New DCLG guidance for councils considering funding cuts to the sector

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced a new consultation on draft ‘Best Value’ guidance which sets clear guidelines for local authorities who are considering cutting funding to local voluntary and community organisations.

This follows the announcement that the Secretary of State Eric Pickles made at our Annual Conference in March, which warned local authorities against ‘any temptation to pull up the drawbridge and pass on disproportionate cuts’ to voluntary and community organisations.

The guidance sets out a number of reasonable expectations of the way local authorities should work with voluntary and community groups when facing difficult funding decisions and clear terms of engagement which build on the principles of the Compact.

Sir Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO, said: ‘The local relationship is often the most important for voluntary organisations and NCVO has been warning for some time that the vital services charities provide at a local level are being hit the hardest as a result of public spending cuts. Strengthening this crucial relationship will be fundamental to improving services for local people, achieving the best outcomes for communities, and ensuring that the voices of the most vulnerable are heard.

‘While there are many examples of good partnership working, we have also heard troubling reports of local services being slashed without consultation, adequate notice or due consideration for the needs of the communities they serve. While this guidance will not change decisions that have already been made, it remains important that the local authorities work with local organisations to mitigate the effect of further cuts.’

We would encourage NCVO members to feed in their own experiences and suggestions for the new guidance before the closing date of 14 June. Full details of how to respond are on the DCLG website.

We are also continuing to map intelligence about reductions in public sector funding for voluntary and community groups on our Voluntary Sector Cuts website, which is crucial in helping us build a fuller picture of the cuts and lobby more effectively on behalf of the sector.