Crisis management

^{Running a club > Daily management > Crisis management}

There are very few business ventures that do not experience a crisis at one time or another. You may have a member of staff leave, experience a sudden drop in numbers of children or have difficulties with your cashflow. Whatever your area of difficulty you are not on your own - contact the Business Development Team at OSN for support on 0114 249 4941.

Ideally you will be able to anticipate the problem, already have tried and trusted ways to address the problem or undertake some contingency planning. Having a business plan that is regularly updated to meet changing circumstances will help you be prepared, but even then there may be times when the unexpected could happen. Keeping up to date financial records with regular monitoring of actual income and expenditure against cash flow forecasts will help with this.

If you are a manager of an out of school club, either a sole trader or partner, or if you sit on the management committee or board of directors, you need to ensure that you are in close contact with the everyday running of the club. Holding regular committee meetings and staff meetings will help with this. Contact OSN as soon as you see an area of difficulty - we are here to help, and have access to resources across the city.

Some of the common problem areas clubs encounter are:

Losing members of the management committee. It can be difficult to replace a member of your management committee but what do you do when three leave all at once? Find out why people are leaving and see if there is anything you can do to retain your existing members. It is important to keep an ear to the ground for anyone who might be enthusiastic and willing to step into the role when someone leaves. Ask among your friends, encourage other committee members to ask around and send a letter round to parents of children at the club. Governors at the schools you serve may also be able to help - don't be afraid to ask, these people are interested in children's well being and will be supportive of your efforts. Also consider what skills and experience someone may have that could benefit the management committee. You may need to approach individuals with the specific skills and experience that are required. OSN will be able to advise you on your legal obligations regarding the management committee.

Losing members of staff. Recruitment of new staff can be difficult - especially if you are in a hurry! Again, ask around - do your current playworkers know of anyone suitable? Contact the Children's Information Service on 0114 249 4939 and OSN for help with advertising for staff, and think about inexpensive local adverts - could your local corner shop display a card? You may also have difficulties if a staff member is unavailable through illness, maternity/paternity leave or holiday leave and you need cover very quickly. OSN can signpost you to appropriate organisations and agencies or help you to find other solutions.

Financial difficulties. Good financial planning will help you predict and plan for times of financial hardship - there may be sustainability money available to you depending on your situation. Regular monitoring and financial health checks should anticipate when action needs to be taken. Accessing funds at very short notice is extremely difficult but contact the Business Development Team at OSN to explore your options.

Losing premises. There should be a reasonable warning of changes in the availability of your premises. Again, the best solution to this problem is to ask around - is there a community centre, church hall or school nearby that could help?

Whatever your area of difficulty be sure to contact the Business Development Team at OSN for help and signposting to sources of further help. You can telephone us on 0114 249 4941 or e-mail info@osn.org.uk.