Report of the Deputy Chief Executive

This report provides an update on the VCS Infrastructure contract, specifically on the review of current provision and on the co-design process for a new VCS infrastructure contract.

The Committee received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which provided an update on the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Infrastructure contract, specifically on the review of current provision and on the co-design process for a new VCS infrastructure contract.

The main points and themes within the report included:

·         Background information;

·         The joint review of the Council’s and the Manchester Health Care and Commissioning (MHCC)’s VCS infrastructure contracts; and

·         The co-design group established as part of the process to develop the new service model and contract.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• How many Members had provided feedback as part of the joint review process;
• Request for further information on the localised community development work outside of the VCS infrastructure contract referred to in the report;
• Whether officers had looked at what other local authorities were doing in relation to their VCS infrastructure contracts;
• Whether Members would receive details of the services included in the VCS infrastructure contract tender; and
• Whether it would be appropriate for work to take place at a Greater Manchester level or a more local level.

The Programme Lead (Our Manchester Funds) informed the Committee that five Members had formally provided feedback and that his team had met with two further Members individually about this.  He reported that other services and organisations could and did support community development.  He outlined how organisations were supporting the VCS sector and the importance of getting more organisations, both public and private sector, to do so.  He confirmed that his team had looked at what the ten Greater Manchester authorities, as well as local authorities elsewhere, were doing in relation to their VCS infrastructure contracts.  He reported that some local authorities had ceased to have an infrastructure provision whereas others were strengthening theirs.  He confirmed that Members would receive details of the services included in the VCS infrastructure contract tender and that this was likely to go initially to the Our Manchester VCS Fund Task and Finish Group and then to the parent Committee.

The Statutory Deputy Leader informed Members about the Memorandum of Understanding between the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the GMCVO but she advised that it would be difficult for a single organisation to deliver the VCS infrastructure contract across the whole of Greater Manchester because of the range of different needs of the different communities across Greater Manchester.

A Member who was also the Chair of the Our Manchester VCS Fund Task and Finish Group expressed concern at the low number of Members who had responded to the request for feedback as part of the joint review process.  She suggested that Members be asked why they hadn’t responded and what would have enabled them to respond.  She agreed to discuss with the Programme Lead (Our Manchester Funds) the best way to do this.

Decisions

1.            To support the work outlined in the report.

2.            To request further information in a future report on how the Memorandum of Understanding between the GMCA and the GMCVO relates to this work.

3.            To note that the Chair of the Our Manchester VCS Fund Task and Finish Group will, in conjunction with the Programme Lead (Our Manchester Funds), ask Members why they hadn’t responded to the request for feedback and how this could be improved.