The
majority of chief executives working for voluntary sector organisations believe
the Government should provide funding to support leadership development because
of the sector’s role in providing public services, research reveals.
The
study, published by the Industrial Society’s Campaign for Leadership and the
Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, finds that seven
out of 10 voluntary sector chief executives want the Government to provide
funding.
The
research also reveals that nearly 90 per cent of the 236 voluntary sector chief
executives surveyed believe there is a need for more leadership development in
the sector.
Almost
two thirds of voluntary sector organisations have not provided any leadership
initiatives and the average amount spent on training and development in this
area is only £600 a year.
Stephen
Bubb, chief executive of ACEVO, said: “The UK relies on the third [voluntary]
sector to provide a large percentage of its public services; of the one million
social carers in the UK, 600,000 work in the third sector.
“But
unless the Government provides adequate funds, CEOs will continue to fail to
receive the support that they need to develop their own skills and their
organisations – and this could threaten the UK’s public services.”
Byran
Dutton, director general of care home provider Leonard Cheshire, called on the
Government to provide training funding for voluntary organizations that provide
public services.
"The
current situation of local authorities outsourcing public services, but not the
training budget is not sustainable. All organisations regardless of sector must
receive equal treatment for the public services they provide.
“Without
this funding services will either deteriorate due to insufficient training or
voluntary organisations will be forced to draw on their limited resources to
fund this process.”
