Briefings

VONNE has a selection of briefings on areas of importance to the voluntary and community sector in the North East. Click the headings below to jump to that briefing.

 

Big Society

 

Community Budgets

Community Budgets is a place based approach to spending public resources collectively for the needs of an area. This briefing talks about the pilot programme to combine funding in a given area to support families in need.

Community Budgets - September 2011 (PDF 191kb)

 

National Citizens Service Programme

This new Government pilot programme is being rolled out this summer and is a key part of the Big Society initiative.  Across the country a selection of 11,000 sixteen year olds are being brought together to take part in a community based volunteering scheme.

National Citizens Service Programme - August 2011 (PDF 243kb)

 

Community Organisers

Community Organisers is a four year programme which aims to recruit up to 5000 senior and part-time volunteers in England. This programme is a key part of the Coalition government's Big Society initiative. This briefing gives the vision for the programme, the background to the model and how it is being implemented across England.

Community Organisers - July 2011 (PDF 191kb)

 

The Localism Bill - Getting it "Right"

A new proposal which will dramatically affect the way services are delivered to the public and how individuals and communities engage in public service delivery at a local level is currently going through parliament. Proposals in the bill focus on reducing bureaucracy and increasing powers and freedoms to councils and communities. Decentralising powers from Whitehall to local authorities and encouraging planning and spending to be managed locally with local people included in planning and delivery of services. This briefing explains the proposals and how the VCS is best placed to be involved.

The Localism Bill - Getting it "Right" - June 2011 (PDF 235kb)

 

Big Society - the programme of measures

In March 2010 the Conservatives launched "Big Society" which has emerged as a cross-cutting Government policy to support and develop the role of local communities to address local issues rather than central government. This briefing explains the program of measures which will underpin this. It details the significant measures for putting local people in control and what thsi means for the sector.

Big Society - updated January 2011 (PDF 204kb)

 

Housing

 

Regional Third Sector Strategic Influence on housing in the North East

This briefing sets out the Homes and Communities Agency's broad investment priorities for the North East alongside opportuntities to influence this by the third sector. These reflect established regional housing strategies and regional plans and take account of the programme commitments made by Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.

Regional Third Sector Strategic Influence on housing - May 2010 (PDF 56kb)

 

Health and Social Care


Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and Health & Wellbeing Boards

Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) analyse the current and future health needs of local communities. Health & Wellbeing Boards will be responsible for leading the preparation of JSNAs and ensuring they are used to shape the design and delivery of local
health, wellbeing and social services. They are a shared resource for all service providers in local areas including voluntary and community organisations.

JSNA and Health & Wellbeing Strategies December 2011 (PDF 227kb)

 

Caring for our Future consultation response

The Caring for Our Future engagement exercise, which closed on 2nd December 2011, aimed to identify the priorities that the Government should  focus on to inform its formal plans to improve the care system.  

Submission to Caring for our Future by VONNE (PDF)

Submission to Caring for our Future by NETS(work) the North East third sector learning disability provider network (DOC, 144KB)


Health and Wellbeing Boards

Health and Wellbeing Boards herald a new era of partnership working between local councils, GPs and other health professionals, and local HealthWatch, representing the views of patients, communities and people who use services. But how will the voluntary & community sector be engaged?

Health and Wellbeing boards December 2011 (PDF 376kb)


GP Consortia and the Health Transition Period

This briefing outlines the proposed changes in health commissioning and general changes in health and public health structures, looking particularly at changes in the North East.  This is a fast changing policy area and this is how the sector is looking in April 2011.

GP Consortia and the health transition period - April 2011 (DOC 129kB)


Promoting the Value of the Third Sector in Reducing Health Inequalities in the North East

This briefing outlines a project aiming to promote the role of the third sector in tackling health inequalities, through the wider determinants of health, to key policy makers in the North East. The project will build the case as to how third sector organisations improve health outcomes for marginalised communities and individuals in the North East.

Reducing health inequalities - August 2010 (PDF 225kb)


Personalisation - what it means to the third sector

Personalisation is a concept by which public services are designed and delivered and made responsive to the needs of individuals, as opposed to individuals having to fit into the services available. For most third sector organisations it is a daunting process, adapting all systems and services to be fully person centred.  This briefing paper explores what personalisation means for third sector organisations and how it is progressing across the North East.

Personalisation- what it means to the third sector - June 2010 (PDF 225kB)


Economic Regeneration


Making Sense of Local Enterprise Partnerships

In this policy briefing Jo Curry looks at the new structures in the North East that are looking to drive up economic development in the region. We now have two Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)  that between them cover the whole of the North East region.

Making sense of Local Enterprise Partnerships - June 2011 (PDF 235kb)


Welfare Reform: Universal Credit White Paper

Summarises the Government white paper on reforming the current welfare system and introducing a 'universal credit' that encourages people to get back into work, alongside reducing the welfare bill.

Welfare Reform: Universal Credit - January 2011 (PDF 247kb)


Sector Issues


The State of the Sector in the North East

This briefing describes what the voluntary and community sector looks like in the North East, based on Northern Rock Foundation research and VONNE's own regular surveys into impact of the economic downturn on North East charities.

The State of the sector in the North East - October 2011 (PDF 199kb)


Open Public Services White Paper

The Government's white paper on Open Public Services has at the heart of the proposed reform the belief that the key to driving up standards is opening up the delivery of services to competition. The briefing gives an overview of the paper's main points and how they affect the third sector and its beneficiaries.

Open Public Services White Paper - August 2011 (PDF 243kb)


Who should we be influencing?

Since the General Election in May 2010, when the Coalition Government came into power, the North East of England has seen many changes which affect the way the VCS can influence policy. The North East has been faced with the closure of Regional Development Agency: One North East and Government Office for the North East and with only 2 Conservative Party MP's and 2 Liberal Democrats MP's; influencing policy has become increasingly more difficult.

This briefing paper provides the contacts needed to influence policy at a local, regional and national level.

Who should we be influencing? - July 2011 (PDF 241kb)


"Giving" Green Paper

This Green Paper is designed to encourage a debate to inform government proposals due for publication in a White Paper in Spring 2011.  Many in the community and voluntary sector will see it as an opportunity to discuss how charitable
giving might plug the funding gap created by public expenditure cuts. However it would be wrong to see this as the government’s sole concern.The giving of assets, knowledge and skills as the donation of money is the real focus of the Green Paper.

Giving Green Paper - January 2011 (PDF 231kb)


Comprehensive Spending Review

The Spending Review announced in October 2010 will have wide-ranging impact on the work of the third sector. Read our briefing on the cuts and the impact on the VCS in the North East, including comment from third sector leaders. Written in September 2010 and updated January 2011.

Comprehensive Spending Review - updated January 2011 (PDF 226kb)

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VONNE Briefings

Download our briefings for free - Easy to read essential 2 page guides to what policy is affecting the third sector.