# Payment by results reforms must not deter charities

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/01/09/payment-results-reforms-must-not-deter-charities/
- Published: 2013-01-09T17:16:33+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The Government must ensure its attempts to introduce payment by results for rehabilitation
services do not squeeze out charities and community groups, the Charities Aid Foundation
said today.

Ministers plan to let security firms and voluntary groups take on probation services
on a payment by results basis.

But the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which promotes charitable giving and provides
financial services and social finance to not-for-profit organisations, warned that
current payment by results contracts run the risk of excluding charity and social
enterprise expertise.

A CAF report published earlier this year says that charities often face difficulties
bidding for Government payment by results contracts because of the risks inherent
in the payment by results model, they have too little time to assess contracts, 
and lack up-front funding to pay for their work.

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John Low, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: “Charities and 
other not-for-profit organisations work closely with beneficiaries and have a huge
amount of expertise in tackling sometimes intractable social problems. Payment by
results contracts can represent real opportunities to tap into the depth of charities'
experience and make a real difference.

“But most charities simply cannot afford to take on contracts to tackle social problems
without up-front funding because they are not allowed to carry large financial reserves
and have limited access to capital compared to for-profit businesses.

“We need to ensure the payment by results revolution does not exclude charities 
so that voluntary sector organisations can play their full part in the heavy lifting
needed to transform our public services.”

ENDS

Read CAF's report on payment by results contracts and the voluntary sector here:
https://www.cafonline.org/pdf/Funding%20Good%20Outcomes.pdf

Contact: Charities Aid Foundation Press Office: 03000 123 286/03000 123214/03000
123275/03000 123212

 

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