Document Category: Administrative Activities

Sets out Somerset’s programme for preparing local planning documents that govern housing, economy, community facilities and infrastructure – providing the statutory context for community development and place-based investment decisions.

This report explores the role and impact of Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) in the Big Local programme, which empowers residents in 150 areas in England to lead community transformation. LTOs manage funding, provide governance, and support resident-led decision-making. The research highlights the dynamic and complex relationships between LTOs, Big Local partnerships, and Local Trust, emphasizing the importance of trust, clear communication, and effective governance. Recommendations include improving induction processes, regular relationship reviews, and sharing transferable learning to support resident-led change beyond Big Local.
The report advocates for sustained policy and infrastructure support for community-led initiatives

A complete toolkit that explores what co-production is, information on 5 key themes – collaboration, diversity, respect, empowerment and involvement. This document has links to further documents and resources that may be useful for those who are exploring their co-production journey and how to include people from their community within their organisation(s) or service(s).

A learning guide for anyone involved in commissioning or funding decisions who wants to apply a co-governance approach. Includes examples and links to further resources to learn more.

A learning guide for growing sustainable groups, designed for anyone who wants to support a community group to grow and develop in a way that is sustainable and not reliant on external funding

This guide provides practical advice for councils on how in‑house services can be delivered through alternative models such as social enterprises, staff mutuals, cooperatives and other employee‑led organisations. The publication includes the top ten issues to assess when evaluating a proposal, sample response letters, and guidance on TUPE, pensions and procurement. It may also be useful for VCFSE organisations to understand how local government is expected to assess and respond to such requests, offering insight into the processes and considerations councils must follow.

Official detailed CIC annual report form example, to demonstrate what the CIC regulator is looking for from a report to demonstrate public benefit. Also includes a link to gov.uk website for further guidance and support completing the form

Official simplified CIC annual report form example, to demonstrate what the CIC regulator is looking for from a report to demonstrate public benefit. Also includes a link to gov.uk website for further guidance and support completing the form

Trends, approvals, dissolutions and case studies of CICs – useful context for VCFSEs weighing CIC structures for traded income.

Explains how social value is evaluated in public procurement and includes award criteria and metrics. May be useful to help VCFSE organisations see how they can demonstrate outcomes or align with government processes.

Government guidance on CICs: things to consider, asset lock, dividend caps, statutory obligations etc. Useful for charities exploring diversification.

Plain‑English UK GDPR explainer for charities (roles, lawful bases, DPIAs, breaches); handy as a board/manager primer.

Short tips for small charities: KPIs, training, incident plans, retention/erasure and transparency; links to ICO charity hub.

Sets out a county-wide framework for recruiting, supporting and celebrating volunteers across 70+ roles. Clarifies standards, safeguarding, data protection, and the Central Volunteer Team’s processes.