1. Big Society where are we now?
Sue Lowe Policy Manager - East of England Local Intelligence Team Office for Civil Society Cabinet Office

2. To build a bigger and stronger society
“We believe that the country will be stronger if we as citizens have more power and responsibility to improve our own lives, the communities we share and the public services we use....
To encourage more people to get involved and work together to improve their communities....
The opportunity to influence the world around you, to feel connected, to be able to make a contribution, and to trust those around you – these are some of the most important contributors to our well-being...
This is the thread that runs from the idea of building a bigger and stronger society through our focus on well being and the idea that Ministers and commissioners should consider the full value and effect of the services they provide...
This is about building on the large amount of inspiring work already done by the Civil Society and communities across Britain and doing more to recognise the value of that work and encouraging and enabling more to happen.”
Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, October 2011

3. Big Society – So far... Empowering Communities: Social Action:
Giving White Paper
National Citizens Service
Community Organisers & Community First
Every Business Counts Social Action Fund
Big Society Awards
Opening Public Services:
Open Public Services White Paper
Free Schools
DWP Work Programme
Right to Request / Right to Provide
Mutual Pathfinders
Community Budgets
Empowering Communities:
Localism Bill
General Power of Competence
Community Rights to Challenge & to Buy
Transparency Agenda
Supporting the VCSE Sector:
Transition Fund Big Society Capital
Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund
Red Tape Task Force
National Survey of Charities & SE
Review of CRB Review of Charity Act
Opening Public Services 3

4. Office of Civil Society’s Role
Thought leadership on Big Society, Behavioural Change, Open Public Services
Sponsorship of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in Whitehall and beyond
Delivery of flagship projects – to encourage Social Action and the building of Social Capital, especially in communities who don’t have such a legacy and need more support
Helping Civil Society seize the opportunity to play a bigger role in shaping how communities work together and how public services get delivered

5. Local Intelligence Team (LIT)
Connectors between Whitehall and local areas
To provide information and context to local areas
To provide intelligence, insight and challenge from local areas
To provide policy / project support and delivery

6. Opportunities for Civil Society
Looking forward, Government believes that the Big Society agenda contains three major long term opportunities for civil society:
Commitments to Open Public Services creates the opportunities for charities and social enterprises to deliver significantly more public service contracts – there is an explicit Coalition Government commitment to “support the creation and expansion of mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises, and enable these groups to have a much greater involvement in the running of public services”
The localism agenda creates more opportunities for civil society organisations to shape local priorities and give voice to those who need it
An ambitious agenda for growing giving (of time and money) and social investment creates the opportunities for charities and social enterprises to access significantly more resource

7. Achievements so far
Over £400m secured for the sector over the spending review
Goal One: Encouraging social action and building social capital, especially in communities that need more support
Goal Two: Helping Civil Society seize the opportunity to play a bigger role in communities and public services
Goal Three: Getting more resources into the sector

8. GOAL ONE(1) Social Action
Community Organisers: 113 Senior Community Organisers currently in the programme total budget £16m to 2015
Community First- 600 CF panels established, Watford has the Community First area in Hertfordshire
National Citizens Service- 30,000 places delivered in ,000 places available in 2014
Social Action Fund-grant funding to expand at speed, social action mostly volunteering. over £20m allocated to projects through 2 rounds of the fund
Innovation in Giving-Supporting innovative platform ideas-£2.5m in R1, R2 just closed, further rounds in the pipeline

9. Making it easier to set up and run
GOAL TWO (1)
Making it easier to set up and run
Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund TLIF-Aimed at helping local infrastructure services to become more efficient- £30m distributed to 74 organisations across England. Hertfordshire is a recipient of this.
Cutting Red Tape- Unshackling Good Neighbours Report in May 2012, complements and supports governments reviews of H&S, CRB and vetting and barring regimes
Mutuals Support Programme- supporting some of the most promising and innovative mutuals to reach investment readiness and supported by the Mutuals Information Service-£10m to March 2015.

10. Making it easier to work with the State
GOAL TWO (2)
Making it easier to work with the State
Open Public Services White Paper- has set out a clear strategy for opening access to public service delivery contracts. The Community Right to Challenge rights in the Localism Act gives Voluntary and community groups the opportunity to bid to run public services
Procurement Reforms-contracts Finder Website launched in
Investment and Contract Readiness Fund-launched in 2011 gives grants of between £50k-£150k to high growth potential social ventures- fund expects to social ventures over 3 years- £10m
Strategic Partners Programme-funds 9 VCSE sector partners to represent the sector to Government, support partners to become independent of Government funding-£8.2m over 4 years

11. Getting more resources into the sector
GOAL THREE (1)
Getting more resources into the sector
Social Investment Strategy-published in 2011-included support for 4 Local Authorities to develop PBR contracts that might be financed by Social Impact Funds
A review of the Legal, Regulatory and Tax Measures to grow the Social economy is currently taking place. We expect final recommendations by the end of 2012
Inspiring Impact Programme April 2012-£100k match funding from Cabinet Office-
Big Society Capital-launched in April 2012 with capitalisation of up to £600m-Up to £400 dormant account money now unlocked- alongside Merlins Banks’ £200m investment. Initial Investments of £3.5m have been made. Big Society Roadshow event in Cambridge on 19th October

12. Getting more resources into the sector
GOAL THREE (2)
Getting more resources into the sector
Transition Fund-£107m spent on supporting Civil Society Organisations who deliver public services to make the transition to a tighter funding environment- 1,700 organisations applied and over 1,000 awards made. Funding was available over 2 years-£17m in and £90m in
Advice Services Fund-Fund to support the not for profit sector as it adapts to changes in the way it is funded-£16.8m to 301 organisations. The 2012 budget announced that an additional £20m will be made available in 2013/14, and again in 2014/15. Announcement on that due very soon.
Funding Central-a free website that provides access to thousands of funding opportunities. It has channelled £73m in Funding Central is funded by OCS and run by NCVO.

13. Crown Representative for VCSE
New role created as part of Government’s commitment to enable charities and social enterprises to do more – Michael O’Toole appointed
Government wants to improve its relationship with VCSE and open up public service opportunities
Build upon making it easier for more VCSEs to tender for public contracts, e.g. -
All contracts now published including under the £100K threshold
PQQs gone for <£100K contracts (simplified for above)

14. Strategic Objectives of the role
Open up more business to VCSE organisations, influence public sector commissioning and procurement
Build strategic dialogue between government and the VCS sector
Strong VCSE voice at the highest levels and communicate key developments out
Open up public sector business to VCSEs
Build strategic commercial engagement with representative groups / stakeholders:
Work with other Crown Representatives / Commercial Leads, procurement, public service reform, OCS and Departments

15. How can you help/find out more?
It is early days for this new role and Michael looks forward to building relationships across the sector 
Welcome feedback on how we can do more to help VCSEs value your comments
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16. Local Intelligence Team (WM), Office of the Civil Society, Cabinet Office
Sue Lowe
Policy Manager, Local Intelligence
Office for Civil Society, Cabinet Office
The Business Centre, Station Road, Histon, CB24 9LQ
For more information: