Capacity Building
Community Resource Centres
CS Plus is committed to using it's “not-for-profit” activities to develop more community based resources centres for local communities. To date we have purchased, refurbished and are managing a number of centres across Manchester representing an investment of over £1.2 million. Through cross referral links, alliances and partnership delivery we aim to provide a “one-stop” service to local people at each centre.
Partnership Working
Community Support Plus believes many public service contracts are more effectively delivered by community-focused voluntary and third sector organisations. This is why we have been a key driver in the formation of Manchester First, a consortium of Third Sector providers to deliver joined-up end to end service learning and employment services, adaptive to the needs of individual beneficiaries.
Manchester First will provide a unified response to Prime Contractors and commissioning bodies who want high quality delivery across Greater Manchester. The financial, social and performance value of locally run, specialist organisations will now deliver within a wider geographical and economical delivery framework
New Work Programme
The Coalition Government has recently published details on their early ideas for development of the new ‘Work Programme’.
In line with our consortium and partnership ethos Community Support Plus has developed a range of specialist capacity building services to support third sector sub-contractors so they can make more informed decisions when negotiating with Prime Contractors BEFORE signing any delivery contracts. Currently too few thirds sector (and private) SME are undertaking this vital function. Commercial Solicitors and Barristers will provide support on service level agreements and contracts. Similarly suitably qualified professionals will provide support on unit costs, advice on preparing cashflow forecasts, producing unit costs and breakeven analysis.
This will be in additional to the traditional capacity building support for example:
- Preparation of constitution, Company’s House documentation and charity registration.
- Development of policies and procedures
- Accessing capital/revenue funding (e.g. revenue funding, ESF, Community Fund, trust funding and others.)
- Roles and responsibilities of management committee members
- Health and safety
- Accessing capital and revenue funding
- Advice on employment law and legislation
- Financial management and systems
- Service delivery and quality assurance systems