Wanted - organisations who would like therapeutic reading groups for their service users/clients

Read Together is a community interest company delivering therapeutic reading groups to people at risk of social exclusion, in particular those with mental health needs. The groups are all based on reading short stories and poems aloud, around a theme, and building a sense of community among group members that helps their self confidence and self esteem - in this way they involve people with low levels of literacy and those whose medication or mental health issue prevents them from reading themselves. We also aim to provide training and support to any people attending the groups who would like to work as paid facilitators. We signpost group members to more formal education opportunities or other services if they wish (which includes supporting people to join and use local libraries). Reading groups do not have to be limited to English and can be delivered in any language - we are particularly interested in working with BME groups and older people.

We work in partnership with organisations and run therapeutic groups for their service users, at no cost to their organisation. We currently have the possibility of funding to expand this work, and are looking for organisations who would be interested in participating. Please contact Sophy at sophy@readtogether.org.uk for more information.



Kind Regards

Sophy Proctor

Read Together

Linear House, Peyton Place, SE10 8RS
Tel: 020 8316 8736 Mobile: 0774 7108 027
www.readtogether.org.uk

Community Interest Company and Company Limited by Guarantee No: 6792175

Please sign the petition to protect the Freedom Pass

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/29m4freedompass/
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to intervene to secure the Freedom Pass by protecting the previously agreed level of concessionary travel funding for London, for 2010-11, from the proposals currently being consulted on by the Department for Transport that would cut £29 million of agreed funding for the boroughs, following the DfT’s re-opening of a 3-year funding deal in its third year. More details

Submitted by Barry Macleod-Cullinane of London Councils – Deadline to sign up by:                     29 January 2010

Also, please forward this to your friends.

FREE Home Fire Safety Checks - can you help publicise this to the community

 London Fire Brigade are running a campaign ‘Keep Your Community Safe & Sound’ which involves offering a FREE Home Fire Safety visit and the local Homerton Fire Station rep, David Todd from Green Watch, was keen to ensure that this campaign is taken up by the local community and in particular Older People.

 David T has a large number of postcard-type cards which individuals only have to fill in some basic details, stick down and put in the post box.

Please make contact with David T on david.todd@London-Fire.gov.uk, or his station manager, Dan Daly on dan.daly@London-Fire.gov.uk to arrange to get hold of these cards

Could you be a representative on the Transformation Boards

We are looking for pragmatic and judicious voluntary or community sector workers to represent the voluntary sector on small council led working groups that will be overseeing the busines transformation (also known as personalisation) on the following boards:

• Personalisation
• Market Development
• Workforce Development 
  

or email andrea@hcvs.org.uk fior the application pack.

 selection of reps is via an application form and then interview.  posts are open to rep share

The closing date for applications forms is the  1st February and interviews will take place on the 5th February

What should be the future of HSCF? Have your say!

HSCF in its current form was set up in 2001 - a lot has changed since then and a lot more is changing around us now - we want to know what you think should be the future of HSCF

• Is what we are currently doing right?
• what support do you need to 

• do you need a network of health & social care groups at all? 
  

Final Reminder about Forum Meeting Monday 18th -2pm -4pm on Personalisation

At the Health & Social Care Forum

on the 18th January 2010 2pm - 4pm

at the   City and Hackney Carers Centre
96-102 Springfield House
5 Tyssen Street
London E8 2LZ

 with speakers

Pratima Solanki, Assistant Director - Strategy, Performance and Improvement.Community Services

London Borough of Hackney  and Paul Knipe Communications Manager.  We will be sending out a briefing on personalised budgets next week which will also be featured in this newsletter.  Please attend this meeting to find out the latest postion on personalised budgets, what you can do to prepare and how you can get involved in the planning

If you are attending please let me know by return email or on 0207 923 8361

Griff Rhy Jones say Borad had no choice but to close the empire

Click here to view stage article

Hackney most improved in the last year borough for secondary school school results nationally

Click here for the story from BBC website

HRF Launch of one to one employment advice re olympics

HRF  HACKNEY REFUGEE FORUM REGULAR MEETING  Thursday 28^th of January 201013.00 to 15.00 Venue: Hackney Carers Centre92 Springfield House, 5 Tyseen Street E8 2LY MAIN TOPIC Launch of the “one to one sessions” for Training and employment at the Olympics for refugee and migrants  AGENDA:  

• Lunch, Refreshment and networking

• Welcome and introductory remarks – Ali Aksoy, HRF Chair

• Information Exchange

• Key Speakers from 2012 Olympics Team and On Site

• A.O.B & Date of the next meeting.

Telling Tales About Dementia - Launch of book at City & Hackney Carers Centre

Telling Tales About Dementia 

Book event at City and Hackney Carers Centre
 
On Thursday 21 January at 2.30pm there will be a reading by contributors
to the new anthology, Telling Tales About Dementia: Experiences of
Caring which is published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. In this book,
30 carers from different backgrounds and in different circumstances
describe their experiences of looking after someone with dementia.

 
The book is edited by Lucy Whitman, who cared for her mother when she
developed vascular dementia. She will be joined by some of the other
contributors reading extracts from their stories, followed by questions
and discussion.

 
This event will be of interest to professionals and family carers alike.
Sue Benson, editor of the Journal of Dementia Care, has written: 'These
powerful stories should be read by everyone involved in health and
social care, from commissioners designing services to those giving
direct care and support. The accounts are moving, engrossing, sprinkled
with quirky humour, and truthful. Vivid personalities shine through,
reminding us that every person with dementia, every carer and every
caring relationship, is different and individual, therefore services
need to be sensitive, personal and flexible.'

 
Thursday 21 January 2.30 - 4.30pm

City and Hackney Carers Centre

96-102 Springfield House

5 Tyssen Street

Dalston E8 2LZ

Further information from 020 7923 8750

 Tea and coffee from 2.15pm

 

 

London boroughs express concern re the Governments Social Care Proposals (Free Personal care)

Personal Care at Home Bill

London boroughs are concerned that the Government's social care proposals – as outlined in the Personal Care at Home Bill – have not been sufficiently thought through. As a result, there is a risk that perverse incentives could be created and that strongly performing councils are punished.

London Councils supports the principle of helping more people with care needs to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.  However, there are a number of key concerns about the Government's proposals, including:

• the robustness of the Bill Impact Assessment;
• the feasibility of the proposed local government efficiencies;
• the creation of perverse incentives that disadvantage already strongly performing councils – particularly those in London, and;
• implementation pressures and workforce issues.

For more information on the Personal Care at Home Bill read the London Councils briefing below.

Follow the progress of the Bill through Parliament.

related documents

• Personal Care at Home briefing (PDF, 110.76Kb) Opens in a new window

printPageXHTML();Source London Councils Website

Charity Awards

Be proud of your achievements. Ensure they are recognised and rewarded.

Enter The Charity Awards 2010, the voluntary sector's premier awards programme at www.charityawards.co.uk. The deadline for entries is Friday 12 March 2010.

Success at The Charity Awards boosts staff morale, enhances your influence, helps funding applications and is a superb opportunity to raise your profile. With such impressive benefits, the effort of entering is repaid many times over!

Entry to The Charity Awards 2010 is free to all charities throughout the UK. Visit www.charityawards.co.uk to download your entry form.

Winners will be announced at a gala dinner in London on Thursday 10 June 2010. This glamorous event is always a hugely inspirational and enjoyable evening, to which all shortlisted charities are invited as VIP guests.

If you have a great story or project you are particularly proud of, then we want to hear from you. Entering The Charity Awards could give you the recognition you so richly deserve, so why not get your entry underway today?

73% of Charities not aware of legislative changes re pensions or not assessed impact

Three quarters of charities have not assessed the impact of pensions Charities not aware of legislative changes

14 January, 2010

 
 
According  to  research1
  undertaken  by  the Association  of Chief  Executives  of Voluntary
Organisations  (ACEVO)  and  the  employee  benefits  adviser,  Foster  Denovo  Ltd
(www.fdemployeebenefits.com/thirdfinance),  almost  three  quarters  (73  percent)  of
charities  have  not  as  yet  assessed  the  impact  of  legislative  changes  to  their  pension
strategy.  This  compares  to  a  figure  of  84  percent  in  the  same  survey  carried  out  in
November 2008.
 
And, the proportion who are not aware of the legislative changes has reduced since last
year’s  survey  from  16  percent  in  November  2008,  to  12  percent  in  November  2009.
Nearly half  (49 percent)  of  those  surveyed  this  year  stated  that  they have  considered
the strategy they will adopt  in preparation  for  the change. This compares to a  figure of
34 percent for 2008.
 
When it came to the question of whether charities had considered the financial impact of
auto  enrolling  relevant  staff  into  a  pension  scheme,  47  percent  of  respondents  stated
they hadn’t. This  is a decrease of 16 percent  from the 2008 survey, which stood at 63
percent.
 
Once again,  larger charities demonstrated  that  they are more  likely  to have considered
their strategy; 83 percent for those with 500+ employees, compared to only 31 percent
for those organisations employing 1-9 people.
 
Respondents  were  also  asked  what  type  of  pension  scheme  they  envisage  offering
employees  in  order  to  comply  with  the  legislation,  an  alarming  29  percent  of
respondents were unable to respond to this question.  
 
Commenting  on  the  survey,  Nick  Carey,  policy  officer  at  ACEVO,  said:  “Whilst  these
results  are  encouraging  in  suggesting  more  third  sector  organisations  recognise  the
impact of the pension reforms, it is critical that wider sector employers are fully aware of
and act on their upcoming responsibilities. There are still too many organisations which
                                                            
1
 Employee Benefits Survey 2009/10 from ACEVO and Foster Denovo . Questionnaires issued to ACEVO
members in August 2009. A total of 376 were returned, representing 20 percent of the membership. are either not aware of the reforms or have not adequately planned to meet them. The
third sector must ensure it works on this complex issue and not leave it too late, forcing
it to act reactively rather than strategically. Auto-enrolment will have a strong impact on
the sector and it is vital that organisations are ready to meet this challenge.”
 
Ian Bird, senior partner at Foster Denovo, added: “Many third sector organisations have
used  the  economic downturn  as  an  opportunity  to  review  their pension  arrangements.
Last  year  –  for  the  first  time  –  we  asked  charities  about  their  readiness  for  the
forthcoming pension reform, and rather worryingly, it would appear that many have still
not assessed the impact. Although the results seem to be improving, there is still some
way to go. 
 
“This year’s survey also highlighted that 18 percent of third sector organisations do not
have  a workplace pension,  and 54 percent  of  employers have  less  than 60 percent  of
staff enrolled in schemes. Moreover only 30% of organisations currently enrol their staff
into  a  pension  scheme  immediately, which  begs  the  question  how will  the majority  of
employers deal with the cost of auto-enrolment? These figures alone demonstrate to me
that the financial implications of 2012 for the sector – as a whole – could be significant.
 
“Employers now need to begin addressing the potential costs of auto enrolment to their
organisation.  And,  they  also  need  to  consider  their  strategy  around  effectively
communicating this to their staff.” 
 
Additional findings from the 2009 survey included: 
 
•  18 percent of organisations currently do not offer any type of pension scheme
•  Only  28  percent  of  third  sector  organisations  have  81  percent  of more  staff  in
their pension scheme. 
•  Of  the  organisations  with  low  take-up,  54  percent  think  staff  cannot  afford  a
pension, what will happen to these employees in 2012?
•  When  it  came  to  the  recession,  and  whether  this  has  affected  employees’
attitudes towards retirement planning, 28 percent said it had. Two-fifths of those
said  that  staff  are more  reluctant  to  save,  and  30  percent  said  that  fewer  are
joining their pension schemes.
 
 
-Ends-
 Notes to editors
 
About the 2012 pension legislation: 
In  2012  legislation  will  be  introduced  that  will  see  all  employers  have  to  auto-enrol
eligible  staff  either  into  a  suitable  workplace  pension  scheme  or  into  a  Government
‘Personal  Account’.   Employers  and  employees  will  have  to  contribute  8%  into  the
pension scheme (3% employer, 4% employee, 1% tax relief). This legislation has been
designed to target the estimated seven million people currently undersaving by making
pensions more accessible.
 
About ACEVO:
ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations www.acevo.org.uk) is
the  professional body  representing  charity  and  not-for-profit  sector  chief  executives  in
the UK, with over 2000 members. The broad not-for-profit sector now employs the full-
time  equivalent  of  1.5m  staff,  with  a  collective  annual  turnover  of  £46bn.  ACEVO  is
committed to improving third sector leadership skills worldwide.
 
 
About Foster Denovo Limited:
Foster Denovo is a national IFA providing both corporate and private clients with advice
on wealth management, employee benefits and private finance.
 
Authorised  and  regulated  by  the  Financial Services Authority  and  established  in  2005,
Foster  Denovo  is  owned,  almost  in  its  entirety,  by  its  partners  and  staff.  The  board
believes  this  creates  a  stakeholder  culture,  which  forms  the  basis  of  the  company’s
values. 
 
Foster  Denovo  is  dedicated  to  setting  the  standard  for  private  client  service  in  the
financial services industry, and to building client relationships that will last a lifetime.
 
 
For further information, a copy of the Employee Benefits survey, interviews and
photography, please contact:
Foster Denovo: 
Katrina Suppiah/Kate Alexander, Publicité
Tel: + 44 (0)20 8543 6582/+44 (0)20 8543 8481/+44 (0)7809 028711
Email: k.suppiah@publicite.co.uk/k.alexander@publicite.co.uk
 
ACEVO:
Carina McKeown
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7280 4977
Email: carina.mckeown@acevo.org.uk

Charities are the toughest place to work in Britain

11/01/10

By Howard Lent

Charities are among the toughest places to work in Britain, according to research from Cardiff University and the University of Glamorgan into workplace practices.

Professor Duncan Lewis of Glamorgan’s Business School said: “Third sector respondents reported being 2.5 times more likely to experience intimidating behaviour from people at work and were four times more likely to report being humiliated or ridiculed in connection with their work.

“It could be anything from having your views and your opinions ignored to having somebody constantly checking up on your work, or being given unmanageable workloads.”

The research analysed nearly 4,000 interviews with UK employees.

Lewis added: “It’s possible that, working in that sector, they expect to be treated in a particular way. They are doing good work but they find themselves in an environment being run just like a business.”

The study showed that respondents working in the third sector were more likely to report extreme forms of negative behaviour associated with violence, threats and injury but such behaviour is often perpetrated by clients or users of those services.

Victoria Winckler, director of the left-wing think tank Bevan Foundation, which is to hold a conference exploring the research later this month, said: “Different groups face very similar problems. For example, equal pay is not just about the gap between women's pay compared with men's, there is also a pay gap between disabled and non-disabled people.”

Haiti Earthquake appeal £2 million raised 36 hours after appeal launched - donate here

Disaster Emergency Committee Website 

Blog on the dangers of measurement from New Philanthropy capital

The dangers of measurement

• Focusing on metrics that don't give a true measure of a charity's overall impact, but reduce their work to a few measurable but overly simplistic indicators.
• Neglecting the stuff that's harder to measure but more closely tied to an organisation's real mission - measuring 'hard' but less relevant outcomes at the expense of 'soft' but more important changes in people's lives, communities and society.
• Are being driven by funders, trying to measure outcomes to satisfy funders' requirements, rather than capturing data that's truly useful to the charity itself.

I couldn't agree more. Funders, like grant-making trusts, often commission evaluations of the charities they fund, allow a portion of their grants to be spent on evaluation, or define their reporting requirements to include some outcomes measurement. If they do this, they may think they're doing their bit to help charities tackle the outcomes agenda. But these evaluations (in my experience) rarely lead to charities building real management information - data that charites' leaders can use to learn about the results of their work and refine what they do.

Great organisations (charities, but also businesses) are built around great data. Data that allows them to understand the needs they address, what activities are likely to best address these needs, what actually happens as a result of these activities, and how to allocate resources and tweak what they do for even greater impact. This data can then also be used to communicate to stakeholders - not just to funders but also to the people who the charity's trying to help.

So measurement that's driven by charities is an essential piece of the puzzle for effective, high performing organisations. But too often, funders set the agenda with their own requirements, limit the budget (by driving down overhead costs) that charities can devote to capturing, analysing and using appropriate data, and so cripple the organisations they're trying to help. Trying to turn the tables is tough, as we found in our action research on the subject.

I'd love to see a fund created that's available to charities and social enterprises that want to build their own capacity to measure and analyse their own outcomes. To build real outcomes management information, and then use that as a platform for telling funders, beneficiaries, and other charities what they're achieving. To invest in systems for capturing the right data. To spend on support from experts who can help organisations build the data they need. Why doesn't such a fund exist?

Source New Philantrhropy Blogspot 

Electronic assistive technology: its impact on the quality of life of people with intellectual disab

The Centre for Disability and Social Inclusion

Invites you to our January seminar

Electronic assistive technology: its impact on the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities and ethical issues.

Wednesday January 20^th, 2010, 1pm to 2.15pm

Venue: Room AG01, College Building, St. John Street, EC1V 0HB

To book a place please email Doria Pilling: d.s.pilling@city.ac.uk 

Buffet lunch – 12.30pm

Doria Pilling

Visiting Senior Research Fellow

Centre for Disability and Social Inclusion

Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in Professional Practice

School of Community and Health Sciences

City University

20 Bartholomew Close

London

EC1A 7QN

020 7040 8353

020 8992 4302

0793 999 5375

Public Services 2010 - Equipped for Change

Public Services 2010 - Equipped for Change

Date: 01 March 2010
Time: 09.30am - 16.30pm
Venue: NCVO Conference Suite, London

*Save 10% on the delegate fee with an Early Bird booking!*

Book Now

The market for public services is changing. Are you ready to change with it?

A conference for third sector service providers, support agencies and public sector commissioners looking at how public services are changing and how partnership working in the third and public sector need to change with them.

The fourth annual conference of the NCVO Public Service Delivery Network is an unmissable event for anyone in the voluntary and public sector involved in the commissioning and delivery of public services:

• Frontline voluntary and community organisations – small and large, national and local
• Infrastructure bodies and CVSs
• Social enterprises
• Public sector bodies
• Corporate organisations

Heritage Lottery Fund — Skills for the Future

Skills for the Future from the Heritage Lottery Fund has grants from £100,000 - £1 million available. The grants are for organisations to provide paid training places for people to learn traditional conservation skills or to develop the skills needed to engage people with heritage (e.g. education, community participation/volunteering programmes, using new media and technology to open up heritage). You should email your full contact details to:  skills@hlf.org.uk to register your interest in the programme.

Deadline: 19 March 2010 for full applications. Pre-application enquiry forms should be sent in prior to this date.

See the Heritage Lottery Fund website for further details.

Source SYFAB

Pre tender event residential training & support for disabled adults

Pre-tender event for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) contract   The NAVCA website has information about a pre-tender event for a future DWP procurement exercise:  Residential Training and Support for Unemployed Disabled Adults. The event is on 28 January 2010 in Birmingham. For more information and to book a place see the NAVCA website. Source SYFAB

Funding over £30k for regional / national projects re biomedical science

Do you know someone who has given time, money or skills, nominate them for the Beacon Awards

Beacon is a charitable organisation set up to encourage individual contributions to charitable and social causes and to celebrate and showcase best practice in giving. Beacon awards annual prizes to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to charitable causes or to organisations that benefit the public. An overall winner will be selected every year who will be given a cash award, invested in an innovative way by the winner in a charity of their choice. Beacon believes that by highlighting the achievements of the prize winners and showcasing innovation and best practice in philanthropy, others will be inspired and encouraged to make their own contribution.   Do you know any philanthropy heroes? Do you know someone who deserves national recognition for all the good work they do? Beacon is urging YOU to nominate individuals who have made a significant philanthropic contribution in giving time, money or skills to a specific cause. Beacon awards annual prizes to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to charitable causes or to organisations that benefit the public. With awards in seven categories and an additional overall prize, the winners will be invited to attend a gala event in London where the overall prize winner will receive £30,000 to donate to the charity of their choice. Beacon believes that by highlighting the achievements of the prize winners and showcasing innovation and best practice in philanthropy, others will be inspired and encouraged to make their own contribution. NOMINATE NOW BY CLICKING HERE   1 April 2009 BEACON JOINS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NETWORK (CFN) Beacon is delighted to announce its new principal partner, the Community Foundation Network. Beacon Trustees have agreed a new way of working with Community Foundation Network (CFN). CFN is a registered charity committed to developing philanthropy particularly at a local community level, representing 57 Community Foundations who last year supported 1400 significant clients who invested £70m into 20,000 philanthropic projects. Beacon will be re-energised by association with community foundations, their regional and national events and their involvement in developing philanthropic practice, research and lobbying on policy.

Policy & Parliamentary Officer Voice4Change (V4CE)

New Media Adviser

Salary: c£27,000 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: London, but some travel around the country is likely
Contract: Fixed term until 31 March 2011

In this role you will ensure Contact a Family is taking full advantage of new media to reach families with disabled children and facilitate opportunities for them to network online and access information about support available to them.

You will expand and monitor our presence on social networking websites, and contribute to the development and monitoring of digital media on our own sites such as message boards and hosted chat room events. You will support and inspire our team of staff, parent volunteers and members of parent support groups on the use, benefits and opportunities of digital media. Also, you will help to produce content for print and web, for example edit and produce podcasts, and write articles/parent guides around new media.

You must be passionate about new media and have extensive experience of using social networking sites, ideally on a professional basis, with current knowledge of trends and an eye for future developments and opportunities. As you are working directly with parents of disabled children you must be friendly and approachable, and able to explain technology in non-technical language. The post also requires excellent writing skills for both print and web.

Download the job details

• Job pack
• Application form (word)
• Equal opportunities monitoring form (word)
• Guidance notes (word)

Closing date: Monday 18 January 2010
Interview date: Monday 25 January 2010

Hoxton Hall : Heritage Co-ordinator

Hoxton Hall is looking to recruit an experienced co-ordinator, preferably with an education background, develop, manage and deliver a series of heritage programmes.

Salary: Hours: 2 days per Pro rota equivalent to £19,000.

Closing date: 6pm Thursday 28 January 2010. Interviews will be held 4/5 February.

Please contact: www.hoxtonhall.co.uk for details and application form.

Diabetes Eye Screener/Photographer

Job Reference:

 293-10500

Job Title:

 Diabetes Eye Screener/Photographer

Area of Work:

 Diabetes Retinal Screening

Employer:

 Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust

Department:

 293 Diabetes Retinal Screening

Location:

 London

Salary:

 £17,180 - £20,280 pa inc

Job Type:

Fixed Term Temporary  

Staff Group:

Additional Clinical Services  

Pay Scheme:

Agenda for change  

Pay Band:

2  

Working pattern:

37.5 Hours/Week 

Closing Date:

27/01/2010 

Add this vacancy to my job basket

Description

The Homerton is an innovative Foundation Trust providing a wide range of services to the local community of Hackney and specialist services on a national level. Located in the multicultural east end of London we are situated close to the heart of the capital.

The Homerton is the closest hospital to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Park and is the designated hospital for the Park. The Hospital has easy access to the M11and Stratford International railway station, with major improvements to transport planned in the lead up to the Games.

Diabetes Eye Screener/Photographer
Band 2: £17,180 - £20,280 pa inc.
12 months fixed-term with potential for renewal

ALL CANDIDATES MUST READ THE PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR THIS VACANCY AS THIS CONTAINS QUESTIONS WHICH MUST BE ANSWERED AS PART OF THE SUPPORTING INFORMATION. CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AS DIRECTED WILL NOT BE PUT FORWARD FOR SHORTLISTING.

Providing diabetes eye screening to the diabetic population covered by the Eye Screening Service, you will be primarily based at one of our three eye screening centres, but will be required to work at all sites. Our screening sites are based at Homerton University Hospital in Hackney, Cranbrook Road in Ilford, and Porters Avenue Health Centre in Becontree.

Your role will involve measuring patients’ visual acuity (training given), taking brief clinical details and blood pressure and be responsible for undertaking retinal photography.

You will require basic computer skills and will receive training in all aspects of screening. You will also require the ability to develop a good rapport when meeting and greeting the patients.

For further information or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Gary Moss, Operational Manager by email at gary.moss@homerton.nhs.uk

We advise candidates to read all of the attached documentation prior to submitting an application.

Your supporting statement is used to determine your suitability for the post and should be used to demonstrate your relevant skills.

Once you have submitted an application it is essential that you check your email on a regular basis for updates and shortlisting information.

The Trust welcomes applications from candidates wishing to job share with or without job share partners.

Committed to Equal Opportunities.

Overseas candidates wishing to apply, who would require immigration sponsorship, can self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKBA website.

Applications from job seekers who require Tier 2 sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. However, non-EEA candidates may not be appointed to a post if a suitably qualified, experienced and skilled EU/EEA candidate is available to take up the post as the employing body is unlikely, in these circumstances, to satisfy the Resident Labour Market Test. The UK Border Agency requires employers to complete this test to show that no suitably qualified EEA or EU worker can fill the post. For further information please visit: UK Border Agency website.

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 (32 KB)
• Person Specification (28 KB)
• Recruitment_Pack_Why_Homerton (129 KB)
• Guidance Notes On Submitting An Application (119 KB)
• Equal Opps document (132 KB)
• Remploy Leaflet (50 KB)

Further Links

• Homerton Website
• Detailed travel information for finding the Homerton easily

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.

Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (formerly a Work Permit)

This job is unlikely to attract a Tier 2 certificate of sponsorship (formerly a work permit). Applications from candidates who require Tier 2 immigration status to work in the UK may not be considered if there are a sufficient number of other suitable candidates. To apply for a Tier 2 certificate of sponsorship, employers need to demonstrate that they are unable to recruit a resident worker before recruiting an individual from overseas. For further information please visit Home Office UK Border Office.

Director, Heart of the City

Ref No

EDE068

Salary

c. £55k p.a. with scope for progression

Department

Heart of the City - Economic Development Office

Description

Fixed-term contract to 31 March 2013 Heart of the City (HotC) is a registered charity (no 1117212), primarily funded by the City of London Corporation, that provides free practical support to businesses who wish to start or improve a corporate responsibility (CR) programme. This Newcomers’ Programme relies on the expertise of 70 leading businesses that have an established track record in CR. Since the programme’s launch in 2005, more than 280 Newcomers from the City and neighbouring boroughs have taken part. It has become widely recognised as an exemplar within senior City, voluntary sector and political circles. This success has enabled HotC to secure funding to 2013 to continue its successful work. You will take this exciting project forward, at a time when CR is becoming increasingly high profile, by developing the strategic direction of the charity, promoting its work and seeking further opportunities for income generation. You will also manage HotC’s operations in collaboration with the charity’s Board of Trustees and interacting with its senior level Council of Members. You will have excellent communication skills and will have an outstanding track record of: • working at senior level within CR, charities leadership or business development • networking and building excellent relationships at all levels within the business and voluntary sector to galvanise mass engagement • programme promotion through events, marketing, public affairs, press and PR • managing staff and budgets, preferably of a charitable entity • Income generation through fundraising or commercial ventures. Closing date for applications: 12 noon Monday 1 February 2010. The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Location

London EC2

Contact details

To apply online or download a pack, please visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/jobs Alternatively, please contact the Corporate Recruitment Unit on 020 7332 3978 (24hr answerphone) quoting reference number EDE068. A minicom service for the hearing impaired is available on 020 7332 3732.

Contact email

cru@cityoflondon.gov.uk - Please include your name and address.

Closing date

2010-02-01

Documents

Job Information Pack EDE068.pdf

How to complete the application form (PDF).pdf

Downloadable application form EDE068.doc

Apprentice Gardener - LBH

Job Details

Opportunities for Trainee Community Organisers - please pass to volunteers

Have you been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for six months or more?

Are you interested in working with local communities in London?

Would you like to learn skills in community organising, campaigning and advocacy?

Titus Alexander at Novas Scarman is recruiting community organiser trainees for a six month programme 25 hours a week, at £5.80 an hour to:

• Learn community organising, campaigning and advocacy skills
• Facilitate learning, mutual support and networking among community groups
• Provide practical development support for individual and collective projects
• act as an advocate with projects
• Facilitate use of online social media where appropriate
• Use & maintain database of contacts
• Produce publicity and promote programmes through media and local networks

The posts will include a weekly training session in community organising and campaigning, and work with community groups and voluntary organisations in London.

To apply, contact your local Job Centre Plus and ask to be referred to LMS Reference QBO 33529

How to interact with Government and influence policy & legislation

Government Exchange Spring Programme

Government Exchange are offering nine courses to organisations that need to learn how to interact with Government effectively, influence Government policy and legislation, and communicate with the key players.  Course will cost £280 per delegate for Local Authorities/Academic/Third Serctor and £380 Business/Government.

9th February - How to Influence Whitehall and Westminster 
9th March -   An Introduction to the European Union
10th March  - How to Influence the European Union
4th March  - How Government Works
30th March  - Structure of UK Government Post-Devolution
10th Feb  - The Work of Parliament
16th March - An A-Z of Legislation: Parliamentary Bills 
23 March  -An A-Z of Legislation: Secondary Legislation
24 February  - Parliamentary Scrutiny

Regular speakers include:

Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP (former Secretary of State)
John Bercow MP (Speaker of the House of Commons)
Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP — former Minister of State
Baroness Morris of Yardley — former Secretary of State
Rt Hon Michael Meacher — former Minister of State
Lord McNally — Leader of the Liberal Democrats, House of Lords

For further information Government Exchange website.

Source LVSC

Keep Warm guide for older people & people with disabilities

Click here for a downloadable guide on keeping warm -

Up load your community development activity on the empowerment map

The Empowerment Map

London Civic Forum and the London Empowerment Partnership are pleased to announce the launch of the new Empowerment Map.

The Empowerment Map is an exciting new tool designed to enable Londoners to identify community empowerment activities in the Capital. These activities provide people with opportunities to have a say and influence decisions that affect their lives

As a practitioner, the Empowerment Map will enable you to:

• Promote your own work by uploading activities to the map
• Share examples of best practice with other practioners and service providers in London
  

The Empowerment Map is an opportunity to visually illustrate the range of empowerment activities across London - but we need your help! Please take a few minutes to upload any empowerment activities you or your organisation are leading on, and help ensure that Londoners are able to have their voices heard.

The Empowerment Map can be found on London Civic Forum's new 'Shape your City' website, dedicated to promoting community empowerment in London. To upload your activity to the map please visit http://www.shapeyourcity.org.uk/ and click on the 'Upload Activity' button.

Personalisation - call for evidence

The Cabinet Office Advisor on Third Sector Innovation, Rt. Hon Anne McGuire MP, is seeking your ideas and evidence about the role of third sector organisations in personalisation.

This includes how the Government can support the sector to participate in personalised services, unlocking its potential to help people achieve the best learning outcomes through this new way of delivering services.

The deadline for submission is Friday 22 January 2010. For more information on how to submit information and what is required, please visit the Capacitybuilders website.

Do you do community development - could you fill in a short online survey

The role of community development work in supporting communities to influence decisions around health

London Civic Forum and the London Empowerment Partnership actively recognise the importance of community development activity in promoting and encouraging community empowerment in London. As part of its work in this area, London Civic Forum would like to further explore the role of community development work in influencing decisions abouth health. This research aims to promote a better understanding of how community development work can support individuals and communities to feed into decisions around health and have their voices heard. We hope that the findings of this research will not only promote the role and importance of community development work, but also encourage health authorities to better respond to the needs of the community and engage with local residents.

To help assist us in this research, we are asking all community development workers (paid and unpaid) to participate in short online survey. Your response to this survey will help us to better understand the role of community development work in health and to continue to promote community development as an important part of community development.

Download The role of community development work in supporting communities to influence decisions around health survey.

The deadline for submitting your response to the survey is Monday, 1 February 2010.

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