FIS Policy E-Newsletter 5
Relevant to organisations interested in provision of employment-related training or support in areas in the English regions in which Serco is preparing to bid for DWP contracts.
Serco is one of a number of private companies bidding for contracts from the DWP in partnership with voluntary sector organisations.
In the June Policy E-newsletter (item 03 'Challenges of Contracting') we drew attention to the activities of Serco as a major player in the field of employment-related training and support, and to their desire to subcontract to small voluntary agencies for delivery of specific aspects of that work. We also (item 01 'DWP Future Jobs Fund') quoted the advice of the DWP to "small and micro organisations" seeking to contract "to work in partnership
with local authorities or other third sector organisations to develop
joint bids".
Now Serco are in the news again. Third Sector reports that Serco is preparing to bid for eight contracts due to start in Autumn 2010, which are expected to bring them £500 million in government business. They are currently seeking to identify partners for this work, and are expecting to employ between 20 and 30 subcontractors in each region for which they gain contracts. They expect some 30% of these to be from the Third Sector. Serco's managing director of welfare to work, Richard Johnson, is quoted as saying that they value the ability of Third Sector providers to handle small, hard-hard-to-reach groups.
You can see more about where Serco are planning to bid for contracts, as well as the nature of the services they are intending to buy in under contract, on their own website here and on the related links from that page. For example, from 'Specialist Support Providers', Serco are seeking to purchase services which might include, "a variety of specialist wrap-around services for our FND
[which] might include services such as debt advice, substance
misuse support, vocational training or support for people with
disabilities".
Relevant to individuals nationally who have been discriminated against for reasons coming within the remit of the EHRC, or for organisations representing any of these categories of people.
As part of its preparation for its Triennial Review (which will be published in October 2010) the Equalities and Human Rights Commission has issued a call for evidence as to the actual experience of discrimination and how this affects people's lives. They want to collect such evidence from either (a) individuals who come within the EHRC's equalities remit through age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation or gender reassignment, or (b) from organisations that lobby on behalf of such groups.
This stage of evidence gathering will continue until 29 January 2010 and responses can be made by completing a questionnaire or by writing or speaking to the EHRC. Contact details can be found here for providing information to the EHRC by any of these means of communication.
Relevant to agencies in London considering or planning to bid for delivery of LC-commissioned services
Over the years London Councils has become a more strategic organisation, in consulting, prioritising and contracting for the services which it wishes to deliver. Community organisations need to make their case on the basis of identified needs among the users of their services and in their communities at the outset - at the consultation stage. At a time when local authorities are increasingly strapped for cash, and when 'partnership' and 'collaboration' are buzz words, it also helps if there is evidence of collaboration in the provision of services at the point of bidding for services.
London Councils' Annual Report 2008-09 Commissioning in Action - is now available for reading or downloading from their website here and, in addition, their site has much helpful information on the funding process itself, current funding streams, a directory of the organisations currently receiving funding, and case studies relating to existing funded projects.
London Councils are now consulting on their priorities for the new commissioning programme for the period 2011-2015. An explanation of the purpose and nature of this consultation, which will conclude on 29 January 2010, and access to the related online consultation questionnaire, can be found here.
The Voluntary Sector Forum hosted by LVSC has issued a Policy Briefing on this subject and the Third Sector Alliance, the Voluntary Sector Forum and Hear are organising a sector led consultation to feed into the London Councils consultation on 14 December 2009, details of which are available here.
Besides responses from individual organisations to this consultation, and inputting to pan-sector events such as the above, FIS will be seeking the views of London affiliates to feed into the London Councils consultation as well as seeking to identify potential areas of collaboration.
For those organisations who want to keep abreast of developments at London Councils on a regular basis, there is an opportunity to sign up for their weekly newsletter Key Issues here
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