VSF Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Research

This survey collects information about the nature, scale, economic value and income of the Sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It also assesses the needs of the sector across the county. All voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE) in Cornwall are being asked to participate in the online survey. Your participation is important because we need to get a representative picture across all VCSEs in the county, in order to focus resources where they can most help. If you have queries or wish to authenticate the survey, please call Amanda Rundle at the VSF Cornwall on 01872 241584. The survey is being facilitated by PFA Research Ltd, an independent market research company based in Cornwall.  The survey is carried out under the Market Research Society Code of Conduct.  Your replies will be treated with utmost confidentiality and with anonymity, unless you express otherwise.

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About Your Organisation

Is your organisation...
	Part of a national organisation?
	A local independent organisation?
	Or something else?

Something else... please write in:

About Your Organisation

What is your organisation’s single most important activity?
	Direct service provision
	Information / advice
	Advocacy / campaigning
	Training / skills
	Or something else?

Something else... please write in:

About Your Organisation

Is your organisation an “umbrella organisation” which assists other voluntary organisations?

Yes

No

What is the legal status of your organisation?
	Registered charity or trust only
	Company limited by guarantee only
	Registered charity and company limited by guarantee
	Community Interest Company (CIC)
	Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
	Unincorporated organisation (not for private profit)
	Industrial and Provident Society (co-operative)
	Or something else?

Something else... please write in:

About Your Organisation

What is your organisation’s single most important field of work?
	Social care/welfare		School aged children (up to 16)
	Health and wellbeing		Young people aged 16 to 24
	Culture/arts		Housing /homelessness
	Sports/leisure/recreation		Environment
	Education		(Ex-)Offender management
	Support/resources for community groups		Or something else?
	Pre-school children

Something else... please write in:

About Your Organisation

Which one of the following groups of people are the MAIN CLIENTS using your services?
	No particular group		People with physical disabilities, learning difficulties and/or mental health issues
	Pre-school children		Jobless people
	School aged children (up to 16)		People from an ethnic minority
	Young people aged 16 to 24		People with drugs, alcohol or addiction issues
	Elderly people		Ex-offenders
	People living in a particular geographic area		Or something else?

Something else... please write in:

About Your Organisation

Please estimate the total number of clients who use your services in a year:

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

Turning now to the staff who are employed by your organisation... How many paid staff are employed in each of the following categories? (N.B. Include permanent, full and part-time staff - do not include subcontracted, temporary staff, volunteers or vacancies.)

Full time employees (i.e. at least 30 hours / week):

	Male
	Female
	In total

Please check your responses such that 'In total' equals the number of males + females

Part time employees (i.e. less than 30 hours / week):

	Male
	Female
	In total

Please check your responses such that 'In total' equals the number of males + females

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

How many of your Q12c full time and Q12f part time staff in total are in each of the following age categories?

	Under 25 years old
	25 to 49
	50 years or older

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

In order to help us assess the value of the VCSE sector to the local economy, it would be very helpful if you are able to give a general indication of the average pay and the required minimum qualification level for staff at different levels.

Average FTE pay (per year) £:

	Entry level staff...£
	Delivery/front line staff...£
	Senior managers...£

Can't say / Don't know

Is there a minimum qualification level for each of the following? If so, please state: (If not, please leave blank.)

	Entry level staff
	Delivery/front line staff
	Senior managers

Can't say / Don't know

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

How many volunteers does your organisation currently have in total? (Please write in number - Do not include management committee, trustees, etc.)

How many of these volunteers give...

	Up to 10 hours a week volunteering?
	More than 10 hours a week volunteering?

How many of your volunteers are from the following groups...

	Under 25 years old?
	25-49 years old?
	Over 50 years?
	Women?
	Have a disability?
	Unemployed?
	From a black or minority ethnic community?

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

About how long do most of your volunteers stay with your organisation?
	A few weeks
	A few months
	About a year
	More than a year

Does this length of time meet the needs of your organisation?

Yes

No

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

How many management committee members, trustees, etc does the organisation currently have in total? (Please write in number)

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

Turning now to finances and sources of funding. Firstly, what is the (estimated) annual financial turnover of your organisation?

Estimated turnover...£

How does this year’s annual turnover compare to last year?
	Has increased		Has decreased		About the same

And how does this year’s caseload compare to last year?
	Has increased		Has decreased		About the same

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

What are your organisation’s main sources of finance?  Please select up to 3 responses.
	Direct selling to the public (goods/services)
	Fund raising (retail, collections, donations)
	External grants - public sector (inc. local and central government)
	External grants - private sector
	Fees/charges - public sector (inc. local and central government)
	Fees/charges - private sector
	Contracts/service agreements - public sector (inc. local/central govt)
	Contracts/service agreements - private sector
	In kind contributions
	Other public sector sources...
	Other private sector sources...

Other public sector sources?... Please state:

Other private sector sources?... Please state:

Your resources: staff, volunteers and turnover

Of the main sources of finance (that you selected on the last page), which one would you rank as the most important?
	Direct selling to the public (goods/services)
	Fund raising (retail, collections, donations)
	External grants - public sector (inc. local and central govt)
	External grants - private sector
	Fees/charges - public sector (inc. local and central govt)
	Fees/charges - private sector
	Contracts/service agreements - public sector (inc. local/central govt)
	Contracts/service agreements - private sector
	In kind contributions
	Other public sector sources... (You said: Q22)
	Other private sector sources... (You said: Q23)

Skills Training and Development

Turning now to training and development for your staff and volunteers... For your (paid) staff, on average how many days training do they receive per year?
		None	1	2	3	4	5	6+	Don't know
	For full-time staff
	For part-time staff

Who conducts the training for your staff?
	Staff from your organisation (i.e. internal)
	An external company or organisation(s)
	Both
	Don't know

What proportion of this training for staff is accredited? (Please estimate and write in percentage - e.g. for 50% write in '50')
		%

And how would you describe the main focus/purpose of this training?

Skills Training and Development

Do you currently provide training for your volunteers?

Yes

No

What proportion of this training for volunteers is accredited? (Please estimate and write in percentage - e.g. for 50% write in '50')
		%

And how would you describe the main focus/purpose of this training for volunteers?

Skills Training and Development

Does your organisation have a training budget?

Yes

No

Does this local branch of your organisation have a training budget?

Yes

No

Can you estimate how much this currently is in one year? (Please estimate and write in value - e.g. for £500 write in '500')
		£

Skills Training and Development

To help us understand the training issues faced by your organisation can you indicate how satisfied you are with each of the following at the moment.  Are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, not very satisfied or not at all satisfied with:
		Very satisfied	Fairly satisfied	Neither satisfied no dissatisfied	Not very satisfied	Not at all satisfied	Don't know
	Accessing suitable training for your employed staff
	The skills and knowledge of your current employed staff
	Accessing suitable training for your volunteers
	The skills and knowledge of your current volunteers

What is the biggest challenge your organisation faces in providing or accessing training now?

Future employment, skills and training

Looking to the future, please think about how your organisation might change in the next five years. What do you think will be the key skills needs and training requirements for your organisation in the next 5 years?

Future employment, skills and training

How do you think your organisation will change in the next 5 years with regards to the following matters.  Please state whether you think your organisation will change to be significantly less, somewhat less, roughly the same, somewhat more or significantly more:
		Significantly less	Somewhat less	Roughly the same	Somewhat more	Significantly more	Don't know
	The number of employed staff
	Salaries/wages
	The number of Volunteers
	Financial turnover

In which main occupations or roles do you think more employed staff will be needed in the next 5 years?

Submit your answers

Thank you for taking part in the study. Everything that you have said will be treated in the strictest confidence and will only be used to help VSF Cornwall to develop strategies to best further the interests of the sector. If you are happy for our analysts to know your identity should there be a need to clarify any information with you, please state below:

	Your name:
	Organisation name:
	Address:
	Town / village:
	Postcode:
	Telephone:
	Email:

Please click on the SUBMIT button below to send us your answers.