The current financial climate and the cuts and efficiency savings still to come are worrying for many people. VAC is working on a number of fronts to promote voluntary sector provision and maximise the sector's opportunities to come through the funding squeeze robustly:

• through our Voluntary Sector Market Development Programme, we are helping providers to:
  • engage with Personalisation (click here for more information) and other key commissioning issues
  • receive information on new opportunities and developments
  • engage and debate with senior figures at the Council and NHS Coventry through events
  • develop better 1:1 relationships with individual commissioners
  • review the capacity and position of their health and social care services
  • engage in Partnership Boards
  • receive direct funding through the Innovation and Development Fund to directly expand NHS Coventry's voluntary sector market

• working with the elected Third Sector Assembly steering group, we are in discussions with Council Chief Executive Martin Reeves, Director of Community Services Brian Walsh, the Social Investment Business and other senior Council officers about new ways of working between the sector and the Council, including potential new markets and new delivery models (based on collaborative or consortium working) - click here for more details

• through our Compact work, we are helping organisations to challenge alleged unfair sharing of risk through changes in funding mechanisms such as moves to replace block contracts with ‘call-off' frameworks - click here for more details

• through our Funding Advice & Group Support and Quality & Governance projects, we are enabling providers to access expert advice and training on:
  • funding opportunities
  • quality systems
  • governance
  • general organisational development

We are always keen for providers to keep us informed on specific issues to inform our lobbying role on behalf of the sector and also to see what assistance might be appropriate to you - please speak in confidence to a member of VAC staff.