Voluntary and community sector infrastructure support: the "Bristol VCS support service"

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The "Bristol VCS support service"

The "Bristol VCS support service"

Bristol City Council's proposed new service model and service delivery method is now out for consultation.
The consultation has been extended for a further week and now closes on 22 January.

Over the summer hundreds of voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups in the city shared their ideas about their support needs over the next 5 years. Many thanks to all the groups, large and small, who took the time and trouble to complete the survey and attend events. The results are attached below (see Appendix B below)

The proposed `Bristol VCS support service'

Bristol City Council has taken all your suggestions and ideas and shaped them into a proposal for a new set of VCS support or infrastructure services - we've called this proposed service the `Bristol VCS support service'. You can view this proposal in several ways:

- The quick, digested summary: see the Executive Summary (attached below)

- The proposed infrastructure support model and preferred delivery option in a stand-alone document: see Draft Commissioning Strategy extract, Section 3 (attached below)

Consultation - how to comment on these proposals

We now want to hear your thoughts about the `Bristol VCS support service' model and our preferred method of delivering VCS support services.

Focus of consultation

The main focus of the consultation process is:

exploring and refining the outcomes for the service.
refining and improving the Bristol VCS support service model
identifying priorites for key services which should be secured with the available funding, given that not all elements identified in the service model are likely to be affordable within the current funding.
identifying ways of securing maximim benefit for equalities VCS and equalities communities and expressing them in an equalities impact assessment
identifying the balance which should be made between direct, front-line services to VCS groups and the networking, representation and influencing elements of the service.
identifying potential performance indicators

Comment in writing:

- via the on-line consultation form -
If you would like a paper copy contact Keith Houghton at the email address or phone number below.

Comment in a consultation event: VCS groups are also warmly invited to attend the following consultation meetings to discuss the proposal (see the attached VCS Consultation Flyers). Contact below to book a place.

Meeting	Date	Times	Venue
Central event	Tuesday 3rd November	2pm - 4.30pm	Barton Hill
Community buildings and smaller groups VCS	Tuesday 3rd November	7pm - 9pm	Southville Centre
South event	Thursday 5th November	10am - 12.30pm	Withywood Centre

North event	Monday 9th November	2pm - 4.30pm	Greenway Centre
Refugee community VCS groups	Wednesday 11th November	12 noon - 2pm	Easton Community Centre
Disabled-led and services to disabled people VCS groups	Friday 13th November	10am - 12.30pm	Vassall Centre

BME VCS groups	Monday 16th November	7pm - 9pm	Barton Hill

Women's VCS groups	Monday 23rd November	10am - 12.30pm	Council House Committee Room
Older people VCS groups	Wednesday 25th November	10am - 12.30pm	The Park

Young people VCS groups	Monday 30th November	2pm - 4.30pm	Barton Hill
LGBT VCS groups	Tuesday 1st December	10am - 12.30pm	Council House Committee Room
Faith VCS groups	Wednesday 2nd December	7pm-9pm	Easton Community Centre

Further Information

If you have any questions, if you'd like to book a place on one of the consultation events (please let us know if you have any access needs) or if you would like a paper copy of the consultation comment form, with a Freepost envelope for return, please contact:

Keith Houghton
Email: k.houghton@bristol.gov.uk
Tel: 0117 922 4746

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