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February 2015
News: February 2015
Welcome to LVSC News - February 2015
Dear Colleague,
A big thank you to those of you that have already sent through priorities for your organisation's beneficiaries, during and after the upcoming General Election. Tom Owen is collating your views and opinions and preparing policy briefings for you to use. Tom volunteers one day a week with LVSC and is giving up his time to help us raise the profile of the voluntary and community sector and get your views heard by our political figures. Thank you Tom! LVSC, in partnership with GLV and London Funders are hosting an event in April to enable our members discuss the recommendations made in the recently published 'Change for Good' report about the future of local infrastructure. This is an ideal opportunity to contribute to this important debate, to help inform our funders and to share good practice. Further details will be published shortly. Warm regards,
Eithne
Eithne Rynne
CEO
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| LVSC Annual Report and LVSC Annual Review online - read more from this link. | LVSC news bulletin now available on our home page under the Featured section. | PEACe HR Services 2015. Download the leaflet in PDF |
Getting London Ready for the Big Lottery's ESF fund
LVSC was awarded Programme Development Fund (PDF) funding in late 2014. The aim of the fund is to provide widespread awareness of the Big Lottery ESF programme and to provide support to develop relationships between organisations leading to good quality applications.
LVSC's PDF programme will begin on the 1st March, ahead of the likely launch of the Building Better Opportunities (Big Lottery ESF) in June 2015. If you would like to be kept informed of PDF activities and events, sign up to our Employment & Skills bulletin.
Welcome to our new Employment and Skills Policy Manager
We are delighted to announce that we have appointed Nehal Depani as our new Employment and Skill Policy Manager. Nehal comes to us from Compact Voice and she take up her post on 10th March. If you have any queries in the meantime do contact Deirdre McGrath, Employment and Skills Policy Officer
PEACe
Keeping on top of the latest changes in employment law, or dealing with tricky HR issues can sometimes be difficult, not to mention stressful.
As a voluntary and community sector-led service, we know the challenges you face on a daily basis, and are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to provide both friendly and specialist support without the complicated legal jargon. With over nineteen years of satisfied clients and recognition as one of NCVO's 'Trusted Suppliers', you know the service you receive will be outstanding every time.
Our telephone advice service offers all NCVO member organisations the benefit of 30 minutes of free advice per month on any area of HR.
In addition we also run a free advice line for London based groups on the first Thursday of the month - which would be 5th March next week Call 020 7832 5888 to speak to an advisor.
View and/or download the PEACe HR Services Leaflet.
Safer Future Communities February Bulletin online
A round up of news from the Safer Future Communities project was published last week. If you are working in London's Criminal Justice Sector, and not signed up to this free service, you can subscribe on the LVSC website.
Other items of interest from the last few days are:
- If you are interested in how the sector responds to those with multiple needs you might consider booking on the national Multiple Needs Summitwhich is being held in London.
- Also have a look at the Revolving Doors publication which reflects on different approaches to working with adults who have multiple and complex needs and the implications for policy, practice and funding.
- And finally Women in Prison and the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies are hosting a one day event to build collective action for challenging criminal justice failure and building social justice alternatives.
London Health, Wellbeing and related forums' directory
LVSC has recently compiled this directory in MS Excel. It isn't intended as a comprehensive directory of health, wellbeing, care and related forums in London and we hope to expand it over time. At present it includes information on health and wellbeing, BME & equality, mental health, refugees, interfaith and LGBT organisations. Download directory in MS Excel.
Please help us keep it up to date by letting Sandra van der Feen know of any changes or additions. Email
Voluntary Groups, Workfare and Benefits Sanctions: The Perils of Participation
LVSC is joining forces with Keep Volunteering Voluntary and Greater London Volunteering to put on 'Voluntary Groups, Workfare and Benefits Sanctions: The Perils of Participation'
- Has your voluntary group received offers of 'too-good-to-be-true' 6-month long 'volunteer' placements?
- Have you been put under pressure as more and more people experience the devastating impact of benefit sanctions and turn to the voluntary sector for support?
This event will be of particular relevance for volunteer centres, advice agencies, food banks, employment support projects, those operating charity shops and local councils for voluntary services. Lunch will be provided.
Further information on the London for All website.
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London for All, building the capacity of London's voluntary and community sector |
Read an LVSC new bulletin? Been interested in a piece of research from HEAR or better informed by a London for All briefing? Give us some feedback! |
VCS Assist is a programme of free organisational support for London's VCS employment and skills providers. |
London for All is a London Councils' funded project designed to build the capacity of London's voluntary and community sector. As a partnership project, led by LVSC, it offers: insight and learning from a collective 200 years' experience: and the practical applications of that knowledge. London for All can strengthen your organisation's knowledge and skills, work more effectively and efficiently, deliver more accessible services to support service users better.
February - March 2015 - Update
Planning is well underway for year 3 of our London Councils' funded capacity building project and there is a wide range of opportunities available.
We need your help to evaluate our bulletins, briefings and resources 2014-15
LVSC/London for All and HEAR send out monthly email bulletins and we have produced eleven pieces of research/briefings and/or resources that we are evaluating with the survey - please let us know what you think by Friday March 20th Many thanks, Tim Brogden, Policy Project Manager Link to the short Smart Survey
London For All - Online Resources
Video from Business Unusual
In September London for All, Business Unusual and CMS Cameron McKenna brought a range of voluntary and private sector representatives together to discuss how the sectors can better work together to create social value. Watch this short video giving you a flavour of the day.
Events, training and opportunities as well as resources are available on the London for All website.
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| Get the latest news and updates from LVSC. Follow us on Twitter | Happy People have partnered with LVSC to offer 40+ exciting and informative soft skills courses at affordable prices | Keegan & Pennykid (Insurance Brokers) Ltd provide independent general insurance and financial services advice to voluntary organisations |
At your fingertips: datasets and indicators training - Public Health England
This training is aimed at London for All members, as well as the wider VCS in London.
Date: Monday 2 March, 9.30am - 12.30pm
Venue: Voluntary Action Islington, 200a Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JP. View on Map
The objectives of the training are to:
- to develop an understanding of the broad range of indicators and datasets available within the fingertips tools;
- to enable participants to use these tools to understand and compare local authority health outcomes over time
- to be able to export the dataset behind the tools and use in your local setting
Numbers are limited and early booking is recommended. In order to take part, you will need to bring a laptop as we only have a limited number of laptops available
Contact Deirdre McGrath LVSC for more information: Deirdre@lvsc.org.uk
Update on Family Friendly Working
Date: Thursday 5 March, 10am - 1pm
Venue: 200a Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London, N1 9JP.View on Map
This half-day seminar is part of our programme of HR training for London for All and will look at the recent and upcoming changes to Family Friendly Working. These will include;
- The introduction of shared parental leave and statutory shared parental pay
- Changes to adoption leave and pay, including surrogacy rights
- Changes to flexible working
This workshop will be run by Shirley Briggs.
Please note HR training provided through London for All is for VCS employers only.
Free Marketing & Fundraising Workshops for Voluntary & Community Sector organisations
Date: Thursday 6 March 10am - 5pm
Venue: 200a Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London, N1 9JP.View on Map
• Do you have trouble getting your message into one sentence?
• Do people glaze over when you start to tell them what your organisation does?
• Do you need help with marketing, social media, branding, communications and getting your message heard?
Here is your chance! Read more and register. Only 7 places available, read more and book.
Pricing Your Services
Date: Monday 16 March 9.30am - 12.45pm
Venue: St Pauls Centre, Hammersmith View on Map
FREE half day workshop will demonstrate how to correctly price the costs of the services you provide. It will cover contract supply chains and contract funding; measuring impact in terms of savings to public services; assessing financial risk; and demonstrating value for money.
Please note that due to high demand for places on our training courses, we can only offer one place per organisation. For full information and registration
Learning from the Young Review - recommendations
Date: Thursday 26 March 10am - 3.30pm
Venue: Voluntary Action Islington, 200a Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JP View on Map
The launch of the new Transforming Rehabilitation contracts in April 2015 will see some of the biggest changes to services for offenders in a generation, with consortiums of private and voluntary sector providers giving packages of support from prison into the community and delivering these services to offenders with sentences of less than a year.
BTEG and LVSC are hosting a one-day event to explore the issues around the launch of the new Transforming Rehabilitation contracts in April this year - share learning and glean any pointers from the Young Review.
Attendees will be able to:
- Share best practice
- Make proposals to TR providers and statutory bodies
- Contribute to a conference report.
The event is free, but spaces are limited so must be booked in advance.
For further information contact:
At your fingertips: datasets and indicators training - Public Health England
This training is aimed at VCS Healthwatch reps on the Health & Wellbeing Boards
Date: Friday 27 March, from 10 am - 1 pm
Venue: Voluntary Action Islington, 200a Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JP View on Map
The objectives of the training are to
- develop an understanding of the broad range of indicators and datasets available within the fingertips tools;
- enable participants to use these tools to understand and compare local authority health outcomes over time
- to be able to export the dataset behind the tools and use in your local setting
Whole Systems Change - co-producing new models of health and care in London
Date: Thursday 16 April , 2- 5pm
Venue: Human Rights Action Centre
Take part in LVSC's exciting new event which will explore co-production between the voluntary & community sector (VCS), local communities, patient bodies and the statutory and academic sectors in shaping and delivering new models of primary and community care as outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View and the Better Health for London report.
Click here to register on the LVSC website
LVSC Management and Personal Development Courses - March 2015
Happy People - the personal development division of Happy delivers LVSC's management and personal development courses. To make any bookings, you can call the team at Happy on 020 7375 7300. Below is the list of training for March.
Effective Presentation Skills 2 day 2nd -3rd March From £190
Training the Non Trainer 2 days 2nd-3rd March From £190
Assertiveness for Women 1 day 16th March From £95
Dealing with Difficult People 1 day 18th March From £95
Effective Time Management 1 day 23rd March From £95
Effective Minute Taking 1 day 24th March
*Prices denote the lowest rate (for charities with 15 staff or under). For larger charities please visit the website for a correct rate.
Are you the one marketing your organisation?
For those with a communications role in their organisation, this is a link to a complete guide to social media image sizes. It's one of many good guides around, but it came via the email today, so it gets to go in the bulletin.
Simple technology tips for gathering qualitative assessment of learner's progress
Using mobile technology to document and provide qualitative formative assessment of a learnerís progress. Great short article on EdTechTeacher - tips on how you can record your organisation's impact making best use of software available on most smartphones, tablets and laptops - taking photos, taking screenshots, filming videos, and screencasting.
Free Preliminary Legal Advice on the PSED
ROTA is working in partnership with Deighton Pierce & Glynn Solicitors to provide preliminary legal advice to voluntary and community sector organisations. This is aimed at holding public authorities to account using the PSED of the Equality Act 2010.
For further information contact: .
'Improving the health of the poorest, fastest': including single homeless people in your JSNA 2014
Thanks to Anna Page Policy Officer for this briefing from St Mungoís Broadway which sets out why the health needs of single, homeless people should be identified in Joint Strategic Needs Assessments. It also provides guidance on how to collect this information.
New Funding - Partners for Health grant programme
London Catalyst and the Hospital Saturday Fund have come together to launch a new Partners for Healthí grant programme. Grants of up to £10,000 will be considered for social action projects tackling the effects of poverty and health inequalities in London.
Partners for Health is open to community groups that can demonstrate a thoughtful response to local needs and partnership with an expert health agency. There is a particular interest in the areas of mental health and addiction.
The application form and guidance can be downloaded from the London Catalyst website
- click on the Partners For Health link in the opening paragraph of our Special Interest Grants. The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Friday 29 May 2015.
Grant Awards Available to support youth involvement
NHS England is committed to involving patients and the public in its work. As part of this commitment, it has set up a grant fund across the four regions of operation to support the development of youth voice in its work.
For this programme of work NHS England is looking to build on existing local youth networks by supporting an additional focus on youth health issues. Grants are available of up to £25,000 each, the total funds available are £100,000. The deadline for applications is 12 noon 9th March 2015. For full details of the grant scheme and details of how to apply, view the grant guidelines document and application form
One job vacancy and a tender opportunity closing in the next week
Advance Advocacy Project looking for a full time female case worker until March 31 2016
Opportunity to tender for consultancy with Scene and Heard mentoring project with volunteer theatre professionals who work with the children of Somers Town. More details on the website.
LVSC, 200a Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP Tel 020 7832 5830 Email info@lvsc.org.uk
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