Community Transport Solutions

Transcription

1 RCC (Leicestershire & Rutland) Toolkit TOOLKIT Community Transport Solutions looking at community transport options

2 Community Transport Solutions This toolkit covers: 1. Project plan 2. Ascertain the beneficiaries 3. Look at community transport options 4. Evidence the need 5. What you need to have in place 6. Budget 7. Policies and procedures 8. Fundraising 9. Monitoring & evaluation 10. Information and support This toolkit is intended to assist a community organisation or a number of individuals - who are not yet constituted as a community group - to improve community transport in a neighbourhood. It will take you through a project plan to establish community transport needs and ascertain the beneficiaries; assist you to select the form of community transport required and sign-post you to further information and advice. 1. Project plan As a group of people, not yet formalised as a community group, or a community organisation wishing to provide some form of community transport it is necessary to undertake research and produce a plan. Thorough preparation will enable your group to be in a better position to run the project and be successful with funding applications. The steps are as follows: 2. Ascertain the beneficiaries You need to be clear who will be the beneficiaries of the project: individuals, families, voluntary and community groups etc.; the beneficiaries could be all of these categories, a combination or one specific group of people.

3 The beneficiaries can be identified as part of a consultation exercise combined with evidencing the need, see step 3. below. 3. Evidence the need It is essential to research the need for the community transport, particularly as funders will have to be convinced there is a genuine need before choosing to fund the project. As mentioned previously, in point 2, the beneficiaries can be identified as part of this process. Map the services that exist (in the public, the voluntary and the private sectors). * Most importantly, contact your local Community Transport hub, run by voluntary sector organisations covering districts and boroughs in Leicestershire; there is also one covering Rutland. The Community Transport hubs are supported by Leicestershire County Council (LCC) and Rutland County Council to provide community transport services, for contact details see LCC and Rutland County Council, 10. You can find out what services Community Transport hubs provide, or could possibly provide (by working together) to solve your transport needs. You will also find the Community Transport hubs a useful information source to what s involved. Consult your community (residents, groups and organisations); this can be done as part of a Community or Parish Plan or a consultation exercise with the assistance of RCC. Help is also available from your Local Infrastructure Organisation and the Self-Help Kit via the Passenger Transport Group at Hampshire County Council, see 10. The results of this research will provide evidence for your group to discuss and help you choose an appropriate community transport option. 4. Look at community transport options At this point it is worth being aware that there are various options you may like to consider: 3

4 Voluntary car scheme (which could be part of a Good Neighbour Scheme see RCC in Information & Support section 10.) Lift-share scheme Car club Taxi-share service Taxi-bus service Minibus service Community bus service Some of these options will be run by your Community Transport hub. It is best to check with them what services are covered in your area; it may be a case of linking in with them, working together, to expand an existing service or to develop a new service. See sible_transport.htm For further explanation of the options above see the Self-Help Kit, produced by the Passenger Transport Group at Hampshire County Council: or the Community Transport Association (CTA) 5. What you need to have in place to move forward with a project Having gathered the evidence of need, ascertained the beneficiaries and decided on the form of community transport required you will need to be a constituted group, if you aren t already, to move forward. This involves having a: Committee It is essential to have a committee with active committee members and volunteers. At the bare minimum you will need the following: Chair Secretary Treasurer 4 Other committee members (with roles such as bookings co-coordinator, publicity and marketing etc.)

5 Volunteers (to help with the running of the project, possibly drivers depending on the circumstances) Constitution In order to operate a project and receive funding you will need to be a constituted community group. The constitution sets out the group s aims and rules for operating. If you did not want to set up as a group in your own right, it may be possible to operate (as a sub-group) under another voluntary or community organisation s umbrella if it is within their constitution. Legal Structure There are various legal structures for voluntary and community organisations, and therefore different model constitutions available to use and adapt depending on various factors. If operating on a small scale, locally you could start as an unincorporated association which is straight forward to operate, but group members have personal liability in the case of legal proceedings. An incorporated association has more administrative requirements, than unincorporated, but gives the group it s own legal identity and ensures no individual member is liable, should due diligence be adhered to. If your annual income is expected to be 5,000 and over and your objectives are charitable you need to register with the Charity Commission. In this case it may be advisable to become an incorporated association such as Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which gives the advantage of being a registered charity as well as being incorporated. It is best to get advice from your Local Infrastructure Organisation about which legal structure will suit your group - see Information & Support section 10. at the back of the toolkit. Policies At the very least you will need to have an Equal Opportunity policy, Safeguarding policy and Health & Safety policy, plus others depending on your group s activities. You will need these and others to operate a community transport project (for more on this, see 6. below) 5

6 Bank account As a constituted community group you will need a bank account in the group s name. Most building societies and banks give free banking to community groups if the account is in credit. Opening an account involves form filling - giving details of the treasurer and committee members nominated to sign cheques (known as signatories); all will have to submit proof of identity and address. The bank will also require other documents such as the group s constitution. The process of opening an account can take several weeks. It is best practice to have two signatures on cheques, one being the treasurer, and therefore wise to have three or four committee members who are, unrelated, cheque signatories. On-line banking can be set up, in much the same way with passwords and signatories (authorised committee members undertake transactions) but the committee will not have the same control unless transactions are authorised by two signatories with passwords. If operating as a sub-group you will liaise with the umbrella group s treasurer who will undertake transactions and keep accounts on your behalf. You will have to arrange the practicalities of working with the umbrella group as itemised accounts will have to be kept. Accounts It is essential for your group to review the financial position regularly at committee meetings. The Treasurer will need to keep itemised accounts of all transactions, in-going and out-goings, receipts and bank statements and prepare annual accounts. There is a lot of help available to support Financial Management including the role of Treasurer, including templates etc., from your Local Infrastructure Organisation, see Information & Support section Policies and procedures It is essential to have policies and procedures in place; some may be legal requirements depending on the activities of your group, but at the very least they will help to minimise problems (help to protect staff, volunteers, scheme users) and 6

7 assist the smooth running of the project: Many funders will require evidence of policies: Equal Opportunities Health & Safety Risk Assessment often an insurance company requirement Safe Guarding (including DBS checks) The Community Transport Association (CTA) or your Local Infrastructure Organisation can advise you on what is necessary and provide templates etc., see Budget Having evidenced the need, identified your beneficiaries and decided on the community transport option required, the next step is to draw up a budget for the project before embarking on fundraising. Itemise everything necessary; include capital expenditure (equipment) and revenue (running costs). Some potential costs are listed below. Don t panic! Vehicle hire or purchase (best to hire at least in the offset) Vehicle licence (if buying) Vehicle permit small vehicle, minibus or community bus (if buying or check with hirer): Vehicle insurance (if buying) Breakdown cover (if buying) Vehicle maintenance (if buying) Fuel (buying or renting) Public Liability Insurance (covers members of the public) Employers Liability Insurance (covers paid staff and volunteers) Disclosure and Barring Service(DBS) checks for staff or/and volunteers Drivers wages (if employing) 7 Volunteer or staff training requirements (first aid, manual handling, safe guarding etc.)

8 8. Fundraising Volunteer or staff expenses (travel etc) Other equipment such as mobile phones, computer, printing ink, stationery, first aid box etc. Room-hire for committee meetings and refreshments there could be more!. Your group can raise money through various means by organising fundraising events, collections, raffles; selling merchandise, getting sponsorship, including online donations, and applying for grants, contracts and loans. For ideas, see the RCC toolkit Fundraising Ideas via the website, and search online for grant-givers via Funding Central and Leicestershire Funding Toolkit, see point Monitoring & evaluation Record keeping is essential, and possibly a requirement of the type of scheme you are operating in the case of vehicle permits (keeping membership lists etc). In addition to financial records (regular monthly accounts, annual accounts and possibly other reporting if you are a registered charity or company limited by guarantee) you will need to report to grant-givers and account for grants received by the means of monitoring. Monitoring, also evaluating your project or service, is a useful tool to assess what is working well and what isn t doing so well. Monitoring and evaluation, rather than being a chore, can act as a helpful barometer to where you are and can help keep the project on track. Your Local Infrastructure Organisation can advise see Information and support Where to get further information, support and resources. Community Transport Association CTA Information and advice on all aspects of community transport. It s worth considering becoming a member to get full access to all advice and information for running schemes, including insurance providers. The CTA provides legal and technical advice including a vehicle buying or leasing scheme, Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme MiDAS training, Section 19 permits and low-cost DBS checks. Tel

9 DVLA Information about types of licence required to drive various vehicle types. Funding Central A free website that lists grants, contracts and loans, plus tools and information supporting groups/organisations to develop a sustainable income strategy. Leicestershire County Council & local Community Transport hubs Community transport services available in Leicestershire including community car schemes and community minibus services run by contract by LCC and voluntary sector providers and Dial a Ride schemes accessible public transport services for people who, because of age, disability or rural isolation cannot use conventional bus services or have serious problems doing so. Tel sible_transport.htm Leicestershire Funding Toolkit A free website that contains a funding database and a range of useful information for voluntary/community groups. Via VAL. Rutland County Council Community transport available in Rutland. Tel munity_transport.aspx Rural Community Council (RCC) Community consultation including Community or Parish Plans, setting up Good Neighbour Schemes, Community Building Service - information and advice. Various Toolkits including: Disclosure & Barring, Community Event Planning, Fundraising ideas, Regulations for Raffles, Lotteries and Fundraising events. Tel Self-Help Kit Hampshire County Council Passenger Transport Team A comprehensive toolkit designed to help organisations to design, commission and provide transport services which meet the needs of their local community. Voluntary Action Rutland (Local Infrastructure Organisation - Rutland) Support to voluntary sector groups in Rutland, including setting up as a group, 9

10 policies and procedures, funding advice, volunteering and learning events. Tel Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (Local Infrastructure Organisation - Leicestershire) Support to voluntary sector groups, including setting up as a group, policies and procedures, funding advice, volunteering, learning events and the Leicestershire Funding Toolkit. Help line This toolkit was written for the RCC Big Society Network Project Rural Community Council (RCC) (Leicestershire and Rutland) Community House 133 Loughborough Road Leicester LE4 5LQ ruralcc@ruralcc.org.uk Please let us know what you think of this toolkit via contact details above The Big Society Network project is part of the Transforming Local Infrastructure project (partners include: RCC, Voluntary Action Leicestershire and Voluntary Action Rutland). Every effort has been made to ensure the information in this toolkit was correct at the date of publication: September The RCC cannot be held responsible for any omissions or errors. 10