Your Address Details

The Chief Executive
Department
Organisation
Address
POSTCODE

Date:                    

Ref: Funding & Levels of Support, for Direct Services & their Overheads

Dear Sir / Madam,

I am interested in the your Organisation's provision of service for (User Group / Service Name).

I am a (Service User / Parent / Carer / Professional / Volunteer / Researcher, etc) and wish to have a better idea of what resources are made directly available to this group, by your Organisation and the total costs of providing these services.

I recognise the additional demands on Services to meet targets, reduce waiting times and shorten waiting lists. These requirements are beneficial, but can use up valuable resources that would otherwise be available for more direct services.

For this reason I am interested how the resources allocated to your service are utilised. Some of the information currently available is too general, or too ambiguous for my purpose.

Could you please provide the following information:

1. A simple breakdown of the sources, amounts and purpose of the General Funds that are allocated and made available to this service.
2. The proportion of any separate overheads and administrative costs (if any) of running your department / section  (Rents, Utilities, Wages, etc).
3. The proportion, or the amount, spent from these General Funds, on General Administrative Overheads of this section of your organisation;
4. Any additional amounts spent on administrative overheads, for each  local service that you provide (Rent, Utilities and  wages, etc);
5. The amount spent on purchasing services from the private, non-profit and charitable sectors (with separate breakdowns if possible),
6. The amount spent employing professionals who directly provide services (including assessment and information) to the public.

Further to this:

1. The approximate proportion, or ratio, of managers, supervisors & administrators, to direct service professionals (in any useful form).
2. An approximate breakdown of: Professional time spent on require administrative duties, like completing forms and entering data on computers;
3. The proportion of Professional time spent on 'face to face' contact with service users and at necessary associated meetings (separated out if possible);
4. The average, approximate time spent by professionals, in travelling, attending training, and other activities that distract them from direct services.
5. The approximate level of sick leave for Professionals (or staff generally if this is not possible)
6. The proportion of 'frozen, or vacant posts' over the last financial year and a general comparison with previous years (preferably separated out for direct service personnel).

I realise that this is a significant amount of information and may be available in different locations, but this is the only way to fully understand the availability of services and the problems in providing them.

Any other information which you feel could be made available, to explain any difficulties in providing services you are required to do, would be appreciated.

Thank you,

yours sincerely,