What is Next?

As members of The Wheel will be aware, we welcomed the recent announcement of the commencement of a Structured Dialogue process between Government and the Community and Voluntary Pillar and we have made a submission to government on the proposal. The Wheel believes this process has the potential to represent significant progress towards delivering the new framework for partnership working that we have been seeking for many years.

The Wheel believes that it is now more important than ever that Government continues a strong engagement in structured dialogue with the Community & Voluntary Pillar, so we can develop a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges for developing the sector into the future.

The Wheel believes that this structured dialogue process provides a crucial opportunity for Government to harness the energy of community and voluntary organisations in reforming our public services to put the service-user at their heart and to get the maximum value for money from scarce public resources.
 
Benefits to be gained and issues to be explored in the early stages of the dialogue could include better understandings of and strategies to deal with:

• Increased demand and reduced income facing cv organisations
• funding models and structures
• Charities Act 2011 –transition supports required
• Departmental strategy for supporting the development of the cv sector
• The role of the sector in the reform of public services
• Maximising the benefit of the advocacy role of cv organisations in the policy making and policy implementation processes
• Giving effect to this process: how to advance, deepen and give meaning to this structured dialogue process at national and local level

The Wheel will keep you informed of developments in relation to the str uctured dialogue in the weeks and months ahead.