At RCVS we support voluntary organisations in Renfrewshire. We were the lead partner of ROAR, a Public Social Partnership (PSP). PSPs are a new way of designing and delivering public services. The PSP approach was used to provide a befriending service for older adults and make the most effective use of resources. We brought together a range of organisations that had expertise in different aspects of care for older people, to work in partnerships with representatives from the Local Authority.
We hoped to learn more about PSPs by actually forming one, and to increase opportunities for voluntary organisations to win contracts from the local authority. It was also important that we design a high quality befriending service which really made older people feel good about themselves.
This work was part of the Social Economy Scotland (SES) programme. SES was a Development Partnership funded by the European Community’s EQUAL initiative.
What were the issues?
• Voluntary organisations are often short of resources.
• They may also duplicate each other’s work.
• Officers who procure services may not understand the benefits of working with the voluntary sector.
• Voluntary organisations do not always feel in a strong position to compete for contracts.
• Older people are often isolated in their homes, this affects their self-confidence,
