North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has called on the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to ensure that voluntary organisations providing crisis intervention and support across Wales are protected in the Welsh Government’s commissioning process.
Speaking in the Assembly Chamber this week, Mr Isherwood highlighted the vital work these organisations carry out and said it is vital that they do not lose out in the process to larger organisations operating in England.
He said:
“We heard at Citizens Advice Flintshire’s Annual General Meeting this summer that the Welsh Government was moving to the commissioning of advice services. I wonder whether you could say a little bit more about that, and confirm how you will ensure that organisations operating in Wales providing critical work - not only the larger ones, but the smaller ones - in terms of crisis intervention and support are protected against the larger organisations operating in England and elsewhere in the UK, who, on a pure cost basis, are likely to undercut organisations in Wales.”
The Cabinet Secretary replied: “I’m very conscious of the difficulty that some smaller organisations have in commissioning, but we will look very specifically around the criteria expected on that, about having local connections, and making sure that they can deliver good, quality services.
“I would like to give confidence to the Member around reassuring him, and others, about the funding mechanism in place. But, of course, budgets are extremely tight at the moment, and the budget process is coming up, of course. Where services are affordable, we will deliver them, and I hope that we can give confidence to some of the smaller organisations that the criteria around that will not disadvantage them.”
Mr Isherwood added: “Two of my daughters work in third sector advice services, providing intervention and support at a time when many people are in crisis, and it is vital that organisations working locally such as these should not be squeezed out by a clumsy Welsh Government commissioning process.”