National voice, local impact.

Leading the way by developing, representing and supporting
Scotland’s local third sector infrastructure

Vision:

Our vision is of a sustainable and high impact third sector delivering high quality services for the communities and people of Scotland.

Mission:

Our mission is to develop, represent and support local infrastructure bodies and their members to ensure that, together, we can effectively influence policy and service planning at national, regional and local level and ensure our sector is recognised as key contributors to the delivery of high quality services.

VAS is the support and representative body for Third Sector Interfaces in Scotland. It is a Membership organisation comprising representatives from local Interfaces in each local authority area is Scotland. It aims to develop and deliver programmes of support by, for and with its membership.
It works to the following key principles to limit its own direct costs, to ensure that the maximum funding possible is deployed to fund direct support services to the benefit of its members;

• to undertake a small number of key functions centrally (e.g. consultation, research, communications) on behalf of the TSI network, to provide a consistent, unified, collective voice and profile for TSIs;
• to utilise SG funding to access - effectively and proportionately - services which support TSIs to improve delivery of all 4 of the functions which Interfaces are charged to deliver;
• to seek best value through effective targeting, and where possible through collaborative action, to maximise the impact of the resources deployed;
• to draw primarily and directly on the extensive current skills, knowledge and expertise which already exists within the Interface world, with a major focus on promoting peer support and peer learning initiatives, and seeking collective action and shared approaches to delivery of support services, to promote their longer-term sustainability;
• to seek to work in partnership with other third sector agencies;
• to build on, utilise and seek synergies with, those products developed through SVA which are recognised as being of particular relevance and value to Interfaces;
• to performance monitor and review programme delivery in 2011/12, to ensure its relevance, ability to meet objectives, quality standards and value for money.