7 Policy Priorities for 2022
It's a busy time for all of us, even more than usual with the lifting of restrictions. So I’ll get right to the meat of this blog — an update for you on The Wheel’s latest policy work and what it means for our sector.
Contents:
- Charities Act Amendment
- Campaigning Successes & Ongoing Work
- Advisory Groups & Forums
- Social Enterprise & Social Economy
- Sector Training Needs
- iCommunity: An All-Island Project
- The Lasting Financial Impact of COVID-19
1. Charities Act Amendment
The Government is working on a General Scheme to amend the Charities Act. This is to enable the introduction of a financial reporting standard for charities and provide a better response for organisations that find themselves in difficulties.
While the introduction of a financial reporting standard will inevitably increase demands on many charities, we are of the view that such a standard is necessary for the long-term reputation of the sector. The challenge will be to ensure that any new regulations are proportionate and that organisations are supported to meet new requirements.
We expect its introduction into the Oireachtas soon and we will be consulting with members once the general scheme is published.
2. Campaigning Successes & Ongoing Work
It was very disappointing to hear recent charity-regulation radio adverts perpetuating unhelpful tropes about charities, especially as the We Act campaign champions their extraordinary work. We have written to the relevant authorities drawing their attention to the unfair and negative consequences for the reputation of charities. We are confident that our concerns have been heard and understood and that there will be no repeat of this unhappy episode.
Insurance premiums continue to rise for many members despite the media reporting and apparent focus by Government on this issue. We are fighting hard as active members of the Alliance for Insurance Reform to concentrate Government’s mind on resolving this problem that continues to intensify and threaten community and voluntary activity.
3. Advisory Groups & Forums
We are involved in a number of initiatives aimed at building on the positive relationship that prevailed between state funders and organisations during the crisis. These include the Health Dialogue Forum and Tusla’s Commissioning Advisory Group.
If you would like to learn more about this work, or join our many networks (such as our Community Services Programme Network, Social Enterprise Network, or European Managers Network), just respond to this email and we will connect you into the relevant group.
4. Social Enterprise & Social Economy
There are exciting developments at European level with the publication of the European Action Plan for the Social Economy. If you’d like to get involved in this work, just let us know and we’ll connect you with our European Programmes Manager and her team.
5. Sector Training Needs
Over 188,000 people work for nonprofits in Ireland, and while all these employers pay a contribution to the National Training Fund, there is no workforce development framework for the sector. Building capacity in the sector to respond to the ever-increasing governance and management demands is a top priority in the period ahead.
We have been working hard in recent years to shape public policy related to the training needs of employees in the community and voluntary sector, and will intensify this work in 2022.
6. iCommunity: An All-Island Project
We are very excited about the potential to involve you in our new iCommunityHub initiative. Run with our sister organisation, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), it will bring people together, north and south, to work on shared challenges in the areas of:
- Rural connectivity & sustainability
- Recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic
- Developing social enterprise
- Digital connectedness & inclusion
- Achieving a just transition to a de-carbonized and sustainable island.
We will be in touch about upcoming events and opportunities in the coming weeks.
7. The Lasting Financial Impact of COVID-19
The Stability Fund made upwards of €50m available to over 600 organisations in the sector during the crisis, and the Department of Rural and Community Development are to be congratulated for their response. It remains the case, however, that many organisations face 2022 with severely depleted reserves. The upcoming withdrawal of the EWSS may worsen the financial situation for more.
We will be keeping a close eye on developments in this area, and do let me know if your organisation is anticipating any significant financial impacts.
As ever, our public policy efforts focus on the long-term goals of:
- ensuring adequate funding for the sector;
- making multi-annual funding the norm; ensuring compliance requirements are funded and streamlined; and
- working for partnership approaches to be developed that involve the sector (and the people we represent) in the design of the supports and services communities need.
I am sure you will agree that the community and voluntary sector was recognised during the crisis for the way it rose to the challenge that Covid presented to our communities. The sector’s reputation has been rightfully enhanced as a result. It will be an important priority for The Wheel and the sector at large to protect and build on these gains in 2022.