LawWorks- Free Legal Advice

LawWorks for Community Groups provides free legal advice to small charities, not for profit, voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises using volunteer lawyers.

They can help you with a wide variety of legal work including company law, employment law, intellectual property law, property law, charity law; tax/VAT law; insolvency and help in drafting contingency plans; insurance law; health and safety law; general contractual / commercial matters etc.

You can apply to them using their online application form. Project staff review the application and help you understand the scope of advice required. If the application is approved, they then try and match you with a volunteer legal advisor who provides the legal advice for free. Once accepted, you will be a client of the firm but LawWorks staff are on hand to deal with any problems.

You can register and submit questions via the website or  contact:  020 7929 5601, enquiries@lawworks.org.uk

iT4Communities launch new mentoring programme

Last week iT4Communities launched their new mentoring programme with an event at London Metropolitan University.

iT4Communities is an organisation that matches IT professionals with voluntary organisations looking for support with their technology. The new mentoring programme matches recent IT graduates to IT professionals as a mentor whilst they work on a volunteer charitable project.

Download more information on the mentoring programme and read materials from the launch event .

Find out how your organisation can access volunteer support. 

More strikes threatened at HCT

More strikes threatened at HCT

• by Gemma Hampson

Strikers outside HCT's depot last week

'People don't work for us because we're a social enterprise. They need to make a living like everyone else'

Derrick Campbell

Staff at HCT Group's Ash Grove depot say it is inevitable they will strike again if the transport social enterprise doesn't meet their pay and conditions demands.

Drivers of HCT's four commercial London red bus routes and other staff at the Hackney bus depot took strike action for 24 hours last Friday.

Around 100 people spent time on the picket line on one of the coldest days of the year so far.

Derrick Campbell, HCT Group's transport supervisor and Unite union representative, said: 'I have been with HCT for 20 years, including as a volunteer. I believe in community transport, but the management needs to listen to us.

'People don't work for us because we're a social enterprise. They need to make a living like everyone else and here they don't have the opportunity to earn that living. They're some of the lowest paid drivers in London.'

Campbell said HCT drivers earned £11.53 an hour or a flat rate of £23,000 and were asking for an increase to a minimum of £12 an hour to bring their pay closer to that of other London bus drivers, which he claimed was an average of £15.67 an hour, or £31,000.

Five days after the strike, some agreements have been made. Drivers on the Olympic Park bus routes, which takes workers to and from the Olympics site, have agreed to the 2.25 per cent increase, which will be backdated to April.

McColl said HCT refused to negotiate further under threat of strike action and did not believe other London bus drivers were getting paid much more than HCT staff.

'We have not been notified of further action. I have told them we are standing firm on 2.25 per cent because it's what we can afford. We're happy to negotiate on other aspects and a two-year deal, but not under the threat of industrial action,' he said.

Campbell said: 'None of us want to strike, but we have to make a stand. We will most definitely strike again and there could be another strike in the near future. Our members are already calling for a second strike.'

Hackney & City in 11 top rated London councils for Adult Social Service Care

CARE REGULATOR REVEALS HIGHS AND LOWS FOR PEOPLE RECEIVING SOCIAL CARE IN LONDON

 CQC PRAISES IMPROVEMENTS BUT CALLS FOR NEW DRIVE TO ELIMINATE POOR ADULT SOCIAL CARE SERVICES

 The Care Quality Commission is to praise improvements in adult social care but calls for a renewed effort to eliminate poor quality services.

 The regulator will today (Thursday) give its first major national statement on the quality of adult social care, based on three significant studies.

 The studies, all published on 3 December, provide:

• an assessment of all 148 councils’ provision of social care services to adults, including performance against seven outcomes
• an analysis of whether councils are commissioning the best possible care, whether this is from the private, voluntary or public sector
• an update on the performance of 24,000 care homes, home care agencies, nursing agencies and shared lives schemes,, looking at whether quality is improving.

 CQC's formal response to the government's Green Paper on social care, called "Shaping the future of care together", has also been made available today and can be provided on request.

 For London, the performance of social care services is mostly strong.

 The 11 top-rated councils, mostly inner London boroughs, are Barking and Dagenham, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Westminster.  Six of these are excellent for the third year running.  However, two councils – Bromley and Southwark – have dropped to just adequate.  They will be visited more often and be prioritised for help.

 CQC has selected 16 councils for in-depth service inspection on the basis of performance concerns or because we need more information. 

 CQC will also announce that, as at 14 November 2009, there are 15 regulated services in 13 London boroughs which have a rating of ‘poor’.  They can expect significant follow up inspection over the next few months. 

 CQC has also found that councils are not always buying care from the best social care providers.  Analysis shows that last year some commissioned  care from providers rated poor or adequate, while others purchased a greater proportion of care from good or excellent providers.

 Colin Hough, CQC’s regional director for London, said: “The state of social care is vitally important to many thousands of people in London who depend on these services every day of their lives.
 
“Compared with last year – social care in London is strong and that is great news for people who use the services.  But, care should be better and local councils need to know that we are committed to introducing a tougher test of their performance in future to ensure that the standard of services continues to rise year on year. 

 “We are particularly concerned by the continuing poor performance of some care services across the country.  The London region shows the fewest poor performers of any region but there is always room for improvement.

 “Those providers must act quickly to put their house in order.  Next year the Care Quality Commission will introduce a new system of registration for all care providers – and we intend to focus our attention on those who are failing.   

 “We will take action to ensure that the weak providers improve for the sake of all the people who depend on them." 

Report says 5% payout rule for foundations would give sector an extra billion

By Dana Nialis , Third Sector Online, 27 November 2009

Government should investigate introducing quota, says Cass Business School research

The charitable sector could receive up to £1bn more in grants each year if a rule was introduced forcing grant-making foundations to give away at least 5 per cent of their wealth each year, a report has claimed.
Click here to find out more!

The study, Philanthropy in the 21st Century, prepared by the Cass Business School for the Honorary Treasurers Forum, was based on research involving 21 large charitable foundations.

 

It suggests that the Government should look into implementing a distribution quota similar to those that already exist in the US and Canada, and suggests that the percentage payout be calculated on a rolling five-year basis.

According to the report, if the 21 funders examined for the report were representative of the wider grant-giving sector, a 5 per cent minimum payout rule could increase the funding distributed by foundations by 31.5 per cent or about £1bn a year.

David Emerson, chief executive of the Association for Charitable Foundations, said a 5 per cent rule would not result in additional money for the sector in the long term.

"It isn't a debate about payout," he said.  "It is a debate that asks if present beneficiaries need the money more than future beneficiaries."

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman welcomed the report.

"We are currently working with the Association of Charitable Foundations to encourage information sharing between foundations and other government departments in order to ensure they meet the needs of their clients," she said.

Competition for contracts is leading to poor pay and conditions for charity workers say Unite

By John Plummer, Third Sector Online, 27 November 2009

Competition for contracts is leading to poor pay and conditions for charity workers, says Rachael Maskell

Politicians and public bodies are using the mantra of ‘choice' to reduce charity employees' pay and undermine services, according to trade union Unite.
Click here to find out more!

Rachael Maskell, Unite's national officer for the not-for-profit sector, told the union's community, youth workers and not-for-profit conference in Brighton last week that choice was confined to the few, not the many.

 

She said that by creating a culture of competition designed to keep costs down, the Government was encouraging charities to cut staff pay and benefits to unacceptable levels.

"The use of a nebulous word such as ‘choice' implies improved quality services for clients and service users when, in fact, the opposite is true," she said.

"The ‘choice' is with the commissioners, not the service users and staff. The current ‘choice' is between decent pay and conditions or more cuts and a race to the bottom."

Maskell revived Unite's attack on charity chief executives' pay by saying the fact that more than 50 charity leaders had annual pay packages of more than £100,000 while many staff earned little more than the minimum wage was evidence of the "ugly face of the choice culture".

Big Lotterry Research Grants announced

View list of all grants awarded today 
- 36KB

View list of all grants awarded today 
- 36KB

Further Information

Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours contact: 07867 500 572
Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030
Textphone: 0845 6021 659

Notes to Editors

• The UK wide Research programme is awarding grants to voluntary organisations that work with researchers to run high quality medical and social research projects. Grants for up to five years of between £10,000 and £500,000 are available to charities and voluntary sector organisations, with up to £1 million for exceptional projects.  
• The programme is being administered by Momenta and supported by Third Sector First. Momenta works for the public sector to turn policy into practice by offering a range of programme management services, including research management, knowledge transfer, best practice, fund management and behaviour change programmes. Its programmes reach businesses, public sector organisations, the third sector, stakeholders and the general public.  Third Sector First is a collaboration of specialists in research and social policy, working primarily in the public and ‘third’ sectors.  It is linked through past or current membership to several of the UK’s leading university research centres and has conducted project evaluations in many subject areas, including health, social care, community safety, childcare and addictions.
• Round 1 of BIG’s Research programme consisted of 24 grants worth £7.7million, announced in October 2008.
• The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out half the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
• BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since June 2004. The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
• Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £23 billion has now been raised and more than 317,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.

Key facts

Release Date:

0.01am 2 December 2009

Areas:

UK

Areas of interest:

Charity, Childcare, Community Groups, Education, Health, Sport, Voluntary

Programmes:

Research programme

• Terms of use
• Privacy
• Freedom of information

Angela Smith silence casts doubt over Compact relaunch

By John Plummer, Third Sector Online, 2 December 2009

 By John Plummer, Third Sector Online, 2 December 2009

Compact Voice asks whether it is sensible to launch new agreement without assurance that it will not be broken by the Government

Compact Voice has questioned whether this month's launch of the refreshed Compact should go ahead without an assurance from third sector minister Angela Smith that she would not breach the agreement again.

The organisation, which represents the voluntary sector on Compact issues, wrote to Smith last week asking her to make a public commitment not to breach the agreement again. It has not yet received a response.

 

The letter was put together in response to Smith's breach of the Compact last month when she suddenly scrapped the £750,000 Campaigning Research Programme without consultation. Thirty-two campaigning organisations that had been pledged grants had their funding withdrawn and the money was added to the £16.7m Hardship Fund.

An updated version of the Compact, which outlines how the public and voluntary sectors should behave towards each other, is due to be unveiled on 16 December. Smith is among the signatories.

But Tom Elkins, manager of Compact Voice, said: "At this critical time for the Compact, the minister's continued silence on this issue remains deeply disturbing.

"The Compact partnership organisations are currently finalising the document and making every effort to deliver a new Compact that recognises the diverse needs of both sectors," he said. "However, many stakeholders will rightly be concerned that this issue overshadows the intended launch later this month.

"We cannot help but question whether it is sensible to launch the new Compact at this time without concrete reassurances from the minister that she remains committed to it."

In a written response to a parliamentary question tabled by Labour MP Tom Levitt yesterday, Smith said the Government remained "fully committed to championing the Compact".

A spokesman for the Office of the Third Sector told Third Sector: "The minister has repeatedly reinforced her commitment to the Compact in all statements and correspondence. She is committed to working with partners, such as Compact Voice, to make the refreshed Compact a success."

But a spokesman for Compact Voice said the minister's statements did not go far enough and that there was a difference between committing to the Compact and pledging not to breach it again. "We want concrete and demonstrable assurances," he said.

How to prepare for personalisation - Pricing, Capital Funding, Financial Modelling Crucial

Interview: Matthew Pike

Third Sector, 1 December 2009

Matthew Pike

Pricing, financial modelling and capital funding will be crucial for charities when service users gain control of individual budgets. But charities are far from prepared, the chair of Acevo's Commission on Personalisation tells Tristan Donovan

Government spending is in the early stages of a transformation that is likely to cause major changes to how charities provide services. The personalisation agenda, endorsed by Labour and the Conservatives, will do away with the culture of government contracts that has been dominant for the past decade. Instead, service users will gain control of individual budgets and decide how and where to spend them.

It promises to be a profound shift in the way charities provide health, social care and - if the Conservatives win the next election - education services. But charities and their finance departments are far from prepared, says Matthew Pike, chair of chief executives body Acevo's Commission on Personalisation, which is examining the implications of the change.

"They are not remotely ready," he says. "The survey we did for our interim report found just under 30 per cent of charities said they were ready, and that's likely to be an overstatement. Many are not even clear about what's happening."

The changes, he says, present a big opportunity for charities. "The move from block contracts to individual contracts creates amazing market opportunities," he says. "If charities can get organised, there is the opportunity for growth and bigger margins. The adult social care budget for England alone is worth £28bn. Contracting has been difficult for the sector - the margins are poor and there are difficulties of access, particularly for smaller charities."

With budgets in beneficiaries' hands, many of the administrative barriers to delivering services are likely to fall away, he says.

There are, of course, challenges. One issue is the uncertainty of revenue streams, says Pike. The other issue is accessing the capital funds needed to develop services without the security of large contracts.

Such challenges will require charities to change to how they operate at the moment. "Charities need to be clear about the strategic implications of the change, and this needs to happen at board level," says Pike. "This then needs to feed back into detailed financial modelling and pricing work. The pricing work needs to factor in the risks of revenue insecurity, and they need to ensure they price risk into the equation."

Acevo is currently researching pricing implications, building on its earlier work on full cost recovery, he says.

On the capital funding side of things, Pike says charities need to innovate: "Charities need to begin to think about non-traditional ways of doing this. The paradox of this change is that it could promote a new mutuality in the sector. There's lots of potential for consortia - loans that might feel too risky for an individual organisation could be arranged through a consortium."

Market intelligence is another area that needs development, he adds, because charities will need to make sure they know their markets.

The commission, which in September published its interim report on how it believes the personalisation agenda will develop, won't complete its final report until the end of October 2010. But Pike says the big shift is closer than many think. "In terms of individual buyer power, I think 2011 will be the tipping point," he says. "By the end of the next parliament, we will have seen a fundamental shift."

New legacy promise puts disabled people at the heart of London 2012

165/09
3 December 2009

The London 2012 Paralympic Games are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to challenge perceptions of disability and transform the lives of ten million disabled people across the UK, delegates at the Office for Disability Issues annual event will be told today.

With exactly 1,000 days to go until the 2012 Paralympics begin and on International Day of Disabled People, the Government will outline its commitment to delivering a Disability Legacy from the London Games that will bring about lasting change to the life experiences of disabled people.

Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics, said:

“In just one thousand days some of the world’s greatest and most inspirational athletes will be in the UK to participate in the biggest ever Paralympic Games.

“But this is more than just an elite sporting event - it is a chance to challenge society’s perceptions of disabled people. That is why we have put disabled people at the heart of our legacy ambitions. We want to break down barriers to inclusion and participation in areas such as business and sport, helping to accelerate change that will transform disabled people’s lives.”

Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People, said:

"It is vital that disabled people benefit from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented by the Games.  It's the opportunity to make a real and lasting change, to showcase disabled people’s talents, not just in the sporting field, but through employment, through positive role models and through the 2012 disability arts programme.  Such a legacy will live past 2012 and take us towards our vision of disability equality by 2025."

top

In the spring the Government will publish the Disability Legacy promise which will focus on three areas: increased sports participation, improved business services for disabled people and changing attitudes particularly through inclusion.

New research published ahead of the event by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Office for Disability Issues (ODI) shows that this approach is supported by 90 per cent of disabled people who feel that it is important the Games yielded long-term benefits for disabled people.  Three in four disabled people agreed the long-term benefits should be wider than sport.

Of the 665 disabled people questioned, nine out of 10 believed that it is important that spin-off benefits for them from 2012 should be: 

• more access to sport and physical activity;
• good access to Games-time facilities; and
• initiatives to promote a positive understanding of disability.

Work to improve sports provision for disabled people is already underway. This includes Sport England’s Sport Unlimited Programme which numbers among its aims opening up opportunities for disabled children to take part in sport. 

To mark 1,000 days to go to the Paralympics, Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, will today be visiting the Vale, a school for 80 young disabled people from the London boroughs of Haringey, Enfield, Hackney and Islington, to see a Sport Unlimited project in action.
 
At the Vale’s site for primary school children, part of the Lancasterian Primary School, he will see coaches from the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, including Danny Jarvis who himself has cerebral palsy and uses a powered wheelchair, helping young people who do not regularly play sport outside their time at school.

Gerry Sutcliffe said:

“Sport for all has to be much more than just a slogan. Schemes like Sport Unlimited are helping to make it a reality, encouraging young disabled people to see how sport can be fun, healthy and rewarding – all in all, a valuable part of their lives.”

As part of the celebrations to mark 1,000 days to go to the beginning of the Paralympic Games, LOCOG will be launching their Paralympic Pictograms representing each of the Paralympic sports. UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport, and the British Paralympic Association will also be launching a nationwide recruitment drive to find ‘last-minute talent’ – disabled people who think they might have what it takes to be a champion at the Games.

top

Notes to Editors

1. Work has been carried out across government looking at existing and new initiatives that would meet the vision for a legacy from the Games.  The programme identifies three areas in which the Games will act as a powerful catalyst for change:• Business –using the Games to establish new standards for services, facilities and opportunities that businesses and public bodies offer to disabled people.
   
   • Sport –boosting the participation of disabled people in sport and activity.
   • Perceptions –promoting the inclusion and positive perceptions of disabled people in society.
   
   
2. The new legacy promise has been created for disability issues and a full report on what the government and the Olympic family will deliver will be produced in Spring 2010.
   
   
3. Survey work for the London 2012 Legacy Research 2009 was carried out between 14 October and 7 November by Continental Research, questioning 665 disabled people aged 16 years and over. The findings are available at the DCMS website. The full report, questioning over 3.000 people will be published on 17 December.
   
   
4. The Office for Disability Issues is working towards equality for disabled people by 2025.  Find out more about their ODI’s annual event at their website.  
   
   
5. For press enquiries, please contact the DCMS press office, Julia Smith 020 7211 6215 or the DWP press office, John Stevenson 0203 267 5126.

Press Enquiries: 020 7211 6052/6277
Out of hours telephone pager no: 07699 751153
Public Enquiries: 020 7211 6200

Back to main

Back to top

London Empowerment Partnership

London Civic Forum (LCF) has been asked to deliver a part of the Connecting Communities programme in London, which was launched in November by Communities Secretary John Denham. This work will build on the work that LCF has been delivering as part of the London Empowerment Partnership initiative.

LCF will be delivering a £1million Targeted Support package that will enable us to provide further strategic support  to Local Authorities and their partners around community engagement.

Download more information

Funding the Future 2010- meet major funders, ministers & shadow ministers (cost £148)

Invitation to meet the leading statutory, lottery and trust funders at 'Funding the Future 2010'
Central Hall Westminster, Wednesday 10th February

Download full programme    Book your places

You and your colleagues are warmly invited to join the chief executives of the leading statutory, lottery and trust funders, Government Ministers and Shadow Ministers at the 8th annual Funding the Future conference - Britain's largest 'Meet the Funders' event. There are 50 top-level speakers speaking in seven specialist streams to help you meet funders interested in your field of work. They include:

• The Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund, Peter Wanless, Policy Director, Gerald Oppenheim, and his team on the development of BIG's 2010 - 2015 funding programmes
• The Chief Executives of Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, The Social Investment Business, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, CAF, the Dulverton Trust, CAF, and representatives of a range of large and small grant-making trusts from BBC Children in Need to the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts
• Third Sector Minister, Angela Smith MP, and Shadow Third Sector Minister, Nick Hurd MP
• Culture Minister, Margaret Hodge MP, and Shadow Culture Minister, Ed Vaisey MP
• Communities Minister, Barbara Follett MP
• International Development Minister, Mike Foster MP, and Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell MP

Natiopnal Mental Health & Employment Strategy & Perkins Review -Launched Dec 7th - Meeting Jan

December 7th sees the launch of two extremely important papers for the mental health field:the National Mental Health and Employment Strategy, led by Dame Carol Black, and the Perkins Review are both published on the same day and NEHIN has secured funding to host a larger than usual meeting of the network on 28th January 2010 in Central London to hear from both Dame Carol and Rachel Perkins about these key documents and their future impact in this country.

As with all NEHIN meetings it will be an opportunity to shape and influence practice around the recommendations made and the directions set.

We will hold a series of workshops on the practical implications of both the Strategy and Perkins Review, as well as the PSA16 Delivery Plan, with people who already run innovative evidence-based services. Whether you are an employer seeking to improve the management of mental health at work, a commissioner or a provider of specialist employment services, this is a 'must-attend' event. So we ask you now to save this date - January 28th - in your diaries. A programme will be available shortly, and, as always with NEHIN, this exceptional event will be free to attend - a great way to start the new year!
We are opening the bookings exclusively to NEHIN today, so go to www.centrevents.co.uk/bookingform.aspx<http://www.centrevents.co.uk/bookingform.aspx> or email matt@centrevents.co.uk<mailto:matt@centrevents.co.uk>. This is likely to be a popular event...
With best wishes
Bob Grove
Network Convener

Breaking the Cycle of Fear: Witchcraft, Juju and Safeguarding Victims of Human Trafficking

Dear Sir/Madam,

We would like to introduce you our upcoming seminar on Safeguarding victims of human trafficking, which will take place in January 2010 in London. If you are interested, please see the details below:

---- “Breaking the Cycle of Fear: Witchcraft, Juju and Safeguarding Victims of Human Trafficking” Seminar on 27th January 2010 ----

Venue: Central London

Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

About AFRUCA

AFRUCA – Africans Unite Against Child Abuse is a leading charity promoting the rights and welfare of African children in the UK. We are a UK based charity working exclusively with victims of child trafficking from Africa.

Background:

Traditional belief in witchcraft and juju rituals is strong in Africa and traffickers are known to employ it to coerce and subjugate their victims. Many victims of human trafficking are made to take oaths of allegiance, secrecy and confidentiality to bind them to their traffickers, ensure compliance and guarantee the repayment of the huge sums of money claimed to be owed for transporting the victims to Europe and for their upkeep. Many victims, fearful of the repercussions of the oath taken are compelled to endure their suffering in silence without recourse to help and support. The fear of Juju makes it extremely difficult for agencies to support victims and for the authorities to investigate, prosecute and bring suspected traffickers to justice.

How can UK practitioners better understand the needs of young people who are under the spell of Juju in order to intervene successfully?

Aims of the seminar:

•       To explore the role of juju in the growth of human trafficking

•       To examine the link between the trafficking of African Women and Children and the use of Juju rituals as a method of coercion and submission

•       To explore the role of juju rituals in hindering victim support and in the prosecution of suspected traffickers

•       To explore how to empower victims of trafficking to overcome their fears of juju.

Outcome expected:

A better knowledge and understanding of how to support and empower victims of trafficking living in fear of Juju and how to secure their co-operation in prosecuting traffickers

Guest speakers include:

•       Mr. Andy Desmond, Detective Constable, New Scotland Yard Human Trafficking Team:  Witchcraft and juju as barriers to effective prosecution of traffickers. Our experience at New Scotland Yard

•       Ms. Debbie Ariyo, Founder and Director of AFRUCA: The Impact of Witchcraft Abuse on Victims of Trafficking in the UK

•       Dr. Esohe Aghatise , UN Expert on Trafficking and Director of Associazione Iroko Onlus, Italy: Working with Victims of Trafficking in Italy: Addressing Juju as a hindrance to Safeguarding Victims

•       Mr. Godwin E. Morka, Head of Lagos Zonal Office, NAPTIP Nigeria: Addressing Human Trafficking at Source: Countering the power of Juju on Victims – Our Experience at NAPTIP Nigeria

Who should attend?

•       Child Rights Practitioners

•       Policy Makers, Immigration and Borders officials

•       The Police

•       Social Workers

•       Lawyers, Barristers and Immigration practitioners

•       Faith groups

•       NGOs – local and international

Fee: £65 per delegate

If you have any queries, please contact Cherifa Atoussi, Anti Child Trafficking Officer, cherifa@afruca.org

Comic Reliefs Older Peoples Programme £15k to £40k

Letters of interest are now being requested from Comic Relief’s Older People’s Programme. Grants of £15,000 - £40,000 will be available, for up to three years.

The programme will fund projects targeted at the 65+ age range, with an interest in applications from older people which address the needs of those who experience the greatest levels of isolation and exclusion, e.g. Black and minority ethnic elders, frail older people, older people with mental health needs, older carers and those on lower incomes.

The programme supports older people to bring a positive change to the community; therefore project must show an active involvement of older people in the development and delivery of the project. Projects must deliver one or more of the following outcomes:

• Increase in the participation of older people to effect positive change

• Increase in the involvement of older people who are the most excluded

• A decrease in older people’s feelings of isolation.

Examples of possible projects from the website include:

• Bringing generations together to learn from each other through, for example, the creative arts or IT

• Older people acting as a resource to other older people and supporting those who may be less physically and mentally able

• Projects that are engaging hard to reach groups such as Black and minority ethnic elders

• Activities, which generate profits to further social or environmental goals, such as community cafes, run by older people.

Grants will not be made to individual older people or for services, which statutory bodies have a duty to provide.

The deadline for letters of interest is Monday 11 January 2010. Letters of interest are requested to be emailed. If your application is chosen for further consideration you will be contacted by the middle of January 2010.

For more information or to discuss your project contact Comic Relief by email or telephone, 020 7820 5555, or visit the website here.

Source SYFAB

Expressions of interest Sought to deliver development programmes re Volunteer Management & Support

Capacitybuilders seeks expressions of interest to deliver development programmes for those supporting and managing volunteers

Capacitybuilders has released details of how it intends to build on its existing investment through the Office of the Third Sector funded Volunteer Management programme.

From April 2010 nearly one million pounds worth of bursary support will be made available to help meet some of the skills development needs of people managing volunteers.

Given the wide range of needs that could have been met through this bursary scheme Capacitybuilders and the Office of the Third Sector have chosen not to spread resources too thinly at the expense of quality and depth of support.

To this end, Capacitybuilders are seeking expressions of interest to provide two distinct types of programme. The first will support those coordinating volunteering activity day to day; the second will focus more on those with management and strategic responsibilities. Each will be a tried and tested programme, based on the National Occupational Standards in Volunteer Management, and offering optional accreditation.

Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, said:

“This key element of the Volunteer Management Programme will create a legacy of confident and skilled volunteer managers. This programme will enable volunteer managers to be better connected to existing support, share knowledge effectively and raise awareness of the benefits of good volunteer management. These outcomes will help to strengthen the sector during these challenging economic times.”

Further details and the expressions of interest form are available in the right hand menu.

e-News bulletins 
Sign up here for e-News

4th Round of the Youth Sector Development Fund Launched

4th Round of the Youth Sector Development Fund Launched 

Schools Minister Iain Wright today invited third sector organisations to bid for a share of up to £10m to raise the aspirations of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Fourth round of the Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) will focus on supporting the aims of the Government’s Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Strategy published last month.

Bids should demonstrate how young people would be imaginatively shown the full range of options open to them in education and work, such as through “taster sessions” at universities or real experience of different careers.

Around 25 third-sector organisations are expected to benefit from the fund, through a mixture of grants and business support, from April 2010 to March 2011.

He said:

“Many organisations in the third sector are already working with disadvantaged young people and parents in innovative ways that challenge negative stereotypes and raise aspirations.

“Today I am inviting these organisations to build on that experience and to develop exciting new approaches so that young people and parents get the impartial information, advice and guidance about learning and work opportunities that they need, including experiencing those routes at first hand.

“In particular I want to see proposals which will help young people and their families with low aspirations and capture their imagination through exciting forms of work experience, ‘tasters’ and work-related learning, and increase support through mentoring.

Applications Packs can be downloaded at http://ysdf.ecotec.com/eoi/yr4application.aspx

Monthly bulletins are produced by the Managing Body including information on funding streams and conferences and training events that may be of interest.

If you wish to join our mailing list please email your details to ysdf@ecotec.com

Joseph Rowntree -Racial Justice, Power & Responsibility; Quaker Concerns

Racial justice
Work which promotes racial justice in all parts of society, including empowering black and minority ethnic people to engage in decision making and policy development, and work which monitors and challenges racism and racial injustice whether relating to colour or culture.

Power and responsibility
Work that encourages an appropriate relationship between people and the institutions that affect them; including the promotion of accountability, openness, responsiveness and a respect for human rights across the public and private sectors.

  Quaker concerns
Work that helps to deepen the spiritual life of the Society of Friends or that develops Quaker responses to problems of our time.

Note
Most grants made under the first four programmes are to organisations based in Britain for work at a national level. The Trust also supports a small number of organisations under these four programmes that are based elsewhere in Europe for work at a European level.

We try to maintain an adventurous approach to funding. Where appropriate, we are willing to take risks and fund unpopular causes which may not always fall neatly into one of the programme areas listed above.

Information on how to apply can be found in the grant applications section of this website.

Tender for Delivery of a Peer Education Project to tackle Youth Crime

ITT for Delivery of a Peer Education Project to tackle Youth Crime (2.92 MB)
ITT for Delivery of a Peer Education Project to tackle Youth Crime (119 KB)

Submission date for tender:
12 noon 29^th January 2010

Any queries relating to this tender document should be submitted by email to:

sonia.khan@hackney.gov.uk  or jason.davis@hackney.gov.uk

Tender for Delivery of a Community Based Reparation Scheme to tackle Youth Crime

ITT for Delivery of a Community Based Reparation Scheme to tackle Youth Crime (2.91 MB)
ITT for Delivery of a Community Based Reparation Scheme to tackle Youth Crime (115 KB)

Submission date for tender:
12 noon 29^th January 2010

Any queries relating to this tender document should be submitted by email to:

sonia.khan@hackney.gov.uk  or jason.davis@hackney.gov.uk

Award for African Caribbean Groups groups supporting women - prize £10,000

Crème of Nature Community Action Award 2010

The Community Action Award funds African Caribbean voluntary, faith and community groups, whose primary objective is to support and encourage women.

The top prize for the 2010 awards is £10,000. Four runners up will also receive cash awards.

The Judges will select 5 Community Action Award finalists and the public will then be invited to vote online for their preferred finalist in May 2010.

Applications are welcome from individuals or small groups that have an annual turnover of less than £50,000.

Download an application form.

Deadline for applications: 28 February 2010

up to £100,000 for sport projects that address social issues

Comic Relief - Sport for Change

Comic Relief – Sport for change, funds organisations that use sport to address a social issue or community concern such as substance use, crime related problems, integration, exclusion of older people, community cohesion, gangs or knife crime, mental health, and young people at risk.

They will fund across all age ranges and within a broad range of communities. Sport Relief welcomes applications from community groups, but will also accept applications from consortia of agencies as long as there is a lead community-based organisation.

Maximum grant size for the current programme: £100,000

Application process

To start the application process send an initial ‘Letter of Interest’. For guidance on writing your initial letter and details of the information required visit the Sport For Change page on the Comic Relief website.

If you are successful at this stage, then you will be invited to make a full proposal

Deadline for the letter of interest is 11 January 2010

Competition opens for charities to win a website and digital strategy

Digital communications agency Precedent Communications is offering £30,000-worth of its services as a competition prize for charities.

 
The prize includes a new website, web training and a complete digital strategy. The Media Trust is also offering prizes to the runners-up, including training in digital media.

Dowwnload full details of the competition and how to enter.

Peer Support Coordinator

Job Reference:

 363-CORP-3063

Job Title:

 Peer Support Coordinator

Employer:

 East London NHS Foundation Trust

Department:

 Institute of Mental Health Nursing

Location:

 Seal Street, London

Salary:

 £35, 746 to £45, 353 inc.

Job Type:

Fixed Term Temporary  

Staff Group:

Additional Clinical Services  

Pay Scheme:

Agenda for change  

Pay Band:

7  

Working pattern:

37.5 hours 

Closing Date:

31/12/2009 

Interview Date:

15/01/2010 

Description

East London NHS Foundation Trust is a mental health trust which provides services to the City of London, the London Boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham. The Trust also provides forensic services to the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, and provides some specialist mental health services to North London, Hertfordshire and Essex.

We provide a range of community, outpatient and inpatient services for children and young people, adults and older people.

The Trust's Headquarters are located in Tower Hamlets. We operate from 47 community sites, four main inpatient sites and have 660 inpatient beds. The Trust has an income of £184.7 million and most of this comes from our local Primary Care Trusts.

The Trust is linked with the University of London, City University and South Bank University.

We are looking to employ a suitably experienced and enthusiastic person to work for 12 months as a Peer Support Co-ordinator on an exciting and innovative mental health practice research project.

City University London and East London NHS Foundation Trust have been funded under the National Institute of Health Research’s ‘Research for Patient Benefit’ programme to run a pilot study of peer support. In this study peer support means emotional and practical support provided by people with lived experience of mental illness and using mental health services to others facing similar conditions.

We will train and supervise a group of peer support workers to provide support to people about to be discharged or take extended leave from a mental health unit. The support will be provided for about six weeks alongside the aftercare provided by professional mental health staff.

The Peer Support Co-ordinator has a crucial role in the development and delivery of this new service. The postholder will be jointly responsible for the delivery of training for prospective Peer Support Workers; provide ongoing supervision and support for the Peer Support Workers; and be responsible for organising, co-ordinating and monitoring the support and related activities provided by the Peer Support Workers. The postholder will also be required to liaise regularly with clinicians and other staff in inpatient and community mental health teams to promote the project and encourage the identification and recruitment of potential service user participants to the study. A close working relationship with the research team will also be required.

The post is for a fixed term of 12 months starting in March 2010. Secondments opportunities for the right applicant will be considered.

For more information contact Dr Alan Simpson on 020 7040 5937.

*PLEASE NOTE – IF YOU ARE SHORTLISTED FOR THIS POST YOU WILL BE CONTACTED BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT VIA E-MAIL, PLEASE ENSURE THEREFORE THAT YOU CHECK YOUR E-MAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. ALL SUCCESSIVE CORRESPONDENCE WILL ALSO BE SENT VIA E-MAIL.

IF YOU DO NOT HEAR FROM US WITHIN FOUR WEEKS OF THE CLOSING DATE, PLEASE CONSIDER THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN SHORTLISTED ON THIS OCCASION.*

We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date should we have an overwhelming response to this advert.

As part of our commitment to improving working lives, we have a range of innovative work-life balance policies and applications are welcome from people interested in working flexibly. Single Living accommodation may be available. Committed to equal opportunities we welcome applications from people who reflect the diversity of our service users including those with mental health problems.

For further information about our Trust please click on the link to East London NHS Foundation Trust website.

In line with the jobcentreplus two ticks symbol, all applicants who have declared that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria for a post will be shortlisted.

All posts that involve regularly caring for, supervising, training or being in sole charge of children and/or vulnerable adults will be subject to an enhanced CRB check.

More information

You can view more information about this employer and this vacancy by clicking on any of the Job Pack Documents or Further Links below. Clicking a link will open a pop-up window containing the relevant details. You may view, print or download the details from there.

Documents

• Job Description (43 KB)
• Person Specification (41 KB)
• CRB Policy & Procedure (249 KB)
• Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders (176 KB)
• Recruitment Information on Foundation Trust (181 KB)
• Routes 2 Employment - Positive Statement (178 KB)

Further Links

• This is East London NHS Foundation Trust Home Page
• Trust Brochure

Contact details

If you would like to talk to somebody about this vacancy then please contact:

Contact Name

Dr. Alan Simpson

Email Address

a.simpson@city.ac.uk

Telephone

020 7040 5937

CRB Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Criminal Records Bureau to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Public Health Coordinator

Job Reference:

 524-LJ653-PUBLIC-HEALTH

Job Title:

 Public Health Coordinator

Area of Work:

 Children and Families

Employer:

 City & Hackney Teaching PCT NHS

Department:

 524 Surestart

Location:

 London

Salary:

 £35,747 - £45,353 pa

Job Type:

Fixed Term Temporary  

Staff Group:

Additional Clinical Services  

Pay Scheme:

Agenda for change  

Pay Band:

7  

Working pattern:

37.5 Hours/Week 

Closing Date:

17/12/2009 

Add this vacancy to my job basket

Description

Are you looking for rewarding work in a major local organisation that really makes a difference? City & Hackney Teaching Primary Care Trust could be the answer.

Join us and you can help improve the health of local people. We are committed to providing high quality services to our 250,000 residents.

Challenging, Diverse and Rewarding: What More Could You Ask For?

Here in City and Hackney, you will find innovation and a forward thinking approach to meeting the needs of the children and young people in this inner-city, vibrant and culturally diverse borough. The role of the Public Health Coordinator is to provide leadership in the delivery of the Public Health Agenda in the Children Centre & Health Visiting Teams as part of the core business of the teams. We have recently re-designed our Children & Families Nursing Teams to ensure that we provide the best levels of care.

As a public health coordinator you will require to support the development and delivery of integrated health and social care programmes using a public health approach. You will work in collaboration and partnership with health, education, social services and voluntary organisation to develop a range of services that will complement the service provided by the mainstream teams aligned to the general practice based in the children centre areas. You will also be required to contribute to the achievement of the national children centre targets and local children centre outcomes.

As a team member of one of the service areas within the Children and Families Services, you will work with children and their families in an environment where you can really make a difference. We are one of the few Trusts to have taken the Children’s Centre Model onto the second stage, and pride ourselves on our multi-agency, team-focussed approach. We believe in sharing professional expertise within teams, and giving everyone the support they need to do the best possible job whilst developing new skills.

We also offer excellent benefits,
• Annual appraisal
• Induction programme
• Appropriate professional development opportunities,
• Flexible working arrangements,

We now have opportunities for forward-thinking and self-motivated Public health co-ordinators to join various multi-skilled nursing teams within Children and Families Services. If you’ve got what it takes, you will work with us in providing services at the leading edge of Children and Families Service, in an environment where you’ll be encouraged to realise your full potential.



For an informal discussion on any of the posts above, or to arrange an informal visit please contact Grace Rooney (Enhanced Modern Matron) on 079 6886 8593.

The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions where we have to close a vacancy once a sufficient amount of applications have been received. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible.

Hackney has enormous strengths, diversity, contrast, energy and great opportunities; we are in the centre of London, one of the world’s most thriving cities!

We will also be hosting Olympic sports in 2012, and as a result, the area is benefiting from significant regeneration and redevelopment in the years leading up to these events.

Come and join us to be part of the positive changes taking place!

Please note that all shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email via NHS Jobs.

Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume you have not been shortlisted.

Jump to Apply Now 

More information

You can view more information about this employer and this vacancy by clicking on any of the Job Pack Documents or Further Links below. Clicking a link will open a pop-up window containing the relevant details. You may view, print or download the details from there.

Documents

• Job Description (109 KB)
• Information for Job Applicants (48 KB)
• Positively Diverse document (Pdf) (190 KB)
• Staff Benefits at City & Hackney (402 KB)

Further Links

• City & Hackney Teaching PCT Homepage

Contact details

If you would like to talk to somebody about this vacancy then please contact:

Contact Name

Grace Rooney

Email Address

grace.rooney@learningtrust.co.uk

Telephone

07968868593

CRB Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Criminal Records Bureau to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Researcher

The Women's Resource Centre  is currently looking to recruit a passionate and skilled researcher to lead our new research unit in this busy women’s charity. If you are an experienced and creative researcher with excellent evaluation and communications skills, and are looking for an interesting and exciting challenge, we want to hear from you.

Download recruitment pack

Salary:£32,000-£36,000
Location:City of London
Closing Date:7 December 2009

Assistant Fundraiser

• Employer: FAMILY ACTION
• Posted: 27 Nov 2009
• Location: London E8 (20 minutes from Highbury & Islington
  
  • and Liverpool St stns)
• Contract: Permanent
• Hours: Full Time
• Salary: £25,062 - £27,266 p.a. inc. ILW

Family Action, formerly FWA, celebrates its 140th birthday this year! We support over 45,000 families a year by providing practical, emotional and financial support through over 100 services based in communities across England. A further 150,000 people benefit from our educational grants and information service. We use this experience to campaign for a society free from disadvantage and social isolation.

Following our successful re-brand last autumn, we are investing in our small, but growing, fundraising team to seize new and existing funding opportunities.

Supporting colleagues to deliver a wide range of fundraising programmes whilst developing your skills, this is an ideal opportunity for you to start or develop your career in fundraising.

You must have experience in sales, marketing or fundraising and have good IT skills. You will need to show you can build successful relationships with clients and colleagues.

Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving an enhanced disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau which we consider acceptable.

Closing Date: 10am, Monday, 14 December 2009

Interview date: Friday, 18 December 2009.

Family Action offers good working conditions, a comprehensive training programme and a final salary pension scheme. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. Supporting families since 1869.

Disability Adviser (2 posts)

• Employer: LONDON METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
• Posted: 04 Dec 2009
• Reference: 9C0268
• Location: London (North and City) N7 8DB and E1 7NT
• Industry:
• Contract: Permanent
• Hours: Full Time
• Salary: Salary from £27,705 - £33,057 per annum (pro-rata
  
  • for part-time post)

Department of Student Services

Our Disabilities and Dyslexia Service works to provide disabled students with equality of opportunity and experience and to help them achieve their potential. The Service promotes a student centred approach to support provision and works closely with academic departments, Professional Service Departments and external agencies to achieve this.

We seek skilled and experienced people to work as Disability Advisers. The roles include helping students to obtain evidence to enable them to apply for relevant allowances and obtain recommendations for reasonable adjustments. The role will also include screening students for Specific Learning Difficulties and referring them for full diagnostic assessments where necessary. In addition, you will be responsible for disseminating information to ensure that reasonable adjustments required by students are put in place across all University Departments. You will be expected to work equally across our North and City campuses.

You will be educated to degree level and have experience of supporting people with disabilities, preferably in an HE context. You will need to demonstrate familiarity with software used to support disabled students and understand issues relating to access to the curriculum and all other aspects of HE provision.

We are looking for:

1 x full-time post (35 hours per week)

1 x part-time post (17.5 hours per week)

Please clearly state in your application which post you wish to be considered for.

Closing date: 4 January 2010.

Community Projects Manager

• Employer: LANGTON N4P
• Posted: 04 Dec 2009
• Reference: 040110CPM
• Contact: Heidi Earp
• Location: Greater London - East London
•  degree (or equivalent)
• Contract: Permanent
• Hours: Full Time
• Salary: £20,000 - £24,000

As the Community Projects Manager for this Hoxton, London-based Music College you will run the creative and media outreach activities that the college supplies to various organisations throughout the UK. Supported by a team which you will be responsible for, you will liaise with both your colleagues and clients to ensure the effective delivery and smooth running of all community projects.

You will require exceptional project management skills and be highly organised with the ability to multi task and see projects through from start to finish. The ability to build solid strong working relationships and communicate across all levels is essential with a forward thinking attitude. Ideally you will educated to degree level or similar and have a keen interest in community arts.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a creative, motivated project manager who is looking to work within a dynamic organisation. For further information and a full job and person specification please contact Langton N4P recruitment specialists.

About LANGTON N4P

Charity, Arts and Not 4 Profit recruitment specialists, covering all roles in Executive, Fundraising, Finance, HR, Operations, Administration, Volunteer and Trustee recruitment.

Employment Advisor

• Employer: OYSTER PARTNERSHIP
• Posted: 24 Nov 2009
• Reference: JO115424
• Contact: John Olejnik
• Location: East London
• Hours: Full Time
• Salary: £23000 - £25000 per annum

Apply Here 

Employment Advisor

My client, a national regeneration charity have a requirement for an employment advisor to work on their Welfare to Work project.

The role will involve:

* Case management of long term unemployed in the area

* Assessing individuals barriers to employment

* Building relationships with partnering organisations

* Promotion of the organisations services

* Brokering jobs for caseload to work

The ideal applicant will:

* Have a proven track record within Welfare to work

* Be a driven individual who is very target driven

* Hold an advice and guidance qualification

* Be able to hit the floor running

This is a fantastic opportunity to work for an organisation that has a very stable future within an industry that is struggling for funding. They offer a fantastic career development path with competitive salary and benefits package. If you have the required experience please apply.

Get READY FOR PERSONALISATION FREE TRAINING JAN- MARCH

Places are going fast so please don't miss out on this training funded by the London Borough of Hackney to help groups working with adults to get ready for the opportunities & threats personalisation brings. 

Managing Community Projects  28th January or 23rd of March 1 day course

Finance for non financial managers 4th Feb or 30th March 1 day course

 Effective Partnership Working 10th Feb

Consortia Tendering Training - 11th Feb  4th March 11th March (3 day course)

City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Board Multi Agency Training Programme Jan - March 2010

ear colleagues,

We are very pleased to bring you the new City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board (CHSCB) Multi-agency Training Programme for January to March 2010. It is attached to this email. The training programme has undergone an in-depth review this year and the findings have developed the new training programme with a clearer emphasis on multi-agency working and promoting changes in families. A full annual training programme will start from April 2010 to March 2011 and will be available in the new year.

CHSCB multi-agency training is open and free of charge to all professionals from agencies who work with children and young people. They include Hackney Children and Young People’s Service, Hackney Community Services, Hackney Neighbourhoods and Regeneration, Hackney Homes, City of London Children’s Services, Metropolitan Police, City of London Police, The Learning Trust, Children’s Centres, schools and further education services, City and Hackney Community Health Services, East London NHS Foundation Trust, Homerton Hospital NHS Trust, London Probation Service, London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service, housing associations, Connexions, CAFCASS, charitable organisations and the private, voluntary and independent sector. You are welcome to forward this email to all colleagues and partner agencies who work with children and young people in Hackney and the City of London area.

The training is categorised into 3 different training audiences; Group A, B and C – please see more information on these categories in the training brochure attached. It is important that you have attended Group A training course or an equivalent introductory safeguarding children course in another borough or organisation before undertaking Group B, C courses. This information will be requested on the training application form.

The training application form is attached to this email – please fill the form in full and ask your authorising manager to sign. Please discard any old versions of the CHSCB training application form you may have. Please return the form to the following contact details:

Alice Tomlinson

Training Coordinator

City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board

205 Morning Lane

E9 6JX

Fax: 020 8356 4734

 Click here to download programme & application form

Mental Health First Aid Training Courses for employers / managers & frontline staff

On 7/8 December 2009 and 25/26 January 2010, the Spa Peace of Mind team in partnership with DERMAN, will be running Mental Health First Aid Training Courses.

 MHFA is part of a national training programme. Like Physical First Aid, it focuses on the help that can be given before professional help is obtained, helping you to recognise the symptoms of mental health problems and to provide initial help to guide the person towards appropriate professional help.

MHFA is useful for anyone providing support to others.  It is also important for managers who want to know more about supporting people in the workplace.

The course is delivered by local Instructors trained by the National Institute for Mental Health England, London Development Centre.  All participants receive a course manual and certificate.  Costs are £50 to Voluntary Sector and £100 to Statutory Sector organisations.

For the booking form please email info@shoreditchspa.org.uk

Health inequalities and the voluntary & community sector - planning guides Free

HSCF has a couple of hard copy planning guides developed by the NGO forum to help voluntary & community sector organisations address health inequalities.  For your free copy call jackie on 0207 923 8361or email by return with your address

ACEVO COmmission on Personalisation Interim Report Launch

16 November 2009

The ACEVO Commission on Personalisation have launched their interim report, ‘Making it Personal: A Social Market Revolution’ at an event hosted by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The audience, made up of ACEVO members, representatives from leading think tanks, Government officials and the media, were given an overview of the report’s key recommendations before hearing about how personalisation is working in practice for children with learning difficulties and adults affected by mental illness. Matthew Pike, Chair of the Commission, spoke about the importance of the current political consensus in support of personalisation before calling on the Government to set a clear implementation timetable, provide sufficient levels of investment and strong leadership to ensure that the full benefits of these reforms can be realised. He was joined by Councillor Lorna Campbell who announced Lambeth Council’s decision to work with ACEVO to capacity build the local third sector for personalisation.

The interim report details the bold reforms that are necessary to “revolutionise the delivery of public services, by devolving power and responsibility from state to citizen”. It recommends the creation of a “series of social markets where people can choose from an increasing range of providers”. This system change has the potential to achieve real cost-efficiency, providing an opportunity to stop funding services that aren’t needed, wanted or delivering quality; joined up spending; enable more self-help and mutual aid; encourage more private investment into the system; place more emphasis on prevention; and use carefully managed market forces to allow good services to drive out bad over time.

Download the Full Report [PDF, 4MB]

Over the next 10 months the Commission are looking to build on the recommendations in the interim report, producing a final report to be delivered to the Cabinet Office in Autumn 2010. ACEVO will be hosting a series of workshops to receive feedback on the interim report and suggestions for the future direction of the Commission with members, service users, Government officials etc. We would also welcome written submissions on the report.

If you would like to be involved in the next phase of the Commission’s work, please contact Amy Richards.

Plain English guide to data protection

A guide to data protection law accredited by the Plain Language Commission has been published by official regulator the Information Commissioner's Office. 'The Guide to Data Protection' gives practical advice to those with day-to-day responsibility for data protection, taking a straightforward look at the principles of the Data Protection Act and helping organisations safeguard personal data. View online or download pdf (602KB) at http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection_guide.aspx.
 

Q&A: Setting up a Community Interest Company

From the Guardian Society click here to view

Employment Status Indicator - when employing sessional workers

HM Revenue and Customs online Employment Status Indicator tool enables you to check the employment status of an individual or group of workers - whether they are employed or self-employed for tax, National Insurance contributions or VAT purposes. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/calcs/esi.htm.

Business planning toolkit for Social Enterprise

Setting up and running a social enterprise is no easy task and requires detailed business planning.

There is a wealth of information available on how to write a business plan, set up an enterprise and source business funding. But social enterprises are unique; they require passion, commitment and an intelligent balance between conventional business practices and their chosen social purpose.

This is why we are currently developing a new social enterprise business planning toolkit that will cover everything you need to know about setting up and running a new business, specific to social enterprise. The toolkit aims to be the definitive business planning guide for social enterprises in London.

As part of the toolkit, we have recently published 15 new guides that have been developed in association with Red Ochre. The guides cover everything you need to know about setting up a social enterprise and funding and finance. They are a taster of the type of information that will be included in the final toolkit when it is live early in the new year.

Our guides on setting up a social enterprise look at topics such as becoming a social entrepreneur, the first steps you need to take in setting up your new enterprise, identifying stakeholders and market research. Download our new guides on setting up a social enterprise.

Our finance and funding guides cover a range of topics including financial forecasting, balance sheets, cash flow and profit forecasts and developing assumptions for financial forecasts. Read our new funding and finance guides.

The new business planning toolkit is being developed with the support of key social enterprise partners including Red Ochre, UnLtd, Social Enterprise London, London Rebuilding Society and the School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Funding for the toolkit is being provided by the Office of the Third Sector and the London Development Agency.

From the website of Business Link 

Resources to evaluate Intergenerational Projects

A new report from the Beth Johnson Foundation Centre for Intergenerational Practice shows how existing resources can be used to evaluate intergenerational projects. 'Evaluating Intergenerational Projects: A Practical Guide to Useful Resources' can be downloaded in pdf, 83kb

How organisations put their values into practice

Values can be seen as a defining feature of the sector and as a central driving force for individual organisations. NCVO and Community Links have a new report building on the latter's Inquiry into the Values of the Third Sector, looking in more detail at how organisations put their values into practice. 'Values into Action: how organisations translate their values into practice', pdf 292KB, at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/sites/www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/files/Values_into_Action.pdf.

NCVO THe State of the SEctor

The State and the Voluntary Sector  

The State and the Voluntary Sector, sponsored by Rockpools and supported by The Guardian, provides a unique, easy-to-understand analysis and is an indispensible guide for policy-makers, voluntary sector leaders and anyone interested in the sector.

At a time when public expenditure is under pressure, policy-makers and voluntary sector leaders need the latest intelligence on the statutory funding relationship. This publication, part of our Almanac research programme, provides that intelligence.

• Order a copy online (£25, £17.50 for NCVO members - join here)
• Download the report (PDF - 3MB)
• Download charts and tables from the report (XLS - 550KB)
• Find out more on our Civil Society Economy page 

CQCs formal response to the governments Green Paper Shaping the future of Care

click here for the briefing

Help to get your message across - Lnew website with resources for e campaigning

Louder is an easy to use site that draws together a range of online activist tools for people who want to change the world, enabling you to create and run your own campaigns and connect with others.

Campaigners of all levels - from international NGOs to individual grassroots activists - will be able to access a range online activist tools, practical guides and resources to support and run campaigns.

Through Louder.org.uk you will be able to create a microsite for your campaign with the most used online activist tools the web has to offer. You will be able to:

• Set up and run your own e-campaigns
• Track supporter actions such as e-petitions, supporter sign-ups and letters sent to MPs and councillors
• Connect and mange your profiles on other social media sites, helping you better coordinate supporter action
• Embed and disseminate videos, photos and blogs
• Meet and collaborate with other relevant campaigners
• Upload and share your own campaign materials
• Organise events and manage online donations
  

You will also be able to connect to, update and mange your profiles on other social media sites such as youtube, facebook, twitter and word press, helping you better coordinate supporter action.

You will also be able to connect to, update and mange your profiles on other social media sites such as youtube, facebook, twitter and word press, helping you better coordinate supporter action.

Sign up and get Louder

The Future of Health Services in North East London - Please take part

future of health services in north east London launched 30 November and will continue for 14 weeks.

You can download the consultation document and complete the online questionnaire here.

The consultation will close on 8 March 2010.

Kind Regards

Andrew Wilson

Head of Communications - Commissioning
NHS City and Hackney │St Leonards │ Ground floor, A Block │Nuttall Street │ London │ N1 5LZ

T: 020 7683 4435│ W: www.cityandhackney.nhs.uk

Inclusion London Briefing on the London Health Inequalities Strategy

A briefing paper on the consultation on The London Health Inequalities Strategy

December 2009

1.   What this paper is about

This paper is from Inclusion London – the London-wide Deaf and disabled people’s organisation. It provides information on the consultation that is currently taking place on the London Health Inequalities Strategy. Inclusion London has produced this briefing to help ensure that Deaf and disabled people’s organisations in London are aware of the consultation and are supported to be involved.

The consultation closes on 10 January 2010.

2.   What is the London Health Inequalities Strategy?

The Greater London Authority (GLA) Act 2007 gave the Mayor a duty to promote the reduction of health inequalities between people living in London and the responsibility to produce a Strategy detailing how this would be done. In August 2007 the former Mayor, Ken Livingstone, produced a paper for consultation Reducing Health Inequalities - issues for London and priorities for action. This was followed by Living Well in London: The Mayor’s draft Health Inequalities Strategy, published on 30 January 2008. This set out a strategy to reduce health inequalities in the capital.

Following the change of Mayor as a result of the election in May 2008, the health inequalities strategy was revised to reflect the new Mayor’s priorities. This new draft strategy is what is now being consulted upon.

In reading the document, some of the issues you may want to consider are:

·        Does the overall approach understand the causes and characteristics of health inequalities affecting Deaf and disabled people?

·        Are the proposals sufficient to tackle the health inequalities affecting Deaf and disabled people?

·        Are there particular actions and initiatives that are missing and which you want to add?

·        How does the Health Inequalities Strategy fit with other Mayoral proposals, such as the London Plan and Transport Strategy?

·        How is the Health Inequalities Strategy going to be implemented, monitored and enforced – and will Deaf and disabled people be involved?

3.   What does the Strategy say?

The draft strategy document contains a lot of useful information about health inequalities. It makes a number of commitments.

The backdrop for the current consultation is one of growing concern about inequalities in health and outcomes from illness. There is also considerable concern about the future of public services and the NHS, particularly following a general election.

Disabled people may be keen both to ensure that it accurately reflects our concerns and to have information on how commitments in the strategy are likely to be delivered and how they will be monitored and reported on.

The strategy says that the Mayor’s strategic objectives for reducing health inequalities in London are to:

• Empower individual Londoners and their communities to improve health and well being.
• Improve access to London’s health and social care services, particularly for Londoners who have poorer health outcomes.
• Reduce income inequalities and minimise the negative health consequences of relative poverty.
• Increase opportunities for people to access the potential benefits of work and other forms of meaningful activity.
• Develop and promote London as a healthy place for all – from homes to neighbourhoods and the city as a whole. 

It also says that ‘knowledge and learning’ is an ‘overarching theme relevant to all five objectives’.

·         In both this draft Strategy and the previous Mayor’s strategy the Voluntary and Community Sector is seen as important in helping to reduce health inequalities. Both strategies accept the need for funding for organisations in the sector. The London Voluntary Sector Council (LVSC) has produced information on this aspect in particular and this can be obtained by emailing: policy@lvsc.org.uk

4.   Disabled people and the strategy

The strategy accepts that:

‘Social and economic inequalities underpin many of the health inequalities we see in London today.’

And that:

·         ‘For some Londoners multiple disadvantages exacerbate each other and lead to new problems. So, for example, data shows that poorer children are on average more likely to have a disability, that having a disability will on average reduce any individual’s lifetime earnings capacity, and that disabled people tend to have lower average incomes and worse health outcomes than others.’

·         Employment levels are particularly low among lone parents, disabled people, recently arrived people, ex-offenders, older people, and people with long-term health conditions.

·         ‘disabled people tend to earn less than their non-disabled peers, and to be in part-time or insecure employment.’ And are ‘more likely to live in poverty’.

·         The combination of cost and disability results in lower participation by disabled people in sports.

·         Disabled people are more than twice as likely to be living in unsuitable housing as other groups.

·         Many open spaces also lack basic facilities such as parking for disabled people, benches or safe play area.

·         The poor quality and lack of accessibility of some open spaces present barriers to certain groups of Londoners, such as...disabled people who have particular access requirements.

It makes a number of commitments – many are focussed on promoting information, encouraging healthy lifestyles or ‘sharing learning’. Some of the more tangible proposals are:

·         A1 ‘Continue to develop, apply and promote good examples of effective engagement with individuals and communities throughout the GLA Group and urge other public services to share and adopt identified best practice on involving communities.’

·         A11 ‘Encourage health and social care providers to improve the accessibility of their services..’

·         A18 ‘Identify and promote effective ways to improve retention and in-work support for disabled people and those with mental or physical health problems, together with the London Health Commission and employers’.

Examples of ‘possible initiatives’ which these actions could lead to are given. Disabled people might want to know why the document bothers to list ‘possible’ initiatives? Are these proposals or are they not? Presumably not, or they would be called ‘proposals’ and not ‘possible initiatives’. As they are not planned or proposed actions, listing them makes the strategy look as if it could include meaningful actions, when in fact none of them may actually happen. It is a problem that the strategy circulated for consultation is unable to be clear on its planned initiatives.

This list includes:

·         Work with the London Sports Forum for Disabled People and boroughs to improve access to sports centres and opportunities for all Londoners.

·         Hold a mental health summit to discuss and influence next steps in national mental health policy and the role of regional and local leadership for change.

·         Work with London hospices, service users and health partners to increase access to services and support to Londoners living with long term conditions and those who care for them.

·         With carers organisations and health partners, develop action and build capacity to support carers in their informal caring roles and/or in paid employment especially in relation to the provision of replacement care and breaks from caring.

Inclusion London considers many of the ‘possible initiatives’ to be valuable and that they should move from being ‘possible’ to becoming actual plans.

5.   How can you make your view heard?

After each of the five sections in the strategy you are asked:

·         Are these the right actions and targets

·         Is there more the Mayor could do?

·         How else could regional partners support local actions?

·         How do you think we should judge our success?

This briefing has already highlighted the problem in that the strategy is too unclear about the initiatives that it would lead to.

Inclusion London is concerned that too few of the actions specifically focus on addressing the inequalities affecting disabled people. When it comes to judging whether policies on income and wealth have made a difference, the measure of success will be ‘a reduction in people living in poverty’, but disabled people are not specifically mentioned (page 64).  Increasing the percentage of disabled people in ‘employment, education, or volunteering’ is to be a measure (page 70):  however, this percentage increase could be achieved without reducing poverty if the jobs that disabled people go into are not well paid ones, or if the target is met by disproportionate numbers working unpaid or volunteering.

We have suggested that another important issue is to consider how this strategy fits with other Mayoral proposals, such as the London Plan, Transport Strategy and Economic Development Strategy? The proposals in both of these will both affect Londoners health. For example:

·         If public transport costs are very high or stations are inaccessible there is likely to be continued over-reliance on cars, which is bad for health in many ways.

·         If borough targets on new social housing and affordable homes are lowered, this will slow access to housing, again adding negative health pressures.

·         The document says that the Mayor plans to ‘tackle unemployment through the implementation of the Economic Development Strategy’ (page 63). However the EDS does not have many proposals specifically for disabled people. The EDS is, however, concerned that welfare benefits in London can ‘make the incentive to find and stay in work less than in other parts of the country’.

As we said above, another important issue is how the Strategy will be implemented and reviewed – and whether Deaf and disabled people will be involved. At the moment there are no proposals for future involvement, and Inclusion London believes this is a weakness.

6.   What next?

The draft Strategy is open for consultation until 10 January 2010. You can make comments up until that date. A copy of the strategy can be found at:

http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/priorities/health/health-strategy.jsp

At this site you can download a copy of the strategy and the questionnaire. Or you can submit comments electronically via an online questionnaire. You can also submit detailed responses via an online feedback form.

Alternatively, you may want to feed views back to Inclusion London. If so, please try to get your comments to us by 4th January 2010.

For further information contact:

Anne Kane

Policy Manager, Inclusion London

Inclusion London

Unit J410
Tower Bridge Business Complex
100 Clements Road
London SE16 4DG
Email: anne.kane@inclusionlondon.co.uk

Telephone: 020 7237 3181

London Deaf and Disability Organisations CIC
Company registration no: 6729420

image001.jpg 7K   View   Download

image002.jpg 2K   View   Download

image003.jpg 3K   View   Download

Public Consultation on relocation mental health inpatients

Public Consultation event in City and Hackney regarding the relocation of mental health inpatient services. This is taking part over 2 days, the first of which is on 1 December, and the second on 11 December. Please have a look at the link below for further information.http://www.eastlondon.nhs.uk/news/public_consultation_on_relocation_of_mental_health_inpatients_services.asp

Research into community ownership

Detailed research into the community ownership and management of assets has been commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Such assets could include buildings, land, financial assets and energy generation facilities, owned by community organisations, charities, community interest companies, co-operatives or other mutual organisations anywhere in the UK. A short online survey is an important part of this research, at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=uPy8gMyFpX4uydHQwYFrfw_3d_3d. Deadline 18th December.  

Working with local councils on green issues

'Green Up! Five ways of working with your council on sustainability: a practical guide for community and voluntary groups' has been published by the Community Development Foundation. The "plain English" guide explains how community groups can use everything from Local Area Agreements to Sustainable Community Strategies to get their work supported, and explains the jargon often used by local councils. http://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/publication?id=142955. (Source: Defra Third Sector blog)

Consulting the Capital: London Councils voluntary sector commissioning programme 2011-15

 Working on behalf of London’s boroughs London Councils distributes £26 million funding to the voluntary sector in London each year.

Our vision for 2011-15 programme is;

‘Londoners enabled to live better and healthier lives, enjoying economic, housing, educational and cultural opportunities in a safer and more sustainable environment ; through improved services delivered by the voluntary sector working in partnership with London’s local authorities’

We are setting our priorities for the 2011-15 funding programme and want to hear your opinions on

• The challenges in London that our funding should tackle

• Whether the services we fund at the moment are the right ones and if not how they should be updated

• The differences our funding makes to local people, the voluntary sector and other organisations working to support Londoners like the Health Service and the Police

• How our funding can help local people and organisations get through the recession

How you can get involved

We are holding public meetings in various locations across London in November and December 2009. You can find out more details and sign up to attend a meeting on our website www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/grants or call 0207 934 9622

Read more about our proposals and complete our online survey on our website www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/grants if you would like the documents in a different format please call 0207 934 9622 or e-mail funding@londoncouncils.gov.uk

A hard copy consultation document will be available on our website shortly

This is your chance to have a say about what we fund in the future

The deadline for responses to the consultation is 29 January 2010