Agenda item

SoletteSheppardson, Chief Executive Officer, gave a presentation in respect of Voluntary Support North Surrey and its work within Surrey Heath.

As a Council of Voluntary Service (CVS), Voluntary Support North Surrey (VSNS) supported the community and voluntary organisations within Surrey Heath which totalled to between 300- 400 organisations within Surrey Heath. The organisation’s aim was to empower and increase the capacity of third sector organisations. This was currently achieved by VSNS via the following means:

·         Improving organisations’ governance, by helping register charities and training trustees.

·         Helping third sector organisations put together long term strategies and giving advice on planning and future succession and funding.

·         Being the voice of the voluntary sector and providing a united voice and representing small charitable organisations at a national level.

·         Finding, recruiting and retaining volunteers and providing in-house training to new volunteers. VSNS also steered volunteers to areas of local need; directing volunteers to volunteer-hungry projects such as the Time-to-talk project.

·         Providing HR and DBS advice.

VSNS were also a lead organisation outside core CVS functions, delivering the following projects:

·         Social Prescribing.

·         The Amigo project

·         The Time to Talk Project, which was delivered in conjunction with Age Concern. The project currently served 60 individuals and alleviated isolation and loneliness. Whilst the project grew from strength to strength, demand for befrienders outstripped supply.

Resulting from Members’ questions and comments the following points were noted:

·         37% of the reasons for referrals to VSNS social prescribing services were in respect of loneliness. Whilst Age Concern had a 2-3 month waiting list for people waiting for a befriender in Surrey Heath, it was suggested that this could be attributed to a lack of common knowledge of the need for befrienders. VSNS were working to redirect resources from where there was a surplus of volunteers towards Age Concern and befriending projects.

·         Whilst those in need of a befriender were on the waiting list, VSNS recommended services such as Silver Line, church groups and community groups. However it was reemphasised the specific demand was for one-one, face-to-face befrienders.

·         As a result of increased funding from the NHS Primary Care Network, a future plan was looking to include self-referrals to the social-prescribing service.

·         7% of VSNS’s total income came from the £30,000 annual Revenue Grant supplied from the Council, which was subject to a service level agreement. £20,000 of the grant was spent on salaries, and after expenditure on rent, approximately 10% of the grant was left for spending on services.

·         VSNS were of the opinion that they were more than meeting expectations in relation to the Service Level Agreement (SLA), and were in frequent dialogue with the Council’s officers in relation to the SLA.

·         The Amigo project was funded by Surrey County Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group. The project had annual funding of £60,000 a year and had reached the fourth year of a 4 year funding term with an optional further year. VSNS officers were exploring various ways to future fund the project.

·         There was a necessity for NHS and Voluntary Sector Services to pay attention to their customer service levels when dealing with those with deafness or who are hard of hearing.

·         VSNS were currently in the process of putting together a new 5 year plan, which considered new funding strategies, and stronger partnership working.  

·         VSNS were considering new paid-for social media advertising, as a way to recruit new volunteers.

The Committee thanked Solette for her informative update, and agreed for the officers to facilitate the publishing of a VSNS article in Heathscene. It was agreed the Council would also provide social media support by sharing VSNS Social Media posts on its pages.