Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ

The Third Sector is made up of thousands of organisations and groups involving and supporting communities of place and communities of interest. As identified earlier in this Scheme, there is a strong argument for viewing these collectively as a distinctive Third Sector. Whilst this is the case, we must also acknowledge the diversity of the Sector, and within it the vital role of small, volunteer led community groups. It is important that the relationship between Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖand the Third Sector takes account of this diversity, and serves to highlight the importance of strengthening grass roots organisations that focus on local and small scale delivery.

The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government’s focus is very much on the philanthropic and social action taking place at a community level that contributes to a rich civil society and improves people’s quality of life in Wales. This local community action highlights the importance placed on responding to experiences and needs on a daily basis. It is often at this very local neighbourhood or family level that Third Sector organisations can make the greatest difference. Its accessibility and responsiveness is one of the sector’s greatest strengths.

With this in mind, the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖrecognises community development as ‘people working together, on issues they identify, to bring about change through collective action’. It is a process, translating into actions to improve the social, economic and environmental well being of communities, meeting the needs and aspirations of those communities through the combined efforts of the community and the organisations which serve it.

The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖbelieves that the collective strength of communities and their partners needs to be harnessed to find shared solutions to shared problems. This is at the heart of co-production. The problems that face our communities rarely have one cause or affect only one part of people’s lives. It is recognised that communities themselves are often best placed to identify problems with existing services or gaps in services. Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖsupports seeking collaborative solutions, whereby people and communities work with service providers to design, deliver, and monitor and evaluate the service (this is widely recognised as co-production).

The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖhas endorsed the National Principles of Public Engagement in Wales, a set of 10 principles aimed at increasing an effective and consistent approach to Public Engagement across Wales.

The National Principles of Public Engagement in Wales:

1. Engagement is effectively designed to make a difference.
2. Encourage and enable everyone affected to be involved, if they so choose.
3. Engagement is planned and delivered in a timely and appropriate way.
4. Work with relevant partner organisations.
5. The information provided will be jargon free, appropriate and understandable.
6. Make it easier for people to take part.
7. Enable people to take part effectively.
8. Engagement is given the right resources and support to be effective.
9. People are told the impact of their contribution.
10. Learn and share lessons to improve the process of engagement.

These principles complement the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government’s National Standards for Children and Young People’s Participation.

The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖvalues volunteering as an important expression of citizenship and as an essential component of democracy. It is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society and the community and can take many forms. It is undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain.

The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖwill maintain a Volunteering Policy [to be published separately and not part of this Scheme]. This will be developed jointly with the Sector through the TSPC, and will:

• seek to improve access to volunteering for people from all sectors of society
• support efforts to ensure that unnecessary barriers do not deter people from volunteering
• make it easier for people to participate in volunteering
• encourage the more effective involvement of volunteers
• raise the status and improve the image of volunteering