Third Sector Scheme

This Scheme is made under Section 74 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 which requires Welsh Ministers to make a scheme setting out how they propose, in the exercise of their functions, to promote the interests of relevant voluntary organisations. Section 74 is set out below. This Scheme uses the term “third sector” instead of voluntary sector and the term “third sector scheme” instead of voluntary sector scheme.

Section 74

1. The Welsh Ministers must make a scheme (“the voluntary sector scheme”) setting out how they propose, in the exercise of their functions, to promote the interests of relevant voluntary organisations.
2. In this section “relevant voluntary organisations’’ means bodies (other than local authorities or other public bodies) whose activities:
   1. are carried on otherwise than for profit, and
   2. directly or indirectly benefit the whole or any part of Wales (whether or not they also benefit any other area).
3. In determining the provision to be included in the voluntary sector scheme, the Welsh Ministers must consider how they intend to exercise such of their functions as relate to matters affecting, or of concern to, relevant voluntary organisations.
4. The voluntary sector scheme must specify:
   1. how the Welsh Ministers propose to provide assistance to relevant voluntary organisations (whether by grants, loans, guarantees or any other means),
   2. how the Welsh Ministers propose to monitor the use made of any assistance provided by them to relevant voluntary organisations, and
   3. how the Welsh Ministers propose to consult relevant voluntary organisations about the exercise of such of their functions as relate to matters affecting, or of concern to, such organisations
5. The Welsh Ministers:
   1. must keep the voluntary sector scheme under review, and
   2. may from time to time remake or revise it.
6. Before making, remaking or revising the voluntary sector scheme, the Welsh Ministers must consult such relevant voluntary organisations as they consider appropriate.
7. The Welsh Ministers must publish the voluntary sector scheme when they make it and whenever they remake it; and, if they revise the scheme without remaking it, they must publish either the revisions or the scheme as revised (as they consider appropriate).
8. If the Welsh Ministers publish a scheme or revisions under subsection (7) they must lay a copy of the scheme or revisions before the Assembly.
9. After each financial year the Welsh Ministers must:
   1. publish a report of how the proposals set out in the voluntary sector scheme were implemented in that financial year, and
   2. lay a copy of the report before the Assembly.

This legislation requires Welsh Ministers to make a Scheme. The Third Sector Scheme is a statement of Welsh Ministers’ intent in taking forward their relationship with the Third Sector and the 2006 Act does not provide that it has any binding effect. There may be circumstances where the intentions cannot be met.

The Scheme was last formally revised in 2004. Following a Welsh Government consultation; Continuity and Change: Refreshing the Relationship between Welsh Government and the Third Sector in Wales, (May-August 2013); this Scheme and its Annex have been revised to bring the policy framework that underpins this relationship up to date.

Welsh Ministers expect all Cabinet members, Deputy Ministers and officials to promote the interests of the Third Sector in their work and decision making and will:

• maintain arrangements for meaningful engagement and consultation with the Third Sector (Chapter 3)
• maintain arrangements for supporting communities and volunteers (Chapter 4)
• maintain arrangements for supporting structures that allow the Third Sector to flourish (Chapter 5)
• seek to adhere to the Code of Practice for Funding the Third Sector contained as an Annex to this Scheme
   

The Welsh Government recognises that its Third Sector policy framework must include measures for assistance for the sector as set out in sub-section (4) (a) of the legislation above. The level of financial resources available will determine the extent of such assistance which is provided by way of grants etc., and funds will need to be targeted according to Welsh Government priorities. The Welsh Government also recognises its role in seeking to ensure that the Third Sector has fair and reasonable access to public funds.

Across the range of its functions, the Welsh Government is committed to establishing and maintaining procedures to ensure accepted best practice in the administration of its grant schemes and those of agencies, which administer funds on its behalf.

The Welsh Government will maintain, use and promote the Code of Practice for Funding the Third Sector at Annex A, which, sets out the key principles that will underpin Welsh Government funding for the Third Sector as well as what the Government expects from the Third Sector in return.

The Code of Practice for Funding the Third Sector and the terms and conditions issued at the time a grant is made provide the mechanism by which the Welsh Government will monitor the use made of any assistance provided by it to relevant organisations.

The Code of Practice for Funding the Third Sector is monitored by the Funding and Compliance Sub-Committee of the Third Sector Partnership Council.

The Code of Practice for Funding the Third Sector is an integral part of the Scheme. Accordingly, any re-making or revision of the Code must be done in accordance with the statutory requirements of section 74.

Section 74 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (as set out in Chapter one above) defines ‘relevant voluntary organisations’ as:

…bodies other than local authorities (or other public bodies) whose activities:

• are carried on otherwise than for profit, and
• directly or indirectly benefit the whole or any part of Wales (whether or not they also benefit any other area

‘The Third Sector’ is used in this Scheme and by the Welsh Government as an inclusive and overarching description of a very diverse range of organisations that share a set of values and characteristics. It is widely accepted that Third Sector organisations are:

• independent, non-governmental bodies
• established voluntarily by people who choose to organise themselves
• ‘value-driven’ and motivated by social, cultural or environmental objectives, rather than simply to make a profit
• committed to reinvesting their surpluses to further their social aims and for the benefit of people and communities in Wales

Even with this common values-based approach, there is a broad range of organisations which make up the fabric of the Third Sector including community associations, self-help groups, voluntary organisations, charities, faith-based organisations, social enterprises, community businesses, housing associations, development trusts, co-operatives and mutual organisations.

The Wales Council for Voluntary Action’s 2013 Almanac shows that the Third Sector in Wales encompasses:

• 33,000 organisations
• 230,000 trustees
• 1.13m volunteers and people helping out in their community
• 51,000 employees

WCVA’s research demonstrates that the Third Sector had an income of £1.6 billion in 2013 and was supported by 2.4% of the budget of the Welsh Government.

The structures, forms and legal identities of Third Sector organisations also vary considerably. They include unincorporated organisations, registered and unregistered charities, companies limited by guarantee (which may also be registered charities), and community interest companies, charitable incorporated organisations and Industrial and Provident Societies.

Whilst individual organisations may call themselves voluntary organisations, community groups or social enterprises, the distinctions between such categories are often blurred and there remains a strong argument for viewing them collectively as a distinctive Third Sector that makes a hugely important contribution to Welsh life.

The Welsh Government and the Third Sector share a number of common values about the role of individuals and communities in a modern democracy, which will underpin all aspects of this Scheme. These values are about a society which:

• ensures that people are not treated less favourably because of their gender, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy and maternity, being married or in a civil partnership, being a disabled person, or being transgender
• is inclusive and enables people to participate in all its economic, social and cultural activities
• empowers people to participate in the development of their communities and recognises the value of such a contribution
• relies on people’s voluntary action to foster community leadership and enhance local democracy
• comprises public, private and voluntary sectors which complement each other and seek to tackle social issues in a spirit of partnership between them
• enjoys the benefits of a healthy environment and a thriving competitive economy, alongside vibrant community life, as a result of its commitment to sustainable development

The Welsh Government and the Third Sector recognise the challenges that public services face. Demand and expectations are increasing, and public funding is under continuing pressure. This means that preventative and community services are more important than ever. We recognise that quality of life cannot be delivered by the state alone, and we need to capitalise and build on community action and volunteering, and help communities to be resilient at the local neighbourhood level.

We believe that the Third Sector can help to transform the way that public services meet present and future demands, by treating people and communities as assets and equals in the design and delivery of services, not only as service receivers. Some people describe this as co-production, and it means building services around the person and the community and unlocking potential resources of time, money and expertise to combine with, not replace state support. It makes resources go much further by using them in different and new ways which strengthen individuals and communities. Through this Scheme we will make sure that the arrangements for working with the Third Sector, and for designing and funding public services, support a new approach to public services based on co-production.

The Welsh Government is committed to recognising and promoting the Third Sector. The Welsh Government values the Third Sector for the contribution which the Sector makes to the long term economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Wales, its people and communities.

The relationship between the Welsh Government and the Third Sector rests upon integrity, trust and mutual respect. The Welsh Government is committed to maturing this crucial relationship that has developed over a long period, for the benefit of people and communities in Wales.

The Welsh Government recognises the need to work in partnership with the Third Sector as well as with other public services and bodies including local authorities and local health boards. Effective partnerships must be based on an appreciation of each party’s distinctive contribution.

The Welsh Government expects the Third Sector to recognise the primacy of Welsh Ministers in formulating policy and legislation. In turn, the Welsh Government recognises the wide scope and diversity of voluntary activity across the whole spectrum of society and the contribution voluntary and community organisations and individual volunteers make to the economic, social, environmental, cultural and linguistic life of Wales.

The Welsh Government also recognises that Third Sector organisations are independent bodies which determine their own priorities and manage their own affairs, and that the Third Sector has an obligation to represent the interests of its constituents. It is also acknowledged that Third Sector organisations operate within the principles upon which they are founded. They are accountable to their members and the individuals and communities with whom they work, and to regulatory bodies such as the Charity Commission.

On the basis of this mutual understanding of each others’ roles, it is recognised that the Third Sector is a key partner in formulating and delivering many aspects of public policy, and as such it should develop strong partnerships with both national and local government.

In terms of practical working, the relationship between Welsh Government (and the bodies for which it is responsible) and the Third Sector is multi-faceted and includes:

• the sharing of views and information, through early identification and consultation processes, on the impact on the Third Sector of policy and future implementation and the contribution the Third Sector can make
• joint planning, design, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and schemes where there is Third Sector involvement
• funding across a wide variety of policy areas, directly and indirectly
• a shared interest in the way that wider public services interact with the Third Sector

Within this complexity it is possible to identify 3 distinct, overlapping spheres of interest that define and structure the Welsh Government’s interest in, and support for, the Third Sector:

1. Stronger communities: the way most people make a voluntary contribution to the vibrancy and regeneration of their communities, provide care and help build people’s confidence and skills; and the opportunities the Third Sector creates for employment and local enterprise.
2. Better policy: the knowledge and expertise the sector offers through its front-line experience to help shape policies, procedures and services.
3. Better public services: the innovative and transforming role the Sector can play in making public services reach more people and become more sensitive to their needs.

There are a number of cross cutting themes which impact across the Welsh Government and the exercise of its functions, to which the Third Sector is committed and makes a vital contribution. Accordingly the same themes will figure prominently in the manner in which the Welsh Government exercises its functions in relation to the Third Sector.

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is the process that helps us make better decisions that ensure that we maximise the long term social, economic and environmental wellbeing of Wales. It provides a focus not only on current generations but on future generations and on the sort of legacy we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. Sustainable development is a central organising principle for the Welsh Government. We are committed to ensuring that sustainable development is also central to public services across Wales and that it transforms the way in which decisions are made. Our Welsh account of sustainable development embodies our values of fairness, social justice and respect for our environment.

The Third Sector has a long history in helping to embed sustainable development as a normal way of working in Wales providing support and opportunities for people to take practical action towards sustainable, resilient communities. Examples include the numerous community-owned initiatives generating triple-line outcomes such as growing and surplus food projects; community transport; energy efficiency and carbon footprint programmes; nature and heritage conservation; and the emerging asset transfer ventures to Third Sector organisations involving land, housing stock or renewable energy generating surpluses for community investment. Many of these projects are underpinned by the awareness that community cohesion and prosperity cannot be achieved without attention to Sustainable Development principles and the engagement and partnership that this entails.

Welsh language

The Welsh Government believes that the Welsh language is an integral part of Wales’ identity and is committed to creating a truly bilingual Wales, where people can live their lives through English, Welsh or both languages. The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 confirmed the Welsh language’s official status in Wales and established the role of the Welsh Language Commissioner. The Commissioner’s principal role is to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language. The Commissioner will also monitor and enforce compliance with standards in so far as they apply to categories of bodies who form part of the Third Sector. The Welsh Government’s Language Strategy, A living language: a language for living, and its Welsh Language Scheme, both look to increase the mainstreaming of the Welsh language into all aspects of the Welsh Government’s work, as well as increasing the use of Welsh in the communities of Wales.

The Third Sector’s contribution is vital to the survival and growth of Welsh as a community language as it provides opportunities for people to volunteer and provides voluntary services in Welsh, as well as celebrating the language and its associated traditions. Welsh Government believes that there should be equal opportunities for service users to use the Welsh and English languages in the Third Sector; that there are Welsh speaking volunteers across Wales and that the Welsh language becomes mainstreamed throughout all policy developments and funding allocations.

Equality and diversity

The Equality Act 2010 and related Welsh specific public sector equality duties regulations impose duties on relevant Welsh authorities including the requirement to publish equality objectives. Authorities are required to publish a statement which sets out the steps taken in order to achieve each equality objective and also to monitor the progress of achieving those objectives. The Welsh Government wants to create a fair society free from discrimination, harassment and victimisation with cohesive and inclusive communities. Its Equality Objectives (that sit within a Strategic Equality Plan) will help ensure that public services and employment are fair, accessible, responsive to people’s needs, and that communities are inclusive. People should not be treated less favourably because of their gender, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy and maternity, being married or in a civil partnership, being a disabled person, or being transgender. These objectives underpin the Welsh Government’s work, ensuring a joined up approach to achieving better outcomes for the people of Wales.

The Third Sector’s contribution is vital to advancing equality and diversity, supporting people to challenge unfair treatment, and helping public bodies to improve the ways in which they meet their equalities duties. It provides advice and advocacy services, cultural activities, specialist support, and opportunities for minority and disadvantaged groups to organise, helping to build a more inclusive society.

Tackling poverty

The Welsh Government wants to tackle poverty through everything it does. Collectively, Welsh Ministers are determined to leave no stone unturned in finding ways of preventing and reducing poverty in Wales. The Tackling Poverty Action Plan (2013) signals that, right across Government, resources will be used to help those most in need and seek to prevent future generations experiencing poverty. There are a range of programmes that enable us to reach into the communities most affected by poverty, and join up what we do across Government to help the people living there. Welsh Government is committed to do more to help improve the educational attainment of children from low income families; to help more people into jobs, especially in households where no-one has a paid job; and to meaningfully reduce the number of young people who are not earning or learning in Wales. The Welsh Government will work to ensure that all people, regardless of how poor they are or how deprived the area they live in, have equal and fair access to essential services. We believe that if progress can be made in these 4 key areas, then this will be having a transformative impact on the lives of many people across Wales.

The Third Sector makes a significant contribution to tackling the causes and effects of poverty, through helping people to maximise benefits, to manage money and debts, housing and employment advice, employment and training schemes, foodbanks and other community services. For example independent advice providers continue to provide independent advice to people across Wales to thousands of people to mitigate the impact of welfare reform by ensuring that benefits are claimed, individuals and families have the maximum income available to them, avoid homelessness and to help them both manage their money and cope with their debts.

In Wales the Welsh Government and the Third Sector have enjoyed a long history of direct engagement, supported through this Scheme, which is unique to Wales. This long term strategic engagement with the Third Sector remains important in informing policy development and helping to shape services to meet the needs of people in Wales.

It is important, therefore, that there are positive working relationships with the Sector, and effective representation at national, regional and local levels.

The following paragraphs set out the formal arrangements for engagement under the auspices of this Scheme. These arrangements are supported by a mutually agreed Framework for Engagement.

The Framework will:

• connect and give ownership to TSPC members in determining and tracking the process and progress
• facilitate TSPC members in their task to engage with the wider sector
• create a process which generates shared agendas and outcomes
• support more focused Ministerial meetings
• enable clearer outcomes for TSPC and Ministerial meetings
• add value to the contribution of both government and Third Sector
• maintain interest and commitment for both Third Sector and Ministers
• help both Ministers and Third Sector achieve their outcomes
• bring additional resources to the table

The Welsh Government, in conjunction with Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), will identify the relevant third sector networks and umbrella bodies with an interest in its work and agree practical arrangements for dialogue and co-operation at the operational level. In parallel, the Welsh Government expects Third Sector organisations to co-operate with each other and form appropriate networks that are able to relate to the Welsh Government collectively on common matters of policy and administration. The Welsh Government aims to meet regularly with representatives from Third Sector networks for this purpose and recognises the importance of ongoing regular dialogue and engagement with officials and Ministers.

These arrangements will cover:

• exchange of information and views on developments in Welsh Government policies and priorities
• the means by which all parts of the Third Sector can engage in and contribute to the work of the Welsh Government
• informing the Welsh Government of developments and concerns identified by the Third Sector through its work
• participation in working groups to develop new policies and strategies
• consultation arrangements on policy or new strategic programmes
• agreeing the parameters for co-operation in implementing such programmes
• dealing with administrative arrangements for funding programmes

In pursuit of its intention to work collaboratively and effectively with the Third Sector, the Welsh Government will maintain a Third Sector Partnership Council as its primary mechanism for engagement with the Third Sector.

Wales Council for Voluntary Action will facilitate the election of the Third Sector representatives and ensure that, as far as possible, they reflect a cross section of Third Sector interests and activities. Welsh Government may invite representative from other sectors to attend meetings. Officials of the Welsh Government and officers of Wales Council for Voluntary Action will support the Third Sector Partnership Council. The Council will be chaired by the Welsh Minister responsible for the Third Sector Scheme.

The Third Sector Partnership Council will:

• consider issues that relate to the strategic objectives and functions of the Welsh Government and which engage the interests of the Third Sector, and make recommendations to the Welsh Government
• agree, monitor and review the Framework for Engagement
• advise on the implementation, monitoring and review of the Third Sector Scheme including establishing indicators by which the Scheme shall be evaluated
• facilitate consultation with relevant Third Sector organisations and Public Sector bodies on the Scheme’s implementation, operation and review
• assist in arrangements for reviewing the Scheme from time to time

The composition and working arrangements for the TSPC will be jointly agreed by the Welsh Government and the Third Sector.

The Welsh Ministers engage with the Third Sector very frequently through a variety of means. Examples include: meetings about specific issues; visits to organisations and communities; attendance at events and conferences; and via correspondence. The importance to the Third Sector of being able to meet with Ministers to discuss issues of concern is recognised, and is a key part of the relationship between Welsh Government and the Third Sector.

Under the auspices of this Scheme, this normal engagement will be complemented by Ministerial meetings which focus more tightly on high level issues that affect more than one Third Sector organisation, and that merit Ministerial engagement.

These meetings will not seek to cover the whole range of a Minister’s portfolio at once, but each meeting will:

• normally relate closely to the outcomes which the Welsh Government and the Third Sector have identified as priorities and to the work of the TSPC
• focus on one or a few, linked, strategic issues which are related to those outcomes and to a significant number of Third Sector organisations
• be clearly action focused and timed to maximise the likelihood of enabling progress on the issues under discussion

The arrangements for Ministerial meeting will be set out in the Engagement Framework agreed by the Welsh Government and the Third Sector.

The Welsh Government’s Third Sector Team will monitor and review the pattern of all Ministerial meetings and report on this to the TSPC and, through the Third Sector Scheme annual report, to the National Assembly for Wales.

The Welsh Government will ensure that it takes into consideration, at a formative stage, the implications for the Third Sector of new policies or changes in policy. The Third Sector will understand that Welsh Ministers must take into account a range of perspectives and contributions in taking final decisions on policy making.

The Welsh Government will seek as far as possible to avoid or to mitigate any undesirable impact on the Third Sector and to identify and encourage opportunities for Third Sector organisations to be informed and involved in discussions at the earliest opportunity and before formal consultation where possible. The diverse interests of Third Sector organisations mean that it is not possible to specify every area of policy that might be of concern to the Third Sector; however, detailed guidance will be developed and published separately to help in assessing the potential impact of policies on the Third Sector. Any such guidance will not form part of this Scheme.

The Third Sector may be affected by directives and proposed legislation arising out from the European Union as well as out of domestic legislation and policy. The Welsh Government will seek to ensure that the same considerations are applied to policy developments in these areas.

The Welsh Government will establish and maintain an internal liaison group comprising representatives of each Welsh Government department having contact with the Sector, to exchange information and ensure that the principles and commitments of the Scheme are being upheld.

The Welsh Government is committed to setting out agreed procedures for consultation on policy changes and new policy developments which affect the Third Sector which include:

• opportunities for continuing discussion between Third Sector , volunteering interests and Welsh Government to foster early understanding and involvement in policy development
• consultation arrangements that normally allow adequate time for wider consultation with networks and service users
• supporting the role of umbrella bodies and intermediaries in facilitating consultation
• feedback to respondents on the replies to and outcomes of the consultation
• opportunities for the sector to continue to be involved at the implementation and evaluation stages of the policy

The Welsh Government will ensure that these commitments are fully reflected in guidance to its staff to be followed when undertaking consultation exercises. These procedures will be detailed in the guidance issued to Welsh Government officials and will be the subject of periodic consultation with the Third Sector.

The Third Sector is made up of thousands of organisations and groups involving and supporting communities of place and communities of interest. As identified earlier in this Scheme, there is a strong argument for viewing these collectively as a distinctive Third Sector. Whilst this is the case, we must also acknowledge the diversity of the Sector, and within it the vital role of small, volunteer led community groups. It is important that the relationship between Welsh Government and the Third Sector takes account of this diversity, and serves to highlight the importance of strengthening grass roots organisations that focus on local and small scale delivery.

The Welsh Government’s focus is very much on the philanthropic and social action taking place at a community level that contributes to a rich civil society and improves people’s quality of life in Wales. This local community action highlights the importance placed on responding to experiences and needs on a daily basis. It is often at this very local neighbourhood or family level that Third Sector organisations can make the greatest difference. Its accessibility and responsiveness is one of the sector’s greatest strengths.

With this in mind, the Welsh Government recognises community development as ‘people working together, on issues they identify, to bring about change through collective action’. It is a process, translating into actions to improve the social, economic and environmental well being of communities, meeting the needs and aspirations of those communities through the combined efforts of the community and the organisations which serve it.

The Welsh Government believes that the collective strength of communities and their partners needs to be harnessed to find shared solutions to shared problems. This is at the heart of co-production. The problems that face our communities rarely have one cause or affect only one part of people’s lives. It is recognised that communities themselves are often best placed to identify problems with existing services or gaps in services. Welsh Government supports seeking collaborative solutions, whereby people and communities work with service providers to design, deliver, and monitor and evaluate the service (this is widely recognised as co-production).

The Welsh Government has endorsed the National Principles of Public Engagement in Wales, a set of 10 principles aimed at increasing an effective and consistent approach to Public Engagement across Wales.

The National Principles of Public Engagement in Wales:

1. Engagement is effectively designed to make a difference.
2. Encourage and enable everyone affected to be involved, if they so choose.
3. Engagement is planned and delivered in a timely and appropriate way.
4. Work with relevant partner organisations.
5. The information provided will be jargon free, appropriate and understandable.
6. Make it easier for people to take part.
7. Enable people to take part effectively.
8. Engagement is given the right resources and support to be effective.
9. People are told the impact of their contribution.
10. Learn and share lessons to improve the process of engagement.

These principles complement the Welsh Government’s National Standards for Children and Young People’s Participation.

The Welsh Government values volunteering as an important expression of citizenship and as an essential component of democracy. It is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society and the community and can take many forms. It is undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain.

The Welsh Government will maintain a Volunteering Policy [to be published separately and not part of this Scheme]. This will be developed jointly with the Sector through the TSPC, and will:

• seek to improve access to volunteering for people from all sectors of society
• support efforts to ensure that unnecessary barriers do not deter people from volunteering
• make it easier for people to participate in volunteering
• encourage the more effective involvement of volunteers
• raise the status and improve the image of volunteering

The Welsh Government has made a long term commitment to the development of the Third Sector in Wales. It recognises the need to support community and grassroots organisations to grow and develop which, in turn, will support a fair, just and inclusive society where communities can build capacity in individuals to tackle poverty, skills, unemployment and sustainability.

The Welsh Government recognises that these organisations require support and it commits to maintaining a joined up infrastructure. This support is delivered by an integrated support structure known as ‘Third Sector Infrastructure’ which comprises Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), County Voluntary Councils (CVCs) and Volunteer Centres (VCs). Moving forward, it is expected that the Infrastructure will develop in line with new models of public services and structures to support national, regional and local working, taking full account of the principles set out in Chapter 4 of this Scheme.

This infrastructure covers all of Wales and is widely recognised, within Wales and beyond, as a strength of the Third Sector in Wales, providing an agreed set of core services which are accessible to very many people and organisations throughout the country. The infrastructure bodies are in regular contact with not only their own members, but also many other groups in the sector through their services and networks. Through them, they reach out to every community and many thousands of individuals. An essential characteristic of the infrastructure is its membership and accountability to the sector. Infrastructure organisations have a broad and inclusive membership, open to any type of third sector organisation; and trustees elected by their members. This ensures that their services and activities are accountable to and reflect the needs of the Sector.

The Welsh Government recognises that this Infrastructure’s role is in:

• enabling other Third Sector organisations to grow and develop
• supporting individual volunteers and collective voluntary action
• promoting good and safe governance across the Third Sector
• supporting Public Service design and delivery
• providing voice and representation for the wider sector
• sharing good practice and innovation

The overall approach to support local, regional and national working includes a commitment by Welsh Government to supporting WCVA, the national infrastructure body to represent a range of voices within the Third Sector. WCVA’s role includes working with the Third Sector Partnership Council and providing services which are appropriate at a national level, for example engagement and representation; provision of online and other information resources for the sector; managing the national volunteering database and resources for volunteer-involving organisations; research; training; governance and trustee support; and involvement in managing the Infrastructure grant and other funding schemes.

As well as the infrastructure bodies that make up the generic infrastructure there are other third sector umbrella bodies support specific parts of the sector, which have specialist policy expertise in a given area and offer support to the sector in different ways. Some of these are supported by the Welsh Government, and where this is the case such support is expected to complement the core services of the Infrastructure bodies and facilitate the delivery of Government priorities.

The Welsh Government will also support the Third Sector through its Third Sector Team, which will promote knowledge and understanding of the Third Sector in Wales and will:

• work cross-departmentally to share information with other Welsh Government departments, with particular attention to those policies and priorities that relate to the Third Sector
• maintain inter-governmental relations to keep abreast of wider third sector issues
• support and monitor the working of the engagement structures set out in this Scheme and co-ordinate the preparation of the Annual Report on the Scheme

The Welsh Government designates the First Minister to have overall responsibility for the Third Sector Scheme and a Welsh Minister to have specific responsibility for the interests of the Third Sector.

In consultation with the Third Sector, Welsh Government will develop and maintain mechanisms to monitor the performance of the Scheme effectively.

The Third Sector Partnership Council will consider and make recommendations on the measures needed to improve the performance of the Welsh Government, its agencies and sponsored bodies and the third sector. Examples of good practice will be promoted.

The implementation and impact of the Scheme will be assessed annually and a report will be laid before the National Assembly for Wales.

The Third Sector Partnership Council will attempt to resolve disputes between the Third Sector and the Welsh Government. Complaints will be referred to the Welsh Government’s complaint procedures.