Cordis Bright

At Cordis Bright we observed 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Our team reflected on over a decade of supporting clients in this area through research and evaluation and produced 16 key messages which are designed to help support victim-survivors and families. I particularly like Message 13 around 16 approaches to build evidence for change. See the summary slides below 👇👇

While there was an increase which is welcome, the funding allocated for #SocialCare in the #LocalGov Settlement still falls far short of what’s needed. To keep ignoring the impact of NICs on third sector organisations commissioned to deliver statutory services, is shunting costs to the health service and crisis provision, undermining the government’s policy agenda. We know from independent analysis by Cordis Bright, our work as part of the Care Provider Alliance, ADASS, Nuffield Trust and others that without the costs of NICs and NLW increases being fully funded, essential services and support for disabled people, families and carers will cease to exist. The government has said it is down to councils to decide how money to cover the costs of NICs is spent, but given the challenges they face, this offers little assurance that funding will be passed onto the organisations they commission to deliver care and support. We urgently need HM Treasury to work with the sector to deliver a solution before April. Rhidian Hughes https://lnkd.in/eMbw_JrC

Cordis Bright Report on the impact of the Budget 2024 on disability charities. Cordis Bright has conducted analysis of the Autumn Budget on members of VODG, a national charity that brings together leading not-for-profit organisations who provide services to disabled people. A survey of its members showed that members will face a potential £266million shortfall.   ->1 in 3 disability charities poised to hand back local government contracts ->A quarter considering redundancies due to increasing staff costs ->Over 60 per cent expecting a financial deficit by March 2025   Tom Noon, Chairman of Cordis Bright, says: "There is often a myth that not-for-profit organisations can somehow find ‘other sources’ of funding. In reality the disability charities we heard from are providing a public service funded by the state. This is not a lucrative activity and many years of below inflation increases in funding have pushed these organisations to the limit of sustainability.   "Local authorities derive significant benefit from the willingness of not-for-profit organisations to contribute to the costs of what some might describe as ‘extras’ but others would see as integral to good quality provision. Disability charities will not be able to continue to fund this type of additional input if the organisation is losing money." Dr Rhidian Hughes, Chief Executive, Voluntary Organisations Disability Group, says: "The recent Budget announcements on increased employer national insurance contributions and national living wage present significant challenges for disability services. Third sector providers of frontline services have faced years of under-funding, and these changes are set to push charities to the brink.   "The government has pledged £680m for social care in its latest budget but the amount needed across the sector is closer to £2.8bn. Without an exemption, or protected funding to cover the commitments being introduced by government, it will mean that services for disabled people will at best shrink, and at worse close. Without this action, the rights and legal entitlements of disabled people to care and support will be pulled away. Public sector commissioners are in no place to be able to pick up and run these services and the question we are left with is who will then support disabled people with life-long conditions?" https://lnkd.in/e7_2twTr

Already over-stretched disability charities are heading into a very difficult financial year, probably the worst for many years and certainly in my tenure at VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group). The direct result of HM Treasury policy decisions about National Insurance and wage changes are set to cost VODG members alone £266million. This is independent analysis we commissioned Cordis Bright to undertake and it is unfortunately confirming my fears about what this will mean for essential services: https://lnkd.in/eCkj4V5y Charities cannot wait while policy makers consider options. Decisions are being made today about how care and support for disabled people will be organised from April 2025. This means a quarter of organisations are considering redundancies due to soaring staff costs, and 1 in 3 disability charities are poised to hand back local council contracts. These contracts are statutory services which involves the state discharging its legal duties through commissioned providers. We need the forthcoming Local Government Finance Settlement to secure additional funding and/or for the HM Treasury to reconsider the tax exemptions that apply to other areas of public service. In response to lucy johnston this weekend I am encouraged that Department of Health and Social Care Minister Karin Smyth MP who is responsible for system oversight said government is “willing and keen to talk“. We will be following up. https://lnkd.in/eS-XeCYd

Important research from VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group) and Cordis Bright, on the extent of the impact of the new employers National Insurance Contributions on disability charities. The funding of adult social care was already in a fragile state after decades of cuts in the funding available for and from Local Authorities. So, it's not only an issue with this particular set of additional unfunded costs, and the solution needs to be tactical and strategic. Three things: - Continued initiative by the new Government to improve pay for people working in social care providing essential public services for disabled people and older people (aligned to NHS) - An undertaking from Government that the full costs of public services delivered by charities on behalf of the public sector should be covered by public funds - A fundamental review of adult social care funding (maybe a Royal Commission or a similar vehicle aimed at cross-party and cross-political cycle solutions) https://lnkd.in/e56Xt7AY

Ahead of the local government finance settlement, new analysis by Cordis Bright commissioned by VODG looks at the impact of the #Budget on disability charities and the difficult decisions they face if guaranteed funding is not provided and passed on to frontline services. VODG CEO Rhidian Hughes says ‘The government has pledged £680m for #SocialCare in its latest #budget but the amount needed across the sector is closer to £2.8bn. Without an exemption, or protected funding to cover the commitments on #NationalInsurance and wage increases being introduced, services for disabled people will at best shrink, and at worse close. ‘Public sector commissioners are in no place to pick up and run these services and the question we are left with is who will then support disabled people with life-long conditions? Third sector provision of care and support must be treated as the essential public service it is.’ As Tom Noon says in his analysis: ‘Local authorities derive significant benefit from the willingness of not-for-profit organisations to contribute to the costs of what some might describe as ‘extras’ but others would see as integral to good quality provision. Disability charities will not be able to continue to fund this type of additional input if the organisation is losing money.’ Read the findings, which sit alongside other work VODG has been involved in on #NICs, here: https://lnkd.in/eUG_ESS4

🚨 A look back over the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence🚨 Over the last 17 days, we have shared 16 key messages for policymakers, commissioners, funders, leaders, managers, practitioners, researchers and evaluators, spanning across four key areas: 🔍 Understanding need 🔍 Understanding systems 🔍 What works for delivering support 🔍 What works for research and evaluation 📚 All of our 16 messages can be accessed on our website: https://lnkd.in/ejAg9pUZ We have also been marking the last 16 days by: 💡 Exploring valuable resources about gender-based violence, including those available on the WHO and UN websites, to help inform our work. 💡 Planning an internal knowledge exchange to reflect on the 16 days, on our approaches, and discuss how we can advocate for tailored research methods. 💡 Holding a fundraising raffle at the Cordis Bright Christmas party, with proceeds going to a domestic abuse charity. 💡 Attending webinars on innovative research in gender-based violence and healing and empowerment for those working in gender-based violence. 📢 Get involved! 📢 💻 Domestic abuse webinar: In 2025, we will be holding a domestic abuse webinar to share our learning from over a decade of research and evaluation in the field, and present findings from some of our current projects. If you’d be interested in attending this, please contact info@cordisbright.co.uk 📚 Cordis Pulse Special: We will be consolidating our insights over the last 16 days into a Cordis Pulse Special - watch this space and sign-up for more info! 📰 Sign up to the Pulse here: The Cordis Pulse is our monthly digest of research and policy developments. View and sign-up at https://lnkd.in/e4nSxtZd 🗨️ To continue the conversation, or for further information on our work on domestic abuse and gender-based violence, please contact info@cordisbright.co.uk

So pleased to share our efforts at Cordis Bright to mark the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Each day we'll be posting a key message, for 16 days - here's day 1. More to follow on Cordis Bright's page!

Here's December's edition of the Cordis Pulse which summarises key policy and research in children's services, adult health and social care, and criminal justice. https://lnkd.in/eF487bsx

🚀 This afternoon, we had a productive meeting with the Operations Directors' Professional Network! We kicked things off with Sarah Woodhouse, Head of Policy and Influencing at VODG, who shared insights from our recent research with Collaborate CIC on commissioning practices in the sector. Sarah addressed necessary mindset shifts for fostering collaboration, presented successful case studies, and identified potential barriers. Joshua Butt from Cordis Bright provided then provided a valuable analysis of the care sector's outlook, discussing the implications of the recent budget announcement on funding and service delivery, along with key updates on legislative initiatives impacting our organisations. Jonathan Taylor from Innovation Broking stressed the importance of proper insurance coverage, reviewing essential types of insurance and discussing emerging risks that we need to address for comprehensive protection. Lastly, Becky Valentine from Spenbeck discussed Environmental, Social, and Governance (#ESG) considerations, particularly regarding upcoming Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements. Becky offered strategies for effectively implementing ESG within organisations. Overall, the meeting was a fantastic opportunity to gain insights and explore proactive approaches to the challenges and opportunities in the care sector. Members can access a summary of the meeting and today's resources on our website. https://lnkd.in/dnACDwZu #CareSector #Collaboration #ESG #Insurance #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment https://lnkd.in/dnACDwZu