Uk: Charities march on Number 10

January 31, 2006, a delegation from the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo) met the prime minister Tony Blair to gauge his resolve on third-sector contracting. Below, a report on the meeting by Stephen Bubb, Ceo of Acevo: Dear , This afternoon acevo met with the Prime Minister to discuss the role of the sector in public service delivery reform. Together with the Chair and Vice-Chair (John Low and Barbara Frost), Stephen Burke (who chairs our Public Service Reform Group), Clare Tickell (NCH), Roger Howard (Crime Concern), and Neil McIntosh (Centre for British Teachers), I made a presentation of the key issues and areas where we can work together more closely. Also present were Hazel Blears, Ivan Lewis, and Liam Byrne. The Key points were: ß Third sector/ Government relations transformed since 1997 but growing sector concerns over lack of progress on funding and contracting. ß Public service delivery debate dominated by producer interest. Citizen and consumer should come first but do not. Third sector has a unique role to play in both delivery and advocacy. ß Opportunity to radically expand sector delivery in key areas; health, education, job services, prisons and probation, and children. ß Requires funding reform and an action plan with targets to increase role and introduce ?Surer Funding? principles for contracts and funding, for reporting to the Prime Minister within a year. The Prime Minister said: ?The Government is committed to bringing public services closer to our citizens. And what’s clear is what matters to people is not who delivers these public services but that they are high-quality and accessible to all. It’s why the country’s third sector, with all its expertise and experience, is playing an increasing role – in giving a voice to the excluded, in championing the ambitions of communities and in providing services themselves. We need to make better use of its skills and deep roots in our communities to improve service delivery. In particular, we must remove the remaining obstacles which prevent the sector helping us reshape services around the needs and wishes of the public. We will work with the sector on an action plan for change. Our welfare green paper shows our commitment to giving a bigger role to the third sector in the delivery of high-quality and personalised public services. We are determined to extend this approach across Government.? At the meeting, the Prime Minister said ?We should identify areas of potential and make progress on contracting.? He will speak at a summit in the summer (to be organized) and he will take the agenda to Cabinet. Hazel Blears said she would draw up an action plan with key areas for a bigger third sector role, to be published in the spring. She said that there was a need to incentivise local authorities to improve contracts and partnerships. You will also know that the Conservatives are reviewing policy on the third sector and civil society. We will be giving evidence to them. Debbie Scott, CEO Tomorrow?s People and active acevo member, is Vice-Chair of the Social Justice Commission and we will also be channeling views (such as the need for contracting reform) through the Commission. We will write to you further on this. Stephen Bubb