The Vision Statement

The Purpose Of ViSTA

The Vision Statement

Our vision for the future is one where the voluntary & community sector actively engages with education and training as a means of empowering and enabling staff, volunteers and service users and as a means of addressing inequality and social injustice. 

The Mission

ViSTA is committed to providing high quality services that enable the voluntary & community sector to engage more effectively in education, training and personal development for the benefit of the individuals and the communities that they serve. 

Core Values

• Sector for sector support
• Champions of equality & empowerment
• Open and transparent working practice
• Commitment to partnership and collaboration
• Commitment to high professional standards and quality
• Commitment to long-term sustainability
• Supportive work environment for staff and volunteers

Aims

1. To deliver affordable workforce development programmes which meet the needs of the VCS.  
2. To develop and host VCS partnerships in order to deliver training and personal development programmes to individuals in Somerset and neighbouring areas.
3. To provide specialist infrastructure services for the VCS in relation to developing and delivering high quality services and education programmes. 
4. To raise the profile of the VCS and encourage collaboration and networking across the sectors.
5. To consult with our service users and the wider VCS in order to advocate on behalf of the sector and ensure that our services are responsive. 

Objectives Under Aim 1 (Workforce Development)

Governance

• To provide a specialist governance programme aimed at committee members, trustees and directors from VCS organisations and groups.  This will include a trustees’ mentoring scheme, a Somerset governance resource kit, networking events and training programmes.
• To provide a brokerage service on behalf of the VCS to open up new opportunities to access training from other providers.

Training

• To develop and deliver a programme of VCS workforce development activities which will include external training courses, work placements & secondments, in-house bespoke courses and peer coaching (cross agency skills coaching).
• To provide support and continuing professional development programmes for VCS staff involved in delivering training.

Trainers

• To offer organisational support programmes in relation to performance management, service development and quality assurance.

Performance

• To develop and pilot initiatives which provide VCS organisations with new approaches to enhance their provision and improve organisational effectiveness.

Careers

• To provide a careers information service and offer access to one to one learning advice and guidance for staff, volunteers and community learners. 

Objectives Under Aim 2 (VCS Partnerships for Learning)

Community Learning

• To develop and co-ordinate activities which bring VCS organisations together to deliver education, training and personal development programmes which meet the needs of their services users and which address the strategic aims of key agencies (LSC, RDA, County Council, PCT etc). 

Funding

• To raise awareness of potential sources of funds for VCS training and personal development programmes and provide support and guidance to other VCS organisations in relation to seeking and securing funding.

Objectives Under Aim 3 (Infrastructure Services)

Resources

• To provide VCS organisations with support and resources in relation to course development, course delivery and quality assurance.

Accredited Learning

• To offer VCS organisations accreditation for their courses by acting as a registered centre and providing access to awards within the National Qualifications Framework.

Skills for Life

• To provide specialist personnel and other resources in order to support VCS organisations to include Skills For Life programmes within their provision.

Quality

• To develop ViSTA’s role as a VCS learning consortium (offering contract management, accountable body status and learner administration, quality assurance services, etc).
• To provide support for VCS organisations (ViSTA included) to achieve recognised quality standards (eg Matrix, PQASSO etc).

Objectives Under Aim 4 (Profile Raising)

Events

• To host conferences and seminars and to provide on-line publications and reports.

Resources

• To maintain and develop the ViSTA website as a resource for the VCS and to act as a “window on the sector” (to promote and inform others about the work of the VCS within Somerset).

Networking

• To produce regular information updates and host networking opportunities across the sectors.
• To support multi-agency collaboration and the sharing of best practice.

Objectives Under Aim 5 (Representation and Advocacy)

Representing

• To maintain a profile across the county (and region) and promote new developments and opportunities to the VCS.
• To represent the VCS by maintaining membership of  networks and by attending relevant fora.
• To undertake consultation and act as a conduit for information exchange across the sectors.

Advocacy

• To advocate on behalf of the VCS.