This month’s news focuses on general election outcomes relating to young people’s services and the third sector following the announcement of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat party coalition.
Big Society
The Government has launched the Big Society programme, which aims to reform society by taking power away from politicians and giving it to people. Details of the programme include:
• Communities are to have a greater say over their local planning system and new powers to take over and run public services;
• A new generation of community organisers will be trained to help support neighbourhood groups, while a Big Society bank, funded by dormant bank accounts, will be used to finance local groups, charities and social enterprises;
• Regional spatial strategies will be abolished, with decision-making powers on housing and planning returned to local councils;
• A full review of local government finance and a general power of competence for councils will be introduced, aimed at transferring greater power to local government level;
• Measures to encourage people to volunteer include the launch of a national Big Society Day and the introduction of National Citizen Service for 16 year olds; and
• Mutuals, cooperatives and other third sector bodies will be supported to have greater involvement in running public services, while public sector workers are to be given the right to form employee-owned cooperatives to take over the services they deliver.
Further information is available at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100518-news-big-society-launch.aspx
Office for Civil Society
The former Office of the Third Sector has been renamed the Office for Civil Society, lead by Nick Hurd, (former shadow Charities minister), to ensure financial support is available to allow charities, social enterprises and community groups to take over the running of services across the public services. The funding will come from dormant bank accounts and is expected to be more than the £75m pledged by the previous government. Government policy will focus on three fundamental issues:
• Making it easier to run a charity, social enterprise or voluntary organisation;
• Getting more resources into the sector: strengthening its independence and resilience; and
• Making it easier for sector organisations to work with the State.
Further information is available at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100518-hurd.aspx
Department for Education, DfE
DCSF has been renamed the Department for Education, and is responsible for education and children’s services. Michael Gove (Conservative) has been appointed as Secretary of State for Education, Tim Loughton (Conservative) as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families and Sarah Teather (Liberal Democrat) as Minister of State for Children and Families. Elsewhere in the Department for Education, Nick Gibb has been appointed as schools minister. Further information is available at: http://www.education.gov.uk/
The coalition has agreed to bring in the pupil premium to benefit disadvantaged children, a commitment in both parties’ manifestos, but more comprehensively backed by the Lib Dems. Tory plans for state-funded schools to be allowed to be free from local authority control also remain intact. An end to child detention immigration controls has also been agreed. Further information is available at http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/1002743/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin
Department for Education cuts
The Department for Education has outlined details of how it prepares to make £670m efficiency savings this financial year. The National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services budget is to be cut back by £16m, and £15m is to be reduced from the Children’s Workforce Development Council, which equates to about 10 per cent of its annual budget. Becta (the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) is being disbanded, which will save £10m this year. The Training and Development Agency for Schools is being asked to make £30m savings and The School Food Trust will lose £1m from its communications budget. The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency will also make efficiency savings. Further information is available at: http://cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Education/1005241/Department-Education-outlines-cuts/
Academies and free schools
The government has “no ideological objection” to businesses seeking profits from the new generation of academy schools and free schools, Michael Gove has said. But the government preference is for teachers and other experts to decide how to run and improve schools and expect most academies to be run as philanthropic projects. Companies could profit from running schools using existing legislation which allows governing bodies to contract out the running of their school to a company that can charge a management fee. Further information is available at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/31/michael-gove-academy-schools-profit
and http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/may/26/what-is-an-academy?&
Welfare Reform
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has highlighted the need to prioritise tackling youth unemployment in the government’s reform of the welfare system. Unveiling his ambition for welfare reform, he cited the latest figures that show 1.4 million under-25s are not in education, employment or training. Duncan Smith was speaking just days after the Queen’s Speech, which outlined plans for a Welfare Bill that aims to simplify the benefits system. Initiatives to tackle unemployment for all ages will also be simplified and packaged under a single ‘Work Programme’ that will offer personalised support. The news follows the announcement made earlier this week that the government is to scrap the Future Jobs Fund set up by Labour. Further information is available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/7770990/Iain-Duncan-Smith-outlines-plan-for-radical-welfare-reform.html
Youth Justice
The Ministry of Justice has taken sole responsibility for youth justice. Previously, the policy area was split between the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education. Further information is available at: http://www.yjb.gov.uk/en-gb/News/MinistryofJusticetakessoleresponsibilityforyouthjustice.htm?area=AllNewsEvents
Child Worker Vetting and Barring scheme to be reviewed
Home Secretary Theresa May has announced that the vetting scheme for nine million people working with children and vulnerable adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has been halted. There will be a review of the entire vetting and barring scheme, with a scaling back to “common-sense levels”. Further information is available at: http://www.nya.org.uk/news/child-worker-vetting-plan-to-be-halted
Youth Opportunity Fund hit by removal of ringfencing
The new government has removed the ringfence around the £40.8m allocated to the Youth Opportunity Fund. The fund was established as part of the Youth Matters green paper in 2005 and has proved popular for giving young people the power to decide how hundreds of millions of pounds of government money should be spent on youth projects and facilities. Further information is available at: http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/1009175/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin
Equality Act
The Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England published a briefing in May on the recently passed Equality Act 2010. The briefing explores what the new Act means and provides the Children’s Commissioner’s view on how the Act will impact on children and young people in relation to the age discrimination measures. Further information is available at: http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/content/publications/content_402
Youth sector unites to defend work
The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) has developed the Youth Work Sector Expert Group in partnership with the National Youth Agency (NYA) and the Confederation of Heads of Young People’s Services (Chyps). The group has been established to give the sector a more pro-active role in lobbying government and leading debates over workforce issues. Further information is available at: http://www.cypnow.co.uk/News/EmailThisArticle/1008198/Youth-sector-unites-defend-work/
Commissioning, Funding and Opportunities
Funding for young people’s education, employment and training projects – deadline 2nd July
The Russell Investments Charitable Fund is offering funding to support local voluntary or community groups run projects focusing on young people and education, employment and training. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for London based organisations with an income of less than £150,000. Further information is available at: http://www.capitalcf.org.uk/grants/grants_available.php
Child Protection Funding – deadline 31st July
The British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN) has launched its Research Award programme for 2010 for organisations who are undertaking or completing small scale research projects on child protection. BASPCAN will be awarding grants to collaborative applications made by practitioners and researchers (academic and other) working in partnership. Further information is available at: http://www.baspcan.org.uk/
BIG Lottery Funding update
The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) has introduced a series of improvements to the Reaching Communities programme for England, designed to make it easier for groups to apply. Grants will be awarded for projects that: offer people better chances in life; build strong communities; develop improved rural and urban environments; and create healthier and more active people and communities. The improvements are intended to make the application process simpler, increase the success rates of applications and provide more support throughout the process. Further information is available at: http://www2.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_reaching_communities
Voluntary sector post graduate training
The Cranfield School of Management and the Cranfield Trust are offering MBA and PHD opportunities for people working in voluntary sector organisations. MBA scholarships are on offer for candidates working for a European charitable, voluntary organisation involved in issues of poverty, disability or social exclusion. A PHD opportunity is also available for a student to assess the environment for performance management in the UK voluntary sector and to map the performance tools currently in existence, in order to provide a directory of available resources for charities. Further information is available at: www.improvingsupport.org.uk/HR
UK Youth Healthaware – accrediting young people’s activities
An opportunity to develop and accredit health and wellbeing awareness activities with young people
The Healthaware Challenge addresses health and wellbeing issues by encouraging young people to participate in and develop their own health and wellbeing projects. Projects include: delivering peer education sessions on healthy eating; researching sexual health information from the internet; developing information on safety tips for other young people; and designing and completing health questionnaires. The approach encourages young people to learn key skills and is an innovative way for workers to access support and resources for developing their health and wellbeing work with young people. The Healthaware Challenge project is linked to UK Youth’s Youth Challenges and Youth Achievement Awards, providing opportunities for young people to gain accreditation through ASDAN for their involvement. To find out more about the Youth Achievement Awards, visit UK Youth’s website http://www.ukyouth.org/ .
By signing up to the Healthaware Challenge programme, youth groups and projects receive a 50% discount on the registration fee and a free copy of the toolkit. In addition:
• Young people who complete one or more Health and Wellbeing Activities as part of a registered group will receive a ‘Healthaware Activity’ certificate recognising their involvement.
• Registered groups can receive support in working towards accrediting their Healthaware Challenge through the Awards. This includes 2 half price multiagency training places on YC/YAA introductory training (the UK Youth Training Calendar is available at http://www.ukyouth.org/whatwedo/training.htm ), registration is half price until March 2011.
• Other publications include: Mind Matters – Actions (supporting young people to make informed decisions about key issues such as smoking, drugs, alcohol, crime and sex); Mind Matters – Loss and Grief; Mind, Body and Society (building the physical and mental health of young women); Boys2men (focused on working with young men and running a fatherhood programme,); and Youth Active Challenges and Drinkaware Challenges toolkits.
This is the final year of project funding. To register your group or project to be part of the Healthaware Challenge, please visit:
http://www.ukyouth.org/whatwedo/Programmes/YAA/healthandwellbeing.htm or contact Charmaine Simpson on 0203 137 3827 or email: charmaine@ukyouth.org
C4EO – call for effective local practice examples
C4EO is looking for examples of effective local practice which are improving outcomes for children, young people and their families across all its nine key themes and research priorities: Early Intervention, Early Years, Disability, Vulnerable (Looked After) Children, Child Poverty, Safeguarding, Schools and Communities, Youth and Families, Parents and Carers. Where possible, the Centre will incorporate local practice examples into its knowledge reviews on ‘what works’, which will be shared with other decision-makers in the young people’s field, and disseminate examples on the C4EO website. To submit an example of effective practice, complete the online submission form on the C4EO website http://www.c4eo.org.uk/myaccount/login.asp
or download a submission form from the C4EO website http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/files/vlpform_feb2010.doc?dm_i=7SL,4XOA,12Q4PW,FC8F,1
and email it to C4EOteam@nfer.ac.uk. If you have any queries or need support filling in the form, please contact the C4EO Team at NFER on 01753 637178 or C4EO team@nfer.ac.uk
Mentoring and befriending – demonstrating outcomes
The Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (MBF) is encouraging projects that work with children and young people to sign up for help to measure their outcomes and show their impact. The programme aims to show the impact of mentoring and peer mentoring for young people within schools, colleges and voluntary/community groups. MBF is keen to find out how projects are monitoring and evaluating their success and to help them to develop systems which show the distance young people have travelled within their scheme. Further information is available at: http://www.mandbf.org.uk/projects/national_peer_mentoring_programme/peer_mentoring_outcomes_measurement_programme/ or by calling 0161 787 8600.
Workforce development publications – call for resources
Children England, with support from CWDC, is collating an ‘ultimate almanac’ on workforce development publications and resources. When complete, this will be available to inform organisations in the children’s voluntary sector about the wealth of resources currently available on workforce development. If you would like to suggest any resources or publications which you feel could be beneficial to the sector, please contact Audie Muller: audie@childrenengland.org.uk.
Experience of public spending cuts
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is calling on civil society organisations to let it know how public spending cuts are affecting them, by inviting them to complete a rolling and publicly accessible survey on its website. The idea is that people enter data as they experience cuts in their funding. The information is publicly available so people can see the running tally as it mounts. NCVO intends that the data collected will help inform all organisations across the sector as they take forward programme and policy priorities with government. Further information is available at: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&pli=1&formkey=dEV3cHFjS0YtZUgwS2FxVHBFY0hVcUE6MQ#gid=0
Education needs
According to a new partnership between leading non-profit organisations called Whole Education, a gulf has emerged between what education systems provide and what children and young people need,. Launched at the end of May, the partnership believes that whilst schools try to ensure that young people are literate, numerate and gain academic qualifications, the emphasis on testing and passing exams often squeezes out other skills that are just as vital. The Whole Education partnership will work to ensure that young people learn practical skills such as communication and teamwork, develop qualities such as resilience and empathy and acquire knowledge that goes beyond literacy and numeracy to an understanding of our culture. Working with more than 5000 schools and colleges and with many youth groups and charities, the Whole Education partnership aims to spread a different approach to learning throughout the community. Further information is available at: http://www.thersa.org/about-us/media/press-releases/leading-educational-organisations-join-forces-to-launch-whole-education
Research
Social enterprise
The think-tank ResPublica has published The Venture Society, as a ‘blueprint to help create David Cameron’s Big Society’. The report sets out an agenda for a new economic and social infrastructure, including the evolution of support agencies at local and national level, ‘scaled-up’ support and stronger engagement with communities and markets. It argues that access to appropriate support, including and especially finance, is key to the social enterprise sector growing, but it proposes locating this ‘infrastructure’ in locally-based ‘community labs’, where support, networking and even investment decisions can respond more closely to community control and local decision-making. Further information is available at: http://www.respublica.org.uk/media/think-tank-calls-creation-%E2%80%98venture-society%E2%80%99
Children and Young People’s Services
The National Foundation for Educational Research published a report in April 2010 on integrated children’s services and the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) process. The report contains the collective findings of the 24 authorities involved in the Local Authorities Research Consortium project, which undertook local research projects in order to explore how the CAF is contributing to the effective integration between targeted and universal services. It found that although the CAF process appears to be supporting improved outcomes for children, young people and families, the evidence suggests that more needs to be done to embed the CAF as a tool to support early intervention and prevention, nationally and locally. Further information is available at: http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/LAQ01/LAQ01.pdf
Trusts and foundations increase grants in the economic downturn
The Directory of Social Change reports that the UK’s 400 largest trusts awarded £2.53bn in 2007/08 despite falls in income and asset values. Large trusts and foundations gave out more money in the period leading up to the start of the recession, despite a decline in their income. The 12th edition of The Guide to the Major Trusts, published in March 2010, revealed that the 400 largest trusts in the UK awarded a total of £2.53bn in 2007/08, compared with £2.3bn the previous year. The increase came despite a £126.6m fall in their combined income and about £4bn being wiped off the value of their assets. However, these fingures are from the start of the economic downturn, and much of the increase in grants can be traced to The Wellcome Trust, whose awards increased from £324m to £598m. The guide is in two -parts: volume 1 details the top 400 trusts; volume 2 identifies a further 1,100 grant-makers. Further details are available at: http://www.dsc.org.uk/Publications/Fundraisingsources/@71555
Voluntary sector
The Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) published a paper in March 2010 on the role of voluntary and community based organisations under the former Labour government. The report considers the extent to which this constituted a new and distinctive policy regime, characterised by the notions of partnership and mainstreaming, and speculated on the future prospects for this approach under changing economic and political circumstances. Further information is available at: http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=7NU2AFfvkBE=&tabid=675
Charity reputation
The Reputation Institute has extended its model for measuring reputation by gauging public opinion to a group of leading UK charities. The global average score for corporate reputation on the institute’s scale is 64.2 out of 100, and the highest UK corporate score is the 87.2 achieved by high-street chemist Boots. Yet nine of the 10 charities that were assessed have come out above 80 and three are above 90. Top of the list is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on 95.1, the highest score ever recorded by the institute. Reputation is vitally important to the charity because it relies very heavily on voluntary income. The vast majority of its total annual revenue comes from fundraising and legacies. In this sense, the RNLI has not been in receipt of state funding, or recruiting a largely paid workforce, even though it runs an essential public service. So its success in the reputation survey raises intriguing issues for the voluntary sector as it contemplates the prospect and nature of a wider role in public services under the new prime minister’s vision of a “big society”. Further information is available at: http://www.reputationinstitute.com/
‘v’ evaluation
The National Centre for Social Research has published an evaluation of v, The National Young Volunteers’ Service. The report gives an overview of the key successes and challenges highlighted by the evaluation so far and draws out the implications of the research for v and its stakeholders. Further information is available at: http://vinspired.com/uploads/admin_assets/datas/485/original/v_Interim_Formative_Evaluation_Report.pdf
Mental health
The former DCSF published statistics in April 2010 on the effectiveness of child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) services. The report focuses on NI (National Indicator) 51, which measures key aspects of service provision that should be in place locally to effectively meet the needs of children and young people with mental health problems. Further information is available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000932/OSR13-2010-NI51.pdf
Safeguarding – Keeping children and young people safe
The Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDEA) has published Keeping children and young people safe in the community. This shows how Northumberland County Council has sought to address serious concerns in the child protection system, and has responded innovatively to assist young people at risk of harming themselves due to offending, substance misuse, lack of parental support and a range of other issues. Further information is available at: http://www.localinnovation.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=17634397
Safeguarding – Child Protection report
The Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People’s Services (C4EO) has published a review of evidence on what works in protecting children living in families where they may suffer, or are likely to suffer, significant harm because of ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development due to abuse or neglect. Further information is available at: http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/safeguarding/files/safeguarding_knowledge_review.pdf
Resettlement of young offenders
Young offenders leaving custody are not receiving enough support to establish themselves back into society, a report by Ofsted has found. The report finds that children and young people leaving secure units are unprepared for life in the outside world and often struggle to reintegrate into their communities. The education watchdog criticised the “weak relationships” between young offenders’ institutions and local authorities, resulting in young people often left feeling “unsettled” and “unwanted” by the lack of a clear plan for their release. Further information is available at: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News/Press-and-media/2010/May/Young-people-leaving-the-justice-system-unprepared-for-outside-world
Young Offenders
The HM Inspectorate of Prisons published a report in May 2010, Training Planning for Children and Young People, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of training planning in young offender institutions. The report states that training plans should underpin and “guide the management of a young person’s time in custody and his or her transition back into the community”, but that just 60 per cent of sentenced young offenders reported having a training plan in place. Further information is available at: http://offlinehbpl.hbpl.co.uk/Misc/PYC/Both-Resources-Documents/Training%20Planning%20Thematic.pdf
Parents’ aspirations for their children’s attainment
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, (JRF), published a report in March 2010 stating that schools should be doing more to raise the aspirations of parents as well as their children to improve the attainment of poorer children. The report, Poorer children’s educational attainment: how important are attitudes and behaviour? suggests that the aspirations, attitudes and behaviour of both parents and children play an important part in explaining why poorer children typically do worse at school. The report recommended that parenting programmes and a focus on improving children’s behaviour, which are common in early years settings, should be more prevalent in primary and secondary schools as well. According to the report, there is also a lack of evidence at present on the impact on attainment of school and local-based interventions to improve young people’s social and emotional skills, behaviour, and participation in positive activities. The report is available at:
http://www.ourfutureplanet.org/newsletters/resources/Education/Poorer%20children%92s%20educational%20attainment%20-%20%20how%20important%20are%20attitudes%20and%20behaviour.pdf
Events, Conferences, and Training
Third Sector Commissioning Conference
28th June, London
Capita’s 8th National Third Sector Commissioning Conference brings together key stakeholders from the public and third sector to share the crucial strategies, guidance and tools needed to drive value for money in commissioning. The event will investigate where improvements have yet to be made from working in partnership to strengthen the commissioning process, as well as the next steps in realising the cost benefits of third sector commissioning. The event focuses on all aspects of strengthening the commissioning process, including:
• Revisions to the Compact and the impact on the commissioning process
• Effective workforce development in third sector organisations
• Value for money analysis of service delivery
• Economies of scale of a consortium approach
• Building partnerships between social enterprise and commissioners for sustainable long term service delivery
Booking information is available at: http://www.capitaconferences.co.uk/my-basket.html
Working with and Applying to Trusts and Foundations
28th June London, 30th June Birmingham, 1st July Manchester
There are almost 9,000 charitable Trusts and Foundations in the UK. Last year alone they gave almost £3bn, including £273m of support to educational projects. This workshop will familiarise delegates with the major Trusts and Foundations, the activities they like to support and the levels of grant that they typically give. The workshop will help delegates identify appropriate trusts/foundations; structure a proposal and letter of application; and provide information on the trusts and foundations that have the best ratio of applications received to grants awarded. Delegates will be introduced to some of the essential search engines for identifying funding opportunities and how to access key information in annual reports. Further details and booking information is available at:
http://www.national-training.com/events/ws.php?t=51
Writing Better Bids
23rd June London, 25th June Birmingham, 29th June Leeds, 18th August Nottingham, 20th August London
This workshop is appropriate for those responsible for designing projects or commissioning bid writing consultants for all government programmes including the Structural funds, regeneration programmes or local community- based inward investment programmes. It will enable participants to practice skills and gain knowledge required for successful applications to third sector funding agencies including the National Lottery. The workshop will: translate the language of funding into accessible bid responses; quality appraise bids; explore differences between active and passive responses and between strong and less effective applications. The workshop will also explore effective marketing, developing a marketing plan and best practice in marketing. Further information and booking details are available at:
http://www.national-training.com/events/ws.php?t=143
Managing Exit Strategies
28th July London, 29th July Birmingham
All the major funding agencies require project applicants to describe how the grant-assisted activities will evolve once the funded project has ended as a means of demonstrating value for money. Exit strategies are important in the bidding process in order to win approval but in reality they become a project tool supporting the applicant through the vagrancies of short term funding. To help project applicants and those now responsible for delivering Structural Fund activities this workshop will cover: the key issues of exit strategies from the perspective of project bidding, project design and implementation; appropriate methods of consultation and communication that contribute to a “life after the project’s end date”; how to approach the commercialisation of a public funded project; and review of relevant tools, techniques and sources of reference available to bidding and delivery organisations. Further information and booking details are available at: http://www.national-training.co.uk/events/ws.php?t=144
Online masterclasses in Driving Donations through Social Media
8th, 15th and 22nd July
Third Sector Magazine is delivering online masterclasses on Driving Donations through Social Media. The online sessions planned for July are:
• Introduction – 3pm BST, Thursday 8th July:
Understanding today’s social media landscape to help your charity capitalise on the most lucrative areas with examples from groundbreaking campaigns such as Movember. The session will include contributions from: Katie Smith, Head of Digital Media, Macmillan Cancer Support; Mark Bishop, Director of Fundraising, The Prostate Cancer Charity; and Sarah Dyer, Director of Digital Media, Beatbullying
• Public Audience Focus – 2pm BST, Thursday 15th July:
The Public: Using social media to enhance and drive more revenue from existing, public-facing campaigns. Case studies include how social media aided Help The Heroes’ meteoric rise. The Small Charity Perspective will be provided by: Kitty Dimbleby, Head of PR and Media, Help for Heroes; and Rob Dyson, Social Media PR Manager, Whizz Kidz. The Big Charity Perspective will be provided by: Karina Brisby, Head of Digital Campaigns, Oxfam; and Eddie Lambert, Oxfam.
• Corporate Audience Focus – 3.30pm BST, Thursday 15th July:
Corporates: Getting your foot in the door using social media to find, reach and engage CSR professionals and form the basis of long lasting relationships. The session will include contributions from: Graham Precey, Head of CSR, L&G Group Plc; and Plus Managing Direct of Cofacio.
• Advanced – 3pm BST, Thursday 22nd July:
Harnessing the latest technologies and techniques to take your social media activities to the next level and ensure maximum returns
Further information and booking details are available at: http://www.donationsthroughsocialmedia.com/
Accessing Funding for Vocational Training (LDV)
12th July Manchester, 13th July Birmingham, 15th July London
With a budget of €1.75bn, Leonardo is a key funder of vocational education and training. It supports the development of skills and training, including work placements for trainees, workers and staff, as well as large scale European projects designed to discuss common issues or develop new training materials, courses or frameworks. The programme is open to all UK organisations involved in work-based education and training. The aim of this workshop is to familiarise organisations with the Leonardo programme, including placements and exchanges, partnerships, multilateral projects and thematic networks. The event is particularly relevant to organisations interested in: Recognition of Competencies (formal, informal and non-formal learning); Vocational Training Effectiveness (quality assurance procedures); Teacher Training (curriculum development and pedagogical skills); Responding to Labour Market Needs (working with businesses/social partners)Working with Groups At Risk (NEET, migrants, low skilled, elderly, unemployed)Adult Education Providers, Registered Charities, Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations, Local Authorities, Learning Partnerships, and other Training Associations. Further information and booking details are available at: http://www.national-training.com/events/ws.php?t=108
Good Practice in Project Design and Bid Writing Skills
19th July London, 20th July Birmingham, 21st July Leeds
This workshop looks at project design from the perspective of need identification through to project proposal stage and will be suitable for any organisation seeking to tender or bid for external funding. The workshop covers the role of sound objective setting and activity leading to outcome achievement emphasising the relevance between your project idea and the commissioning document, (giving you the best possible chance of success at selection stage and subsequent delivery). This one-day workshop is aimed at all organisations involved in the Structural Fund Programmes either through co-financing routes or as direct applicants to Government Offices and will be suitable for delegates who are new to the subject area or wish to improve their own, or their organisation’s, expertise. Further information and booking details are available at: http://www.national-training.com/events/ws.php?t=20
Excellence in Learning – Good Practice Workshops
July and August 2010, London, Leeds and Birmingham or host on your premises for staff CPD
Excellence in Learning are delivering a series of good practice workshops throughout July and August on the following topics: Reflective Practice within CPD – Maximising Effectiveness; IAG – Improving the Effectiveness of Information Advice and Guidance; Developing Personal Thinking and Learning Skills in Young People; Firsts and Nationals Programmes: Reducing Workload – Improving Performance; E&D: Equality Impact Assessments Made Easy; Robust Self Assessment for Beginners; Robust Self Assessment for the Experienced; Succeeding at Inspection 2009/10; Safeguarding: Meeting the Latest Requirements; E&D: Narrowing Gaps in Learner Achievement, Key Requirement of 2009 CIF; Professional Sales Skills: Key Techniques for Beginners; Sales Techniques for Non-Sales Teams; a Strategic Overview of The Learning and Skills Sector; and teacher training qualifications. Delegates can attend open events or the workshops can be hosted at your premises. Information on the events can be found on the Excellence in Learning website: http://www.excellence-in-learning.co.uk/ Further information on hosting events at your premises are available by telephoning or emailing Ian Hirst on: 07989 436770/ 01827 63919/ 0845 130 6152 or ian.hirst@excellence-in-learning.co.uk http://www.excellence-in-learning.co.uk/index.php?page=internal
An Introduction to First Line Management
23rd August Leeds, 24th August Birmingham, 25th August London
This workshop can be seen as a first step to more effective management for anyone who is new to first-line management, hopes to take on a management role in the near future or wishes to start improving their management capability. By the end of the course participants will be better able to understand the role and importance of the supervisor/team leader/ first-line manager within the context of their own organisation; identify their own and their team’s key result areas; analyse how their management impacts on team and organisational performance; identify their preferred management style and alternatives; identify areas of personal strength and areas for further development; and plan and manage the changes required. Formal Certificates of Development will be issued, by post, to participants who complete this workshop, enabling participants to update their CPD records and logs accordingly. Further details and booking information is available at: http://www.excellence-in-learning.co.uk/index.php?page=diary
Annual Youth Justice Convention – call for speakers
23rd- 24th November, Newport South Wales
This is a key event for all managers and practitioners across the youth justice system. For more than ten years the convention has brought together delegates from youth offending teams, police, local authorities, secure establishments, sentencers, probation and other key stakeholders and policy makers. The convention brings together leading speakers to address current key issues across the spectrum of youth justice policy and practice. The wide range of seminars and workshops at the convention will provide an opportunity to assess critically the key issues facing youth justice today.
• The convention organisers are currently calling for speaker nominations. To submit an idea, please describe the work, emphasise what is new, tell us who was involved and what changed and most importantly how it is applicable/why you think that other youth justice practitioners and managers could benefit from hearing about it. http://www.neilstewartassociates.com/yjc10/nominations.php
• Sponsorship and exhibition. Early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. Please contact our dedicated sponsorship team, who will be happy to create a bespoke package tailored to your needs. Contact Yvonne Le Roux on 020 7324 4334 or email yvonne.leroux@neilstewartassociates.co.uk
Booking details are available at: www.neilstewartassociates.com/yjc10 Enquiries: contact Sarah Spencer on 020 7324 4359 or email sarah.spencer@neilstewartassociates.co.uk
Resources
Hung parliament guide
NCVO has published a guide on what it means to have a hung parliament. The briefing sets out the implications of a hung parliament for the voluntary and community sector and encourages organisations to try to position themselves within the political agenda regardless of political persuasion. Further information is available at: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/sites/default/files/Hung_Parliament_and_implications_for_VCS__2_.pdf
Office space
MyCommunitySpace is a place for community and voluntary sector organisations to find or advertise premises for hire. The website also includes advice and resources on all aspects of finding and managing premises. Further information is available at: http://www.mycommunityspace.org.uk/
Share Street website
The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has launched a website for sharing resources, discussing best practice in the workplace and building networks in the children’s and young people’s voluntary sector. Further information is available at: https://sharestreet.cwdcouncil.org.uk/
Children England resources
Children England have published updated fact sheets on: the Vetting and Barring Scheme; Safeguarding; the Compact; and Children’s Trusts. The fact sheets provide useful and comprehensive overviews for professionals working in the children’s voluntary sector, including definitions of terminology, key statistics and links to other resources. Further information is available at: http://www.childrenengland.org.uk/whysheets/428
Legal information
The Children’s Legal Centre has launched ‘Lawstuff’, a new website with information on the law as it affects children and young people. Further information is available at: http://www.lawstuff.org.uk/
Consultations
Contraceptive services for socially disadvantaged young people – draft guidance consultation
Closing date – 23rd June
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published draft public health guidance on ensuring all young people are able to access contraceptive services in city centres, schools and colleges. The guidance focuses on helping disadvantaged young people under the age of 25, such as teenage parents, young people living in deprived areas, minority ethic groups and young offenders. All registered stakeholders for the above public health guidance are invited to comment on the draft guidance. Final guidance is expected to be available in October 2010. Further information on the consultation is available at: http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PHG/Wave18/50/Consultation/Latest Responses to the consultation should be forwarded on the stakeholder comments form available on the website to: Contraceptiveservices@nice.org.uk
DfE: Consultation on continuing need for a controlled activity category in the Vetting and Barring Scheme. Closing date – 9th July
The Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) includes a category of controlled activity in relation to children or vulnerable adults, comprising posts in the further education, healthcare, and local authority sectors. This consultation asks for views on whether the Government should propose in the medium term to reduce this category in the VBS or remove it entirely, by moving some posts into regulated activity, and removing others from regulation by the VBS.
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1710&external=no&menu=1
DfE: Statutory requirements and advice, for CRB disclosures for safeguarding purposes, on workers already registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Closing date – 9th July
The existing statutory requirements and Government advice for CRB disclosures for safeguarding purposes, in relation to workers who will, in the future, be already registered with the ISA under the new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS). This consultation asks for views on whether the Government should propose to amend requirements, or should amend recommendations, in some of these cases.
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1719&external=no&menu=1
National Lottery consolation. Closing date – 21st August
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched a consultation which seeks views on the draft Order to enact a change to the shares going to the National Lottery good causes of arts, sport, heritage and charitable expenditure, health, education and the environment. Further information is available at http://www.dcms.gov.uk/consultations/7070.aspx
