity and consistency (even when personnel changes) are vital to providing quality services

C

Consultation and engagement should be driven by democratic structures at local level, for example neighbourhood forums, pensioners' forums, and through local Councillors

D

Consultation must be genuine, with a real opportunity for the CVS to influence decisions and effect change

E

Engagement should happen on the terms of citizens and the CVS rather than being imposed by statutory bodies

F

The CVS recognises improvements in the Council's communication with citizens and CVS organisations, but would like to see this improve further

G

Statutory bodies should demonstrate and publicise the outcomes for communities as a result of improved services

H

Statutory services need to be more integrated for the sake of the end user (for example housing and peripheral social support services)

I

Local people need to be supported to use the services available to them.

 

 

A

The CVS would like to see a responsive rather than reluctant approach to working in partnership from statutory bodies

B

We would like to see the assets of the CVS valued, with statutory bodies acknowledging that they can learn from CVS organisations

C

Partnership working must be accessible (e.g. without use of jargon language which excludes)

D

Funders should recognise the cost of meeting quality standards and be prepared to provide extra funding in line with the principles of full cost recovery

E

Funders should be more flexible and less prescriptive, e.g. recognise time and energy needed to meet funder requirements / diversity of sector means that a ‘one size fits all' approach to quality will not always be appropriate

F

There needs to be a shared understanding between funders and CVS service providers about aims and methods of community development

G

The Compact and Codes of Practice 2003[1] could detail which are the recognised quality standards that the CVS has agreed to work to and funders should provide guidance on quality standards and quality assurance systems

[1] The Compact is an agreement between the CVS and statutory sector of shared principles for working.