Third Sector Opportunities
The community equipment retail model offers new opportunities for third sector organisations. Opportunities open to the third sector include:
- Delivering a retail solution to serve community equipment users in their region
- Offering a local needs assessment service
- Becoming an accredited retailer
- Engaging as a Trustee
Since the launch of shadow running in the North West the two lead partners, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and Cheshire County Council, have successfully involved the third sector in the delivery of the service. Third sector organisations are now starting to roll out new and innovative solutions for delivering equipment in their locality. These solutions can be copied ‘as is' or adapted to suit your local circumstances and your organisation's strengths.
Cheshire County Council and PCT partnership (Western PCT and Central and Eastern PCT) have worked closely with the third sector, to set up a social enterprise within Cheshire to deliver community equipment. The proposed social enterprise is comprised of three third sector 'Independent Living Centres' (Reedsmere, Vale Royal Disability Services and the Poole Centre). The board of this new social enterprise will be made up of Age Concern Cheshire, the Disabled Information Bureau and VRDS. In Cheshire, the British Red Cross have also arranged to be an accredited community equipment retailer and are now in a position to redeem community equipment prescriptions as part of this new model.
The Partnership have also developed new relationships with the private sector to support the provision of community equipment during shadow running of the retail model. They are in advanced with the CO-OP - the first of new national retailers who will support the provision of community equipment in the future. - the CO-OP will bring their three local stores into the Cheshire scheme in the near future.
In Oldham, Age Concern Oldham were initially on the local community equipment Programme board and have now decided to become a retailer themselves. This decision led to their resignation from this programme board to protect against conflict of interest. Age Concern Oldham have now signed a letter of understanding with the council to be an accredited retailer. Age Concern Oldham are working in partnership with local community equipment distributors Ross Care and are opening their retail premises on 3 December 2007 in Oldham Town Centre.
An application to set up a social enterprise supported by local third sector organisations is also being prepared to create an Independent Living Centre in Oldham Town centre.
Third Sector Organisations Assist UK and the British Red Cross have also sat on Oldham's transforming community equipment project Board since its inception on 4 September.
Manchester City Council, who are launching shadow running on 20 November held an initial Third Sector engagement meeting on Wednesday 14 November to encourage participation. The Council is now waiting on a response from the representative groups as to how they wish to be involved and further meetings have been arranged.
DH is keen that both the third sector and the private sector use their combined and significant expertise to deliver community equipment across England in the future..