Voluntary Sector Organisations Research Articles

The first-aid advice and safety training (fast) parent programme to prevent unintentional home injuries in preschool children

BackgroundParenting programmes that improve understanding of the relationship between injury risk, parent-child interaction, child behaviour and child development have the potential to reduce child injuries. Educational anticipatory guidance has been...

Exploring Shared Identity Constructs between Social Enterprises and Third Sector Organisations: A UK Study

As the search for a stable definition of social enterprise/entrepreneurship continues among academics (Dacin et al., 2011), this paper explores a different angle to the debate, concerning SE identity. Previous research has shown the inherent ambiguity and complexity at play within organisational identities, and SE is unsurprisingly similar in this regard (Jones and Keogh, 2006). The play of meaning within and between the very notion of the ‘social entrepreneur’ has prompted many to acknowledge the presence of SE-activities within other types of non-profit organisation. This paper contributes to this debate by determining the presence (and absence) of an SE ‘identity construct’ across a sample of third sector organisations (TSOs). Currently, research in this part of the SE research landscape adds a very interesting angle to the popular and enduring development of SE ‘meanings’ (Jones et al., 2008, Seanor and Meaton, 2007). Indeed, a steady stream of critical studies of SE have emerged in recent years which have begun to unpick the various strands emanating from a frenzied period of activity in the global interest in SE and social enterprises (Curtis, 2008). Furthermore, academics continue to debate the effects of agency/structure on SEs, as well as the institutional influences determining either way (Battilana et al., 2009). Consequently, such work has centred on the emergence of institutional entrepreneurship (IE) in the SE conceptual space as an explanation for the variety inherent within the SE concept (Dacin et al., 2011). Therefore, there are two central research questions under investigation in this study: first, can we convincingly argue the SE refers solely to certain TSOs (i.e. social enterprises), or is SE best understood across many different TSO types? Secondly, can we locate the presence of such SE exclusivity by measuring TSO attitudes to a SE identity ‘construct’? Since such a construct does not exist, I develop one based on the recent alignments between SE and IE (Dacin, et al 2011). Based on a survey of 1200 voluntary and community sector organisations in the United Kingdom (UK), I sequentially employ exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) to understand whether and to what extent SE-traits are indeed present within TSOs. This technique, used comparatively for the first time in this area, allows for the confirmation of components within, and discriminant validity between, constructs. The measurement scale was developed following a review of the social and institutional entrepreneurship literatures, isolating three core identity ‘components’: shared vision; mobilisation of resources; and institutional values. The five-item scale was then articulated into scale-based attitudinal response questions, and tested for reliability and internal consistency (DeVellis, 2003, Hendrickson et al., 1993). Analysis shows that there are some enduring identity traits between SEs and TSOs in the UK, and the EFA approach offers a significant empirical insight into the location of these traits in TSOs. Elements of all three core components were found to be significant in the study sample: the need for innovative social responses, the strength of social vision, and attitudes to public sector constraints to growth and access to capital. The CFA component shows a high level of discriminant validity between the three constructs, showing that the three constructs each measured separate facets of SE identity. Thus the study identifies areas of core similarity between SEs and TSOs, which contravenes the view that social entrepreneurship is a distinct and separate domain. Furthermore, the paper provides a major empirical contribution to the SE literature through the development of a new scale for measuring SE identity. The findings add weight and specificity to the SE meaning debate, by showing with some confidence where and how SEs and TSOs align. This quantitative study was undertaken with the view that it might confirm (or indeed disconfirm) assumed links between the two broad organisational categories. Consequently, I hope that further research should necessarily lead to qualitative, in-depth investigation between SEs and TSOs, and adds insights into both fields.

Can nudging create the Big Society? Experiments in civic behaviour and implications for the voluntary and public sectors

One of the mechanisms through which the United Kingdom government is seeking to achieve its Big Society agenda is through nudge-style interventions. This article summarises research findings from nudge experiments, which aimed to increase civic participation, and discusses implications for the voluntary and public sectors. Nudging has modest impacts for short-term behaviour shifts, but the carrier of the nudge message may influence citizen responsiveness, demanding novel and joint approaches by voluntary and public sector organisations.

The North West London Integrated Care Pilot

The North West London Integrated Care Pilot (ICP) was launched in June 2011 and brings together more than 100 general practices, 2 acute care trusts, 5 primary care trusts, 2 mental health care trusts, 3 community health trusts, 5 local authorities, and 2 voluntary sector organizations (Age UK and Diabetes UK) to improve the coordination of care for a pilot population of 550 000 people. Specifically, the ICP serves people older than 75 years and those with diabetes. Although still in the early stages of implementation, the ICP has already received national awards for its innovations in design and delivery. This article critically describes the ICP objectives, facilitating processes, and planned impact as well as the organizational and financial challenges that policy makers are facing in the implementation of the pilot program.

Supporting moves into work: New Deal for Disabled People findings

New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP) is a voluntary programme designed to help people with disabilities and health conditions secure (sustainable) employment. It was delivered through a national network of public, private and voluntary sector organizations (known as Job Brokers). This paper discusses the impact of NDDP and how its relative success was enabled by the wider institutional environment. NDDP was cost-beneficial in both reducing incapacity-related benefit receipt and increasing the employment rate of programme participants. The institutional factors covered are: programme take-up, contract management and funding regime, and Job Brokers relationships with the public employment service, Jobcentre Plus.

Voluntary Sector Organisations Working at the Neighbourhood Level in England: Patterns by Local Area Deprivation

Geographical variations in voluntary sector activity are important where they lead to inequity in service provision and differences in the opportunity to participate in voluntary group activities. However, despite important theoretical work, very little work has demonstrated variation empirically, particularly variation at the local (neighbourhood) level. This paper, for the first time, examines nationally representative data to illustrate the very real geographical differences across England in the prevalence of voluntary organisations working at a neighbourhood scale. Overall, less deprived local areas have a much higher prevalence than more deprived local areas. While certain kinds of organisations are more prevalent in more deprived areas, including those working in the field of economic well-being, this reflects the presence of organisations which receive public funds. These patterns are consistent with a key element of ‘voluntary sector failure’, resource insufficiency, and the important role of government in ensuring resources are available in areas of particular need.

Visibility and voice in organisations

PurposeThe paper aims to focus on the activism of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people and their allies within work organisations. Specifically, it explores whether LGBT trade union groups and company employee network groups provide mechanisms for visibility, voice and activism for LGBT employees within UK organisations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on in‐depth interviews with 149 LGB employees within 14 UK case study organisations. These took place within four local authorities, three fire and emergency services, two national voluntary sector organisations and five private sector organisations between 2004‐2006. In addition, 55 in‐depth interviews with management, trade union and LGBT company employee network group representatives within the organisations plus analysis of company and trade union web sites and publications provided information on organisation policy and practice. Interviews were conducted using a semi‐structured interview schedule and the data collected were coded and analysed with the assistance of Nvivo software.FindingsThis paper outlines the history of LGBT trade union groups and company employee network groups within the UK. It found that both LGBT trade union groups and company employee network groups have provided important and at times complimentary mechanisms for visibility, community and voice for LGBT employees. However, the paper recognised that LGBT company network groups were relatively “new actors” within the case study organisations and suggests that some early gains may have been those which companies were willing to concede. It concludes that more research will be needed to see whether both LGBT trade union and company employee network groups can maintain their momentum during a time of economic recession as equality and diversity budgets are squeezed.Originality/valueA decline in trade unions and increasing non‐unionisation despite labour movement revitalisation campaigns has meant that there is growing interest in whether employee network groups can provide meaningful avenues for “employee voice” in both unionised and non‐unionised workplaces. The paper addresses a gap in knowledge by focusing firstly on LGBT activism in the workplace and secondly on the rationale for and development of LGBT trade union and company employee network groups as mechanisms for “employee voice” for LGBT employees.

Perceptions of Board Chair Leadership Effectiveness in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Organizations

This article reports on the results of a multi-year, multi-phase international quantitative research investigation into perceptions of board chair leadership impact in nonprofit and voluntary organizations in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Specifically, this research tests four hypotheses and a hypothesized model derived from theoretical perspectives on chair leadership effectiveness that emerged when the results of a prior grounded theory research investigation were reviewed ex post facto through the lens of leadership literature (see Harrison and Murray, NPML, accepted). The purpose of this phase of the research is to determine: (a) whether there is empirical support for the theoretical perspectives advanced; and (b) which perspective offers the best explanation for why some board chairs are perceived as having more impact in the role than others. The results suggest chair leadership effectiveness is best understood as a multi-dimensional theoretical construct explained by more than one leadership theory. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings and directions for further research.

‘Five things i would like a community specialist palliative care service to provide’ – a novel approach

BackgroundIsabel Hospice provides care for a population of 350,000 across eastern Hertfordshire. Changes in our population and an increasing focus on choice in place of care have resulted in a...

Challenges of setting up psychiatric services in Nepal: Lessons from the first year of Janakpur Project

In Nepal psychiatric services outside big cities are virtually non-existent. This paper reports the observations and findings of a mental health project jointly run by private and voluntary sector organisations at Janakpur in southeast Nepal. The services included monthly outpatient clinics, day care, home visits and psychiatric training for medical students. At the monthly clinic, altogether 396 patients attended the service in 2009: a high proportion had psychoses (30% schizophrenia and 25% bipolar disorder); most (54%) were young; they came mainly from rural areas. Medical students also benefited from the clinical exposure, but the intake of the day care service was poor. The overall success of the innovative project shows how low-cost basic psychiatric services can be delivered in Nepal by private and voluntary sectors in the absence of state health care system.

Integrating partner professionals. The Early Explorers project: Peers Early Education Partnership and the health visiting service

A range of voluntary sector organizations are involved in the delivery of services to children, particularly within the Early Year's sector and children's centres. Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP) Early Explorers project is one example of the way in which explicit partnerships are being forged across statutory and voluntary sectors with the aim of improving outcomes for children and families. This paper reports an exploration of stakeholder views and experiences of two Early Explorer clinics located in areas of high deprivation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of stakeholders (n= 25) from children's centres, PEEP, the health visiting service and service users. Data were fully transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach. The data suggest that the two key groups of stakeholders providing Early Explorer clinics (i.e. health visitors and PEEP practitioners) had quite different objectives in terms of their early goals for the clinic, but that despite these differences good progress was achieved in terms of working together effectively. All stakeholders including service users referred to the presence of PEEP as having improved the quality of the clinic environment, and participating mothers identified a wide range of benefits from the enhanced service. However, somewhat restricted views about the role of practitioners within the clinics were identified by users, and the findings suggest that although the early goals for the clinic had been exceeded, these may have been limited in terms of true 'partnership' working. Early Explorer clinics appeared to have enhanced the service provided within traditional child health clinics and to have provided practitioners with access to hard-to-reach families and parents with access to services that are consistent with the broader policy aims of improving parent-infant interaction. However, questions remain as to whether the benefit of 'partnership' working was fully realized.

What can those who govern, manage and support voluntary sector organisations learn from a Merseyside knowledge exchange scheme?

This paper attempts to identify what lessons can be learned from a student knowledge exchange scheme on Merseyside. What do voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) gain from such collaborations? What do their gains indicate about the policy context in which these organisations function? And what do the gains demonstrate about the future potential for community/university knowledge exchange schemes? On Merseyside, small VCOs engaged with the scheme in order to generate evidence for sustainability in a competitive marketplace where fragile organisations and the deprived communities they serve struggle for resources.

Mark Sidel: Regulation of the Voluntary Sector: Freedom and Security in an Era of Uncertainty

Have we gone too far in enacting laws, promulgating regulations and announcing policies that threaten freedom of association, either now or ‘in waiting’ for the future? It is a difficult question that Sidel seeks to answer, at least according to the back matter of this volume of essays on the recent history of regulation of the voluntary sector. Several of the essays in the volume have been published earlier, such as the chapter on the US and India. The addition of new essays on the UK, Canada, and the European Union make for a volume rich in details on the impacts of counter terrorism law around the world. These impacts have been profound. Following the 9/11 attacks, states around the world have broadened their surveillance of voluntary sector organizations in order to prevent future acts of terrorism. Each chapter deals with the specifics of this proliferation of counter terrorism law in a country. Cases of suspected organizations are documented, putting the reader in the shoes of a government agent trying to assess the level of terrorist threats. Along the way the reader learns a lot about the structure of the voluntary sector, the regulation of charities, and definitions of terrorism. Sidel defends the rights of citizens to freely associate themselves, pitting that right against the efforts of governments to prevent terrorism. After the 9/11, attacks many governments have implemented new legislation that goes well beyond previous legislation. Counter terrorism financing laws that have been enacted around the world have put voluntary sector organizations under closer scrutiny and have restricted their operations. The consequences of these laws have been far reaching and sometimes unexpected, as the book illustrates. An example (not given in the book) is that academic research on philanthropy in the Netherlands came under supervision of a unit at the Ministry of Justice. The consequences discussed in the book are those that pose difficulties for voluntary sector organizations. International relief organizations working in countries where terrorists are trained or

Voluntary sector HRM: examining the influence of government

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the practice of human resource management (HRM) in the UK voluntary sector. In recent years many voluntary sector organisations have experienced a changing context, where they have become increasingly involved in contracting for the provision of publicly funded services. This paper examines the suggestion made by a number of commentators that as a result the government has exercised influence over the way in which human resources are managed in this sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses data from the Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 (WERS 2004) to examine HRM practice in the voluntary sector and compares this with the public and private sectors.FindingsThe findings show that most voluntary sector organisations have adopted performance‐oriented HR practices, communication and involvement schemes, and welfare‐oriented practices. This suggests a departure from the relatively unsophisticated HRM that has traditionally been found in the voluntary sector and which may be as a result of the influence of government on HRM standards in the sector.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research, which adopts a longitudinal approach, would allow the impact of government influence on HRM practices in the voluntary sector to be examined in more depth.Originality/valueThis paper represents a rare examination of HRM practice across a wide range of voluntary sector organisations and provides insight into the potential influence of government on HRM in the sector.

A gathering storm: re‐tendering and the voluntary sector workforce

PurposeThis paper aims to consider the impact of the European Union procurement regulations. It assesses the impact of the re‐tendering of services on the terms and conditions of employment and sense of well being, and commitment of employees in the social care sub‐sector of the voluntary sector.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a qualitative study of three organisations utilising semi‐structured interviews with managers and employees.FindingsThe process of re‐tendering is creating intensified competition and the breakdown of co‐operation between voluntary sector organisations. Re‐tendering also has an impact on employee terms and conditions with related problems arising with regard to their morale and commitment.Research limitations/implicationsThis remains a relatively small‐scale piece of research and there is also scope to consider how these issues are played out in private, as well as voluntary sector organisations.Practical implicationsThe research highlights the potential tensions between creating greater competition and a search for value for money in the tendering and re‐tendering of services on voluntary organisations' raison d'être and the sense of commitment of employees.Originality/valueThere is little research examining the human resource aspects of re‐tendering and this research provides an important step in surfacing a number of emergent issues for how voluntary organisations manage the people dimension of the re‐tendering process.

Outsourcing, public sector reform and the changed character of the UK state‐voluntary sector relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to trace the origin and development of the increased use of the voluntary sector in the delivery of public services in the UK and to identify both the threats and opportunities that this policy poses. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses government documents to examine policies and models for change. This is located within a discussion of the literature around the developing role of the voluntary sector in public service provision against the backdrop of wider neo-liberal public sector reform. Findings – New Labour laid the basis for a major expansion in the use of the voluntary sector in public service provision as part of its public service reform programme. It did so with a range of sometimes contradictory justifications. The policy is now being extended by the new coalition government. Research limitations/implications – The process of change outlined in the paper is continuing, so it is not possible to make conclusive statements regarding its impact. Further research will be required to monitor the effects. Practical implications – Alerting the voluntary sector organisations to the potential problems of large-scale involvement in public service provision may assist them in retaining their independence and effectiveness. Originality/value – The paper contributes to a necessary (and overdue) assessment of the impact of the changed role of the voluntary sector in public service provision on the sector itself, the services provided and the surrounding framework of accountability.

Different yet complementary: Two approaches to supporting victims of sexual violence in the UK

This article explores the strengths and limitations of two different types of settings that provide specialist support to victims of sexual violence in the UK: Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and voluntary sector organizations such as Rape Crisis. Qualitative data from six case study sites and quantitative data from 35 sexual violence projects in England and Wales revealed that the type of setting affected the types of referrals received and this, in turn, shaped the services required by victims and thus the nature of the work preformed. Consequently, each type of project had different emphases in their workload with which they were particularly well equipped to handle. Each type also had its own unique challenges; for example, while there were notable benefits from delivering support in partnership models, such as SARCs, their affiliation with statutory partners was perceived by some as a disadvantage, especially for those seeking support in relation to historical sexual abuse. On the other hand, those delivering support in voluntary sector projects had to work harder to establish and maintain relationships with other agencies, but their independence was seen to be greater and this was perceived as a strength for gaining access to victims and maintaining their confidence. Both approaches had notable benefits and, given the diverse array of sexual violence victims in any given area, providing these two different, yet complementary, approaches to supporting them is recommended.

Exploring the relationship between the voluntary sector and the state in criminal justice

Voluntary sector organisations (VSOs) have a long history of engagement with offenders. Recent policy developments have aimed to increase their participation in the criminal justice system, leading to considerable speculation about the impact on the sector's independence and ethos. This paper draws on qualitative interviews with stakeholders in the voluntary sector and criminal justice fields to explore the effects of such developments on the relationship between the sector and the state, including the implications of opening the criminal justice market to VSOs, gaps between the rhetoric and reality of commissioning, and the potential loss of the sector's distinctiveness and critical voice.

A new age of interdependence: managing relationships between the voluntary sector and government

The voluntary sector's engagement in policy development and public service contracting has had a major effect on its relationship with the state. This paper reports the findings from interviews with five chief executives on the subject of independence vis-à-vis government. While there is evidence to suggest that contractual funding arrangements do impose certain constraints, of greater concern are poor working relationships between commissioners and voluntary sector contractors. It is further argued that when it comes to debates around voluntary sector independence, the concept of ‘interdependence’ better conveys the new environment in which many voluntary sector organisations operate.

Identity, emotion and the internal goods of practice: a study of learning disability professionals

Contemporary transitions in the delivery of health and social care are a global phenomenon. They prompt a particular need to reconsider how quality in relation to professional practice should be understood and whether greater importance should be attached to values such as goodwill, altruism and commitment. Based on a qualitative study of a small voluntary sector organisation in the North of England, this paper addresses how changes in policy articulate with the identities of professionals who work in learning disability services. Drawing on MacIntyre's After Virtue, which is discussed in relation to some recent sociological debates on emotion, it is suggested that professionals have an emotionally based commitment to their work as well as to the people they work with. Professional commitment is embedded in a coherent sense of self that problematises traditional binaries between the private and the public, and the cognitive and affective. The participants in this study appeared to pursue what MacIntyre terms the 'internal goods' of practice; they valued being able to work innovatively and responsively with service users. It is suggested that this requires a particular type of relationship with oneself, with others, and with practice, which engenders a criticality towards dominant professional discourses.