Rural Services Network - Rural Services Network

THIS SERVICE IS FOR NON LOCAL AUTHORITY PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANISATIONS.

THE RURAL SERVICES NETWORK IS THE VOICE FOR RURAL SERVICES IN THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY SECTORS.

WE SEEK FOR VERY LOW COST TO PROVIDE OUR MEMBERS WITH A SERVICE WHICH JOINS UP THEIR RURAL THINKING AND GIVES THEM TANGIBLE BENEFITS TO THE OVERALL ASSISTANCE OF THEIR SERVICE OPERATION.

THE RURAL SERVICES PARTNERSHIP is a grouping of over 180 service providers, customer bodies and national rural organisations who through a £520 subscription seek to work together on the basis that cross service discussion, representation, and best practice based working will benefit their organisations to a far greater degree than the subscription paid. In terms of service deliverers the Partnership involves Police, Fire, Health, Housing, Educational, Business, Transport and National Rural organisations.

Fairer funding

We are the only organisation arguing about the ‘rural premium’ and we are very keen to piece together the composite picture across services. We have been working with Plymouth University to this aim.

We feel if the issue can be approached in a joined up way, information can be established to allow benefit to fall back incrementally in relation to individual service providers block settlements

Small changes in formula can result in hundreds of thousands of pounds in an organisation’s annual grant settlement figure.

Local Strategic Partnerships

We can provide comparative analyses of Local Area Agreements highlighting the rural aspect in relation to individual services.

We will present a detailed annual statement on the state of rural services in England harnessing your organisations rural experiences

Performance Profiling

For service members we will investigate how we can assist in providing comparison from existing data in respect of rural operation.

Service Groupings

We are very keen to work with groupings of officers and members dealing with rural issues across individual services i.e. police, fire, health, housing etc. Such groupings can flounder because of the burden of administrative support and accordingly we are happy to act as facilitator and provide secretarial and back up facility to assist these groups to establish and flourish. We feel these groups are the vital building block required if detailed discussion about cross service liaison on working in rural areas is to progress.

Access to Services (Outreach)

We are doing a lot of work in this area around the availability of public services in rural localities.

We are also looking at the big question of digital inclusion and broadband speeds in remote areas.

Economic Intelligence

Economic comparisons with true peer groups in rural England. Prosperity, deprivation and access to services all given in comparison tables, both at the authority and individual ward level allowing inter authority comparison.

News service

RSNonline provides the most comprehensive rural news service available which serves over 20,000 people. The website is updated daily.

Weekly email rural news digest, fortnightly hot topic briefing, monthly service news and organisation newsletter to provide your staff involved with rural issues the most comprehensive update on rural matters in England.

Local Communities 'Link' Service (c 9,000 members)

Facilitated by your membership a free rural service to those local groups you work with at grass root to level to motivate discussion, debate and shared experience on rural service issues.

Rural Portal

Through rsnonline a point of reference to all current rural research from the other key rural websites.

Best Practice Service

'Calls for Evidence' service and a catalogue of information across the rural hot topics.

We seek to work with Government to give your information and views to those who will influence future rural policy.

We wish to establish a Rural Connect bridge between those operating in rural areas and those who will dictate how future operations should be shaped.

Rural Fuel Poverty

A detailed report is currently being prepared and three pilot studies are underway which will give focus, and provide information about, this essential rural issue.

We consider this problem has the potential to impact very significantly on rural health and economies unless dealt with in a concerted way.

Parliamentary

The Rural Services Network facilitates an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Services to give Westminster focus to the rural concerns expressed in our Rural Manifesto. A quarterly news bulletins to rural MPs enables network members to highlight specific issues.