The state of the sector report 2016
Key trends for sector voluntary organisations working with offenders and their families
During another year of considerable change, the voluntary sector remains focused on delivering creative solutions to supporting the needs of their clients. Organisations told us that their clients’ needs have changed and become more severe, which has led them to develop and deliver new services to respond to this need. Partnership working is important for the sector, but it can be challenging due to the policy and funding environment creating ‘rivalry and competition.’ Grant funding continues to be important but organisations are also reliant on contracts, yet are unlikely to receive full cost recovery on any contracts they deliver. Some organisations are at risk of closure and nearly half of organisations are using their reserves to support their work.