Combating DH charity asset grab and a Christmas reprise

So its over for another year . My turkey remains are already a glorious soup . The presents put to use ( or not as the case may be ). Sparkles appreciated her Christmas stocking...she chewed it to pieces. I have been going through my pile of cards . I'm glad to say people do still send cards . I deplore those rather pathetic email Christmas greetings .

And I have had some splendid cards . Top prizes go to Barbara Follett MP for a card designed by one of her Stevenage constituents , Simon Gillespie of Multiple Sclerosis for a gorgeous photo of frosted berries , Alun Michael MP whose used a photo he had taken of " Mandela's Gold" , a variety of the bird of paradise flower , and Gordon and Sarah whose card was a superb photo of a Downing St Christmas tree decoration photographed on holly at Kew Gardens . Proceeds from the Downing St card sales go to WaterAid . This marvellous charity is also one I support. It is run by the great Barbabra Frost , acevo member and my former Vice Chair. ( And as you are asking the other charities I support personally each month they are : Christian Aid , Action Aid , VSO , my local Churches and my old Oxford college naturally . )

The booby prize for the worst Christmas greeting goes to the Third Sector Research Centre , who sent me an email wishing me a " Happy Holiday" as though I were about to pack my bags for a jolly week in Alicante . They followed it up with a postcard with a supposed festive scene of their office in the snow emblazoned with the words TSRC. This ridiculous 60s hippy like concern to be PC and pretend we are not actually celebrating the Festival of the Nativity of Christ is actually quite offensive . An end to all this " seasons greetings " nonsense I say! I wonder if they wander around wishing Muslims a " happy holiday "when its Ramadan?

But it is back to work with a vengeance . The Times today brilliantly exposes the attempted grab of hospital charity assets by the DH. I have blogged on this and am delighted it is now being exposed more widely as a result of an intervention by Jenny Wilmot MP , the Lib Dem third sector spoke person . The DH want all NHS hospitals to account for the assets of their hospital charity in the main hospital budgets and accounts . This would , as the Charity Commission have pointed out , " can be viewed as tantamount to a form of nationalisation of the gifts and donations of the public". As I said in my comment printed in the Times story it would be just too tempting for any government to look at those combined balance sheets and tell hospitals they can use them to pay for things that previously would have been bought by the NHS itself . This could make it easier for future governments to make cuts and we would find that charity donations are substituting for state funding . A slippery path . And this will simply undermine trust in the work of the many great hospital charities. I want the Charity Commission to be robust and stop this , just as they did in 1948 when the then Government tried to nationalise the assets of the 1000 charity hospitals . Of course Andy Burnham could tell his Department not to implement this accounting changes . He needs to do this now; he cannot afford to further alienate the third sector after his disastrous policy u-turn on preferred supplier . So go on Andy , make my New Year a happy one!

It was ironic that as I went into St Thomas' this morning for a check up on my eyes ( very good progress , Thank God ) I walked past the statue of King Edward VI who endowed the hospital in 1553 along with a large gift from his Treasurer . The fantastic fundraising of the Guys and Tommies charity , building on centuries of public donations and legacies have enabled many pioneering works like the development of a centre of excellence in foetal health and the new Evalina children's hospital. ; works that the DH had ruled were not priorities and would not fund.they also do much needed work in supporting the health needs of the local community in South London . I don't want this major asset swallowed up in the hospital accounts and then some future Secretary of State telling Tommies they have loads of money so we will cut your budget and use it elsewhere.

I'm asked onto Radio 5 live for an interview and then do a piece for BBC Radio 4 , my favourite news station. I get several emails from members saying well done . one , headed " theft" asks me to ensure acevo "campaigns against avaricious plans by government to lay their hands on charitable money". We shall . I'm proud that acevo is there to speak out on behalf of our sector when that is needed. It may be the Christmas break but we are ever vigilant on behalf of our members.

A Happy Christmas

Today we shut down for the Christmas break and return refreshed for the New Year. And to send staff off on their merry way I laid on a lunch time champagne amd mince pie lunch. It's the least my brilliant team deserve. They have worked superbly over the year to support and advice the sector's CEOs. I am lucky to have such talent. Though a team of only 40 we seem to do the work of a hundred. And that is because of dediction and commitment and sheer intelectual brain power. It's the likes of my Head of Policy who came up with what must rank as the quote of the year , "ACEVO is keen on evidence-based policy making, but we are not keen on procrastination-based evidence making." As a summary of what the Treasury have been up to it could not be excelled ! It is with people like this we demonstrate leadership on behalf of the sectors glorious band of chief executives...

I will be off for another Nine Lessons and Carols at Westminster Abbey and then Midnight Mass at All saints, Margaret Street.

Have a Blessed and Peaceful Christmas. And, as the Bidding Prayer for christmas Eve says,

" Let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the Angels and in heart and mind go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass".

Let me end by pasing on the email card from the great Rob Owen at the St Giles Trust.

Patients First, though not in parts of the NHS .... Me and Gus.

Well our complaint to the DH Competition Panel has set the cat amongst the pigeons, particularly as we made the complaint with the NHS Confederation.

I was amused at the press coverage of the reaction of the Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT Chief Executive. In the Health Services Journal he expressed "disappointment" but "hoped the challenge would soon be "disposed of" to end uncertainty for staff."

So there you have it. Important we are disposed of! And I had a vague feeling PCTs are there for the benefit of patients and carers and better health outcomes? This is a very Freudian response. It reveals exactly why we have a problem. The interests of staff are put above the interests of the best care for patients regardless of which sector the provision is from.

And he compounds the offence by suggesting the sector may have a role as sub contractors! Clearly does not see us as having a role in mainstream provision.

It will come as no surprise to read in the HSJ that this particular PCT, was named as one of the two worst performing PCTs in last year’s world class commissioning document. Perhaps the better course might have been to welcome competition to drive up standards.

An amusing email from Peter Housden, the Perm Secretary at DCLG, who reveals that there is a photo in the Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell's office featuring me! He even takes a photo to send me.


Well here it is. Myself, Gus and the CEO of Amey. We were celebrating the anniversary of the civil service Top Managers Programme which is one of the finest leadership programmes in the country. ACEVO can nominate a third sector CEO to each programme. And we do.

And I even have this photo in my own Office!

Last night was special. I braved the snow and went to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at my church, All Saints Margaret Street. Beautiful singing. Traditional readings and carols. One of the choir, Ian Lyon, has been helping ACEVO with its contacts and policy towards the Conservatives.

And let me finish this blog with the words of the chorus of the Yorkshire Wassail song:

"For it's Christmas time, when we travel far and near,
May God bless you and send you a happy New Year. "

Challenging Burnham

This government was elected on a Manifesto that promised the third sector would be treated " on equal terms ". This promise has been comprehensively and dramatically torn up by Andy Burnham. In his policy u- turn he has decreed that the " NHS will be the preferred provider" , caving in to producer interest and the demands of unions like Unite who have been quick to trumpet their victory.

ACEVO has been working behind the scenes to row this back. I have had a number of conversations with Andy- who I like. We have had this extensively discussed in Government at the highest level.

But after a month of discussion we have not been able to achieve as much advance as our members would like or need. Our job is to advance the best interest of our beneficaries. Whilst we like to move forward in consensus. When that is not possible we do what the third sector must always do at such times and campaign.

So we move from the patient argument and discussion stage to the offensive. Yesterday afternoon we submitted a formal complaint of anti competitive behaviour against a PCT to the Department of Health competition Panel. See more details in the Financial Times' story here.

This is one flagrant example of action being taken to discriminate against the sector since the Burnham decree. But there will be others and there may be other complaints logged by other organisations as well.

We shall be taking all steps necessary to show our opposition to this policy u turn. I'm glad to say the Tories have promised to reverse it immediately.

It seems incredible that the interests of the organisation are to be put above the question of which body can provide the best service for the patient and client. We are being told that even where we can offer a more cost effective service that better meets the need of the patient they will in future favour in house provision.

And as the NHS needs to review spending and try to meet expanding need against more constrained public sending the third sector is to be cold shouldered. We are the unpreffered.

There is very little point in government talking of a bigger role for the third sector in delivering citizen focused services when its actions demonstrate this is but rhetoric.

And if the NHS is now the government's preffered provider which department will be next to discriminate against the third sector. Will DWP or MoJ now try to reverse recent commissioning changes to involve our sector more widely ?

Can you pursue one competition (anti) policy in one Department and not others?

Members are pretty disgusted by all this. It is objectionable in principle and impractical in application. It must be reversed.

The 132nd Bishop of London and "Giving"

So my very first official engagement since the OP! One of ACEVO's "Learning with Leaders" lunches. And this one is particularly fantastic. Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, is one of the most erudite, learned and amusing Prelates in the land. It was a real joy to listen to him speak. And he looks exactly like an Anglican Prelate should look. None of this modern day nonsense with jeans and blue shirts in an apology for being a priest type approach.

Our lunch was at the offices of the great CCLA ,who so splendidly look after much of our sector assets. The food, and a fine Chablis, were much appreciated.

The Bishop spoke about the strong links between the Church and the sector of which it is a part, and yet how often Governments marginalise or ignore religion and the role that churches play in local an national life. He made the point that many ministers and politicians will readily acknowledge the strong role of churches in their locality but divorce this from the role of churches more widely. He did however admit that the Church has had some part to play in his marginalisation by its apparent obsession with gender and sex.

The Church does indeed have a strong role as a "community hub" as he described it. Indeed he pointed out that the CoE has a huge infrastructure of buildings and personnel in 24 churches there are sub post offices for example. Every day the priests of the church are supporting and nurturing people in communities in difficult times. The Church works across communities and in them. They have links with other community organisations and with the wider third sector. It's a real force that we often ignore because we find religion embarrassing (speaking generally that is - as I don't!)

I have blogged before about the work of Saul Alinsky, the Chicago community organiser guru (his seminal work is "Rules for Radicals). He used the power of church congregations in Chicago to get real force behind various community campaigns. Obama has written about this from his own work as a community organiser (and he was tutored by Alinsky).

The Bishop commented on the theme of Christmas as a time of giving. The CoE gets 9% of all gift aid contributions. Interesting! We may need to enlist them in our campaign to get Government to move its arse on this.

I receive a letter from Ian Pearson MP, Economic secretary to HMT today (Click here to read it.)

He suggests; "I hope you find time over the Christmas period to read and consider the report so that our discussion of Gift Aid reform in the New Year is informed by its findings."
Always fun to be patronised.

Actually I think it's Ian who needs to remember he is the Government so perhaps he would like to read the research and then tell us what the Government is going to do about it. I shall be replying to say we will come to the meeting in the expectation of hearing their proposals for reform. And I shall be suggesting that as Christmas is a time of giving they decide they will introduce gift aid changes on higher rate tax payers.

Next year every ACEVO member will have to pay higher costs in increased VAT and National Insurance. We need the higher rate reform to help us meet those costs and to carry on our much needed work with our beneficiaries. So Ian, what is your Christmas present going to be?

Leadership ... and Gift Aid again ....

What a great story in The Observor : "how a little champagne really does lift the heart". Scientists have shown that a couple of glasses a day is good for the heart and blood circulation. Of course we knew this.

As that wise warrior Napoleon observed of champagne , " In victory you deserve it, in defeat you need it ".

And I certainly needed it after Monday when I returned to Tommies for another small op under local to "adjust the stitches" as they put it. Not pleasant. I was fair reeling when I left and as no one had admonished me not to drink I had a reviving Gin. I needed it. We have become somewhat censorious of drink of late, almost as though we are all on the brink of bouts of binge drinking and alcoholism. Not that this is not a problem - indeed I have excellent members working in the area of drink and drug abuse and Alcohol Concern is a splendid body. But that should not blind us (oops unfortunate that) to the glories of wine and champagne.

One of the advantages of time off to recuperate is I get a chance to listen to that National treasure, BBC Radio 4. An interesting programme on Monday on leadership and management and the link with expertise. The question was that if in the arts, for example, no leader at the top would not also be an expert in their subject - orchestras or curating for example. Would the banking crisis have taken a different turn if more people at the top had been experts in banking and come up through the ranks? Should the Civil Service pay more attention to developing expertise in Departmental subjects rather than glorifying generalism.

There is now a trend back to hospitals being run by medics rather than managers imported from other parts of the public sector.

This is a very valid point; how far can you divorce the skills of leadership from th expertise and knowledge of the job itself, say child care or rehabilitation? Many of ACEVO's CEO leaders have come from jobs outside the organisations they have run. Many have come from outside the sector. I suspect a balance is needed. A social worker steeped in the expertise of the profession may not make the best manager or leader?

We are being led a merry dance on Gift Aid. My brilliant Head of Policy reports to me on the meeting with HMT on the recent research on top taxpayers and giving. It is clear that changes to make all tax payers gift aid contributions come to charity will not significantly lower giving. So we now need Government to decide what they will do.

But all we get is an offer of a "forum" to discuss this further. Well chaps, time for talking is over. You are the Government. You decide. Are you going to implement change for higher rate tax payers or not? Simple question. What is the answer please because I, for one, am tired of talking about it. Unless you would like to appoint me to the Treasury team and I'll make the decision for you.

And it is debatable in the absence of any indication we are not being further led around the garden that we will take part. I have decided to ask members for their view.

It may be Christmas and the season of goodwill to all men but there are limits. Two years talking and sweet all and what are we offered. A forum. And I thought Santa would have something better in his sack!

Anaesthetists and Loan Deniers

The outrage! As I lay prone on the operating table the anaesthetist leans over and asks:

" Are you retired? "

"RETIRED! HARDLY " I reply as majestically as is possible in one of those flimsy NHS gowns, fixing him with my beady eye. But there the conversation ends as the liquid sleep took its effect.
And the last friendly words of the Nurse were a Firm "NO Alcohol". I'm afraid I always get a violent Pavlovian reaction at this. I start thinking of a cool glass of champagne, lovely bubbles pouring down the frosted side in an enticing and irresistible way. But I was a good boy and resisted!

The Op appears to have gone well , though I had to return for a stitch to be removed the next day.

I see Andy Burnham waits until l'm on the slab before announcing his "NHS First" paper. Surely its " Patients First", not the institution? But I'm afraid that's where his NHS as preferred supplier has driven us. You cannot put patients first if you have decided that third sector provision is not preferred even if it is more cost effective and client driven. And how will you secure a more productive service and one able to control cost if you refuse to allow competition on equal terms? This absurd policy will be challenged. You can be sure we are already well advanced in our plans to get this overturned. Good to hear that at a dinner last week Francis Maude MP was clear the Tories will be consigning the Burnham u-turn to the hospital incinerators. Incidentally at same dinner he promised £300 m for a Social Investment Bank. Sound man that Maude.

St Thomas' is a great Hospital. Since I became a Health Authority member there in 1982 I have had strong connections over the last three decades in various guises, more recently on the Foundation Council. I always think it is reassuring that whilst an NHS hospital for 60 years it was run and managed as a third sector hospital for 400 years. Before 1947 there were 1000 charity hospitals, big and small. Indeed most of our best and well known teaching hospitals like Guys and Tommies were such. They live on in the many hospital charity Foundations: ACEVO has many of their CEOs as members.

In 1947 the Government tried to nationalise these endowments as well as the buildings. I'm glad to say that the then Charity Commission showed its mettle and stopped this. I hope they will be as robust today at malicious and wrong headed attempts to make these charities account their money though the public sector hospital accounts. Andrew Hind must ensure this does not happen. These are the donations and endowments of generations of charitable giving, not for propping up the deficits of the State.

One of the glories of our remarkable sector is its glorious history and diversity. Some 500,000 organisations that form the weft and weave of our society. And like our society we are peopled with the magnificent and the wacky, the innovative and imprudent, the talented and the improbable.

So you can be sure that for every great advance we make there will be the sad chorus of the bemoaning few. So with the good news of the Social Investment Bank the predictable "this isn't good news" or "there is no evidence of demand" is trotted out. A shame those who argue there is no evidence don't actually bother to check. Though I must not be naïve; this is just a smart retort rather than an interest in facts.

So worth recounting the evidence of demand for the new Community Builders Investment Fund being run by the ACF which I chair. This is a £60m loan fund.

When it was set up there were 1432 enquires which have translated into 282 firm loan applications going through the process, worth up to £65m in loans.

And these are applications from community organisations - not the big national charities. The Adventure Capital fund and Futurebuilders and the DH Social enterprise investment fund have already demonstrated demand. But what I find so encouraging is that many great people in local communities have found they can fund their ambitions through loans as well as more traditional sources of funding. So let's support ambition shall we?

Clearly access to capital is new for our sector. These are new products and so it will take time before we are all comfortable with investment money as part of an organisations' diversity of funding. To suggest there is no evidence of demand is a flat earth approach. As with any new idea or product you will find people who don't want it and can't think why anyone else will.

Why, imagine the scene, a small rural pub some 70 years back, ale flowing from the casks, spittoons gleaming on the straw strewn floors. Two handsome folk on their bar tools:

Kevin (name plucked entirely at random). "Well I'm certainly not getting one of those new fangled big boxes"

Deborah (ditto) "No , nor me, I like my mahogany gramophone, why would I want an ugly TV".

Kevin, "exactly - no evidence of demand, it won't catch on... when your ready love, fill em up ...."

Just as we have climate deniers there are " loan deniers" too.

Good to have bracing Oxfordshire air to aid recovery. It was the quarterly Farmers Market in Charlbury on Saturday and my chance to stock up for Christmas with the gorgeous cheeses of the Cotswolds. I have a full round of the Churchill Cheddar from the marvellous Crudges cheese makers in Kingham and a Cotswold Blue Brie from the Simon Weaver Organic Dairy in Upper Slaughter. Now safety stored in a box in the shed on top of the Christmas Bollinger. It is a solecism to put good cheese in the fridge! And Sunday was dedicated to putting up and decorating the Tree and toasting the Advent Fairy with the first Bottle since the Op. I'm afraid the decorations look somewhat temporary as the Hound has decided what's hanging from the branches are toys for chewing. That poor Black Angel I brought back from Tanzania last Christmas is toast!