A commissioner’s guide to developing and sustaining local user-led organisations
What do I do next? Scenario 3: There is a well established ULO that has been around for many years
Governance
Meets all ULO design criteria? | Nearly all or all |
Governance arrangements in place? | Yes |
Management committee? | Yes |
Funding and business-readiness
Established for how long? | Typically 3 years or more |
Permanent staff? | Yes, including management |
Infrastructure in place (e.g. IT, HR, finance, own premises)? | Typically yes |
Business plan in place? | Typically yes |
Funding arrangements? | Core grant from commissioner; Reasonable grant from funding body; Small contract for some services; Some self-generated income (for example, from training, access audits and so on.) |
Provides more than one service? | Possibly |
Provides services in more than one area? | Possibly |
Funding and business-readiness
Covers all impairment groups? | Sometimes |
Members? | Yes, as per governing document |
Effective mechanisms for engaging service users? | Typically yes – though not always across all social care groups |
Networking? | Could possibly have relationships with other ULOs, BME/LGBT/carers/older people/civil society organisations or wider than social care |

Essential actions to move to next stop on the 'ULO journey'
- encourage ULO to bid for larger local services under contract (for example, direct payments/personal budgets information)
- share contact details of ULO with as many service users as possible
- ensure ULO representatives have appropriate opportunities to represent their members / users at commissioner meetings
- commission other services from ULO (for example, training, access audits) on appropriate basis
- research whether there are any groups that fit scenario one, and encourage these to network with the established ULO