Focus Group VCS & Children’s Centres: Barriers and Benefits John Alwyine-Mosely Early Years Adviser

Aims Explore through activities and discussions the barriers: – the Voluntary and Community Sector(VCS) has in managing children centres or delivering their services – Local Authority and Children’s Centre managers have in the involvement, engagement and commissioning of the VCS in the delivery of children’s centres services.

Session Outline Welcomes and Outline 5 mins LA and VCS Context10 mins iIce-breaker10 mins 4Children Context 5 mins Attitude survey 10 mins Why?20 mins Delivery Models Introduction15 mins Break15 mins Delivery Models Presentation40 mins Forcefield Analysis 20 mins Attitude survey 10 mins Questions and Answers15 mins Last words and next steps 5 mins

LA and VCS Context Issues and context for the project in this local authority

Activity 1: Jargon Ice breaker Commissioning Public Service Private Sector Public Sector Voluntary Sector Accountability Governance Social Enterprise Co-Production Mutual Introduce yourself to each other and come back with the two you want most clarified

Organisational Forms Meeting a social need Unincorporated association, Charitable Trusts Making profits to meet a social need Community Interest Company, Company limited by guarantee Participation (User, Community, Employee) Community Benefit Society, Co-operative, Mutual See Factsheet Two

4Children Context National Programme

Activity 2 – part 1: Attitude survey Attitude survey, which will be repeated at the end of the session. And will be followed up by Spring 2012 with a electronic survey

What the barriers mean... St Brendan Community Support Provided activities for local kids for the children’s centre Annual grant supported by fees and partnerships Moved to social enterprise to win contracts Lost it's grass roots as chased the money Capacity and quality undermined by tougher contracts and competition Children's Centre looses local links and looks 'expensive' Local Authority forced to look for national providers

Activity 3: Why? Boardstorm: Why is the VCS not running most children centres or their services? Dotocracy: Vote for top reason(s) from your sector’s perspective Cause or Symptom: Five whys discussion

Delivery Models Exercise Discussion of what to look for in the models: Co-operative Commission Co-operative Trust Then work with your fact sheet and present back issues

Activity 4: Group Presentation Work from the factsheets to prepare a short presentation a) Briefly explain its origins b) Outline how it might help VCS involvement c) How you could use it here

Activity 6: Open Space Conversation From what you have heard from today who wants to write a ‘How do we’ Question? Who wants to sponsor that question? Stand up and read it and everyone else listen to the question that interests you Now go to the sponsor of the question that interests you – if eight at the table go to another table Discuss and take notes When asked feed back two lessons learned and one unanswered question from the discussion

Activity 1: part 2: Attitude survey

Questions and Answers

Next Steps Action plan report Work with task group to plan January workshop February regional showcase