ChangeUp - East Midlands Infrastructure

Leicestershire Third Sector Infrastructure Support Consortium

Vision

Our vision is for a vibrant and effective voluntary and community sector that enables people to be active in their communities to make Leicester and Leicestershire a great place to live for all.

Mission

Leicestershire Infrastructure Support Services Consortium members will work together, to represent, promote and build partnerships with others to develop the sector by reaching more groups more effectively.

Consortium Membership

The following infrastructure organisations have been involved with the Consortium and developing its plans. Click on an organisation for a link to their website:

African Caribbean Citizens Forum
CaSE-da
CVS Community Partnerships
Leicester and Leicestershire Racial Equality Council
Leicester Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Centre
Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living
Leicestershire Council for Voluntary Youth Services
Leicestershire Ethnic Minority Partnership
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Community Foundation
Lutterworth Volunteer Centre
North West Leicestershire CVS
Rural Community Council Leicestershire and Rutland
Syston Volunteer Centre
Voluntary Action Blaby District
Voluntary Action Charnwood
Voluntary Action Hinckley and Bosworth
Voluntary Action Leicester
Voluntary Action Melton
Voluntary Action Oadby and Wigston
Voluntary Action South Leicestershire

What we are going to do

Leicestershire Third Sector Infrastructure Consortium has produced a Strategic Plan to 2014 with an associated Business Plan of the steps we intend to take to 2011. These documents are available below.

The plans are designed around three main outcomes by 2014:

1. Frontline voluntary and community sector organisations will be operating more efficiently and effectively, improving their capacity, quality and reach to improve their impact on individuals and communities.

Key changes include: linking services so you get the support you need after first contact; developing outreach up to and across district and city and county boundaries; a web portal with information and services; more services for larger groups, e.g. performance management, commissioning and procurement, workforce development.

2. Frontline voluntary and community sector organisations’ and groups’ voices will be heard by all appropriate strategic bodies and partnerships and will be actively influencing and shaping future strategies, policies and practices.

This includes further developing district and county networks and other mechanisms that inform and consult the sector, and (s)elect and support representatives to multi-agency partnerships.

3. Voluntary and community sector infrastructure support services will be planning and delivering effective and value for money services based on information about performance and users’ needs.

Work planned includes ensuring that our work is informed by users needs, managing our performance, improving internal and external communications, better prioritising work to those most in need, ensuring that our staff and volunteers are well trained and supported and looking at how we can share back office functions such as finance, human resources and administration.

Key Changes to Leicestershire Infrastructure Support Services

Further information about key changes we have identified as a result of this process are described in the following document.

Business Plan: Outcomes and Key Changes 33k

More background about infrastructure services and our strategic planning process is also available in March’s VAL News, downloadable from the Voluntary Action Leicester website .

Issues for Infrastructure Services

The Consortium has been looking at various issues:

1. How to make sure that we are representing organisations effectively particularly to countywide bodies where decisions are made about priorities, services and funding.

2. How to make sure that we are covering the whole county and voluntary and community groups are getting services in ways and at times that suit their needs.

3. How to make services cost effective, benefiting from economies of scale and / or critical mass.

4. How the needs are met of groups working in particular areas, such as young people or health and social care, or in particular communities of interest, such as black and ethnic minority or disabled people’s groups.

Leicestershire Consortium Documents

Strategic Plan 2008 - 2014

The Strategic Plan identifies the outcomes and objectives for the next seven years, provides information about the key changes this will mean for services, evidence of need and practical steps to delivering the strategy.

Strategic Plan 2008-11 (Feb 2008) 161k