Action News Update: July2014

Action News Update: July2014

Sounding Board

Have your say about adult social care and support services(and earn a bit of money).

Sounding Board is a ‘virtual panel’ we have set up to hear your views. We want to hear from adults who have an involvement in care and support services (eg care at home, day opportunities or residential/nursing care). As well as individuals, we are asking organisations to become panel members so they can feed in the views of their beneficiaries and service users.

Every time you complete and return a new survey, we will pay your organisation £100.

If your organisation fills in an application form and joins the panel, we will send you a survey every four months.Every time you complete and return a new survey, we will pay your organisation £100. Please note that you will need to consult fully with your service users when completing the survey.

who should join? Any organisation working with:

• adults using care and support services

• carers of people using these services

• anyone who might use these services soon

We want to hear from a wide range of different people. We are particularly keen to hear from people whose voices are less often heard, such as black or minority ethnic people; lesbian, gay or transgender people; people with learning difficulties.We are particularly keen to hear from people whose voices are less often heard. For further information and to join Sounding Board, please go to our website: or ring us on 01962 857350 or email us at

Events

Impact of Hampshire Local Welfare Assistance Scheme - free seminar

Friday, 25 July, 9.30-12.30 Winchester In 2013 Hampshire County Council made provision for a Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) scheme. The scheme was designed to support vulnerable people in crisis using money transferred from the Department of Work and Pensions following the abolition of crisis loans and community care grants. Hampshire County Council has funded the Bill Sargent Trust to commission a short independent evaluation of the impact of the scheme following its first year of operation and to place this work in the wider context of social, economic and political change. The research and presentation will include feedback from a range of Hampshire organisations that support local vulnerable people. It will focus on how far the scheme met its initial aims and explore the possible future development of the LWA in the context of changing needs of residents and services and recent central government funding decisions. This work has been carried out by research consultants Urban Pollinators supported by Papworth Research and Consultancy. You will hear the key findings of the research, receive a free copy of the report and have an opportunity to ask questions, add information and points ofconcern. Workshops will look at what the key challenges are for individuals, families and services moving forward and the role LWA can play in supporting this. There will be an opportunity for networking and further discussion at the buffet lunch. This seminar and research report should be of interest to all those working with individuals and families in Hampshire who may face points of critical need that cannot be met by existing statutory and/or non statutory services. To book go to click on the link to complete the online booking form. The deadline for bookings is 21 July but early booking is advised.

Consultations

Community Foundation tests the Vital Signs

The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) has launched a survey as part of a discussion about the issues facing our communities. The results will give them a better idea of what is going on and allow them to direct their attention, resources and philanthropy to targeted areas.

They want as many people in the county as possible to complete the survey to provide a comprehensive report about Hampshire & Isle of Wight in 12 key areas: the local economy; education & learning; arts, culture & heritage; the environment; work; healthy living; safety; housing & homelessness; strong communities; fairness; rural & transport. Vital Signs will be used by HIWCF philanthropists and others to identify community needs and strengths. The findings will be used to inform HIWCF grant-making and future resources, allowing them to map trends, evidence and outcomes against Vital Signs.

Top priorities for action that are currently emerging are housing & homelessness, safety and environment.

Refresh of Joint Hampshire Commissioning Strategy for Older People’s Mental Health Ends: 11 July

You are invited to comment and add to the draft strategy document which is an updateand refresh of the 2008-13 Joint Hampshire Commissioning Strategy for Older People’s Mental Health (OPMH). Strategic priorities which have been identified for 2014-17 are:

• supporting carers

• promoting wellbeing, prevention and independence

• balancing specialist and mainstream services

• hospital pathways

• working together

Shaping services for the future

Don’t forget that each department within Hampshire County Council publishes an engagement schedule.
These are useful to see what consultations or service changes might be coming up, and also to identify whether what your organisation does fits with the outcomes the Council is trying to achieve. Importantly, there are named contacts so you can get in touch.

Changes to the Annual Return for 2015 Ends: 12 August

The Charity Commission has developed a number of proposals for changes to the annual return for 2015, including:

• a requirement for charities with income between £10,000 and £500,000, and all CIOs with an income under £500,000, to provide key financial information (at present this requirement only applies to those with income over £500,000);

• collecting information on how much money is spent on campaigning, and how much of a charity’s income comes from a) public service delivery b) private donations.

The Commission is also proposing the addition of the following questions:

• whether or not charities have a remuneration policy for paying their executive staff;

• whether or not a charity has carried out a review of its financial controls during the reporting year.

Your Voice Our Vision - join the conversation and share your views

Big Lottery Fund is carrying out a strategic review that will examine its role as a funder and help shape its vision and plans from 2015 - 2021. It would like to hear from you about how it can best help communities and people in need. This is a great opportunity for you to discuss issues specific to smaller, more local charities and get your voice heard, so make sure you get involved! The four major themes of the conversation are:

• vibrant communities

• addressing disadvantage

• working together

• stronger sector

Your views and ideas will help influence how the Big Lottery Fund can make the biggest difference for people and communities in the UK, focusing specifically on the issues facing small charities.

The conversation is open until July 2014 so don't delay in getting involved! You can join the conversation at

Care Act 2014: launch of care and support consultation Ends: 15 August

The Dept of Health is seeking views on how councils should deliver the care and support reforms in the 2014 Care Act. This consultation on the draft regulations and guidance for Part 1 of the Act centres on the changes that will come into effect from April 2015. The Dept has clearly tried to make it fairly simple for people to comment on the topics of interest to them, such as advocacy, direct payments, personal budgets, transition, carers, etc. When you visit the consultation website, you can pick areas of interest and on the right hand side of the screen, there is an option to select particular chapters and you can then easily answer online those questions relating to those topics.

Work Capability Assessment: 5th and final call for evidence Ends: 15 August

This is the 5th and final statutory independent review of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), as required under the Welfare Reform Act 2007. So if you have something to say about the effectiveness of the WCA or further improvements you think need to be made, now is the time to say it. This call for evidence is intended for organisations and individuals who have information on how the WCA is operating and further changes that may be needed to improve the process.

What are your public health training and development needs? Ends: 18 July

The Wessex School of Public Health knows that many VCS organisations are involved with the provision of health and wellbeing or social care, and it is keen to explore how it can support the training, education and development of the VCS workforce. It has commissioned a project aimed at organisations which play a role in delivering public health and wellbeing to their local communities. The aim is to:

1. begin to understand the public health training and education needs of VCS organisations that contribute to health and wellbeing;

1. understand where and how these organisations currently access health and wellbeing related training and education, and their continuous professional development (CPD) needs;

1. identify individuals who may be interested in having a career in Public Health or becoming a registered Public Health Practitioner.

To kick things off, they have developed a short survey which should take less than 10 minutes to complete. The purpose of the survey is to begin to understand the public health training and development needs of the VCS workforce so that the Wessex School of Public Health can assess the type of support it may be able to offer. This is particularly important as the voluntary and community sector continues to grow in playing a key part in the delivery of health and wellbeing in the new system. You can access the survey at If you would like any further information, please contact

Hampshire’s household waste recycling centres Ends: 22 August

The County Council is carrying out a consultation on its household waste recycling centres (HWRCs). They’ve been looking at different and innovative options for running the HWRC service, partly as a response to financial pressures, and now want your views on the future of the service. Even if you don’t currently use the sites,they’d still like to hear from you. The outcomes of this consultation will inform recommendations for the new HWRC management contract from April 2015.

Action Hampshire news

Welcome to our newest members!

Sustrans: works with communities, policymakers and partner organisations so that people can choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys, and enjoy better, safer spaces where they live. See also for the Active Steps South Hampshire Facebook page.

Y Services For Young People: a new youth work charity in Hampshire that aims to support young people mainly between the ages of 11-19 years, and to provide voluntary opportunities for young people which meet the “Every Child Matters” outcomes. It also wants to develop educational and research opportunities which support the professional practice of youth work.

Spectrum Centre for Independent Living (SCIL): an organisation of disabled people rooted in the Disability Movement, which believes disability issues are human rights issues. They work to the Social Model of Disability which defines disability in terms of negative attitudes and discrimination caused by a society which fails to meet the needs of people with impairments.

Society of St James: Hampshire-based homelessness charity, providing accommodation and support to over 1,000 people at any given time. The people that they work with often have diverse and complex issues surrounding homelessness, including substance/alcohol addiction and mental health problems.

MSLipreading (Multiple Strategies Lipreading): working across Hampshire and Wiltshire to make a lasting difference to the lives of people who have lost or are losing their hearing. They teach the theory of lipreading and coping and communication strategies to enable people with hearing loss manage their disability in a hearing world.

Hampshire Art and Craft CIC: Rum's Eg was set up as a creative centre by Hampshire Art & Craft CIC, (a community interest company), dedicated to supporting artists, promoting and conserving the rich and varied art and craft of the region and to encourage education and participation in arts and crafts in the community. Rum’s Eg is an art & craft gallery and cafe in Romsey, featuring work by Hampshire based artists.

Hart Citizens Advice Bureau: provides free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and information on a wide range of subjects.

EjectorSeat Arts: a co-operative run by volunteers, all activity currently is around organising the free EjectorSeat Arts Festival in Southampton on 14 June, but they are also working on developing legacy strands. Their ethos is to promote and celebrate arts and culture in the South. They hosted their first festival in June 2009.

Fieldfare Local Action Group (Winchester): a not-for-profit group that brings together people from rural businesses, farming and rural communities in order to support economic growth and improve quality of life.

Parkinson’s UK: provides expert information and training on every aspect of Parkinson's, funds research, offers friendship and support, and campaigns to change attitudes and improve services.

LinkedUp Fundraising: based in Portsmouth, their work is to add value to a charity's fundraising team by providing fundraising services that the existing teams don't have time or resources to do, or they can project manage a whole fundraising campaign.

Community Empowerment Ltd: offers free advice to people looking to start their own co-operative social enterprises and create/sustain employment in the UK. They also champion 'mutual-self-help' - groups of people and communities working together and co-operating to meet their needs.

BCHA (formerly Bournemouth Churches Housing Association): a specialist housing and social care support provider, offering a wide range of help to people in vulnerable circumstances and to professionals trying to equip those in need. Bournemouth-based, they work across a wide geographical area including Dorset, Hampshire, Devon, Wiltshire, Reading and Oxford.

Hampshire Riding Therapy Centre: a registered charity dedicated to the provision of riding tuition and therapy to adults and children with all kinds of disabilities and special needs.

Youth in Romsey: provides a confidential support centre for young people aged 11-25 years. They can support young people on any issue including counselling, employment, education, financial help, sexual health and mental health.

Healthwatch Hampshire: works to give people and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality.

Age Concern Romsey & District: helps to meet the needs and interests of older people in Romsey town itself as well as the whole of southern Test Valley.

Portsmouth Samaritans: people call the Samaritans for all sorts of reasons - they listen to people at all levels of distress and despair.

Pelican Cancer Foundation: dedicated to curing and improving quality of life for patients with bowel, colorectal, bladder, prostate and secondary liver cancer through supporting clinical research and advancing precision surgery and treatment.

Drayton & Farlington Action Group: offers community self-help, information and advice, and supports socially isolated and older people, and those facing challenging life experiences through the provision of: an information centre; a community newsletter; coffee mornings; shopping, chiropody and listening services; and, with other local organisations, establishing and supporting other community facilities, eg youth facilities.

Schedule C member:

Focus4Future (private consultancy): building a portfolio of paid and unpaid work in supporting the development of small enterprises in all sectors, training and coaching, project management, and mediation and collaboration.

Funding & awards

Have you got Big Potential? Big Potential, a BIG Lottery grant fund, will deliver approximately £10m of grant funding over three years to eligible VCSE organisations. The aim is to help them improve the sustainability, capacity and scale of their organisations so that they can deliver greater social impact. The programme also aims to raise awareness of the social investment market and support VCSEs who want to prepare themselves for social investment. Eligible VCSE organisations will be able to access specialist one to one support from the Big Potential programme partners before making an application for grants between £25,000 and £75,000 to undertake more in-depth investment readiness work with one of Big Potential’s approved providers. You can start the application process now on the website of the Social Investment Business,who are managing the fund on behalf of BIG Lottery.