FOR THE VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR ONLY

CVS Brent has teamed up with Bexley VSC and Ealing and Hounslow CVS to spearhead a new quality assurance scheme – Way Up – to help local organisations.

A handful of small to medium voluntary sector organisations took part in the scheme’s pilot running from November 2020 to June 2021. The scheme provides a free framework and support to enhance work within the community.

Amongst other things the scheme helps organisations:

• Check they are meeting legal and best practice requirements;
• Spot gaps in areas like governance and fundraising and get support or signposting to fill the gaps;
• Get stronger for delivery of services and to become funder ready.  

​Founder of the scheme, Salli Ward from CVS Brent says: 

 ‘I’ve worked with small to medium voluntary and community groups for over 30 years and know that many of them would have welcomed a scheme like this. It’s proportionate to their size and free, making it a realistic option.’

Jacqueline Bobb from Bexley Voluntary Service Council agrees:

‘I’m a great advocate of quality assurance schemes. In Bexley we wanted to create something free and accessible, with another body endorsing it. We were delighted when we discovered Salli’s work and it made so much sense to work collaboratively to develop it for Bexley too. The beauty of this scheme is that voluntary and community groups will work with their local umbrella CVS group to demonstrate that they meet criteria in six key areas and then the other CVSs will check over that evidence. It gives the quality assurance further credibility.’

The six modules covered by the assurance scheme are: 

1 Governance and Organisational Planning

2 Policies and Procedures

3 People (staff/volunteer recruitment and management)

4 Monitoring and Evaluation

5 Funding and Communications

6 Participation and Consultation. 

Organisations can start with a basic healthcheck and then go on to do any or all of the six modules. 

With many community and voluntary groups facing an uncertain future as a result of Covid and lockdown, now is the perfect time to provide this additional support. To find out more contact your relevant CVS. 

Bexley: jbobb@bvsc.co.uk 

Brent: s.ward@cvsbrent.org.uk

If you are part of a CVS and would be interested in hearing about our pilot, please do get in touch.