We have been reflecting for some time on the imbalances between the demand for social services and the resources available to provide them. It is at the core of our sustainability discussion. That problem is now more acutely described.
Commenting on the Budget today the Western Mail today notes that WAG is going to lose £216m in 2010/11 – with more of the same, in the years beyond.
You may have come across a short paper called ‘The third sector and the recession in Wales’, WCVA, NCVO et al
- You can link to this document by following this link – The Third Sector and the Recession in Wales
If you haven’t, you might want to look at it not least because the Third Sector is where a good deal of sustainability will need to be found.
The paper sets out the likely impact in Wales of the present recession on individuals and Third Sector organisations and the challenges and opportunities that go along with it. It predicts the loss of income for many groups, while the demand for a wide range of services will sharply increase. There are a variety of recommendations.
Apropos income, it seems that the Third Sector sources funds from: Giving (29%); Local Government (17%); Central Government (22%); Charitable Trusts (3%); Lottery (4%); Trading and Investments (20%); and Business (4%).
In other words the nearly 37% of Third Sector income that comes from statutory sources is directly fragile as a result of the recession and the Budget. We might say the other sources are also decidedly uncertain.
The consequence, to state the obvious, is that if many social services are to be provided at all, they will need to be made available on extremely limited resources.
Many will have to be delivered in different ways, through different kinds of organisation.
The paper I’ve mentioned, for example, makes something of maximising and effectively organising volunteering and it also highlights not for profit approaches such as Cooperatives, Mutual Societies and Social Enterprises. These may not be relevant to all social services but they should be taken into account in the planning for some of them – arguably with a degree of urgency.
Clive
Thanks Clive
I think it is clear we are facing significant step change in funding, it offers an opportunity to re-define what we are doing, or more probably what needs to be done.
I came across an agency called Youthology in London http://www.youthologyuk.com it provides services for very disadvantaged black kids and it started with no money in a lane at the back of someone’s house.
The results it is achieving are stunning, however it pays 2 people and only one of them is over 25 and in our terms costs next to nothing. All of it’s effort is provided by it’s recipients. In CLC I think we have worked really hard on becoming a partnership but by the time I finished talking to them we felt like Hensol hospital!
This recession could be an opportunity to re-define service from something you ‘use’ to something you pass round.
I agree though we may have little time.
Rick
By: rickwilsontg on April 23, 2009
at 10:04 pm