A commissioner’s guide to developing and sustaining local user-led organisations

What do I do next? Scenario 4: There are two or more well established, well networked ULOs

Governance

Meets all ULO design criteria? Typically all
Governance arrangements in place? Yes
Management committee? Yes – effective committee, typically engaged in effective partnership arrangements

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)? Yes – these may be shared
Business plan in place? Yes
Funding arrangements? Core grant from commissioner; Funding from external funders; One or more contracts; Self-generated income
Provides more than one service? Usually
Provides services in more than one area? Usually

Funding and business-readiness

Covers all impairment groups? Typically yes
Members? Yes, and membership can be large
Effective mechanisms for engaging service users? Yes – the approach will typically be joined up
Networking? Has good relationships with other ULOs, BME/LGBT/carers/older people/civil society organisations or wider than social care. This is the key factor in Scenario 4

Essential actions to move to next stop on the 'ULO journey'

  • facilitate networking between existing ULOs, including any newly emerging ULOs
  • request established ULOs provide mentoring support to emerging and embryonic ULOs
  • encourage joint working across social care and health
  • share contact details of the ULOs widely
  • consider releasing local authority staff (who have a strong understanding of the unique value of ULOs) on secondment, and employing service users in ULOs on local authority contracts