Dick Goodwin, vice president of the Taxi Charity, attended a reception at 10 Downing Street today with Rob Wilson MP and Karen Bradley MP ahead of Local Charities Day (16 December 2016).
Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, announced that the expertise and knowledge of small charities should be used to help shape and deliver public services across the country.
Three new measures have been announced as part of a programme to help tackle the challenges of getting small charities into the public service supply chain:
Public Service Incubator (PSI) Developing a placed based Public Service Incubator that helps small charities get commissioned. The Incubator will enable them to collaborate with commissioners and develop services that improve the lives of those in need. It will record the barriers that small charities encounter in this process and create guides to overcoming them.
Commissioning Kitemark
Exploring the development of a commissioning kitemark that will set out a best practice standard. Commissioners will be able to use this standard to show their commitment to small charity-friendly commissioning. It’s hoped this will lead to positive long-term change, giving the voluntary sector fair opportunities to access the public service market.
VCSE Crown Representative
Recruiting a voluntary, community and social enterprise crown representative. This role will centrally champion commissioning practices that help small charities contribute effectively to public services. It will also function as an intermediary between government and the voluntary sector.
Mr Wilson also announced that Sir Martyn Lewis will chair a voluntary sector-led implementation group on these proposals, to put them into practice.
Bottom photos courtesy of Zoe Norfolk Photography