Who's Listening to the Big Society?

We have recently published a report about the voice and influence of voluntary and community organisations across the South West. It looks at voluntary sector forums and assemblies, and how far they include marginalised groups such as asylum seekers and refugees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities. You can access the report, case studies and recommendations at www.southwestforum.org.uk/whoslistening.





Below is an article about the report that I wrote for the Exeter Express & Echo:

Don't let us be seen but not heard

MOST people will have heard David Cameron talk about the "big society". He has described it as "the biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power from elites in Whitehall to the man and woman on the street".

It's a bold vision and one that probably most people in Exeter would support. Who doesn't think it's a good idea for decisions to be made as locally as possible rather than by remote national bureaucracies? Who would disagree with the view that charities, voluntary groups and volunteers should be supported and encouraged?

But while the rhetoric is powerful and seductive, the reality is that the big society philosophy and the policies associated with it are being pushed at a time of severe cuts in public spending. While councils in Devon are generally supportive of the voluntary sector there is still a real risk that some key organisations and services will close or be severely cut back just as government is asking them to do more.

There will of course be people and communities in the Exeter area who are able to take on services that the state can no longer afford. Some places will be able to staff a volunteer run library, maintain a community centre or keep the crucial services of their local children's centre going through voluntary effort. But I know there will also be many places that don't have the time, skills or confidence to take on more. I worry that decent public services could become the preserve of wealthier communities where people have resources and time to get involved.
The reality is that Exeter and other parts of the South West already have a strong and active charity sector and some of the highest levels of volunteering in the country. The pages of the Echo would be much sparser without stories of the hard work of charities and volunteers. Is there really a massive untapped pool of voluntary effort just waiting to be unleashed by the "big society"?

Whether this is the case or not it is extremely important that communities, charities and voluntary groups in Exeter have a real say in how their councils, the NHS and the police roll out plans for public services. If you are expected to do more shouldn't you have a say in what this means, how you can respond, what you can and cannot do? Charities and communities know how things work on the ground. And their knowledge of what is needed in Wonford or Alphington or Heavitree complements the work of local councillors. The two are not in competition.
Public bodies need the intelligence, local knowledge and intimate understanding of the experiences of service users that voluntary groups can provide. If councils, the police and the health service don't talk and listen to community groups, they will simply not make good decisions about what services to deliver or how to solve difficult social problems.

It is against this background that I wrote South West Forum's latest report Who's Listening to the Big Society, downloadable from www.southwestforum.org.uk. I found that across the South West support for voluntary organisations to engage with public sector decision-making is all but disappearing. Groups are finding it increasingly difficult to be heard and are often excluded from decision making altogether. Worryingly, our survey found that 50 per cent of local organisations that support and represent the local voluntary sector thought they would have less influence in a year's time.

The government envisages a "big society" in which power is devolved to communities but how can that happen when there is less and less opportunity for voluntary groups to be heard? We are very concerned with the impact of these changes on equality and the implications for groups such as asylum seekers and refugees, who are already marginalised.
We are calling on government to send a clear message that charities and community groups must be supported to have a voice in decision-making. The forum wants the new health and wellbeing boards and local enterprise partnerships being established to learn from the successful partnerships and initiatives of the past, such as the Exeter Take Part programme. And we urge those running charities and voluntary groups in the Exeter and elsewhere to work with organisations such as Exeter CVS, Exeter Community Initiatives and the Devon Consortium to ensure that they are genuinely engaged in public decision-making.

Otherwise I fear there is a real risk that voluntary groups will be seen but not heard.
South West Forum was set up in 1999 by local voluntary and community organisations seeking a stronger voice and greater influence. It supports voluntary and community organisations by providing information and improving communication, lobbying, influencing policy and decision making; supporting and strengthening local support services; making connections and supporting collaboration; promoting the social and economic value of voluntary & community action.

For more, call 01392 247901.

I'd welcome your thoughts and comments here or on the www.thisisexeter.co.uk website.