CSAN Review of the Year 2015

“Of course, the foundation of all our policies lies in the Church's Social Teaching. This teaching places the political within the larger context of humanity's relationship with God. It calls on us to evaluate social and economic activity from the viewpoint of the poor and the powerless. This is what we have sought to achieve in our everyday work: with parliamentarians, with member charities, with the people who use our services.”

Helen O’Brien, former CSAN Chief Executive, speaking at the CSAN Parliamentary Reception 2015

Bishop Terence Drainey, Chair

This has been my first full year as Chair of Caritas Social Action Network. It has been a momentous one for the organisation with three new permanent members of the team including a new Chief Executive. I commend this Annual Review which demonstrates the scope and quality of the work of the CSAN office team and of the member charities.

I must firstly express my thanks to Helen O’Brien for her fantastic work in developing CSAN. She has done an enormous amount to develop Catholic social action in England and Wales. She will be much missed by the Trustees, staff, member charities and our partners. We all wish her well in her retirement.

Secondly I welcome Dr Phil McCarthy as the new CEO. He has experience and expertise in leadership and management within the NHS and the Third Sector. He also has skills in medical politics, service development, education, ethics and Catholic Social Teaching.

In response to the Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict XVI, In the Service of Charity, CSAN serves the Church in England and Wales. I am confident that CSAN will continue to deliver the tasks which the Bishops’ Conference has set it: to develop the Caritas network, to support its witness and to provide advocacy and ‘voice’ at the national level for vulnerable and marginalised people.

Dr Phil McCarthy, Chief Executive

“The Church, guided by the Gospel of mercy and by love for mankind, hears the cry for justice and intends to respond to it with all her might”. Evangeli Gaudium p188

I took up my new role as CEO at the start of December 2015 so I am conscious that the achievements of 2015 are due to the hard work and expertise of my predecessor, Helen O’Brien. I am grateful to her for the handover and support. She has built an excellent team at CSAN.

During 2015 CSAN has continued to support the network. We currently have 43 members including national and regional charities, others taking on the Caritas name for all or part of their services, and five Caritas Dioceses with several others in the ‘pipeline’. They share a Catholic ethos and a commitment to fighting poverty and to enabling people to regain control of their lives and to flourish.

Secondly we have continued to develop the advocacy and public affairs work, seeking to become an authentic voice of the Church in domestic social policy. Our aim is to influence policy makers and to get the voice of those who live in poverty and exclusion heard in the public arena. The credibility of this voice is based on the vast expertise and experience of our members.

An important part of this work was the Parliamentary Reception. This attracted great numbers of our member organisations coming to meet their constituency MPs or other parliamentarians with interests in the welfare, housing, immigration and criminal justice. This year attendees heard a speech from our Patron, Cardinal Nichols which included an important challenge:

“The plight of refugees cannot wait. People’s generosity, in my view, far outstrips the response of our government”.

CSAN is working practically, with Secours Catholique in the camp in Calais, on advocacy with French and British MPs, and in the public arena here with NGOs and the Government. We are preparing a major Caritas document on asylum and refugee policy. This will draw on expert member insights, Catholic Social Teaching reflection, and national and international statistics and research. This aims to be a resource and guidance for the whole network.

In 2015 CSAN has worked on two major bills, made submissions to four parliamentary inquiries and one European Union consultation, provided briefings for debates and Parliamentary questions for MPs and Peers, and give detailed responses to major government announcements including the Chancellors’ Budget Statement, Autumn statement and the Queen’s Speech. A report, ‘Caritas Cares: the Impact of Welfare Changes’ drew together evidence from the network and recommendations for action.

2

CSAN exists to put Catholic Social Teaching into action. Looking forward the quotation from Evangeli Gaudium at the start of these remarks strikes me as the essence of what CSAN is trying to do. Pope Francis comments that this means not only small daily acts to meet the needs we encounter but also working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty. I hope that during the current Year of Mercy CSAN will do all it can to respond to the cry for justice.

Review of the year 2015: Public AffairsA strong Catholic voice on migration

Refugee Crisis

CSAN has worked extensively on the Refugee Crisis since August 2015. A key pillar of our work in this area has been coordinating a response to the crisis in Calais. CSAN has offered support and solidarity both to ‘seekingsanctury’, the local Kent based charity run by Ben Bano, and to Secours Catholique (Caritas France). CSAN has acted as a conduit for financial donations for the camp, and facilitated donations raised through the website and seekingsanctury. So far we have sent £7,000 for use for a new van for Secours Catholique – for moving people to medical appointments, and things to where they are needed.

A CSAN led delegation visited the camp (commonly referred to as ‘the Jungle’) in Calais in September, to gather intelligence and develop an advocacy plan with Secours Catholique. Hosted by Secours Catholique, CSAN visited and spoke to many in the camp and at their day centre in Calais. A joint-statement, calling on urgent action from both

3

“The plight of refugees cannot wait. People’s generosity, in my view, far outstrips the response of our government”

His Eminence, Cardinal Vincent NicholsCSAN Parliamentary Reception 2015

the French and British government received coverage in almost all of the Catholic press. The three asks were:

The immediate convention of talks between the UK and French governments to develop and implement an enduring solution to the crisis in Calais.

The expansion of safe and legal pathways to the UK, so that refugees are not forced to undertake dangerous journeys in order to seek the sanctuary they require.

The creation of a fair and just asylum system, which ensures the maintenance of human dignity at every stage of the process.

Detention

CSAN stakeholder engagement and policy work on immigration detention has been an important part of our work in the field of asylum. As part of this work, CSAN has joined the Detention Forum, a collection of charities and organisations with an interest and focus on immigration detention. CSAN has also helped Rene Cassin, a Jewish charity, with an event held near Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre, arranging for Most Rev Kevin McDonald (the Emeritus Archbishop for Southwark) to provide a reflection on detention in light of Catholic Social Teaching. CSAN, with support from the Jesuit Refugee Service, CSAN, with support from the Jesuit Refugee Service, provided a briefing to parliamentarians for the September 10 debate on immigration detention. The briefing focussed on:

The impact indefinite detention has on detainees, especially relating to their long-term mental health.

CSAN also reiterated the point that detention is not appropriate for vulnerable detainees.

Immigration Bill

CSAN has continued to engage with parliamentary legislation affecting asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. The Immigration Bill 2015 will introduce a number of measures CSAN and its member charities have concerns with, especially relating to the rollout of “Right to Rent” and support for certain categories of migrant.

Aided by the work conducted during the CSAN pilot policy proposal, which focussed on migration, CSAN produced a briefing to the House of Commons and the House of Lords outlining our concerns with the Immigration Bill. We also urged Members of both Houses to support amendments proposed in the Bill which would grant asylum seekers the right to work and remove barriers to family reunification in the UK and supported a Peer on an amendment concerning the Immigration Health Surcharge.

A strong Catholic voice welfare

4

“CSAN has been leading the way in helping those who find themselves needing a little extra support or guidance. I wholeheartedly support the work that the Caritas Social Action Network is doing and will no doubt continue to do.”

The negative and punitive perception of migrants that seems to have gained currency and acceptability is just not worthy of a civilised society, and this attitude seems to be reflected in current provisions and legislation.

Archbishop Emeritus ofSouthwark, Kevin McDonaldHarmondsworth interfaith event on immigration detention

A fundamental part of CSAN’s parliamentary work in 2015 once again focussed on speaking out on welfare reform and the impact of poverty and inequality in England and Wales.

Benefit system

CSAN has continued its advocacy on ‘Welfare to Work’ programmes, raising the issues faced by our member charities who engage with the Department for Work and Pensions programmes in this area. Responding to the Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry into ‘Welfare to Work’, CSAN provided evidence that the current contracting model of the Work Programme fails people with multiple barriers in helping them into sustained employment. Providing the example of our charities work, CSAN called on the DWP to roll out programmes, such as the peer-led in-work job club at the Cardinal Hume Centre to help ease the transition into poverty.

The benefit system itself was also a key focus of our work in 2015, with a particular focus on the efficiency of payments and the fairness of the benefit sanctions policy. Responding to two parliamentary inquiries, CSAN shared members’ experiences of the benefits system which they reported had improved in the processing of straightforward claims but still falls short of delivering an effective and efficient service for more complex claims. On benefit sanctions, CSAN made the case that the sanction policy has created a climate of resentment and increased alienation leading to an “us and them” situation between advisors and claimants, when the relationship should be a mutual partnership. We have continued our advocacy call for the exemption of vulnerable groups for benefit sanctions, which culminated in the document ‘Caritas Cares: the Impact of Welfare Changes’.

Welfare reform and work bill

CSAN engaged with the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, providing briefings to the House of Lords, one of which received coverage in the guardian and the Telegraph. The Welfare Reform and Work Bill will introduce significant changes to the Child Poverty Act and implement the so-called “two child limit” for Child Tax Credits and their equivalent under Universal Credit. CSAN raised concerns regarding the impact of these measures on low-income and working families. We reaffirmed our position that any measure of child poverty should always fundamentally refer to income and any further additions to measuring child poverty should supplement, not replace income related measures. In an oral briefing roundtable in the House of Lords, CSAN also made the point that the two-child limit was fundamentally anti-family and failed the Government’s family test on a number of counts.

Hunger and food poverty

CSAN has continued to engage with the APPG on Hunger and Food poverty inquiry into hunger and food poverty in the UK. In 2015, CSAN charities continue to respond to the needs of their clients; as such food parcels, cash and material support are still frequently provided. Working with

5

“CSAN has been leading the way in helping those who find themselves needing a little extra support or guidance. I wholeheartedly support the work that the Caritas Social Action Network is doing and will no doubt continue to do.”

Policy work in numbers

Immigration Bill 2015 and Welfare Reform and Work Bill

5 parliamentary and European Union inquiries

18 written and oral briefings to parliamentarians

Over 30 events and meetings with external stakeholders

Nugent Care, CSAN submitted new evidence to the Hunger and Food Poverty inquiry and highlighted the impact that the decline of support services, especially those traditionally funded by statutory bodies, has had on support being provided. CSAN’s submission was once again very warmly received by the inquiry and we will continue to respond to this pressing issue in 2016. Our recommendations included: an intermediary line for advisors of charities to call on behalf of clients, similar to the one available for HMRC, should be established; Regular translation services should be provided by the Jobcentre and the DWP to prevent unnecessary delays, errors and benefit sanctions for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.

Supporting our Catholic charities

A central part of our work is the provision of political information, analysis and support to Catholic charities working on the front-line. Throughout the year we have regularly given briefings to Chief Executives, staff, trustees and funders of the charities in our network. In this way we help to ensure that organisations involved in Catholic social action are both aware of legislative changes that will affect their service users and are actively involved in formulating our response.

We have also given our members opportunities to share their experiences and views directly with decisions makers. This year’s Annual Parliamentary Reception once again provided the opportunity for our members and their representatives to meet with Parliamentarians, of which over 30 attended, to discuss their vital work.

CSAN has also continued to work with the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBCEW) on engagement with public policy and advocacy. In addition, we attended many meetings and events organised by external stakeholders to raise the profile of CSAN and our charities.

Policy review

In 2015, the CSAN public affairs team launched a review into the organisations policy development process. CSAN’s unique selling point and greatest strength lies in the vast experience and expertise of the member charities it comprises and its strong Catholic tradition. A new policy process has been established which will result in clear, concise and thoroughly researched policy positions.

CSAN launched a pilot review into migration and involved the expertise of relevant member charities. As a result of this pilot, we developed firm policies on migration which were then used in our engagement with the Immigration Act 2015.

Summary

Throughout 2015 the CSAN Public Affairs Team has worked on two bills and draft bills; made submissions to four parliamentary inquiries and one European Union consultation; provided briefings for debates and Parliamentary Questions for MPs and Peers; and given detailed responses to major government announcements including the Chancellor’s Budget Statement, Autumn Statement and the Queen’s Speech.

As circumstances have become harder for the most vulnerable groups, in particular asylum seekers, migrants and refugees, we have endeavoured to tell their stories to decision makers whilst

6

providing a consistently strong and influential Catholic response informed by both the Church’s Social Teaching and the experience of its charities.

Review of the year 2015: Communications, Media & Events

“CSAN has been leading the way in helping those who find themselves needing a little extra support or guidance.”

Baroness Williams of Trafford, November 2015

Throughout 2015, CSAN has worked to enhance the voice, profile and the reputation of the network through communications and media work.

7

This has been achieved through greater engagement with national and faith-based publications, running media training for the CSAN team and trustees, launching a Communications Forum and

forging stronger links with member and diocesan communication officers.

CSAN has secured high profile coverage in national, local and Catholic press in support of our network and policy work. Most recently we appeared in the Guardian for our response to the welfare reform. Through press releases, articles, letters and stronger contact with journalists, CSAN raises the profile of the work of Catholic Charities, highlights issues of structural injustice and poverty and gives a voice to people who are vulnerable and marginalised in England and Wales.

Supporting Policy & Advocacy

CSAN’s Communications and Policy teams have worked jointly to ensure that CSAN has a strong voice on issues and policies that directly affect the lives of those we serve. Campaigning on the Living Wage, detention, family poverty, welfare reform and the refugee crisis has been at the forefront of our efforts over the past year.

Building on the experience and concerns of our members, CSAN released a number of press releases on benefit sanctions, the Prison Inquiry, the refugee crisis to name but a few policy areas.

CSAN continues to add its voice to a number of campaigns: Detention Forum, Living Wage, The Children’s Society, The Debt Trap, and Keep Me Posted.

CSAN has also scrutinised changes to the welfare system and vocalised the experiences of our members among wider society through our communications and media work.

Through invitations to radio interviews on BBC Radio 4 about the state of prisons and on Christian Premier about Calais, as well as extensive coverage in Catholic and Christian Press, CSAN has sought to raise awareness about the impact of these vast changes upon the lives of the people our charities work with.

8

“CSAN set out a series of recommendations to make the social security system moreperson centred and able to respond to the real needs of the individual, includingspecialist training for jobcentre staff on dealing with vulnerable clients.”

Patrick Butler, Social Policy Editor, The Guardian

“Idris…had not left Eritrea with the UK in mind as his final destination, rather it was the latest stop in a long journey to find shelter, safety and the opportunity to reconstruct his life”.

Helen O’Brien, The Catholic Times,02 October 2015

Communications overview

Jan – Nov 2015

Press Releases: 24

Press Articles: 75 (newspaper) 9 online (blog or article) 1 (radio feature), 3

Total Coverage: 109

National Coverage: 5

Coverage Rate: 100%

Press

CSAN has been approached to comment on a wide range of issues, including rising levels of in-work poverty, benefit sanctions and the refugee crisis in Calais. CSAN is positioning itself as the go-

to Catholic voice on matters of domestic importance. We have appeared in the national press a number of times on some of these issues, most recently The Guardian covered Cardinal Vincent Nichols’ stance on the refugee crisis at CSAN’s parliamentary reception.

A weekly column in the Catholic press has served to strengthen the profile of CSAN, supported by an improved press distribution list.

CSAN also facilitated media training for five of its staff and three Trustees, run by a BBC-trained journalist. This was a valuable experience, the learning from

which is continued in the interviews we do and we will also organise another round of training for new staff members.

Supporting the Network

A key objective of CSAN’s Communications and Media Strategy in 2015 was to continue running and further develop the work of the Communications Forum.

The last Communications Forum of 2015 was very well received, with extremely useful training from Bob Walters on iPhone filming and editing. A roundtable discussion established the priority challenges for the members and formed plans for short, medium and long-term joint working. The next meeting will be held in spring 2016.

9

Our Caritas report on The Impact of Welfare Changes was covered in the Guardian by Social Policy Editor Patrick Butler

CSAN has also sought to develop stronger links with diocesan communications officers and CSAN member communication officers; this has taken place over the course of the year and will be strengthened by the Communications Forum.

The Catholic weekly column Charity Begins At Home continues to profile the work of CSAN member organisations and the voices of those they exist to serve. Through this column, CSAN has raised greater awareness around the diversity of the work being undertaken by Catholic charities, at the same time as providing a weekly platform that displays the breadth of CSAN’s scope and impact.

CSAN has also led on a number of press initiatives with our member charities, jointly commenting on housing, rising numbers of refugees, child poverty indicators and food poverty.

We have diversified our press output, as staff and members have written blogs for The Tablet and the Catholic Universe, which enables us to stay in touch with the various forms in which people now consume media.

Online

CSAN is in the middle of work on a new website that better represents the network, improves signposting, usability and serves as a useful resource for a number of different audiences. Importantly, it will serve as an easy-to-use resource for those seeking help. We expect the new site to launch in 2016.

CSAN has also continued to develop our presence on social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook, as well as encouraging network members to develop a greater online presence.

Throughout 2015 we have witnessed an increase in supporters of our Facebook page and followers on Twitter and we have made a concerted effort to increase conversations: rather than using these platforms to simply broadcast, we are using them to interact and engage with followers. For example, we asked people who attended this year’s parliamentary reception to share their thoughts of the day with us.

The use of social media has been particularly effective in developing dialogue with national journalists and ensuring coverage of network stories and policy work. We are growing a dedicated following that champions our messages in other networks.

Prominent engagements include retweets by various MPs, prominent journalists, as well as academic institutions, partner agencies and campaigns.

Over the past year there has been a 66% increase in the number of CSAN’s Twitter followers (which has doubled from last year)

10

Website (Jan – Nov 2015)

Visits: 12,657

Average monthly visits: 1,266

Increase from 2014: 13%

and CSAN has made extensive use of the platform to highlight the work of our network through hashtags such as #CSANreception and #WorldHomelessDay – the former to showcase highlights from our parliamentary reception and the latter, used by Caritas Anchor House to support their events on that day and parliamentary reception event.

Events

2015 was a busy year for CSAN, with a roadshow in Shrewsbury, our annual parliamentary reception at the House of Lords and representation at the Labour and Conservative autumn party conferences.

The roadshows raised the profile of CSAN at diocesan and parish level, whilst the parliamentary reception and the party conferences promoted CSAN in the national arena with journalists and policy-makers.

Parliamentary Reception

CSAN hosted its fifth annual parliamentary reception on 4 November 2015. The reception was kindly hosted by Lord Touhig and was addressed by His Eminence, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and Baroness Williams of Trafford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

32 parliamentarians attended, as well as representatives from 68 leading Catholic Charities who gathered in the Houses of Parliament to discuss areas of current policy which directly impacted on the most vulnerable people in the UK today.

The Cardinal reflected on the government’s response to the refugee crisis and said it was not enough. His words were picked by a range of Catholic and Christian press and the event gained national press coverage in the Guardian in a piece written by the Religion Correspondent Harriet Sherwood.

Cardinal Nichols also spoke of his recent visit to the Synod and the effects on the family of poverty, violence, war, migration and desperate need.

11

Reflecting on this event in previous years, CSAN members have told us that they found the opportunity to share their experiences with members of both Commons and Lords extremely useful and we anticipate the same at the 2016 event.

12

Review of the year 2015: Network

Love for society and commitment to the common good are outstanding expressions of a charity which affects not only relationships between individuals but also “macro-relationships, social, economic and political ones.” That is why the Church set before the world the ideal of a “civilization of love”. Social love is the key to authentic development.

Pope Francis, Laudato Si (Praised Be), May 2015

Bringing Catholic social action together

During 2015 CSAN has continued to work towards developing and facilitating Catholic social action at a local and diocesan level through mutually beneficial relationships, which involves the Caritas Roadshows. We organised a very successful Big Mile walk in partnership with St Vincent de Paul’s Society which took place in Shrewsbury and Cardiff. Also, we delivered a diocesan roadshow in Shrewsbury in September.

The Big Mile Walk was jointly organised by CSAN and St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP). It involved supporters of Catholic charities walking one mile to show their solidarity in tackling poverty from England and Wales. 12 walks in the Cardiff and Shrewsbury dioceses were organised with 800 walkers taking part. The

13

“Walking has always been symbolic. Whether it is a pilgrimage, a hike or a march, joining together to walk for something we believe in means something. As The Big Mile shows, it doesn’t have to be a great distance or a monumental challenge that makes a difference. By joining together to walk a mile, parishes, schools and community groups are working to eradicate poverty here on their doorsteps.”

Helen O’Brien, CSAN, June 2015

event raised £3,317 and the funds were divided between SVP projects, CSAN, Pact and Catholic Children’s Society of Shrewsbury. This event was a great accomplishment and we are looking to replicate this success in other Dioceses in England & Wales.

The Shrewsbury Caritas Roadshow was held on 26 September 2015 and was attended by over one hundred-sixty people. The event was organised jointly by CSAN and the Diocese of Shrewsbury in response to invitation of the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales to strengthen support and develop cohesive action based in faith and social justice. The programme touched on a number of critical issues facing England & Wales including alcohol and drug addiction, gender inequality, migrant crisis and rising poverty levels. The evaluation of the event demonstrated that the overwhelmingly majority of delegates rated the day as excellent/good.

CSAN is working in partnership with CAFOD to develop an award for schools to recognise their contribution to living out Catholic Social Teaching and serving our neighbour. In February 2015, we met with CAFOD and a group of schools from the Portsmouth Diocese who are developing an award scheme for Catholic schools, celebrating their work in social action and social justice. CSAN has agreed to support the ‘Romero Award’ as it pilots in the Portsmouth Diocese, with potential for it to become a national award for schools.

The CSAN Forums: Fostering Solidarity and Collaborative Action

Throughout 2015 CSAN has continued to run, support and develop the five established special interest CSAN Forums. The forums have continued to provide a space for our members to share best practice also develop and maintain partnerships aimed at furthering their strategic and operational goals and objectives. We are also delighted to have welcomed three new CSAN members, Caritas Diocese of Portsmouth, Seeking Sanctuary and The National Board of Catholic Women.

The refugee crisis urgently required the collaboration and coordination of CSAN’s members. CSAN member, Seeking Sanctuary has been working closely with

14

“The day was very interesting. I am very inspired. Well done to all involved”

“Damien (Olive Branch Workshop) delivered a powerful message with honesty and passion.

“The workshops I attended were excellent and the marketplace was a good idea and was well executed”.

Comments from delegates, Shrewsbury Caritas Roadshow, September 2015

Caritas Roadshow in numbers

Shrewsbury: 165 attendees, 25 organisations

CSAN Forums in Numbers: January 2015 – December 2015

Directors: 3 meetings, 54 attendees

Fundraising & Marketing and Communications: 2 meetings, 20 attendees

Older People’s Services: 3 meetings, 24 attendees

Schools’ Services: 3 meetings, 26 attendees

Criminal Justice: 3 meetings, 39 attendees

CSAN, Justice and Peace and Secours Catholique concerning formulating and delivering a response to the refugee crisis.

The Directors Forum which took place on 3 February 2015, focused on CSAN’s General Election materials and discussed the Housing Policy Document which was drafted by CSAN following the Directors’ roundtable discussion in September 2014.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder training was delivered at the School Services Forum which took place on 17 February 2015. Dr Mary Mather delivered a compelling presentation tackling a range of issues including the prevalence of pregnant women drinking in the UK, severe implications of alcohol on the foetal brain, the impact on communication and language skills also schooling of children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The training was positively received by the members that were in attendance with both Catholic Children’s Society, Westminster and Father Hudson’s Society both inviting Dr Mary Mather to deliver staff training at their respective organisations.

There has been some fantastic work completed concerning data collection and analysis in the School Services Forum. A presentation on the Social Impact Tracker, which is an online data application for frontline organisations to report on their outputs, outcomes and measure impact, was delivered on 11 May 2015. Members shared the data collection and methods utilised in their individual organisations, which allowed members to share best practice and brainstorm new policies and procedures to implement.

We worked closely with CAFOD pertaining to the delivery of the Fundraising & Marketing and Communications forum which took place on 14 October 2015. With key personnel in the following departments Digital Marketing, Legacies, Major Gifts and Regular Giving presenting on their respective areas of expertise.

The Criminal Justice Forum, has supported the Catholic Bishop Conference’s campaign concerning the time out of cells for prisoners which called for the government to:

Alter the current prison staffing benchmarks upwards as recommended by the Justice Select Committee, in order to meet Prison Service Instructions concerning purposeful activity, association and worship

Commission a thematic report by the Chief Inspector of Prisons regarding access to worship and chaplaincy services

Protect spending on prisons for the duration of this parliament

In 2015, we joined the Detention Forum which is a network of organisations working together to challenge the UK’s use of detention. The Forum meet every quarter in London to discuss strategies and share information. The forum is advocating and lobbying for the following changes:

A time limit on detention Ending the detention of vulnerable people

15

Improving judicial oversight of detention 

The questions for CSAN membership Audit have been finalised. The audit of the members will allow CSAN to fully understand what services the members are offering, where they are working, and why they are providing these services. The results of the Membership audit are expected to be presented at the Directors’ forum in September 2016.

Promoting the Caritas Spirit of the Network

In 2015 CSAN has continued to develop ways to support the Caritas spirit and ethos of the network and to promote a deeper awareness of Catholic social teaching in the network and wider Catholic community.

Love in Action is a programme of CST training and social action toolkits for parish groups. The programme aims to bring an awareness of the needs of people, the social teaching, and the creative ways we can do more as parishes to support people – so we can as Church, can be stepping forward in love in to the heart of our communities. CSAN assisted with the development of the resources. Caritas Westminster have piloted this programme.

Caritas Diocese developments are ongoing in Cardiff and Southwark following the Roadshows held there in 2014. CSAN has met with Kenneth Roberts from the Archdiocese of Southwark to discuss the possibility of organising a second roadshow in Southwark, with a view to further developing the move towards a Caritas Diocese

of Southwark. The overarching aims including better co-ordinating, supporting and enriching the great social action and social justice which is already going on in the Diocese

A conference call was held on 17 November 2015 to reflect on the ‘Caritas Diocesan Journey’. The main aim of the call was to discuss the logistics of the Caritas journey meeting in January 2016. CSAN will utilise the learning from this meeting to support the planning and delivery of the Caritas Journey meeting in January 2015.

Work with CBCEW, CAFOD, and the wider Church

CSAN have also been engaged in supporting the work of the CBCEW, its agencies and advisory bodies, as well as engaging with the wider Church and partners in domestic social action from other faiths or none.

In February 2015, CSAN hosted a visitor, Anja Nikles from Caritas Aachen, as part of Caritas Europa’s CAPSO Project (CARITAS in Europe– Promoting Together Solidarity). The project is designed to enhance solidarity

16

and communication between different European Caritas organisations. The purpose of the visit was for Anja to learn about the Social Welfare system in Britain and the work of Caritas organisations. She visited a number of members around London and in Manchester also attended two CSAN forum meetings. The visit provided the CSAN team with an insight into how other Caritas organisations operate and particularly how diocesan Caritas interact with their national organisation in other European countries.

Working in collaboration with CAFOD, CSAN produced an election document which combined domestic and international issues. The documents proved an enormous success with over 19,000 postcards and 11,000 leaflets distributed to supports all around England and Wales. The documents were also used at a number of high profile hustings events including at St Paul’s Cathedral and St Martin in the Fields. To accompany the leaflets, CSAN produced a fact-sheet which included a wide range of statistics on areas of interest to help aide supporters in their engagement with parliamentarians. This resource proved to be the most downloaded item on the CSAN website for over two years.

In September 2015, Helen O’Brien led a CSAN delegation to Calais on a fact finding mission and to show solidarity with our French partners, Secours Catholique. This year, CSAN organised and delivered a joint talk with CAFOD’s Emergency Response Team on the European Refugee Crisis. Robert Cruickshank and Laura Purves.

In September 2015, Helen O’Brien attended the Meeting of the Social Affairs Commission at COMECE Secretariat in Brussels, which focused on Youth and Employment and how the Church and the EU can work together to tackle the crippling levels of youth unemployment in Europe.

It has been a fantastic year for CSAN in which we have grown and maintained our relationships with members, CBCEW, wider Church and organisations dedicated to social change from other faiths and none.

17