The review into skills and leaderships needs in the social sector has today published its response on a new blog site: www.leadingsocial.org.uk.

The response follows a six month review at the invitation of minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, led by Dame Mary Marsh and supported by a working group of representatives from across the social sector.

The review has identified eight critical areas where there are skills and leadership needs, with recommendations on how the sector and the Government can respond. Connecting these areas, the review points to three key themes that sit at the heart of the challenge:

Each of us has an individual personal responsibility to contribute actively to our own continuous development.

Responsibility for developing and ‘growing’ people and making the most of potential has to be led from the top of organisations of all sizes including by their governance.

There are some urgent specific skills gaps many of which come from recent radical shifts in opportunity and the changed financial context.

The review draws on insights from engagement with a wide range of organisations, including over sixty organisations who contributed in personal meetings and events and many more who took part through an online discussion platform and social media.

The launch of leadingsocial.org.uk marks the next stage in this discussion, recognising that there is still more that can be learned from across the sector.

As well as signposting organisations to existing support, guidance and tools, the blog site has been designed so that everyone can share their knowledge and ideas, and to enable discussion about emerging critical skills gaps.

As the charity supporting the social sector in developing its workforce, Skills- Third Sector will maintain the blog in the future.

Dame Mary Marsh who led the review said: “This is a critical time for organisations who need to develop their skills and leadership to enable them to deal with challenges and respond to opportunities.

"The social sector is full of talented and experienced individuals, and there are many examples of best practice out there. Our hope for leadingsocial.org.uk is that it will become a space where organisations can learn from each other.”

Many leading sector players then broke down the response by theme.

Commenting on the theme of 'routes into and through the sector', Keith Mogford, chief executive of Skills- Third Sector said: “The challenge now is for organisations to work in partnership to develop practical, well-grounded solutions, like the Skills Clubs that we're currently developing with employers, where staff, experience and knowledge can be shared between organisations to help develop the talent that will ensure a strong and robust sector.

"This will ensure that we are not only encouraging new entrants into the sector, but also that we retain and support the talent that already exists.”

Commenting on the themes of 'skills sharing' and 'enterprise capability', Stephen Hammersley, chief executive of UK Community Foundations Network said: “Being creative and innovative in pursuit of social benefit is one of the hallmarks of the sector.

"I hope that leadingsocial.org.uk stimulates further thinking and action that builds on these strengths and better enables the social sector to play a full role where more commercial enterprise skills are required both as principal contractors and by sharing and exchanging skills with other sectors.”

Commenting on the theme of 'attracting and developing leaders', Cliff Prior, chief executive of UnLtd said: “All of us in this sector are passionate about our mission, and that’s why we know that taking ownership of our personal leadership development is vital.

"All of us who are experienced leaders can share what we know with the new generation, and learn from aspiring leaders in return – a new cultural norm to achieve our personal best for the work we believe in so powerfully.”

Commenting on the theme of 'strengthening governance', Dr Peter Kyle, deputy chief executive of ACEVO, added: "It is a simple truth that charitable organisations will not survive the current crises unless they are effectively led.

"Furthermore, good leadership today won't be good enough tomorrow, so leaders owe it to their organisations to invest in their own capabilities. This is an area of development often particularly overlooked for governance boards.

"We hope that this review, and the work we will be carrying forward in the Governance Commission, will help organisations to learn from the exemplars that are out there, and recognise the value of investing in the development of governance boards."

Commenting on the theme of 'data-informed social change', Karl Wilding, head of policy & research, NCVO, said: "In a tough economic climate I know it can be difficult for charities to justify spending on something as seemingly arcane as data skills.

"But I have no doubt that for many organisations, not using their data effectively will mean they increasingly struggle in the future. This review is an excellent starting point and full of food for thought about how we can all take responsibility today for the new sorts of skills we will need tomorrow."

Commenting on the theme of 'skills sharing', Bill Freeman, director of services and business development at NAVCA, noted: "Our section on Skills Sharing recognises that people and relationships drive great organisations.

"We call on social sector leaders to make better connections with people beyond their sector so they can learn and grow together. This will be essential in supporting their own professional development, as well as the development of their profession.

"We encourage colleagues to commit to both in creating a more successful and sustainable social sector."

Commenting on the theme of 'collaboration', Andrew Barnett, director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation UK, said: "The capabilities of social sector organisations, including the skills that individuals working within organisations and - collaboratively - between them, will become increasingly important if we are to continue to meet and enhance our objectives in an era of ever complex needs and scant resources. Charitable trusts and foundations have an important role to play in helping equip organisations they support for the future."

Commenting on the theme of 'digital fluency', Richard Tyrie, founder of Good People said: "As we shift towards an increasingly connected world, digital is becoming the preferred means of engagement by the mainstream.

"In a time of significant resource constraints, digital offers am opportunity for major efficiencies and increased donor engagement which could yield up to £7 billion per annum by 2017. However, a failure to embrace digital opportunities could pose risks for social sector organisations, as they become increasingly disconnected from the expectations of stakeholders."

Commenting on the theme of 'enterprise capability', Steven Leach, Ventures Consultant at UnLtd, said: “The rapidly changing world of finance for social organisations presents many of us with a classic “not knowing what we don’t know” dilemma. Providing just in time and digestible information to build confidence and skills in making financing decisions will be a great help.”

Commenting on the relevance of the review to small charities, Alex Swallow, chief executive of Small Charities Coalition, said: "I hope that small charities find the response of the Review a useful one. The Review covers a great many areas which provide guidance, suggestions and examples of best practice in our sector.

"One of the key lessons of the Review for me is that collaboration is more important than ever, both intra and inter sector. Small charities represent the bulk of the sector and only with their help will we be able to collectively make some tangible progress."

Commenting on the role of the private sector in supporting the review, Gareth Matthews, business director Welfare Services at SERCO, observed: “It has been a privilege to have been involved in the review of the skills and leadership needs of the of the social sector.

"Serco fully recognises the talent and skills that exist in the social sector through its active engagement of the sector in its strategic and supply chain delivery partnerships to deliver essential public services.

"The launch of leadingsocial.org.uk is a welcomed opportunity and will be instrumental in allowing third sector professionals to share their expertise and knowledge, and to develop the skills and talent of the social sector.

"However, we must also ensure that the private sector plays its part in developing the pool of rich talent that exists within the social sector."

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