ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the collaboration of public, private and voluntary organisations to provide services for children and families. It explores the characteristics, values and principles of voluntary organisations, their sense of identity, their independence from public and private sectors and their innovative and entrepreneurial nature. The chapter evaluates the effectiveness of the policy in strengthening society and enabling communities to achieve their own ambitions in the current context of economic austerity and reduced public spending. The voluntary and community sector is well established as a provider of family and community services and mutual aid welfare support for families and communities is known to have existed as early as the thirteenth century. The role of voluntary and community organisations evolved further in 2010 when the Big Society policy was introduced by the Conservative Party. Social action through increased levels of volunteering is a key function of the Big Society.
