A close eye on the finances…
Part of my strange and exciting view from the pot, I mean top, is deciding when and if to make further changes to an every evolving organisation. The external environment obviously has a major impact on the direction of the charity, but so has “inter sector” issues. To name but a few that are occupying a number of my grey cells this week are , the investment of our reserves, the changing relationship with service users and the deafening silence in relation to any proposals to changes to the Supporting People programme from 2009/2010 especially around the commissioning of services.
The economic down turn has eventually impacted on the public and charity sectors. So far we have been fortunate. This however, is a very fluid situation and we are keeping a close eye on all things financial. Knowing where to spread our investments is an impossible task, but one that goes to the very heart of our future development plans. Professional bodies are working hard on the sectors behalf to lobby government for some assurances, so this is another on of those “wait and see” scenarios.
The changing relationship with our service users is one of those constants that insist that we keep engaging in meaningful dialogue with people who are currently receiving our services. The worklessness agenda and a customer services approach are currently topics for debate, these issue and others may form part of a wider consultation next year.
The Supporting People programme is one of those issues that are filled with a myriad of “what ifs”. What if the programme is transferred into general contracting? What if the distribution formula reduces Kent’s overall allocation etc, etc? However the one constant that is an absolute necessity is the maintenance of high quality services and the constant drive for improvement, something I know all of us in Porchlight embrace and are committed to.
