The structure

Who steers the programme?

Six influential VCS organisations work alongside the National Children’s Bureau, to steer the programme towards meeting its aims and objectives.

NCVCCO

http://www.ncvcco.org/

NCVCCO - The National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations - aims to ensure the well being and safeguarding of children by promoting the voluntary sector's contribution to the provision of services

NCVCCO's main role on the programme is in leading the regional dimension. NCVCCO has appointed 9 regional development managers to both promote and develop the programme as well as liaise with Government Offices and regional agendas

  

NCVYS

http://www.ncvys.org.uk/

NCVYS is the independent voice of the voluntary youth sector in England. A diverse network of over 160 national voluntary youth organisations and regional and local youth networks, NCVYS has been working since 1936 to support voluntary and community organisations that work with young people.

NCVYS is taking the lead role on issues relating to services for young people. It will be developing 'Fit 4 Purpose', a quality framework for youth infrastructure networks

  

Parenting UK

http://www.parentinguk.org/

Parenting UK is the national umbrella organisation for people who work with parents. Its aim is to promote best practice in the field through the National Occupational Standards for Work with Parents, supporting good practice, keeping members informed about new developments in the field, providing opportunities for members to network and informing policy makers about best practice and what is needed.

Parenting UK is taking the lead role on parenting issues on the programme, providing support across the country and forging links with the new Single Parenting Commissioners

  

Family Welfare Association (FWA)

http://www.fwa.org.uk/

Since 1869, FWA has provided support to some of the poorest families in the country. FWA provides grants as well as social work support to people of all ages, working with them to help them solve their own problems.

FWA are particularly involved in assisiting development of the Social Enterprise strand of the programme

  

NAVCA

http://www.navca.org.uk/

NAVCA is the national voice of local voluntary and community sector infrastructure in England. Our 360 members work with 140,000 local community groups and voluntary organisations which provide services, regenerate neighbourhoods, increase volunteering and tackle discrimination, in partnership with local public bodies.

  

NCH

http://www.nch.org.uk/

NCH one of the UK's leading children's charities, helping children achieve their full potential. It supports some of the UK's most vulnerable and excluded children and young people.

NCH's Clare Tickell jointly chairs the DfES Third Sector Forum which receives quarterly reports from VCS Engage

  

NCB

http://www.ncb.org.uk/

Founded in 1963, NCB is a charitable organisation that acts as an umbrella body for organisations working with children and young people in England & Northern Ireland. Through working in partnership, sharing knowledge, resources and services we have created a powerful, authoritative and influential voice to improve the lives of children and young people.

The regional perspective

NCVCCO is leading on the regional infrastructure development component of the VCS engagement programme, and has appointed development managers for each region. The key functions of these roles are to:

• Support the strategic involvement of the children, young people and families voluntary and community sector (VCS) within the region, working with all partners to identify their ongoing support and infrastructure needs.
• Support the development of increased understanding within Government Offices and thereby the statutory sector, of issues affecting the VCS.
• Coordinate the implementation of the overall VCS Engagement programme in each region.

The regional development managers are drawn from the different voluntary sub-sectors and so collectively offer a breadth of experience. Their task is to develop the regional children, youth and families' voluntary sector infrastructure, recognising the challenges of delivering such a huge agenda in a very short timescale. These staff will be supported by a steering group set up to ensure fair representation from all sub-sectors, linking in with NCVCCO regional groups.