What are the next steps?

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A document called a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is the next vital step in writing an agreement between the ICS and the Statutory, Voluntary and Community sectors on how they plan to co-operate and facilitate the strategic aims of the ICS.

The MOU is a requirement from NHS England to recognise the VCSE in ICS. It will be co-produced with ICS and VCSE members to bring together their joint aims.  

The MoU will not be a stand-alone document; once it has been approved, it will sit alongside the VCSE Strategy, which outlines all our goals, ambitions, and indicators of success. 

What are the fundamental principles of the MoU? 

All members that sign up for the MoU will respect and recognise the independence and values of other members and will allow every partner the courtesy of being listened to and heard.   It will ensure that all partners are solution focused and bold in the decision-making and that all conflicts or potential conflicts are declared and resolved accordingly.   

The MoU recognises that both Statutory organisations and the VCSE have different forms of accountability and are answerable to other stakeholders. However, the need for integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, leadership and inclusivity is common. 

All communication will be transparent and remain committed to the vital principle of co-production.  All partners will use plain English and consider potential accessibility issues.  If needed, partners can participate, taking into account different working patterns, existing organisational commitments and capacity restrictions. During times of pressure or crisis at work, all partners will work together to determine the best approach for all partners. 

Ultimately, the MoU will become the foundation for partners to build trust and treat each other respectfully.  

 Why is it needed? 

The MoU is needed to ensure effective collaboration with the ICS. It is designed to support the development of Voluntary and Community sector capacity to increase and improve the sector’s impact for the benefit of local people. 

 Only by recognising the VCSE independence, skills and professionalism of the Statutory Organisations can shared aspirations be achieved. Local people will feel empowered and receive better services if both sectors work well together.  

 What are the aims & goals of the MoU? 

The MoU aims to champion and share knowledge of the agreement through each partner organisation. It will consider the need for: 

  1. Greater proportionality 
  2. Clearer targeting & consistency 
  3. Transparency in frameworks 
  4. Promote strategic resource focus 
  5. Enhance the capacity of VCSE organisations 

It will also recognise the importance of infrastructure to the voluntary sector and volunteering and, where appropriate, supports its development at a county and place level.  It will consider the specific needs, interests and contributions of those VCSE bodes representing excluded people. 

All partners’ goals will be to consult and ensure shared decision-making is carried out with the voluntary sector, subject to considerations of urgency, sensitivity or confidentiality.  The MoU will promote effective working relationships, consistency of approach and good practice between partners. Finally, respect and accountability to the law, and in the case of charities, observe the appropriate guidance from the Charity Commission. 

 

Share your views on proposed changes to your Annual Return process

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Are you interested in sharing your views on potential changes to your Annual Return process? Charities, their trustees and the public are invited to comment on a new approach to the Annual Return process via the Charity Commission public consultation.

The Commission welcomes responses on revisions to the Annual Return 2023-25, applying to charities’ financial years starting on or after 1 January 2023. Have your say by responding to the consultation by 1 September 2022.

Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Expression of Interest

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NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS) are working with Hunts Forum to appoint a Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector partner to manage a two-year programme, with a total budget of £750,000, to support people with mental health needs (including those with a learning disability who also have mental health needs).

The deadline to submit your completed submissions is midday, 29th July 2022 and should be emailed to info@huntsforum.org.uk.

For more information, click here.

 

Is calling for the Mileage Allowance increase sufficient

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Keith Johnson Senior Development Worker at Hunts Forum

The latest call from charities asking for government action on the rising prices that are affecting our sector specifically is to seek an increase in the approved mileage allowance payment (AMAP). This has made me think about how our sector is inclined to approach government and how we, as a society, are rather too compliant to authority.

Many vital services rely on volunteers getting to a place of volunteering. Covering their milage expenses is central to many being able to continue with their volunteering. The situation, as the press release makes clear is heightened when those volunteers are using their own vehicles to transport service users.

It is essential that we see a rise in AMAP.  Join us in signing the petition here for a rise to 60p. Personally, I would have liked it to state ‘at least 60p’.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/600966

However, for me, an interesting aspect is how we, as a society, accept that certain parts of the economy can increase prices, but not all. We are seeing energy producers- gas, oil and electricity making extortionate profits from the prices they are choosing to demand. Shareholders, institutional and private, are raking it in. Where is the call for restraint from government towards extortionate profit and obscene shareholder dividend? Very quickly, we are told that those of us reliant on a wage for our income must not add to inflation by raising the cost of our labour. Why?

Families, older people, single people, everyone who doesn’t have wealth and investments providing an income is struggling in the face of these rises. Increasing numbers are turning to food banks, indeed, many hospitals are opening food banks for staff, often without daring to admit to themselves that this means hospital staff are paid poverty wages. Debt advice services are rises in demand. With many disabled people reliant on equipment that devours energy, disability charities are working hard to do their best to help people access all the financial support that they can. The list of the work of charities trying to do their best to help people has no end. But one thing we rarely do is stop and ask why are our services necessary? Why does it have to be this way? And then shout and scream for change.

I was please to read in Civil Society that Polly Neate, the CEO of Shelter, recently called for charities to challenge systemic failures that cause social injustice. All too often, our sector merely steps up and does its best to mitigate these failures, often failures of leadership, empathy, compassion and ideology as much as being systemic.  We help some, and miss many, but we do make a difference. The only problem is that we then do it all over again and again and again like Sisyphus pushing his big lump of rock up the hill.

Perhaps the charity sector should be more challenging and not simply place the begging bowl in front of government ministers and instead ask that, ‘Why?’. Perhaps then, we can begin to change society and not merely smooth the edges of societal dysfunctionality.

I’ll leave this with the words of Polly Neate from the Civil society article.

“I actually think it is as basic a question as that. If we are not here to change things, then we are complicit in systems that cause people’s lives to fall apart.”

We need more Charity CEOs, particularly from national charities with a high profile, to say the same thing.

Blog Notes 

This was a response to the article Charities Call on New Chancellor to Tackle Fuel Cost Crisis   

If you would like to sign the petition to call for an increase in volunteer expenses click HERE 

Charities Call On New Chancellor To Tackle Fuel Costs Crisis

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A coalition of eleven charities is calling on the new Chancellor of the Exchequer to tackle the spiralling fuel costs crisis which is damaging the voluntary sector across the UK.

The campaign is led by the Community Transport Association (CTA) – which represents over 1,200 local charities and community groups across the UK who provide accessible, inclusive transport services – and highlights the impact of record petrol and diesel prices on organisations and volunteers.

The letter asks Nadhim Zahawi MP, newly appointed as Chancellor on Wednesday 6 July, to increase the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) – which is the maximum level at which volunteer drivers can be reimbursed without any impact on their tax obligations or benefit entitlements – to reflect inflation in his Autumn Budget this October.

The AMAP rate of 45p per mile was last reviewed in 2012. Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the cost of motoring had already increased by 25% since then, according to research by the RAC.

CTA has now joined forces with ten charities from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – Communities 1st, Volunteer Now, the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), Volunteer Scotland, the Scottish Volunteering Forum, the Royal Voluntary Service, Volunteering Matters, Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) – to call for an immediate review of the AMAP rate.

The coalition’s letter states that the current AMAP rate ‘no longer fully covers volunteer expenses’ and is disincentivising volunteering at a time when, as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and face a cost of living crisis, it is needed more than ever to – for example, to transport older and disabled people to GP, hospital and vaccination appointments. It asks the new Chancellor to ‘safeguard the future of the charities and organisations who rely on volunteer drivers to deliver lifeline services’.

 

David Kelly, CTA’s Director for Scotland, said: “We congratulate Nadhim Zahawi MP on his appointment as Chancellor and look forward to working with him to tackle inflation, which is hitting all parts of the voluntary sector hard, especially the Community Transport sector. With fuel prices at record highs and the cost of living crisis worsening, it’s increasingly difficult for local charities or community groups to make ends meet.

“Some amazing projects and essential services are under threat. If some Community Transport schemes can’t continue, it’ll mean fewer older and disabled people getting out and about for shopping, hospital appointments or visits to family and friends; fewer younger people and deprived households getting to school, college, university or work; and more transport poverty across the UK.

He added: “We need Nadhim Zahawi to act in the Autumn Budget so that volunteers can continue to do what they love and the voluntary sector can truly thrive, not just survive until the next crisis.”

 Maddy Desforges OBE, CEO of NAVCA, said: “NAVCA members report people stopping volunteering due to the cost of living crisis. We call on the Chancellor to increase the AMAP rate to reflect additional costs and enable people from all backgrounds to volunteer – an important part of levelling up disadvantaged communities.”

Noeleen Lynch, CTA’s Director for Northern Ireland, said: “We hear reports from our members every single day of drivers who can no longer afford to volunteer as the current AMAP rate no longer covers their expenses. The fuel costs crisis is having a serious knock-on impact on our members’ ability to recruit and retain volunteers and to deliver essential services.

She added: “Given the cost of living pressures we’re facing, volunteering can be an added expense many cannot absorb. We strongly believe that volunteering should be affordable for everyone and that volunteers should not experience any out-of-pocket expenses.”

Jen Reston, Chair of the Scottish Volunteering Forum, said: “Our members are reporting that volunteers are leaving their roles due to the cost of living crisis and soaring fuel costs. This is making volunteering unaffordable for people which is not acceptable. It then impacts on the ability to deliver services, meet commitments and support those in need of services.

“No volunteer should be out of pocket for volunteering. Volunteering cannot be an activity that can only be accessible for those who can afford it. This will further exacerbate inequalities in our communities. Volunteering has to be accessible for all and the mileage rate reviewed and increased, to ensure that vital services can continue.”

Sarah Vibert, CEO for NCVO, said: “Rising petrol costs are making it increasingly difficult for volunteers and charity staff to drive as part of their roles. This is having a negative impact on charities at a time when their support for communities is needed more than ever.

“That’s why we’re calling on the government to review the mileage rate to help with transport costs related to volunteering. This will ensure that charities get the crucial voluntary support they need.

“We also want to see the government working alongside charities to explore ways we can meet these rising costs so their vital work can continue.”

Judith Stone, Assistant Director of Volunteering at WCVA, said: “At a time of great hardship for many, we are deeply concerned seeing outdated AMAP rates creating a barrier to volunteering.

“Volunteer drivers offer their time and skill for free, often creating a lifeline for the most vulnerable, especially in geographically isolated and rural communities. Rising fuel costs should be covered by a revised AMAP rate which ensures volunteers are not out of pocket.”

Alan Stevenson, CEO of Volunteer Scotland, said: “Volunteer Scotland exists to ensure that more people can volunteer; enjoyably, safely and regularly. The cost of living crisis is adding significant financial pressure to individuals across Scotland, and creating unwelcome barriers for people who wish to volunteer.

“12% of formal Scottish volunteers gave help to transport people or things in 2018. This is the equivalent of 140,763 Scottish adults giving 12.5 million hours of help with an economic value of £187.8 million. Increasing the AMAP rate will help ensure that more volunteers are able to continue using their own car to provide vital help in their local communities.”

 

Support Cambridgeshire supports this and asked that you sign the petition by clicking the button below

yellow dot with sign the petition written in it.

Free Business Volunteer Support

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Business in the Community (BITC) and its network of business members are leading a movement to create a fair and sustainable world in which to live and work. Formed in 1982, and with HRH The Prince of Wales as our Royal Founding Patron, BITC are the largest and longest-established membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. They work and campaign with more than 600 members to continually grow their responsible business practices, uniting our efforts for greater social and environmental impact in our communities.

As part of that, they have a number of ways VCS can engage in their work.

Skills Exchange

One-to-one skilled business volunteer support – source business volunteers with a wide array of skills including those listed below:

  • Finance / budgets/ funding applications
  • HR/ policy writing/ staff management/ change management/ training
  • Technology and digital support (technology set ups, remote working advice, to website and app design etc)
  • Marketing, comms and social media
  • Business planning, project management and general business support and advice
  • Specialist services like legal support or surveyors etc.

Please visit the website Covid19 BITC (businessresponsecovid.org.uk) to submit a request for support. There is no limit on the number of requests.

They are also offering webinars which might be of interest.

New webinars will be released soon.

They also have a mailing list which can be signed up to here 

Feedback from the Connecting Communities Conference 2022

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In June 2022, the Connecting Communities Conference took place, an annual volunteering event which aims to upskill and broaden the conversation around volunteering and volunteer management. This year it took place over three days, with one day hosting two face-to-face workshops in Huntingdon and March. The other two event formats were similar, with speakers being brought in to discuss their topic, followed by questions. Tuesday’s event focused on the Vision for Volunteering, a national concept developed by a collective of national bodies. Then on Thursday, we welcomed a speaker from Bates and Wells. They talked about Volunteering and the Law.

All events were well received, with polls at the end of Tuesday’s event showing that out of the twenty-seven who completed the poll, 81% were either satisfied or very satisfied. With the poll launched on Thursday, 100% stated they had enjoyed the event and learnt something new in that session.

Following the events, a general feedback form was sent out to all who attended one or more events. Thank you to all those who attended and completed the feedback form. Below you can see an infographic of some of the feedback received.

Moving to 2023, it is clear that a format which includes face-to-face and online presentations is required. Some highlighted more time to network, and one person wanted us to include success stories of organisations. Others stated they wanted more of the same or to ensure we continued to bring in speakers with specialities. All feedback will be taken into consideration for the next event.

If you have any topics, you would like us to cover next , please do get in contact with us via info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk

 

Signposting for groups who aid current refugees & asylum seekers

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Over the past few years, refugees and asylum seekers have come into Cambridgeshire from many countries, including Afganstrain and Ukraine.  A number of support systems are already in place through charities, community groups and local government.

 

CVS Support

Hunts Forum and CCVS are here to support groups looking for suitable funding and advice to develop current services or new ones to support those coming into Cambridgeshire. So please contact info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk, and we will forward you to the suitable CVS for your district.

 

Local Council Resources

Cambridgeshire County Council has information regarding Asylum Seekers and Refugees.

All councils have developed their own support services to support those from Ukraine.

 

Charity Sector Support

A number of local groups and charities are set up to support refugees and those currently within host families.  CCVS is keeping their website pages updated with these.

CCVS Website

Other services, such as How Are You (H.A.Y.) Cambridgeshire & Peterborough have collated activities and other information.

HAY Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

 

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