Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) Children & Young People's Services Forum

Supporting Leicestershire and Rutland Voluntary & Community Sector

Much of the Partnership Officer's work centres around developing the VCS Children & Young People's Services Forum which was launched in November 2005.

"The overall purpose of the Forum is to help improve outcomes for children and young people in Leicestershire and Rutland local authority areas by promoting and enabling engagement between the Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) and Health Agencies, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Authorities and other relevant partners to develop and implement plans for children & young people’s services in the local area." (Terms of Reference, June 2007)

Aims include to:

• Enable and support co-ordinated voluntary and community sector representation in relevant strategic multi-agency forums and structures (i.e. developing children’s trust arrangements)
• Provide an information/support resource for voluntary and community sector organisations in relation to children and young people’s services and national/local developments

The Forum does not have formal membership but services / is open to relevant VCS, not for profit organisations/groups.

Practical operation of the Forum revolves around

• A VCS Forum Executive Group (formerly called the Forum Working Group) to act as the Forum’s directing/decision making body (see below)
• An e-network / contact database
• The CCP website (this website)
• Facilitation of events

The Forum Terms of Reference and a draft diagram of the Forum’s developing structure are available for download here. The terms of reference also include information in relation to the VCS Forum Executive Group.