Service Level Agreement

 

Between

 

The City of York Council Communities and Equalities West Offices York, YO1 6GA York CVS Priory Street Centre 15 Priory Street York, YO1 6ET
 

 


                                                and

 

 

 

 

 

From the period 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2024

 

A grant of £48,000 plus Discretionary Rate Relief (subject to assessment)

 

 

1.   York CVS Services

York CVS is a social action organisation taking steps to make positive change, challenge issues and grow new ideas for the future which strengthen communities.  It supports local charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises in this mission, helping them focus on making a difference for individuals and their communities.

 

York CVS aims to develop strategic and operational collaborations across the city, with colleagues from all sectors in order to:

·        Support the sector to survive and thrive

·        Represent the sector and provide a voice

·        Sustain its organisational strength

·        Deliver services with a social impact

 

CVS’s Values:

 

Empowerment: we believe that people are best placed to positively influence the decisions which affect their own lives and the communities in which they live.

Learning: we believe all people are capable of growing, learning and developing throughout their lives.

Working together: we believe that people working together have greater potential to achieve their goals.

Diversity: we believe that our society is enriched by diversity.

Sustainability: we believe in living well today without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same.

Interdependence: we believe in the interdependence of voluntary and community organisations.

 

York CVS represents and advocates for the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in York. The forums they convene play a key role, transmitting ideas, views and critical challenge to and from the sector and public bodies in York. By convening these forums, York CVS works in partnership with the statutory sector to tackle inequalities of all sorts and to improve the design and delivery of services, working hard to ensure that knowledge and evidence from the VCSE sector is available to positively influence strategic decision making as well as the commissioning of services.

 

They do this by:

·        Developing relationships with commissioners

·        Contributing to strategic groups such as the Health and Wellbeing Board

·        Ensuring that the voluntary sector is represented in key decision making

 

Current major projects are:

 

Ways to Wellbeing: Social Prescribing to offer a social, rather than medical solution to empower people to achieve their personal goals.

Volunteering: Supporting voluntary action across the city by supporting VCSE groups to recruit and manage volunteers, and supporting volunteers to find the right opportunity for them.

Healthwatch York: Providing information about local services, signposting to independent complaints advocacy, making sure views about local services are taken into account when services are planned and delivered

York Human City Rights City Network:  CVS hosts the network co-ordinator for this initiative aiming to be a catalyst for York people, organisations and business to champion a vibrant, diverse, fair and safe city

 

 

2.  FUNDED AREAS

City of York Council wishes to fund the following priority areas and activities to be provided by York CVS:

 

Objectives

Overarching Aims

Activity Area

Examples of what CVS will deliver

Outputs and outcomes 

 

 

 

 

Support

for the

sector

 

To encourage resilient communities that:

 

·         are self managing and less reliant on the council and other agencies for help

 

·         are able to minimise the disruption to everyday life that unforeseen events present

 

·         enable people to be more resourceful

 

·         enable people to have more control of their own lives

 

·         ensure people are equipped and willing to play a part in community life

 

Responsive leadership support

Providing bespoke support in times of challenge / crisis

Increased organisational resilience 

Investing in learning

4 training/learning events per year

Increased sector confidence and skills

Communications support

Regularly refreshed website content, regular social media activity

Increased awareness and engagement

Leadership Development

 

Through training, coaching and peer support

A well led and more sustainable senior workforce

 

 

 

Ensuring

the sector

has a voice

Communities of interest

Themed forums around themes/areas of interest

Shared learning, planning and collaboration opportunities

Representation on boards/partnerships 

Supporting boards, groups and partnerships across the city

Strengthened sector engagement with increased leadership opportunities for the sector and a broader pool of leaders representing the sector 

Two larger vcs assemblies focusing on strategic challenges in York

Collaborative learning event around a relevant theme

Improved sector confidence and strengthened relationships with sector views fed into the city’s planning and decision-making processes

 

 

 

 

Developing resilient communities

Development of the volunteer strategy *

Jointly lead the development and delivery of the strategy

Raised awareness of the value of volunteering and social action with an increase in impact volunteering

Development of the Human Rights City Network

 

Active steering group/board member

Raised awareness of the City of Human Rights project and evidence of mobilising partners around the 5 priorities

*  The Council has provided additional £40k funding to CVS to establish the Volunteer Centre.  This funding covers the financial years 2020-22.  It is recognised that further discussion may be required with regard to the funding of the volunteer centre from 2022/23 onwards.

3.  MONITORING CONDITIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS:

·         The Council will monitor the performance of York CVS in carrying out the services outlined above. This will take place through quarterly review meetings.

 

·         York CVS will provide to the Council a monitoring report, before each quarterly meeting, against the above performance framework, to demonstrate that the funding has been used for the activity specified above.

 

·         Failure by the organisation to submit satisfactory monitoring reports as indicated may result in the Council withholding funding or terminating the agreement.

 

4. SERVICE STANDARDS, STATUTORY AND POLICY CONDITIONS

York CVS will comply with the Charity Commission requirements and any other standards or requirements appropriate to the services provided.

 

5.  FUNDING CONDITIONS:

a)      York CVS will:

·        submit to the Council its annual report and accounts for each financial year of the agreement as soon as these are available.

·        inform the Council of any significant changes to its Constitution, Management Committee or contact representative as soon as practicably possible.

 

The agreement may be terminated immediately if there is a material failure by CVS to fulfil the terms of this agreement.

 

The Council may require CVS to repay all or part of the funding if:

·        the funding is not used for the service or activity specified

·        CVS is not able to provide the service or activity specified to the agreed standard

·        CVS is wound up or otherwise ceases to exist

 

The terms of the agreement may be varied or the agreement terminated by mutual consent of York CVS and the Council.

 

SIGNATURES:

This agreement is accepted on behalf of York CVS by the authorised officers:

Position

Signature

Print name

 

 

 

 

Date

 

 

 

This agreement is accepted on behalf of the Council by the authorised officer:

Position

Signature

Print name

 

 

 

 

Date