Work with the Voluntary Sector
Reid - Howie Associates has always had strong links with the voluntary sector and we have undertaken a range of work with and for a range of voluntary organisations.
The organisations with which we have been involved have areas of expertise including:
- Criminal justice.
- Gender equality.
- Disability equality.
- Employment.
- Mental health.
- Housing and homelessness.
- Drug and alcohol misuse.
- Rural issues.
- Racial equality.
- Childcare and issues for parents.
- Issues for older people.
- Domestic abuse.
- Sexual abuse.
- Issues for lone parents.
We have also worked with umbrella organisations providing support to the voluntary sector.
We have worked with voluntary organisations on a diverse range of projects and some examples of the ways in which we have worked with voluntary organisations are described below.
Initial start up and early development
We have worked with a number of voluntary organisations in their earliest stages, through, for example, undertaking:
- Needs assessment (e.g. a feasibility study for the
development of a women's centre in Fife; exploration of feasibility of
various childcare provision; and a feasibility study for Women's Aid
provision in Orkney).
- Service audits (e.g. sexual abuse services in Fife).
- Support to Management Committees to formulate an
appropriate structure and to identify sources of funding (e.g. Fife
Women's Network; Fife Independent Disability Network).
- Assistance with the development of strategic plans or
business plans (e.g. Fife Employment Access Trust).
- Development of monitoring frameworks which meet both
the needs of the organisation and its funders (e.g. development of a
social auditing framework for ACVO).
Organisational support and development
We also support voluntary organisations with their ongoing organisational development. The support of this kind which we have given to organisations in the past has included:
- Facilitating meetings, providing administrative support
and assisting with development (e.g. Scottish Accessible Transport
Alliance; Fife Independent Disability Network).
- Providing weekly support to a key worker (e.g. West
Fife Community Drugs Project).
- Facilitating business and strategic planning (e.g.
FEAT; Fife Independent Disability Network).
- Identifying funding sources and helping with the
preparation of funding bids (e.g. Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance).
- Thorough examination of the structure, policies and
practices of an organisation (for many and varied organisations).
Service development and evaluation
We understand that one of the critical issues facing voluntary organisations is the need to both assess the quality and effectiveness of current services and to develop new services to meet demands as these arise.
Increasingly, funders require evidence of the quality and effectiveness of both the services and management of voluntary organisations before considering initial or continuation funding. Evaluation, together with on-going monitoring is essential to the long-term success of any project, and it is critical that the needs of the organisation are met by the process, as well as those of the funder. We have worked with a wide range of voluntary organisations, both to help them evaluate their own management and services, and to develop recommendations to build upon the findings of the work. These organisations include, for example:
- Drug and Alcohol Project, Levenmouth.
- Dunfermline Forum on Disability.
- Dunfermline Incest Survivors' Project.
- Federation of Tenants' and Residents' Associations.
- Fife Alcohol Advisory Service Befriending Project.
- Fife Community Interpreting Service.
- Fife Elderly Forum.
- FIfe Gingerbread.
- Fife Women's Network.
- Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance Training for Change
project.
- KAGAVO.
- Kirkcaldy Area Abuse Survivors' Project.
- Kelpie Playbus Association.
- Rymonth Housing Society.
- SCVO capacity building project.
- The Action Group, Edinburgh.
- Voluntary Organisations North East Fife (VONEF).
- West Fife Community Drugs Project.
We recognise that a key role of many voluntary organisations is that of exploring particular policy issues. Where organisations raise issues, it is often important to gather and present evidence which is built upon a thorough investigation of the issues concerned, and clear evidence of need.
We have worked with a number of voluntary sector organisations to carry out specific research. This has included examining, for example:
- Issues for people in equality groups experiencing
mental health problems.
- The transport needs of disabled people.
- The needs of women experiencing domestic abuse.
- The views of members of the public on a range of issues
relating to violence against women.
- The problems facing people with enduring mental health
problems in securing and retaining employment.
- Housing needs of disabled people.
- Funding issues for people from minority ethnic
communities.
- Funding issues for LGBT groups.
We have also been involved in work at a national level that is of key relevance to voluntary sector organisations. For example, we have completed a range of projects which focus on the provision of funding to groups, including:
- The provision of support to the national voluntary
sector funding review.
- A study of funding provision to ethnic minority communities.
- A study of funding provision to LGBT groups.
- Studies of the impact of particular funding streams.
We also completed a research report on local compacts in Scotland, and associated guidance for local partners.
Our approach to working with voluntary organisations always based upon the needs of the organisation involved.
We understand the constraints facing voluntary organisations in terms of funding, time and other resources.
We also understand the political realities facing organisations as competition for local authority and central government funding increases, and we recognise the often pressing deadlines which are set by funding organisations.
To help to meet these challenges, Reid Howie Associates can provide a service which is flexible and, above all, cost effective.
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