Southend Association of Voluntary Services

Over the coming months local families will have the opportunity to have a say in how the services their children use should be run. And to make sure everyone gets a say, there will be training on offer to help people develop the skills or confidence they need to get involved.

SAVS has teamed up with The Better Start Southend programme (ABSS) to involve the local community in creating better services for Southend’s children and families.

As part of this project SAVS will introduce a range of ways that parents from the ABSS wards (Westborough, Victoria, Milton, Kursaal, West Shoebury and Shoeburyness) can get involved including :

• Parent led meetings (starting in Kursaal and Victoria wards) enabling parents to work together to identify their issues and priorities.
• Recruiting and training parent champions to help and support other parents to participate in the Better Start Southend programme.
• Developing a volunteer training programme aimed at building parents’ confidence to take part. 

ABSS is a 10-year research and development programme aiming to make Southend the best place in the country to be a child – and a parent. All the evidence shows that involving people in designing the services they use makes those services more efficient and effective.  “We want parents to be involved every step of the way: raising the problems that need solving, coming up with some answers, and working alongside staff and volunteers to help us test good ideas” says ABSS programme manager Gary May. 

SAVS Chief Executive Officer, Alison Semmence, adds: “Our member organisations are at the heart of Southend’s local communities.  We are very excited to be able to use our local knowledge to help Southend’s families have a say in the kind of services they want to see for their children.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about what SAVS is planning please contact the team by calling 01702 356069 or emailing abss@savs-southend.co.uk

SAVS carried out a survey earlier this year to ask our members how things were for them. We asked about their income, demand, issues they were facing and what they had achieved. The full survey can be found at http://www.savs-southend.org/sites/ default/files/files/State_of_sector_2016.pdf or downloaded below.

Here are some of the highlights...

The survey was sent to 360 members and 41 completed responses were received. The data is based on the 2014/15 financial year.

Total income for the 41 was £15.8 million of which £5.6 million was raised from outside Southend; Southend Council grants and contracts accounted for one third of income.

The CCG accounted for just 2% of income. Income fell by 8% from the previous year. 35% reported falling income and one third had insufficient income to cover their costs.

All but one met the funding gap from reserves.

One third reported an increase in demand for services of approximately 30%.

A key cause for concern is the rise in the complexity of people seeking help.

This has a major impact on staff, volunteers, training, supervision and time that needed to be spent with clients.

If the current trend continues the sector will not be able to meet additional demand for services.

The 41 respondents employed 657 full time equivalent paid staff.

Volunteers contributed 205,000 hours of volunteering – an economic value of £2.5 million.

Commissioners are reducing funding and expecting more collaboration which in itself incurs a mangement cost.

Funding for key work is being cut.

The Sector would welcome a co-proction apporach to planning new services or changing existing services.

This report has been shared with the Southend Health & Wellbeing Board and senior leaders in Southend.