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VAL Annual Survey for Voluntary and Community groups

Help us improve our services to you

We are pleased to send you VAL’s Annual Survey to help us to improve the work we do with voluntary and community groups across Leicester and Leicestershire.

We are asking all voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups, big and small, to fill in this short questionnaire to help us to find out:

  • What we are doing well and what we can improve on
  • What your relationship is like with local public sector agencies
  • Changes in your organisation over the past year
  • What you need support on in the future

You can complete as much or as little as you like, instructions are on the form. We would like one survey completed per organisation or group so you might need to liaise with colleagues, including trustees if appropriate, to complete it.

Results from the survey will be analysed and reported anonymously and no quotes will be attributed to you without your permission.

For support, including information in other formats, please contact our Helpline 0116 257 5050 or helpline@valonline.org.uk

Best wishes,
Becky Nixon
Deputy Chief Executive

This section asks about VAL’s support for the VCS to influence local decision making through communication, consultation and support to representatives, local partnerships and boards.

Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagreeDon’t knowNot Applicable
1. My group is well informed by VAL about local strategies, policies and partnerships
2. VAL provides my group with key information from local public sector organisations
3. VCS representatives on local partnerships and boards are effective in representing my groups’ views

This section asks about your group's relationship with local public services to help us work together to improve relationships.

Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagreeDon’t knowNot Applicable
4. Local public services value the work of my group
5. Local public services act upon my group’s opinions or responses to consultation
6. Local public services respect my group’s independence
7. My group is able to influence local decisions that are relevant to it
Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagreeDon’t knowNot Applicable
8. My group is satisfied with local public sector processes for bidding for contracts
9. My group is satisfied with local public sector processes for grant funding

This section asks about how confident your group is managing and running your activities so that we can identify changes between different types of groups and over time.

Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagreeDon’t knowNot Applicable
10. My group is confident in participating in procurement processes (including bidding for tenders)
11. My group is confident in participating in joint working with other VCS groups
12. My group is confident in managing or running its services and activities

This section asks about recruiting and managing volunteers.

Strongly agreeAgreeDisagreeStrongly disagreeDon’t knowNot Applicable
13. My group is confident in recruiting volunteers
14. My group is confident in managing and/or supporting volunteers
15. VAL meets my needs around volunteer recruitment and management

To track changes in your group and across the VCS as a whole, can you tell us whether the following have increased, decreased or stayed the same over the past year?

IncreasedStayed the sameDecreasedNot Applicable
16. Income
17. Number of staff
18. Number of volunteers
19. Number of trustees
20. Demand for services

21. What are the top three issues facing your group at the moment that VAL could support you with?

This section asks about your experience of accessing VAL’s services

Heard ofUsedNot heard of
Training and workshops
One to one support
Telephone helpline
Email helpline
E-briefing
Policy briefings
VAL News
Website / Online Resource Centre
Networks
Events
Meeting and conference rooms
Volunteering development
The Online Resource Centre

We are asking these questions to ensure that we are providing services to all groups and to be able to analyse the results of this survey by type of group.