Voluntary and community groups should get more powers to provide services to local people, Town Hall leaders will say in a new report to be published on Monday.
The report Closer to People and Places, backed by the leaders of all the main political parties in local government, sets out that councils should move to put the financing of voluntary groups and community organisations on a longer term basis and increase the number of services delivered by them.
Chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, said:-
“The voluntary and community sector plays a considerable role in developing the ability of local people to participate in society, local democracy and decision-making both through direct participation and as their representatives.
“The creation and fostering of active citizens groups, voluntary and community organisations, and social enterprise is key to achieving both improved services and strong communities.
“There is an emerging consensus that further improvement in public services and the quality of life can be best driven locally through strong local partnerships across the public sector, focusing on locally drawn targets and priorities, and working more closely with the private, business, voluntary and community.
“Many local authorities have devolved and set up Service Level Agreements with voluntary and community organisations for a wide range of their work including social issues, work training and environmental enhancement. ‘Compacts’ with the voluntary and community sector have been helpful but more needs to be done to release the potential of these organisations and to develop social enterprises.
“Councils support moving to full cost recovery as quickly as possible, and propose that all councils should routinely address three-year contracts to allow the voluntary and community sector to plan ahead. Procurement practices should be reviewed to ensure they are proportionate to the type and size of contract.
“For its part, the voluntary and community sector needs to do more to address the challenges associated with governance, probity and financial stewardship for smaller voluntary organisations and less formally established community groups.”
