Tag Archive for: Information

Voluntary Sector Network Meeting – 11th September 2024

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Sandie welcomed everyone and then shared the Action Log.

All actions are complete but the opportunity to hold a ReSpect workshop for those who are interested is still available from Sharon– please could you let Debbie or Sharon Allen know if you would be interested.

EDI Workshops

Danny Karystinos shared a presentation with the group around EDI and recruitment and talked about the changes that can be made to really be inclusive and not just a “Tick Box”. Danny said that the Voluntary Sector could come along to sessions arranged BUT was happy to put one on specifically for the VSN. These would need to be in October as Danny’s post is ending in November.

ACTION – to share slides post meeting (Debbie)

ACTION – to arrange with Danny some workshop dates (Debbie)

Healthier Futures Fund Feedback- Andrea

Andrea shared slides with the group outlining the information from the Healthier Futures Fund and the Feedback from the survey.

There had been a lot of interest from the Voluntary Sector and 21 projects being funded. This was 3 years of funding of between £50- £300k.

They received 29 responses to the survey which aimed to find out people’s experience of applying and barrier to application. Andrea thanked the sector for their patience in the constantly evolving process and said that the ICB had learnt lessons from this.

A couple of the things highlighted were the difficulty in smaller organisations applying (ie the grant value was not a good fit for small groups and they don’t have capacity to complete the application process)

The Real Living Wage and the need for accreditation has been discussed at the VSN Steering group. For small organisations this could have been a barrier event

though the sector aspires to paying well. The use of accredited contractors felt restrictive too.

Andrea will be taking the survey feedback to the Aligning Support Steering Group on the 23rd so would like any other feedback before then.

ACTION to share slides post meeting and for any other feedback to Andrea before 23rd.

Workforce Pro Bono- Andrea

Previously we have discussed at the VSN with Laura Porro the possibility of ICB staff doing a day of volunteering at a voluntary sector organisation. It was felt that this may be difficult and actually cause more work. Many of the staff at ICB have skills that could be used pro bono such as coaches, comms, finance, legal etc and it would be good to have a guide to what was on offer and match with organisations needing the support.

Andrea is awaiting sign off from the committee to proceed as this does have a cost implication to ICB .

Workforce mentoring- Andrea/ Sharon

The aim is to bring systems closer together and ICB are setting up a pilot mentoring scheme where the Voluntary Sector can be mentors for ICB staff.

Andrea shared some slides showing what the process would be and what the expectations are.

Andrea asked for any suggestions to add to the reading list/resources that would give the mentees a greater understanding of the VCSE sector and working with communities.

Sandie has she will compile a pack and a suggestion to include the Vital Signs report: https://www.cambscf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Vital-Signs-2024.pdf

The scheme is now open for expressions of interest with a view to starting some of the relationship matching from October. The link to the expression of interest form is here: https://forms.office.com/e/ZaBZkDCgpa

ACTION To compile a pack of supporting information-Sandie

ACTION To share slides post meeting- Debbie

Director Update- Sandie

All the details for the Strategy Review are now live on Support Cambs Website. Members are asked to look at the supporting documents and then respond to the survey. Anyone in your organisation can fill this in.

VSN strategy review survey

This review will be being shared with the ICB members too and any other partners. Andrea will share through the internal newsletter too.

Two listening events have been set up. The first is for the voluntary sector 24th September and the second is 9th Oct and open to all.

ACTION to send the VSN an email with all the strategy details included- Debbie

Learning Disability Partnership- the steering group have discussed the disbanding of this and have asked if there has been an impact assessment done.

Although the service offer in theory will be offered the separation of the service could have an impact on the service user or carers.

It was agreed that a letter will be written to the ICB and CCC expressing concern.

ACTION– Sandie to draft a letter for approval and then to send to appropriate people.

Assura Grants- round 2 of this is happening but as yet we do not have specific dates. We have 20K left over from the first round and we are looking at ways to top this up. The next round will be focussing on Integrated Neighbourhoods who did not receive in the first round- not all IN will be able to be covered.

Reps feedback

Sharon talked about the Just R recruitment portal (previous details shared with group) so far ARHC are the only voluntary sector organisation signed up to this. There are no costs to this and the ICB are looking to see how then can increase the looks to non NHS posts.

Contact Sharon or Mel Payne at ICB for more details

ACTION Sandie will add to the next newsletter.

Sharon mentioned the Culture and Leadership Compact and the Leadership programme.

Some of the VSN attended the Above Difference training and there are now plans to set up a leadership alumni.

Sharon also asked if organisations did staff surveys were they willing to share the questions they asked and outcomes for some ongoing work that is happening.

AOB

Robert Colbert alerted the group to a reduction in funding for Alzheimer’s Peterborough which has meant a reduction in days the resource centre can be open and the loss of Ade Gardeners post- Robert will be feeding back VSN info to Peterborough.

Many different offers of training are coming through from ICB- if you or team members attends any it would be great if they could give us feedback and let us know what they have signed up to (if it wasn’t organised through Debbie).

The Next Health and Wellbeing Network meeting has invited the Community Pharmacist and the NHS BA to talked about what’s happening in their areas.

Debbie is in the process of organising the next showcase event – this is going to be 20th November- if you are interested in being a showcasing organisation please let Debbie know – attendance at these is big and covers all areas including ICB, CCC and district council staff.

A reminder that there will be a second session on the New Models of care is happening on 17th September at 3pm online.

Just to be aware NAVCA along with Sandie and Andrea have been doing a piece of work. They are looking for images and may approach VSN members so this is a genuine request.

Thank you

As many of you are aware PCVS have a new CEO Kirsteen McVeigh. The Voluntary Sector Network would like to thank Gill Benedkiz for her amazing input and engagement with this group whilst they have been awaiting Kirsteen’s arrival.

Do you know an organisation to put forward for the King’s Award For Voluntary Service?

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The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) formally the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Queen’s Coronation. As part of this, we would like Cambridgeshire and Peterborough groups to celebrate the fantastic work they contribute to our communities. 

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough tend to receive less nominations than other parts of the country, so we would like to build awareness of this prestigious award among our volunteer-led groups. Over the past few years, we have seen a great surge in communities coming forward to support each other and stand together to create opportunities, support and impact within their communities. 

Who can be nominated?

Key eligibility requirements are:

  1. The group must have 3 or more volunteers. 
  2. It must be based in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. 
  3. It must have been operating for a minimum of 3 years. 
  4. It must provide a specific local benefit (KAVS are not intended for national organisations, although a branch can be nominated). 
  5. KAVS are looking for evidence that volunteers are initiating and driving the group’s work. It may have some paid staff, but they expect at least half of the people who work in the group to be volunteers.
  6. Groups operating solely for the benefit of animals are not eligible.
  7. The impact of the volunteers is truly amazing.

To read the full criteria, CLICK HERE 

Please note this is not an award for volunteer managers to thank their team of volunteers, but for groups of volunteers who are driving social action in their community. This is not to say an organisation can’t be nominated but it needs to be clear that the volunteers are going above and beyhond.

How are you nominated

The group can only be nominated by three individuals with no direct link to the group. This means they can’t be working or volunteering for the group, including those who sit on the committee or trustee board. 

There needs to be one primary nominator who fills the form out and then two individuals who are happy to supply a short supporting letter.

The Process 

The process is pretty easy once the three individuals have submitted their nominations. The organisation will be contacted. There will be a visit by someone from the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire who will ensure your organisation has essential health and safety, safeguarding and finance procedures and policies in place.  

 

Want to know more? 

The online guidance notes and application form can be found HERE 

Support Cambridgeshire will be holding one-hour workshops that will cover the basics of the award a little more. 

Introduction to the King’s Award of Voluntary Service Workshop: Thursday 20th July – 5:00 – 6:00 pm 

Click HERE to book on the workshop

Everyone and anyone is welcome to attend the workshop. Please also feel free to ask questions by emailing info@supportcambridgeshire.org.uk , we will try and answer your question if not forward to the national KAVS team.

 

Do you know an organisation to put forward for the Queens Award For Voluntary Service?

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The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Queen’s Coronation. As part of this, we would like Cambridgeshire and Peterborough groups to celebrate the fantastic work they contribute to our communities. 

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough tend to receive less nominations than other parts of the country, so we would like to build awareness of this prestigious award among our volunteer-led groups. Over the past few years, we have seen a great surge in communities coming forward to support each other and stand together to create opportunities, support and impact within their communities. 

Who can be nominated

Key eligibility requirements are:

  1. The group must have 3 or more members. 
  2. It must be based in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. 
  3. It must have been operating for a minimum of 3 years. 
  4. It must provide a specific local benefit (QAVS are not intended for national organisations, although a branch can be nominated). 
  5. QAVS are looking for evidence that volunteers are initiating and driving the group’s work. It may have some paid staff, but we expect at least half of the people who work in the group to be volunteers.
  6. Groups operating solely for the benefit of animals are not eligible.

To read the full criteria, CLICK HERE 

 

How are you nominated

The group can only be nominated by three individuals with no direct link to the group. This means they can’t be working or volunteering for the group, including those who sit on the committee or trustee board. 

There needs to be one primary nominator who fills the form out and then two individuals who are happy to supply a short supporting letter.

 

The Process 

The process is pretty easy once the three individuals have submitted their nominations. The organisation will be contacted. There will be a visit by someone from the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire who will ensure your organisation has essential health and safety, safeguarding and finance procedures and policies in place.  

All awards are announced as part of Volunteers Week which is between 1st and 7th June, through The Gazette.  Read about the winner for 2022 here

 

Want to know more? 

The online guidance notes and application form can be found HERE 

Hunts Forum will be holding some one-hour workshops that will cover the basics of the award a little more.  Introduction to the Queen’s Award of Voluntary Action Workshop: Tuesday 21st June and Thursday 21st July both at 4:30 pm to book Click HERE

 

Update on Ukrainian refugee support programme

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Support Cambs sit on a number of regional and national meetings (as well as some local ones) that are looking at responding to the potential influx of Ukrainian refugees under the government scheme.

At this stage there are more questions than answers but Govt at all levels are trying to address how things will work and how people can be supported and kept safe. The details of how the scheme will work locally are still being ironed out. There is potential to look at local support hubs to allow families and hosts to meet one another and to be a focus of support but this will depend on where people are settled. Voluntary groups will have an important role to play. Part of this role will be providing specialist services to support families, but also organisations will have a role in helping families engage in communities and have access to non specialist services. Families will potentially be arriving with very few possessions so given the first key takeaway below if you do have donations please keep them for potential local donation.

At this stage there are a couple of important takeaways.

  1. Do not donate goods, the Red Cross and others in Poland and other countries are overwhelmed and are having to divert resources to sort it out.
  2. As a general rule those leaving Ukraine do not have the UK as one of their preferred destinations. But a small percentage of the large numbers leaving the country is still more people than the UK takes in under usual circumstances.

Cyber-attack is an issue so please be aware as individuals and charities. There are lots more scams, there are also potentials for cyber attacks on those organisations known to be helping refugees. Please advise staff, volunteers and those you work with to be vigilant.

Police Commissioner requests views

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POLICE and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston is today (Thursday, 6th January) asking people to give their views on his proposed increase to the policing part of council tax.

As Police and Crime Commissioner, it’s my job to set the budget for the Constabulary – part of that is about determining how much people contribute through their council tax.

The public’s views are important to me, therefore in order to enable people living and working in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to tell me what matters to them when it comes to policing and crime, I am launching an online survey.

I appreciate that 2021 has been an exceptionally challenging year for all of us. Throughout the last twelve months, our police officers, volunteers and staff have worked tirelessly alongside our other emergency service workers to help keep people safe, whilst responding to the usual calls for service.

I recently launched my Police and Crime Plan for the county which responded to feedback from the public and sets policing objectives for the next three years. My Plan includes five key priorities including providing a more accessible Constabulary that responds to local issues such as rural and business crime, anti-social behaviour, drug related crimes and road safety.

Thanks to the contribution people made to policing through their council tax last year, (2021-22, £15 per year based on a Band D property), the Chief Constable has been able to invest in the following:

  • An additional 10 call handlers to help improve the 999 and 101 service;
  • A new 24/7 Digital and Social Media Contact Desk to respond to increased online communication from the public, providing quick oversight of comments written on all Force social media posts, looking for reports of crime, intelligence and safeguarding issues;
  • Early Intervention Domestic Abuse Desks with dedicated staff who provide safeguarding advice to officers at the scene of domestic incidents;
  • A new Inclusion Officer who is helping to build support and enhance trust in the force across all communities;
  • Digital Media Investigators within a newly created Cyber Crime Team to support frontline investigators and provide more support for victims;
  • Four Cyber and On-Line Fraud Prevention Officers to help reduce cybercrime and online fraud through awareness-raising and other initiatives.

For the 2022/23 financial year, as with others, it is important to clarify that police funding comes from two main sources: 56% from central government (excluding specific grants) and the remainder from the policing part of council tax.  Whilst I recognise that household costs are rising across the board, it is unfortunately no different for policing. Inflation and national insurance increases mean that there are considerable pressures on the Constabulary budget, despite savings of £5.1 million having been achieved in 2021/22.

As we plan the police budget for 2022/23, it is vital that we are able to meet rising costs and ensure the growth in new officers can be sustained so that the Constabulary’s commitment to supporting our communities, which includes local policing, is maintained.

In line with government guidance, I am therefore asking for people’s views on my proposed increase of £10 per year (83p per month based on a Band D property). This, together with an increase of £4.8m from government (excluding specific grants), would enable the Chief Constable to further maintain, invest and support in 3 core areas:

 

National Uplift Programme (Recruitment of 20,000 additional officers)

  • Recruitment and training of an additional 82 officers for 2022/23 which is on top of the Constabulary’s anticipated recruitment target to maintain workforce numbers. This brings the total number of officers in the county to 1,714 by March 2023. I must stress though that these officers and those that have recently joined need considerable support, supervision and training for them to be able to add real value to our communities.
  • Support for our police officers – as a result of the overall increase in officers, investment is needed to support and sustain the entire workforce. This includes areas such as HR, ICT, Professional Standards and incorporates both an investment in police officer and police staff roles.  Specifically, support within Occupational Health, the Recruitment Team, Operational Training, Resource Management, Call Taking and importantly ensuring an inclusive approach from a workforce that is representative of the communities it serves.

 

New Investment

  • Digital Investigative Support – to provide expert digital evidence and support to robustly enforce against those who blight our communities through county lines, serious and organised crime, drug supply and those who exploit the online space to cause serious harm – something I know people want to see.
  • Additional cyber investigators – the growing prevalence of cybercrime causes untold financial and emotional harm to businesses and individuals alike. This investment will enhance our response to the threat through specialist investigators.
  • Young Person Early Intervention Officers – supporting the Constabulary’s response to vulnerability, the continuation of this innovative pilot provides early intervention to young people following their initial missing from home episodes, engaging with those who are most vulnerable to exploitation, providing personalised interventions and preventative measures to protect them from further future harm and causing harm to others.
  • Violence against Women and Girls – increased investment in resources, such as a vulnerability analyst to identify and support the Constabulary to tackle those who perpetrate violence in our communities – a national priority for all forces as well as here. We want to ensure people feel safe on our streets.
  • Digital Innovation – following the Government’s announcement that funding is being provided to increase productivity using enhanced technology and investigative tools, we will further invest in Digital Innovation to enable such opportunities to be identified and realised.

Maintaining Business as Usual

  • Increased business costs cannot be ignored – for example, projected pay costs (pay award/increments and national insurance), utility costs and fuel expenditure, building maintenance and capital investment, ICT systems costs, inflation and uncertainty about pensions. In addition, the Constabulary’s contributions to national programmes and on-going collaborations need to be met.

I would be grateful if you could take a few moments to complete the survey which you will find on my website: The Police & Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire | Consultations & Surveys (cambridgeshire-pcc.gov.uk)

Your views will help inform my final decision on how much to raise the policing part of the council tax.

The survey runs from 0:00 on 6thJanuary until 17:00 on 20th January 2022.

Change to HR Law

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Did you know that there has been a change to HR Employment Law?

Employees only need to provide a sick certificate if they are off sick for more than 28 days. This is effective as of now and is due to stop on 27th January. For more information visit this article.

https://www.mccabeandco.com/news/emergency-changes-to-self-certify-sickness/ 

Government website can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-sick-pay-employee-fitness-to-work.

Managing Volunteers – a package of support

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Introduction
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is dedicated to supporting innovation in patient care at the Addenbrooke’s and Rosie hospitals. We are the only registered charity dedicated to supporting innovation in patient care across Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

 

Thanks to the immensely generous support of our donors, Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals can provide a level of patient care beyond that which can be delivered by NHS funding alone and make projects happen sooner or to a greater degree than might have otherwise been possible.

ACT have a team of dedicated volunteers who often give their time to say thank you for the care they experienced at our hospitals. Their roles include, Fundraising Volunteers, who help to raise awareness of ACT, in their communities and/or the hospital as well as Office Volunteers, who support us with administration tasks.

This case study has been written by the new Volunteer Coordinator.

The need

My role as Volunteer Coordinator is new for ACT. I joined a year and a half ago and got in touch with the CCVS for support in re-envisioning how ACT involve volunteers and to put in place a formal volunteer programme.
The ACT volunteer team at the Chariots of Fire race 2019

What was done

The CCVS have supported ACT in developing its volunteer programme through the Volunteer Management forums, training and 1-on-1 advice. The Volunteer Manager Forums have provided a welcoming environment to talk to others in similar roles to myself as well as giving a valuable opportunity to learn from how they work with their volunteers. In addition, I have attended training sessions, in-person and online, on topics such as volunteer recruitment, supervision skills and legal issues. This has helped to build my knowledge base and develop a reference library of good practice guidance, that I can
share with colleagues and use on a regular basis. Finally, and importantly, being able to ask for expert advice from the CCVS on a 1-on-1 basis, is extremely helpful. The team have always provided informed and considered feedback quickly and professionally and this has been invaluable when working on bigger projects, such as putting in place the charity’s first Volunteer Policy.

The Impact/change 

The CCVS has helped ACT put in place a supportive supervision structure for our volunteers, introduce a Volunteer Policy and has given me greater confidence in championing the need for a considered approach to volunteer recruitment and management. ACT is now able to grow and extend the reach of the volunteer team whilst having a structure in place that ensures existing volunteers are valued and provided with development opportunities.

Testimony

“The support and quality of training provided by the CCVS, whilst developing and delivering ACT’s volunteer programme, has been exceptionally helpful and of great support. It’s wonderful to feel part of a wider team through the Volunteer Manager Forums and the training has enabled me to make informed recommendations to colleagues and implement positive change. I am also extremely grateful for the additional support offered since the Covid-19 pandemic. This has helped me in my approach to communicating with our volunteer team, whilst physically dispersed, as well as reminding me to maintain an awareness of my own wellbeing when working under difficult circumstances.
Thank you CCVS!”

 

September 2020

To download this case study click here

ACT volunteer management support sc logo

Volunteers needed for Vaccination Programme

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The CCG continue to recruit volunteer staff to support the biggest and fastest vaccination programme in the history of the NHS. They have asked that the VCS share the below information with their communities.

 

There is an urgent need for volunteer stewards (RVS) and volunteer unregistered vaccinators (St Johns Ambulance) locally to support the vaccine programme.

Stewards

Stewards help and guide people at vaccination sites – this could be at a GP Vaccination Hub, a Large Scale Vaccination Centre, or at Pharmacy vaccination sites.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the steward role is asked to sign up via the Royal Voluntary Service website.  Volunteers are asked to commit to at least 2 shifts at a vaccination site each month. Shifts are up to 4 hours long.

Once registered (takes approx. 48 hours) volunteers will be notified of available shifts via text and email alerts.  Volunteers are then able to confirm which shifts they are able to do.

All vaccination sites (GP hubs, Vaccination Centres and Pharmacies) will advertise their available shifts through the Royal Voluntary Service website.

A DBS is not required for this role, although volunteers will be asked to declare any unspent convictions as part of the application process.

Unregistered vaccinators

Anyone interested in volunteering for the unregistered vaccinators is asked to complete the ‘expression of interest’ on the St Johns Ambulance website.  Unregistered vaccinators administer vaccines under clinical supervision – these roles require training and assessment.

Volunteers can sign up for both options if they choose to do so.