Regional Strategic Cross-sector Partnership for the Third Sector

About the Regional Strategic Cross-sector Partnership for the Third Sector

Welcome to the web pages for the Regional Strategic Cross-sector Partnership.
Here you will find information about what the RSCP is; when it meets and what happens at these meetings; why it exists; and what its aims are.

The South East Regional Strategic Cross-sector Partnership for the Third Sector (RSCP) is a group that has emerged from the ChangeUp Regional Consortium. It is funded by Capacitybuilders through the Consortium Development Fund.

Why is there an RSCP?
When ChangeUp was introduced in 2004, Government Office for the South East (GOSE) established a Regional Consortium of stakeholders from the voluntary/community sector (VCS) and statutory sectors to help it implement the programme in the South East. This consortium was made up from cross sector organisations at regional and sub-regional level, including GOSE, the Regional Development Agency, the Big Lottery Fund, local authorities, regional, county, district and front-line VCS and diversity groups.

For more background information on the previous Regional Consortium please click here .

Evaluations of both the ChangeUp programme and of the Regional Consortium showed strong feeling about the need for a representative cross sector regional body that would have an influencing role with a focus on the third sector. This type of body was seen as essential in order to provide the glue, translation and connectivity between local, regional and national policy and implementation. It would also provide the 'think tank' and 'voice' function that both statutory and third sector organisations felt was needed. The joint Treasury and Office of the Third Sector (OTS) report 'The Future Role of the Third Sector in Social and Economic Regeneration' and Capacitybuilders' 'Destination 2014', both published in 2007, highlight the importance of this kind of influencing work.

Policy initiatives such as new style Local Area Agreements, the sub national review of economic development and regeneration (SNR), the Strategic Review of Department of Health Funding of Third Sector Organisations and the work of Capacitybuilders will all have a significant impact on the role, delivery and funding of the third sector and its relationship with government and its agencies. The RSCP will work with the third sector and statutory agencies at all levels, to provide an advocacy and influencing role.

Ultimately the RSCP would like to see a strong and thriving third sector in the South East which has an influential role with Government and other strategic organisations in the public and private sectors, this would be demonstrated by:

- An effective relationship between third sector and public agencies acrossthe region;
- Public agencies positively supporting and appropriately fundingdevelopment of robust third sector support services across the region;
- Third sector services demonstrating increased effectiveness, efficiencyand sustainability, benefiting from shared good practice, strengthenedadvocacy and voice and a positive relationship with statutory agencies.

The RSCP has the following sub groups:

Local Area Agreements (LAA) sub-group

The sub-group has three aims: to act as a cross sector reference group to GOSE and OTS; support regional co-ordination of third sector voice in local strategic partnerships and LAAs; provide intelligence, good practice and demonstration on third sector engagement. As part of this agenda, RAISE is undertaking a research project to look at third sector engagement in the LAAs.

ICT sub-group

This sub-group is still forming but plans to build on the recommendations from the ChangeUp regional ICT programme and the work of the regional ICT champion.

Regional Compact sub-group

This sub-group, chaired by GOSE, aims to develop a draft regional Compact for consultation and increase understanding and appreciation of the Compact to key partner organisations while identifying barriers and constraints to successful Compact working. The draft regional Compact is currently out for consultation and can be found here .

RIO sub-group

The regional infrastructure organisations group has been meeting for several years but has now agreed to sit under the RSCP to monitor specialist regional infrastructure support, its links to LAAs and how specialist organisations make the links to local consortia. There are several RIO members on the RSCP.

Additionally the RSCP is considering work around commissioning and building on the findings of the South East ChangeUp 'Funding and Finance' report. There may also be a sub-group on the SNR.

Membership of the RSCP

The membership of the RSCP is wide so that members bring a range of perspectives to the meetings. There are perspectives from:

- VCS (regional, local consortium, frontline and specialist);
- social enterprise;
- GOSE;
- South East England Development Agency (SEEDA);
- the Regional Assembly;
- local authority (county and borough level);
- statutory agencies (health, Learning and Skills Council, Job Centre Plus);
- funders (Capacitybuilders, Big Lottery Fund).

The RSCP is chaired by Jacinta Thorley from South East Rural Community Council and the Secretariat is provided by RAISE. RAISE is the accountable body for the RSCP. Click here to see the current list of members.