Your Voluntary Sector Forum: let’s talk

What with ongoing funding uncertainty and major council reorganisation, there’s lots to talk about. The local Voluntary Sector Forum offers third sectors groups a chance to join together to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead (writes EVOC’s June Dickson):

EVOC works directly with Voluntary Sector Forums. These groups link to the Neighbourhood Partnerships, & facilitate communication and planning among the voluntary sector organisations that operate within each local area. They fit within and feed back into the Neighbourhood Partnership structure.

However, the Forums are invaluable to third Sector representatives as they also:

Provide a Forum for Peer Support
Share issues of concern, information and knowledge
Take a collective approach to challenges and opportunities
Promote Third Sector Engagement with Neighbourhood Partnerships

and Community Planning

An example of how the Forums are a vehicle to work co-productively with partners, especially in terms of Community Planning, has been the schedule of meetings through the various Forums in Edinburgh where the CEC Transformation Team have attended and presented the Plans for Transformation and Localities to Third Sector organisations within each Locality. These meetings have proved invaluable in terms of informing the Third Sector and other partners, as to the changes being planned whilst also providing a consultation opportunity with Third Sector and a line of communication providing feedback on concerns and challenges as well as opportunities.

The Agendas of each Forum are driven and decided by Forum members to ensure topics pertinent to a particular area are being addressed and discussed.

Find upcoming meeting dates and meeting papers for the Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum page:

Forth & Inverleith

If you require any further information please contact June Dickson: june.dickson@evoc.org.uk or call 0131 555 9114.

EVOC looks for answers on third sector grants

Anger and anxiety over funding debacle

Third sector umbrella organisation EVOC is to seek answers to funding queries following the uncertainty caused by Tuesday’s Education, Children and Families committee meeting.

The meeting was expected to recommend that organisations that had received funding in 2015/16 would be given the same amount as last year, while successful new applicants would receive 50% of their bid. However the key report was withdrawn on the eve of the meeting, leaving scores of community organisations in the dark over their futures.

Following the decision to withdraw the grant recommendations paper before Tuesday’s meeting, EVOC approached the Executive Director of Communities and Families for clarification and she has agreed to respond to questions collected by EVOC on behalf of organisations affected.

EVOC’s Children, Young People and Families Network development worker Sarah Wade said: “If you wish to raise a question please email me at sarah.wade@evoc.org.uk by 10am on Monday 14 December.

“This will enable us to collate questions from the Sector and submit them to Gillian Tee as soon as possible. Please include the name of the organisation you represent when you contact me – this will not be included with your question. For those organisations who have already been in touch with me, I will include the questions you have already raised.”

Email sarah.wade@evoc.org.uk or call 555 9133 for further info

Continue reading EVOC looks for answers on third sector grants

EVOC thinkSpace event: A Fairer Scotland

Friday 9 October, 9.30am – 12.30pm, EVOC Office

We would be delighted if you join EVOC’s Fairer Scotland thinkSpace and hear speakers from the Scottish Government and the Third Sector consider the questions in the current consultation:

What are the main issues that matter to you?
What do you think needs to be done to create a fairer Scotland?
How can you and your community play a role in helping to shape our future?

We invite you to bring two other stakeholders from your organisation, e.g. service users and/or trustees.

Robin McAlpine of the Common Weal will be speaking on People Power plus we have facilitators confirmed from Citizens Advice Scotland, Crisis Edinburgh and One Parent Family Scotland. Ella Simpson, EVOC’s Director will be leading the discussions on what we can do in Edinburgh and how we can feed back into the consultation process.

You can book places at: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evoc-thinkspace-fairer-scotland-tickets-18434528170

View the Fairer Scotland thinkSpace Programme.

REMINDER: Voluntary Sector Forum

The October meeting of Forth and Inverleith VSF was brought forward as the meeting was scheduled to take place during the school holidays.

The new date is Tuesday 6 October 1-3pm, at Pilton Community Health Project.

Compact 10: planning the way ahead for Edinburgh’s third sector

Many thanks to those of you who attended one of Compact 10’s events or took part in Compact Voice over the last year. The extensive consultation carried out with 120 Third Sector and Public Sector partners through Compact 10 culminated in the launch of the Edinburgh Compact Partnership’s new Strategic Framework and Action Plan on 24 June at Edinburgh City Chambers.

The new Strategic Framework and Action Plan is ambitious, optimistic and forward thinking. Ten years since the launch of the Edinburgh Compact Partnership times have changed, however the foundation values of the Edinburgh Compact Partnership are of no less relevance today. They are:

Transparency
Accountability
Good communication
Equity
Respect and fairness across partners
Co-operation with partners, communities and citizens

There are four strands to the Strategic Framework:

Future Thinking
Resourcing and Investment
Community Planning and Reach
Thriving Third Sector

Each strand has an associated Action Plan. These strands aim to deliver Compact’s Vision of

“A City of active resilient communities where a vibrant Third Sector works in partnership with others to build social value and reduce inequalities.”

This is the third Compact Partnership Strategy which continues to embrace a vision for the City where all sectors work together towards a shared goal of improving the quality of life for all citizens and communities.

The Third Sector Call to Action (see below) outlines just some of the ways the unique reach of Edinburgh’s Third Sector can drive achievement of the outcomes in the framework.

Third Sector Call to Action

See this work in action in our short film Getting it Right for Edinburgh: The Power of Partnerships

For further information about Edinburgh’s Compact Partnership please visit our website

Sarah Wade
Development Worker, Compact 10 Project

Voluntary Sector Forum coming up

Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum will meet next Wednesday (22 April) at 10am in Pilton Community Health Project on Boswall Parkway.

See below for Agenda and the minutes from the last meeting.

Forth & Inverleith Agenda – 22nd April 2015

FORTH & INVERLEITH MINUTES – 21st January 2015

Can you please let me know if you can attend.

Feedback, Engage and Create

Inviting Edinburgh’s Third Sector to help shape the Integrated Joint Board’s Strategic Plan

We want to feedback to everyone in the Third Sector interested in shaping the future of health and social care services on how the Strategic Plan is being developed, update people on integration itself and invite you to share your aspirations and thoughts on what we can feed into the planning process.

Find more information and event booking details here.

EVOC: ‘Localities’ thinkSpace events dates

More and more local and national governments have come to the view that engaging with citizens and planning, purchasing and delivering services at a ‘sub-local’ or ‘localities’ level is the way to add value.

In Edinburgh the City of Edinburgh Council has agreed a localities way of working, with the city divided into four quadrants, or localities, as described in the Council’s ‘Organise to Deliver’ reports.

Simultaneously, there is a drive within the legislation covering the integration of Adult Health with Social Care that services will be designed and delivered closer to communities.

What does this mean for Edinburgh? What does this mean for the city’s Voluntary Organisations? What are your hopes and your fears? What are your expectations of EVOC?

EVOC intends to bring organisations together to consider current plans, and their implications for our communities, by means of a series of four thinkSpace events spread across the city.

This comes out to you as a request to ‘save the date’ to attend the event within the locality most relevant to your service provision:

SOUTH WEST

Tuesday 21 April 2 – 4.30pm, WHALE Arts

NORTH EAST

Thursday 30 April 10am – 12.30pm, The Halls

SOUTH EAST/CENTRAL

Wednesday 6 May 10am – 12.30pm, Methodist Church

NORTH WEST

Monday 11 May 2 – 4.30pm, Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre.

If you have any comments or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Dianne Morrison on 0131 555 9100 in the first instance.

EVOC will continue to publish relevant documents on its ‘Organise To Deliver’ page:http://www.evoc.org.uk/information/organise-deliver-bold-initiatives/

Milind Kolhatkar

senior development officer – community planning

LOOPS survey

LOOPs – Care at Home

Over recent months EVOC has been working with a range of organisations to analyse the possibility of a Care at Home Collaborative.

As part of this work we have put together a survey and we would be very grateful if any Third Sector organisations were able to complete it. This will help us to understand three main things:

What are the prevailing terms and conditions for front line staff within the sector at present?
What kinds of community assets might be available to support a Collaborative of the kind we are suggesting?
What training and services are provided within the sector?

The Care at Home Collaborative Survey can be accessed by clicking here. This survey should take about 20 minutes to complete, and will be available for 2 weeks.

Closing date for completed surveys is Friday 13th March 2015.

We will soon be hosting the next meeting of the main group to feedback on what we have learned so far. That meeting will take place soon and we will keep you posted about the date.

Final call for Compact 10 event

Voluntary sector organisation? How are things for you? Help shape the future – there are still some places available at Tuesday’s Edinburgh Compact event (see below):

Third Sector Poster

Calling the local voluntary sector: complete the survey

Can you please take a couple of minutes to complete the survey linked below? Many thanks to those who have responded already …

The Forth and Inverleith Voluntary Sector Forum would like to carry out a short survey to ascertain what day and time best suits the majority for the Forth and Inverleith VSF meetings.

Can you please take a couple of minutes to complete? We want to ensure that we are having these meetings at a time most convenient for the majority.

Many thanks

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7WLVMS2

Edinburgh Compact: Time for Action?

Compact Partnership – The Next Ten Years: Time for Action

Help us shape a forward strategy for the Edinburgh Compact Partnership – to help make YOUR ambitions reality.

Ten years since the launch of the Edinburgh Compact Partnership, we are developing a new forward strategy – to enable the Third Sector and the Public Sector to grow Social Value together. Join us for a panel discussion to consider the draft strategy and how the Compact Partnership might support your work for the next ten years.

Find more information and book your place now.

Compact: The Next 10 Years

Take this opportunity to have a say on an early draft of the new Edinburgh Compact Partnership Strategy at this panel discussion with input from Shulah Allan, David Jack and Geoff Pearson.

Over the last 5 months, Compact 10 have consulted with over 120 Third Sector organisations to hear their hopes for the future, and their view of Compact’s role in this future. This event is your chance to see how the new strategy is shaping up, and have your views on it heard.

This will be the premier Edinburgh Compact Partnership annual event, which will open up the work of the Partnership for discussion with Edinburgh’s Third Sector.

We think the strategy reflects our shared ambitions, but come and see what YOU think.

Date: Tuesday 3 March 2015, 5-8pm

Venue: King Khalid Symposium Hall, Hill Square, EH8 9DS

Contact Sarah Wade (sarah.wade@evoc.org.uk) for more details or click here to book your place.