Tag: third sector

Edinburgh Compact: last chance to book your space

Compact Third Sector Forum 2016

TWO DAYS TO GO!

  

10 June 9.15am-3.30pm
Edinburgh City Chambers

The Edinburgh Compact Partnership brings together key Public Sector partners and a range of Third Sector partners under the overarching principle: In Equal Respect.
Many third sector organisations working across the City will be aware of substantial changes taking place across our communities. Key demographic and financial pressures mean that both public and third sector organisations are now required to think differently about the way services are delivered.

This year’s Forum is based upon the twin themes of transformation and maximising assets. The forum will provide an opportunity to consider the issues affecting the City and how we, in partnership, can respond to and effectively deal with these challenges in a sustainable balanced way while continuing to provide good quality and valued services to our citizens.

The Forum will be highly interactive and will take the form of a ‘conversation-cafe’ to consider:

  • Session 1: Citizens at the Centre – Transforming public services in the City;

  • Session 2: Citizens at the Centre – Maximising assets for community benefit.

Product from the event will be included within the annual report to the Council’s Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee on the social and economic contribution to the city. The Forum will also launch the Compact Voice 2015/16 Report based on the most recent Compact Voice Survey.

For those that can attend, I look forward to seeing you at the Forum. A draft programme for the Forum has been developed and is available using the following link.

Cllr Maureen Child, Convenor of the Communities and Neighbourhoods Committee and Political Third Sector Champion

Booking your place – LIMITED SPACES LEFT!

For each session, there are 100 spaces available for third sector leaders and board members and these will be allocated on a first-come basis and limited to two attendees per organisation (one senior staff and one board member) only. While there is no charge for attending the event, organisations will need to directly consider any related costs for sending representatives to the Forum.

For organisations that wish to send representatives, please complete the following:

Organisation Name
 Attender 1 (staff)  Attender 2 (board)
Session 1
 Attender 1 (staff) Attender 2 (board)
Session 2

Please send details of your nominated representatives to Korstiaan Allan at Korstiaan.Allan@edinburgh.gov.uk or call 0131 469 3847.

Council funding: for some, the wait goes on

Reprieve for some but others still await funding decision

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The city council has heralded a new way of distributing grants but some highly-regarded local voluntary sector projects still await the decisions that will determine their future. And with just six weeks before the start of the new financial year, management committees and voluntary boards across the city are faced with unpalatable choices: issue redundancy notices and risk losing staff or hope that all will be well with next year’s funding? Continue reading Council funding: for some, the wait goes on

New Lottery support to strengthen voluntary sector

disabled kids on beach

Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations will have the ability to improve their performance and sustainability, thanks to two new online tools supported by the Big Lottery Fund. Continue reading New Lottery support to strengthen voluntary sector

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):EVOClogo

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:

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

Scotland responds to humanitarian crisis

‘we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy’ – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

Kobani ruins

An operational taskforce is to be established to co-ordinate Scotland’s practical response to the humanitarian refugee crisis following yesterday’s Edinburgh summit convened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The First Minister said Scotland stands ready to welcome refugees, as she confirmed that the task force would urgently engage organisations across Scotland to establish capacity in a range of matters such as housing, health services, language support, transport and social services.

The First Minister announced that Europe and International Development Minister Humza Yousaf will chair the group, which will also examine how Scotland can harness the goodwill of the public in Scotland with many of the humanitarian organisations already reporting a huge number of offers of practical help from individuals and groups across the country.

Ms Sturgeon said that yesterday’s summit had been positive and productive with people who have sought sanctuary in Scotland invited to give their own personal testimonies about the practicalities of settling in a new country.

She also confirmed that the discussions would be summarised and sent to the Prime Minister as part of a positive offer of support from Scotland as the UK responds to the migration crisis.

The First Minister said: “I want, as First Minister, to ensure that Scotland is playing its part in dealing with this humanitarian crisis. Today’s summit was a positive and productive first step with a sense that we as a nation have to step up and respond in a way that matches the scale of this tragedy.

“Scotland already has well established structures in place for integrating those who come here seeking asylum and we stand ready to welcome our fair share of people fleeing persecution. However, if we are to do this, there is no doubt that we do require a proper, co-ordinated approach.

“Today’s summit was focused on looking at some of the practical issues involved and I have now established a task force to co-ordinate Scotland’s response, working with local authorities, public agencies and third sector organisations to ensure that any refugees that come to Scotland will be able to integrate successfully. As a first step, I expect the task force to examine capacity in a range of services in Scotland, including housing, health and social services.

“The task force will also have a hugely important role in harnessing the many, many expressions of goodwill and offers of help from the public in Scotland, providing a focal point for that activity and ensuring that the wider Scottish community is able to play its part in welcoming people to our country.”

Ms Sturgeon went on: “During the talks today there was real clarity expressed around the UK Government’s need to play a part in a co-ordinated European response to the problem and agree to take a fair and proportionate share of refugees.

“We want to work constructively with the UK government and I welcome the additional steps that the Prime Minister has set out but there has to be much more detail given – for example we still don’t know how many refugees he is talking about or whether these are just refugees from Syrian camps or those in Europe.

“There are not any easy solutions to this, but all of us have a responsibility as human beings to recognise the extent of this humanitarian crisis and resolve together to do something about it. If we all play our part then the totality of that response might just have a chance of dealing effectively with the problem.”

Taking SHAPE: city strategy is reducing homelessness

‘it is clear that Edinburgh’s homelessness strategy is helping us to move in the right direction and delivering real results’ – Councillor Cammy Day

homeless

New statistics released by the Scottish Government (see below) show that Edinburgh’s homelessness strategy is working. The overall number of people presenting as homeless has reduced by 15% over the last five years, with less than 3% of people classed as rough sleepers. 

Edinburgh’s success is the result of effective partnership working with third sector organisations and a renewed focus on prevention, and the latest figures have been welcomed by Housing Leader, Councillor Cammy Day.

He said: “These statistics are extremely encouraging and a tremendous achievement, not just for the Council but for our partners in the third sector who work tirelessly to support homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless.

“While there is still much to be done, it is clear that Edinburgh’s homelessness strategy is helping us to move in the right direction and delivering real results. All of this has been achieved despite a challenging economic climate and significant budget pressures.

“We have invested over £14 million this financial year to fund third sector support services and around another £11 million on our own prevention services.  Protecting vulnerable people will continue to be our key priority and we are committed to reducing homelessness further across Edinburgh.”

The City of Edinburgh Council offers an extensive range of services to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, from support and advice on housing options, to assessment services and accommodation.

An early intervention approach also plays a vital role in the Council’s homelessness strategy. Each year commissioned services help over 7,500 people to find new homes as quickly as possible and provide support to help them keep their homes.

Iain Gordon, Chief Executive of Bethany Christian Trust and Chair of the Strategic Homeless Action Partnership in Edinburgh (SHAPE) said: “It is encouraging to see indications that the number of people presenting as homeless in the city is reducing. A great deal of work has been done by third sector organisations and the Council in recent years to address some of the root causes of homelessness as well as the distress that homelessness brings to the lives of some of the city’s most vulnerable people.

“SHAPE remains keen to work with the Council to address increases in the level of support required by those who find themselves homeless and in the prevalence of repeat homelessness.”

Homeless Persons Report

Voluntary Sector Forum coming up

PCHPoffice

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.

june details

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.​

Family matters: extensions for innovative family support projects

family

An extra £2.5 million in government funding to help charities and other groups support families going through relationship breakdown has been announced today (8 March 2015) by Steve Webb, Minister with responsibility for child maintenance.

Scotland’s Family Decision Making Service partnership is one of sixteen trial Innovation Fund projects to have been providing tailored support across the country helping separated parents work together for the benefit of their children since 2013. The new funding means they will now be extended until September.

Projects include specialist support to teenage parents working with their children’s grandparents, face-to-face services for separated parents caught up in long-term disputes, and tailored help for Muslim families who are experiencing relationship breakdown.

Minister for Child Maintenance Steve Webb said: “Family breakdown can be difficult for everyone involved, but the evidence shows that children stand a much better chance of getting on in life when their parents are working together.

“This funding will allow these projects to continue their excellent work by helping parents to put aside their differences for their children’s sake.

“We are starting to see some very encouraging results from these projects which will be invaluable when it comes to designing future services and are proving priceless for the families being helped.”

Children 1st’s Family Decision Making Service (Scotland) has worked with more than 1500 individuals since it’s launch. 

This bespoke service provides support to parents 365 days a year over the telephone or through live webchat. It draws upon the expertise of three organisations: Children 1st, Scottish Child Law Centre and One Parent Families Scotland.

Assistant director Linda Jardine said: “This extra funding is good news for separated and separating families in Scotland.

“Children cope better with family break-up if their parents work together on the decisions which affect them, and through the Family Decision Making service parents are able to draw on the combined expertise of three partners to help them to do this.

“So far the service, which is unique in Scotland, has worked with more than 1,500 individuals to make sure that, whatever difficulties the adults may be experiencing, their children remain the focus.”

Part of the DWP’s work on relationship support, the projects were originally set up to work alongside the new Child Maintenance Service, which is taking a fresh approach to tackling the issue of family breakdown.

More than 6 out of 10 separated parents using the new Child Maintenance Service are now choosing to make their own financial arrangements rather than relying on the state to collect and pay maintenance on their behalf.

At the heart of the reforms lies the principle that children have a much better start in life when both parents work together across a range of issues including contact, schooling and finances – even if they have separated.

The third party organisations delivering the projects were encouraged to come up with new and innovative ways of delivering the support.

Each of the projects is unique in the type of support that they offer, which can be delivered through face-to-face sessions, over the telephone and online.

Some of the projects target specific groups, such as teenage parents, people on low incomes and families with diverse cultural background. Practical guidance is also offered on a range of matters including legal advice.

A total of £10 million was set aside to fund the various projects when they were introduced in 2013. The results from the projects will be used to design future government services.

The Innovation fund projects are:

Howells: Working Together for Children (South Yorkshire)

Family Lives (Leicester, Waltham Forest, Gloucestershire)

Resolution: Family Matters (Doncaster, Wakefield, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Retford)

Sills and Betteridge: Moving Forward (Lincolnshire)

Mediation Now: Changing Lives (Hampshire and Portsmouth)

Spurgeons: Supporting separated teenagers (West Midlands and Warwickshire)

Changing Futures North East: Moving On (Teeside, Sunderland and County Durham)

Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships: Parents In Dispute (London)

Children 1st: Family Decision Making Service (Scotland)

Pinnacle People: Families Together (Bristol)

Malachi Family Support Services (Birmingham and West Midlands)

One plus One: Splitting Up? Put Kids First (nationwide)

National Family Mediation: At Court Mediation (Hereford and Worcester, West Yorkshire and Berkshire)

Family Matters Mediate: Listening to Children Matters (Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire)