Pioneering work by Cumbria County Council has been given a special mention in today's Budget.
The county has been chosen by HM Treasury as one of four national partners to investigate how the voluntary sector delivers public services and how both national and local governments can improve their support for the voluntary sector, also known as the third sector.
The Chancellor's 2006 Budget contains the following statement: "As a further step towards supporting the third sector this Budget announces the participation of Cumbria, Portsmouth, Tower Hamlets and Dorset Councils as local area pathfinders who have committed to explore ways in which the third sector can add value to the delivery of local services. The pathfinders' approaches will be shared with other councils through key national partners."
Earlier this week HM Treasury staff visited Carlisle to help kickstart the programme, which is expected to last for four months. Cumbria County Council will be working with partner organisations including Citizen's Advice Bureau, Community Transport and Councils for Voluntary Service in developing best practice in procurement, increasing capacity in the voluntary sector and examining how the voluntary sector compares with the private sector in delivering services.
"When you buy in services from the voluntary sector you're often buying in more than you think. You get levels of commitment that the private sector could never hope for. There's also a maze of income streams into the voluntary sector that means their services are often very competitively priced. This scheme is all about defining the parameters of the 'add-on extras' that the voluntary sector delivers," said Councillor Ian Stewart, cabinet member responsible for finance and central services.
"Choosing Cumbria alongside Portsmouth, Dorset and Tower Hamlets will give the Treasury a wide range of information to work with. Tower Hamlets has dozens of service providers clustered in one area. In Cumbria the population is a lot more dispersed and the number of service providers is smaller. We'll be able to rural-proof policies that could be rolled out across the country," said Councillor Stewart.
Ivan Lewis MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: "I am delighted that Cumbria County Council has agreed to be a local area pathfinder exploring how it can work more effectively with voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises to deliver better public services for the people of Cumbria.
"Over recent years we have seen much stronger partnerships develop between the voluntary and community sector and local authorities, and I welcome the commitment of Cumbria County Council to take a further step in this direction," he said