Updated: Updated detail pages to list current actions, inc. Advice Services Transition Fund; Dame Mary Marsh Social Sector Skills & Leadership Review, Lord Hodgson's review of the Charities Act 2006
Issue
Charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations (also known as the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector) exist to help others, often helping people to improve their lives and communities. A vibrant civil society can also make a big contribution to economic growth and better public services.
These organisations are sometimes frustrated by red tape or other problems, or because they don’t have the support they need to do their work.
We want to make it easier to set up and run a charity, social enterprise or voluntary organisation, and for organisations to get the help and support they need to grow and be able to carry out more of their important work.
Actions
We are removing red tape and improving regulation by:
dealing with barriers and bureaucracy identified through the Red Tape Challenge and the ‘Unshackling good neighbours’ report
introducing a new legal structure for charities - the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) - that will make it easier to set up and run a charity
putting Lord Hodgson’s recommendations from his review of the Charities Act 2006 into action
We are improving the support available to VCSE organisations by:
increasing the number of volunteers, supporters, and partners involved with the sector and helping them to adapt to new challenges through the Transforming Local Infrastructure Programme, the Strategic Partners Fund and the Advice Services Transition Fund
raising awareness of the Compact across government
helping charities and social enterprises find funding and finance and supporting the Funding Central and Contracts Finder portals
We will help the VCSE sector grow its skills and leadership talent, and manage new opportunities and risks better by:
supporting Dame Mary Marsh’s review of VCSE skills and leadership – which reported in spring 2013
running Commercial Skills Masterclasses in 2013 - with the help of the VCSE sector and private sector - to help VCSE organisations develop useful commercial skills
working with partners to support the sector’s digital capability
encouraging VCSE organisations to take advantage of community rights - helping communities take greater control of their local area
Background
The Office for Civil Society was created to support and strengthen the varied range of organisations that make up civil society. Its long term strategy is built around 3 goals:
make it easier to run a charity, social enterprise or voluntary organisation
get more resources into the sector and strengthen its independence and resilience
make it easier for civil society organisations to do business with the state
These were set out in Building a stronger civil society: a strategy for voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprises, published in 2010.
The Coalition programme for government included the government’s plans for reform and set out how government intends to give communities more power and encourage people to take an active role in their communities.
Who we’ve consulted
In May 2012, the Civil Society Red Tape Challenge put 3 questions to the public and civil society organisations (CSOs) about what they think will make it easier to be able to run or be involved in a civil society organisation:
is there red tape that stops you giving your time or money?
if you run a civil society organisation are there rules and regulations that stop you making it more successful?
should it be easier to invest in social ventures?
The Civil Society Red Tape Challenge was open to answers and suggestions from May to mid-September 2012. We are now taking action to tackle the existing rules and regulations that are getting in the way of civil society organisations.
Bills and legislation
The Charities Act 2011 provides the legal and regulatory framework for charities in England and Wales and combines previous charity legislation. The act covers important rules, such as the definition of a charity, the requirement of charities to register with the Charity Commission, and how to prepare and submit annual accounts and reports.
The Charities Act 1992 and Charities Act 2006 contain some important rules on fundraising.
Who we’re working with
As representatives of a broad cross-section of civil society organisations, the Office for Civil Society Strategic Partners help their members understand and benefit from new opportunities arising from the government’s localism, open public services and giving agendas.
The Office for Civil Society Strategic Partners programme funds 8 VCSE sector partners to:
represent the sector to government
support partners so they can become independent of government funding
support the development of a stronger civil society by running training and development activities, contributing to policy development, and working with civil society organisations
We are providing around £8.2 million in funding over the 4 year programme. The largest portion is given in the first year with the amount decreasing each year.
There are 8 strategic partners:
Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), in partnership with Euclid Network and New Philanthropy Capital (NPC)
National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) - including Volunteering England
National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA)
Locality
UK Community Foundations (UKCF) in partnership with Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF)
Institute of Fundraising
Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (School for Social Entrepreneurs, UnLtd, CAN, Plunkett Foundation and Social Firms UK)
Social Enterprise UK in partnership with Co-operatives UK
There are 3 main features to the commitments the strategic partners made as part of the programme:
Continued representation of the sector to government and vice-versa, including providing visits and events for ministers and officials – a main requirement of the programme
Office for Civil Society (OCS) Priority Themes – these are a small number of cross-cutting themes that the Strategic Partners work together on and share expertise, with an aim to achieve better results for the sector
Partners’ specific offer to the Office for Civil Society – these activities were included in their original bids to join the programme and, in many cases, involve their core activities and help support the programme’s objectives eg NCVO’s Third Sector Almanac