NCVO has called for the voluntary sector and government to use existing tools such as the Compact to stop charities coming under greater pressure as a result of welfare reforms.

The umbrella body published a report, Welfare reform: voices from the voluntary sector, yesterday as an assessment of how the sector fared as a result of the welfare reforms carried out by the coalition government.

Researchers found that where the voluntary sector had not been consulted early enough in the process charities said they had struggled to prepare for changes or had wasted resources preparing for something that ended up being delayed.

It called for charities to be involved at an earlier stage of the planning process for the next stage of welfare reforms to create better partnerships.

NCVO also stressed that the sector needs to be properly resourced to do this, and said that “attention is needed to reduce the pressures on staff and services arising from the increasingly prevalent expectation that charities will compensate for reductions in state provision”.

The report said: “Without sustainable financing the voluntary sector will quite simply not be able to pick up the slack in future.”

But it said that a negative outcome was not “inevitable” if closer partnerships between charities and government through national and local compacts could be formed.

It is based on research carried out in 2014, which included a national consultation that received 57 responses, focus group discussions with 34 organisations, and 12 in-depth interviews.

Charlotte Ravenscroft (pictured), head of policy and public services at NCVO, said: “We know that voluntary organisations have local knowledge, networks and trust from service users which means they are often well placed to help people navigate reforms. They can also contribute valuable insights from the frontline to inform better policy making.

“However, this report highlights the challenges voluntary organisations face, from funding cuts, to an expectation that charities will fill the gaps in statutory provision, to inadequate information from government on the timing and nature of the reforms. Voluntary organisations can play a valuable role in tailoring and joining up service provision – this report shows that they must be more involved.”