Jay Kennedy, Director of Policy and Research at DSC, analyses the Budget and what it means for charities and the voluntary sector.

This Budget wasn’t initially expected to be a major event, but in the end it delivered some substantive policy changes. The cost-of-living crisis, problems in the labour market and mounting social issues haven’t gone away, as legions of charities including DSC have continued to point out. With that in mind, Hunt had several important announcements that will benefit many charities and their beneficiaries. Read more here.

HMRC recently updated Chapter 3 of its tax guidance for charities, to clarify when donations made under the Gift Aid scheme may incur…

Read more

‘It’s a challenging time out there for many of our supporters. The perfect storm of rising costs across just about all their regular outgoings (mortgages, energy, travel, food) has required many people to make economies. But don’t despair! Here are five tips to help you keep bringing in the crucial resources for your mission…’ Read more here.

Co-production in service design and deliver is a principle that has been widely adopted by statutory and other service providers. In Hammersmith & Fulham the local authority and health providers are committed to implementing co-production. It is seen as a means of co-designing and co-producing services, which involves all stakeholders, who are affected or have an interest in that service. This should lead to the development of more effective and appropriate services, which are accessible to all potential beneficiaries and achieve the intended outcomes.

Development is centred around a partnership approach involving all stakeholders as equal partners. Developing a targeted service for older people may include health, local authority, voluntary and community sector, as well as service users and residents. Everyone should have an input from the drawing board stage to final delivery of a service. This would mean identifying needs more effectively, designing a service that meets those needs more effectively as users perspectives are taken into account and reaching marginalised communities who may have been excluded.

A co-production approach should therefore lead to more efficient, better-targeted and arguably more cost effective services, addressing needs identified and achieving intended outcomes.

From a voluntary and community sector perspective, participation in co-production often presents challenges. These will often discourage involvement.

These challenges include:

• Being marginal to the process even when involved.
• Not being invited at the earliest stage of development
• Not being treated as an equal partner
• A top down hierarchical approach to decision making
• Exclusion through communication language and culture of statutory and larger institutions
• Lack of adequate resources to participate in the process

All these factors mean a lack of voluntary and community sector participation in co-production.

This often leads to lack of progress in achieving a co-produced outcome despite the commitment of all partners to achieve this aim.

Sobus is working with the local authority, health and voluntary sector and community sector partners in trying to address these challenges to achieve a genuine co-production environment in Hammersmith & Fulham.

For more information on co-production in Hammersmith & Fulham please contact shad.haibatan@sobus.org.uk

‘The UK’s largest 100 charities by income are facing significant increases in energy bills, with one reporting an increase of £1m a year, according to new research.  Leaders of charities including Cancer Research UK, Jewish Care, and Methodist Homes told Charity Finance magazine they faced soaring energy costs in 2021-22…’ Read more here.