With the reorganisation of local government, devolution and a shifting health landscape all on the horizon, Norfolk’s statutory landscape is in the process of undergoing huge change. For this month’s EC comment piece, NCAN explore the proposed changes at local level and considers the ongoing impact on Norfolk VCSE organisations.

For anyone working in the sector, it’s almost impossible to avoid the topics of Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation. The upcoming reshaping of local services and structure is a significant change for the region, spanning across departments and organisations, with several competing unitary models up for consideration.

For Norfolk, part of the Devolution Priority Programme, the government has suggested that decisions on which proposal to implement could be announced by March 2026. The legislation could then be made in the autumn, subject to Parliamentary approval, allowing for elections to the new unitary authorities in May 2027. The new authorities would then go live on 1 April 2028, following a transition period/handover.

In total that makes for a process that could rumble on for more than three years. That timescale may seem acceptable in relation to what the government are calling “the most significant reform of local government for 50 years”, but within the sector, there is considerable nervousness around the impact of these potential changes, as district and county teams spend time and resources working out what this brave new world might end up looking like. For many charities, this anxiety adds to existing pressure around rising service demand and rapidly dwindling funding pots.

What does Local Government Reorganisation mean for Norfolk’s VCSE sector?

When given the opportunity, local stakeholders and partners have noted concerns around the level of upheaval, potential loss of continuity and wider indecision or delays to meaningful long-term decision making, and that’s before we even talk about a lack of clarity on the future funding landscape. With LGR and devolution and the eventual transition to a new structure being a primary focus  within the statutory sector until at least 2028, there is a trepidation from organisations on how to approach areas key areas like commissioning and co-production. For Norfolk charities, especially on a smaller scale, paralysis around decision-making and diminishing clarity around funding can be the difference between existing or not.

It is evident that with fewer resources and reshaped public services, the VCSE sector will have an even greater role to play in terms of providing stability and support to communities across the county. Areas like Cornwall, who’ve gone through the devolution process already, may provide a roadmap to how the sector can shape the process alongside Norfolk residents, but there is a clear need for accessible impartial information, communicated in a timely fashion.

Empowering Communities has a key role to play representing and contributing to this overall reset of the relationship between statutory and VCSE as we navigate the emerging ‘new normal’. Capacity-building and developing the VCSE voice are at the centre of the partnership’s aims and ambitions, but this also requires recognition and commitments to addressing some of the sector’s long-standing challenges around capacity and resources, alongside a tangible commitment to co-producing with the sector in meaningful ways.

Looking to the future

If there is a light at the end of the tunnel it’s that Devolution has the potential to provide real benefits for the voluntary sector and the communities we work with. Ensuring that a single authority, makes decisions around funding and key areas, like economic development and improved social wellbeing, at a local level. From the perspective of charities, it’s pivotal that new structures of governance emerging from this period of change embed principles that find local solutions in co-production with the sector.

Ultimately, as clichéd as it may sound, LGR and Devolution are opportunities for Norfolk’s vibrant and wide-reaching VCSE sector to influence actual systems change and develop more beneficial ways of working that centre the voices of the communities we serve. We just have to get there first.

Interested in learning more about Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)? Join our info session with Norfolk County Council on 6^th August, 5-6pm on MS Teams.