Focus GroupVCS & Children’s Centres: Barriers and Benefits

John Alwyine-MoselyEarly Years Adviser

john.alwyine-mosely@4children.org.uk 07771812951

Aims

Explore through activities and discussions the barriers:

– the Voluntary and Community Sector(VCS) has in managing children centres or delivering their services

– Local Authority and Children’s Centre managers have in the involvement, engagement and commissioning of the VCS in the delivery of children’s centres services.

Session OutlineWelcomes and Outline 5 minsLA and VCS Context 10 mins

iIce-breaker 10 mins 4Children Context 5 mins

Attitude survey 10 minsWhy? 20 mins

Delivery Models Introduction 15 minsBreak 15 mins

Delivery Models Presentation 40 minsForcefield Analysis 20 minsAttitude survey 10 minsQuestions and Answers 15 mins

Last words and next steps 5 mins

LA and VCS Context

Issues and context for the project in this local authority

Activity 1: Jargon Ice breaker

• Commissioning• Public Service• Private Sector• Public Sector• Voluntary Sector

AccountabilityGovernanceSocial Enterprise Co-ProductionMutual

Introduce yourself to each other and come back with the two you want most clarified

Organisational Forms

Meeting a social need Unincorporated association, Charitable Trusts

Making profits to meet a social need

Community Interest Company, Company limited by guarantee

Participation (User, Community, Employee)Community Benefit Society, Co-operative, Mutual

See Factsheet Two

4Children Context

National Programme

Activity 2 – part 1: Attitude survey

Attitude survey, which will be repeated at the end of the session.

And will be followed up by Spring 2012 with a electronic survey

What the barriers mean...

• St Brendan Community Support• Provided activities for local kids for the children’s centre • Annual grant supported by fees and partnerships• Moved to social enterprise to win contracts• Lost it's grass roots as chased the money• Capacity and quality undermined by tougher contracts and

competition• Children's Centre looses local links and looks 'expensive' • Local Authority forced to look for national providers

Activity 3: Why?

Boardstorm: • Why is the VCS not running

most children centres or their services?

Dotocracy:• Vote for top reason(s) from

your sector’s perspectiveCause or Symptom:• Five whys discussion

Delivery Models Exercise

• Discussion of what to look for in the models:• Co-operative

Commission• Co-operative Trust

• Then work with your fact sheet and present back issues

Activity 4: Group Presentation

Work from the factsheets to prepare a short presentation a) Briefly explain its originsb) Outline how it might help VCS involvementc) How you could use it here

Activity 6: Open Space ConversationFrom what you have heard from today who wants to

write a ‘How do we’ Question?

Who wants to sponsor that question?Stand up and read it and everyone else listen to

the question that interests you

Now go to the sponsor of the question that interests you – if eight at the table go to another table

Discuss and take notesWhen asked feed back two lessons learned and

one unanswered question from the discussion

Activity 1: part 2: Attitude survey

Questions and Answers

Next Steps

• Action plan report

• Work with task group to plan January workshop

• February regional showcase