- Conference
- 2017 Community Service Group Conference
- Date
- 11 November 2016
- Decision
- Carried
Over the past few years the Fragmentation of the Community and Voluntary Sector has seen the decline of a number of community and voluntary organisations. This has resulted in the loss of staff and job roles leaving a void within the sector, where resources are diminishing.
Speaking at the 2016 community service group conference in Southport Stephen Thomas, from Northern region, described the community and voluntary sector as “a broken system held together by the compassion and dedication of an exploited workforce.”
Over the past year the nature of this work has dramatically changed as work areas have been broken up into smaller pieces to try and combat the effects of austerity cuts and drops in funding.
Those who are now working in the community and voluntary sector find themselves having to fulfil two or three jobs within their individual job roles; the fragmentation of the community and voluntary sector at the current rate opens the door for the sector to become privatised even more than it is now.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to organise in such a workforce where facility time is limited and workers cover a wide geographical area.
Conference therefore calls on the Community SGE to:
1. Put the subject of Fragmentation of The Community and Voluntary Sector on their 2017 Agenda for discussion.
2. Come up with a strategy as to how the community and voluntary sector can work locally and nationally to highlight what is happening to the sector.
3. Provide guidance to community and voluntary branches on how to organise in a fragmented workplace.
4. Ensure that resources are made available to provide support for all staff in community who are facing potential cuts to their terms and conditions.