SANDWELL VCS RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Understanding our challenges, strengths and future needs

The coronavirus situation has created huge challenge, anxiety, upheaval and change across our country and within our borough. This has affected every part of daily life for Sandwell residents and for businesses, public sector providers and of course charities and community organisations.

As local VCS organisations, many of you have already provided us with information about new activities and services which you’re putting in place to support local communities, as well as requests for support and offers of help. This feedback has been invaluable in our efforts, with local strategic partners, to secure resources for the Sector and to join up local activities. Thank you to all who’ve responded to date.

This quick survey is SEVEN SHORT QUESTIONS by which we hope to understand the picture across the wider Sector. The aim is to help us to..

·       Provide support for your organisation and others right now

·       Hear your views on current impacts in the community

·       Anticipate your future support needs and begin to plan for how we can support you and the Sector

As ever, we’ll share the report of survey findings with you via our www.scvo.info website. Individual contributions will remain STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL to SCVO and only summary information will be shared.

Don’t forget SCVO remains open for business and here to support to you. If you would like any kind of development support or guidance including funding, planning, managing change or governance help then please contact Stuart Ashmore stuart@scvo.info 07703 823226. For information on our strategic work and our regular forums contact Leona Bird leona@scvo.info 07401 255787. For information and guidance on volunteering and how to promote and involve volunteers within your organisation please contact Kim Fuller getinvolved@scvo.info 07519 120711.

If you’ve any questions about this survey please contact Mark Davis mark@scvo.info

Many thanks as ever for your help with this.

Question Title

* 1. BEFORE WE BEGIN.... What size is your organisation?

Annual income of less than £15,000

Annual income of between £15,000 and £250,000

Annual income of over £250,000

Question Title

* 2. BEFORE WE BEGIN ... Are you a volunteer-only group (ie no employees)?

Yes

Question Title

* 3. QUESTION ONE: CHANGES TO YOUR SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES: In response to the current coronavirus situation, what statement best describes how your organisation’s activities and services have been affected?

There has been no change to the ways we deliver activities and support

We have suspended all our activities

We have suspended some of our activities but others we are delivering as usual

We have suspended some of our activities but others we are providing through adapted means eg remote working and contact

We have adapted all our services and are just delivering everything in a different way

Our focus is all or mostly on new activities which we have started in response to the current situation

Or describe your current delivery here:

Question Title

* 4. QUESTION TWO: IMPACT ON YOUR ORGANISATION'S FINANCES AND RESOURCES: What has the corinavirus situation cost your organisation to date?

	Some additional costs	Significant additional costs
Additional IT costs (hardware, software, licences, etc..)	Additional IT costs (hardware, software, licences, etc..) Some additional costs	Additional IT costs (hardware, software, licences, etc..) Significant additional costs
Staffing costs	Staffing costs Some additional costs	Staffing costs Significant additional costs
Volunteer costs	Volunteer costs Some additional costs	Volunteer costs Significant additional costs
Service delivery costs	Service delivery costs Some additional costs	Service delivery costs Significant additional costs
Marketing and promotion costs	Marketing and promotion costs Some additional costs	Marketing and promotion costs Significant additional costs
Business continuity - eg remote working costs, new equipment, operational costs	Business continuity - eg remote working costs, new equipment, operational costs Some additional costs	Business continuity - eg remote working costs, new equipment, operational costs Significant additional costs

Other (please specify) - please also state if your costs have REDUCED rather than increased at this time

Question Title

* 5. QUESTION THREE: CHANGES YOU'VE HAD TO MAKE: how have you had to adapt your organisation internally?

Staff working remotely

Staff furloughed

Staff made redundant

Increasing volunteer numbers

Stopping use of sessional workers

Accessing support from local businesses

New or extended collaboration with local VCS partners

Applying for emergency funding

Accessing loan finance or overdraft facility

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. QUESTION FOUR: IMPACT ON YOUR CLIENTS AND COMMUNITIES: Given the changes or reductions in support what do you think is the likely impact on the people you support and work with?

	Some impact	Severe impact
Lack of access to basic daily provisions	Lack of access to basic daily provisions Some impact	Lack of access to basic daily provisions Severe impact
Lack of emotional support	Lack of emotional support Some impact	Lack of emotional support Severe impact
Lack of mental health support	Lack of mental health support Some impact	Lack of mental health support Severe impact
Lack of support for parents	Lack of support for parents Some impact	Lack of support for parents Severe impact
Increased risk of domestic violence	Increased risk of domestic violence Some impact	Increased risk of domestic violence Severe impact
Increased risk of being a victim of crime	Increased risk of being a victim of crime Some impact	Increased risk of being a victim of crime Severe impact
Concerns about employment status and prospects	Concerns about employment status and prospects Some impact	Concerns about employment status and prospects Severe impact
Safeguarding risks for children and young people	Safeguarding risks for children and young people Some impact	Safeguarding risks for children and young people Severe impact
Safeguarding risks for vulnerable adults	Safeguarding risks for vulnerable adults Some impact	Safeguarding risks for vulnerable adults Severe impact
Reduced support for health conditions	Reduced support for health conditions Some impact	Reduced support for health conditions Severe impact

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. QUESTION FIVE: YOUR IMMEDIATE CONCERNS AND NEEDS: What your organisation still needs today to sustain your resources and deliver your activities

	Some concern	Serious concern
Funding for staff (where existing or planned sources have dried up)	Funding for staff (where existing or planned sources have dried up) Some concern	Funding for staff (where existing or planned sources have dried up) Serious concern
Funding to meet volunteer expenses	Funding to meet volunteer expenses Some concern	Funding to meet volunteer expenses Serious concern
IT and communications equipment and know-how	IT and communications equipment and know-how Some concern	IT and communications equipment and know-how Serious concern
Funding and promoting your current services to your communities	Funding and promoting your current services to your communities Some concern	Funding and promoting your current services to your communities Serious concern
Understanding current and imminent financial risks	Understanding current and imminent financial risks Some concern	Understanding current and imminent financial risks Serious concern
Managing remote working	Managing remote working Some concern	Managing remote working Serious concern
Communicating with funders/ commissioners	Communicating with funders/ commissioners Some concern	Communicating with funders/ commissioners Serious concern
Need for appropriate public health information and advice for your clients and communities	Need for appropriate public health information and advice for your clients and communities Some concern	Need for appropriate public health information and advice for your clients and communities Serious concern

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 8. QUESTION SIX: YOUR LONGER-TERM CONCERNS AND NEEDS: What are your greatest concerns for the next 6-9 months, whether this sees a continuation of social distancing measures or normal business being resumed?

	Some concern	Serious concern
Re-engaging volunteers that previously supported your activities	Re-engaging volunteers that previously supported your activities Some concern	Re-engaging volunteers that previously supported your activities Serious concern
How to secure funding for new projects	How to secure funding for new projects Some concern	How to secure funding for new projects Serious concern
Meeting existing performance targets	Meeting existing performance targets Some concern	Meeting existing performance targets Serious concern
Funding to cover losses incurred during the pandemic	Funding to cover losses incurred during the pandemic Some concern	Funding to cover losses incurred during the pandemic Serious concern
Significantly increased client/ community need	Significantly increased client/ community need Some concern	Significantly increased client/ community need Serious concern
Re-integrating staff that have been furloughed	Re-integrating staff that have been furloughed Some concern	Re-integrating staff that have been furloughed Serious concern
Fundamental changes to your service delivery	Fundamental changes to your service delivery Some concern	Fundamental changes to your service delivery Serious concern
Beginning trading/ chargeable activity again	Beginning trading/ chargeable activity again Some concern	Beginning trading/ chargeable activity again Serious concern
Understanding new risks to your organisation	Understanding new risks to your organisation Some concern	Understanding new risks to your organisation Serious concern
Need to restructure organisation	Need to restructure organisation Some concern	Need to restructure organisation Serious concern

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 9. QUESTION SEVEN: POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS: What positive developments or opportunities arising out of the current situation have you recognised that you may wish to continue in the future?

Remote working

Remote engagement with partner organisations

Continuing innovations in service delivery that you have developed

Building on new collaborations and partnerships within the VCS

Using newly gained volunteers

Realisation that "We have greater community resilience than we thought we had in Sandwell"

Continuing collaboration across Sectors, eg with health, local authority or the private sector, that you have started

None

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 1. BEFORE WE BEGIN.... What size is your organisation?

Question Title

* 2. BEFORE WE BEGIN ... Are you a volunteer-only group (ie no employees)?

Question Title

* 3. QUESTION ONE: CHANGES TO YOUR SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES: In response to the current coronavirus situation, what statement best describes how your organisation’s activities and services have been affected?

Question Title

* 4. QUESTION TWO: IMPACT ON YOUR ORGANISATION'S FINANCES AND RESOURCES: What has the corinavirus situation cost your organisation to date?

Question Title

* 5. QUESTION THREE: CHANGES YOU'VE HAD TO MAKE: how have you had to adapt your organisation internally?

Question Title

* 6. QUESTION FOUR: IMPACT ON YOUR CLIENTS AND COMMUNITIES: Given the changes or reductions in support what do you think is the likely impact on the people you support and work with?

Question Title

* 7. QUESTION FIVE: YOUR IMMEDIATE CONCERNS AND NEEDS: What your organisation still needs today to sustain your resources and deliver your activities

Question Title

* 8. QUESTION SIX: YOUR LONGER-TERM CONCERNS AND NEEDS: What are your greatest concerns for the next 6-9 months, whether this sees a continuation of social distancing measures or normal business being resumed?

Question Title

* 9. QUESTION SEVEN: POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS: What positive developments or opportunities arising out of the current situation have you recognised that you may wish to continue in the future?

Question Title

* 10. Please share your name, organisation and contact details (optional). Thank you very much again for taking time to fill in this survey.