Themes

• Communication and development
• Challenge and compliance
• Sharing and contributing

Communication and development

We have mutual respect and trust with those organisations we support, fund or commission. We communicate effectively and efficiently and provide relevant and appropriate support based on a clear understanding of needs. We share professional learning opportunities and open up development opportunities for organisations and the people they work with. Our support increases organisations’ capacity to improve and meet their aims, objectives and targets. This is resulting in positive and sustained impacts on the people and communities they work with. We learn from the organisations we support and this strengthens and improves our practice.

Challenge and compliance

We provide appropriate challenge based on robust evidence and self-evaluation. We recognise and celebrate the successes of the organisations we support. This supports organisations to grow, develop and continue to meet their intended outcomes. Our inputs enhance the capacity of the organisations we support to be reflective, outward and forward looking. This assists them to plan and respond effectively to existing local and national priorities and to adapt quickly to changing needs. We provide appropriate support, guidance and monitoring to ensure all of the organisations we fund, commission or are responsible for, comply with relevant legislation, regulation, policies and guidance. As a result, these organisations almost always meet required standards.

Sharing and contributing

We recognise and value the impact that organisations we support have on learners and communities. This includes contributing to local and wider developments when appropriate, including CLD planning. These organisations are well-connected to networks including those that we organise or lead. They can identify and articulate the difference engagement with networks makes to their practice. We support them to use research, innovative ideas and good practice from elsewhere to improve and benchmark their practice. We can demonstrate that almost all the organisations we support have an improved ability to deliver, sustain, adapt or increase provision as a result of our input.

Challenge questions

1. To what extent are the organisations we support satisfied with the services we provide?
2. How efficiently and effectively do we communicate with organisations we support?
3. How well do we understand and respond to the support and development needs of the organisations we support?
4. How successfully do we use development opportunities and training to build the capacity of organisations and their staff and volunteers?
5. How effectively do we encourage organisations we support to be creative, innovative and develop new ways of working to meet changing needs?
6. How well informed are we to provide an appropriate balance of challenge as well as support?
7. How well do we support organisations to keep up to date and meet relevant legislation, regulation, codes of practice, policies and guidance?
8. What evidence do we have of the organisation contributing to local, regional and national developments as a result of our support? How has our input supported their capacity to do this?
9. How effectively do we support networks to exchange ideas, consider research and share information and expertise?
10. How well do we support communities to develop the knowledge and skills to continue to be effective, efficient and improve their capacity to improve lives and communities?