thrive! april, may, june 2013
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Voscur's quarterly magazineTRANSCRIPT
Supporting voluntary and community action April/May/June 2013
BIG Green Week 2013
Changes to Gift Aid
Spring/Summer training
Reclaiming the agenda
Self Directed Support
Pension reform
One Billion Rising
and more!
Inside this issue:
Ph
oto
by
Mar
k Si
mm
on
s P
ho
tog
rap
hy
Hundreds of local people taking part in a flash mob this February to mark One Billion Rising, the global movement to end violence against women and girls (more inside).
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 202
What’s Payment by Results?
Do we want to be a Charitable Incorporated Organisation?
How do we promote what we offer under
personalisation?What’s out there to support our new trustees?
For the answers to these and many other questions, why not try a Voscur training course?
Courses cover a range of topics including fundraising, finance and commissioning, managing staff and volunteers, marketing, managing your organisation, and being a trustee.
2013 also welcomes back Communicate! Voscur’s one-day interactive event takes place on 4 July 2013 to support you in marketing and promoting your services. Places are limited and likely to go fast, so early booking is recommended.
More information about courses on p16-19 or at: www.supporthub.org.uk/training-hub
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 3
Contents
Disclaimer: some of the views expressed in this publication are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent those of Voscur. Publications, events and services mentioned in Thrive! are not necessarily endorsed by Voscur.
Keep up to date with Voscur online:
twitter.com/voscur www.flickr.com/voscur www.youtube.com/voscurwww.facebook.com/voscur
Voscur3 Contents
4 Editorial
5 New members
6 Voscur and Volunteer Bristol
6-7 It’s good bein’ green – BIG Green Week 2013
8 Community Right to Challenge
9 Pensions reform is having a major impact
10-11 Welfare Reform: the changes, the impact, and what to do next
12-13 One step closer to each other – commissioning in Bristol
Support Hub14-15 Support for organisations = better
services for service users
16-19 Support Hub Spring/Summer training programme
20 Charities Online – a new way to do Gift Aid
21 Stepping up to equality and diversity
22 Planning services and Self Directed Support
23-24 Frequently asked questions about safeguarding
Voice and Influence 24 Bristol’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy
25 Who do we think we are? Results of Bristol’s 2011 census.
26 How influential do you feel?
27 Reclaiming the agenda
28 How Deaf aware are you?
29 A new approach to BME Voice and Influence
30 Strike, rise up and dance – One Billion Rising in Bristol
31 Nominating Community Assets
Thrive! is also available online as a pdf at www.voscur.org/magazine.
If you require it in another format, please get in touch on 0117 909 9949.
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 204
Wendy Stephenson Chief Executive
Key to symbols
Many of us involved with
voluntary and community sector
organisations are motivated by
our values. We recognise that
the public sector does not meet
all of society’s needs and that
the private sector will only meet
need if a profit can be made.
Voluntary and community sector
organisations can fill the gap
where the public sector can’t
and the private sector won’t.
People who work and volunteer
in our sector express their values
through their work.
However, more and more, the
boundaries between public,
private and voluntary are
becoming blurred: former public
sector employees are ‘spinning
out’ of public bodies to set up
Dear members and friends
Equalities Article
Training
Information & Resources
Event
charities and community interest
companies to deliver ‘public
services’, private companies are
taking on ‘volunteers’ as part of
work programme schemes, and
small voluntary and community
sector organisations can find
themselves competing against the
might of national organisations to
deliver local services. These could
be services that were initiated by a
group of volunteers in response to
a local need, were recognised as
having value, supported through a
grant and eventually packaged up
as part of a commission.
All of us are wrestling with these
issues, whilst at the same time
experiencing a high demand
for our services. At this time,
it’s important that we take care
of ourselves, our colleagues
and volunteers, as well as those
we seek to support. We know
that because of our values and
involvement in our work, there is
a danger of ‘over-commitment’
in our sector. We find ourselves
coming into the office earlier and
earlier, staying later and later, not
taking holidays, and building up
‘time off in lieu’. This can lead to
stress, poor performance and
eventually burn-out.
I speak from experience when
I say do make sure that you
are clear about your role and
responsibilities and your board’s
role and responsibilities. Do your
staff and volunteers have clear
job and role descriptions? Do
people have regular supervision
meetings, and take regular breaks
and holidays? Do you build some
social time into your workplace?
Do you say well done and thank
you often enough?
Help with staff and volunteer
management is available
through our training and events
programme; and our Support
Hub offers one-to-one sessions
with experienced development
workers. See pages 14-19 to find
out more.
Remember that you are doing
your best – often in very difficult
circumstances.
So thank you for taking the time
out of your busy schedule to read
this. I hope you find the time to
take a Spring break.
Wendy Stephenson
Chief Executive
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 5
New Voscur membersAl Madina Community
Welfare Foundation
0117 9512867
Alex Singleton
07769 297094
Avonside Foster Carers
Association (AFCA)
01275 545122
Barton Fields Trust
0117 9658351
Bath & North East Somerset
Carers’ Centre
0800 0388885
www.banescarerscentre.org.uk
Bristol Best Tuition
07886892624
Bristol Cameroonians
Association
0117 3822328
Bristol City Council – Children &
Young People’s Services (CYPS)
0117 3533308
Bristol International Jazz
and Blues Festival
0117 9658351
rachael@bristoljazzandbluesfest
.com
www.bristoljazzandbluesfest.com
Chrysalis Supported
Association Ltd
0117 9044366
www.chrysalissupported
associationltd.co.uk
Community In Partnership
Knowle West
0117 9149216
Compass Project Bristol
0117 9568873
kevin@compassprojectbristol
.org.uk
www.compassprojectbristol
.org.uk
Great Western Air Ambulance
0117 9699344
www.greatwesternairambulance
.com
HealthWatch North
Somerset CIC
01934 410193
The Island ArtSpace
Lifespace CIC
0117 3763457
www.theislandbristol.com
Kumiko Community Arts
07773 456791
charlottechapman2002@yahoo
.co.uk
www.kumikocommunityarts.org
Luckwell Improvement Project
0117 378907
info@luckwell-improvement
.org.uk
www.luckwell-improvement
.org.uk
Merlin Housing Society
01454 821612
Rock Community Centre Ltd
0117 9384636
www.therockcommunitycentre
.com
South West Somali
Community Association
0117 9425239
St Brendan’s Sixth Form College
0117 9777766
www.stbrn.ac.uk
TOCCiC (Tick One Cross
Community Interest Company)
0117 3293268
www.toccic.org
Winterbourne Medieval
Barn Trust
07831 614007
www.winterbournebarn.org.uk
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 206
In Summer 2011 Volunteer Bristol
approached Voscur about the
potential for working more closely
together. In tough economic times
Volunteer Bristol was looking for
smarter and more cost-effective
ways of delivering its services.
Voscur responded positively to
Volunteer Bristol and our two
organisations began to explore
whether we could achieve more
together.
Bringing staff, trustees and
volunteers together over a
period of eighteen months, we
have looked at various ways of
collaborating. We are presently
looking at merger as our preferred
option because we think that
this will offer the best service
for our members and the wider
community in the long term.
We anticipate that a merger will
reduce costs slightly and, more
significantly, it will offer a more
joined-up and comprehensive
package of support for our
members and a stronger voice
for the sector.
We want to create a one-stop
shop for the voluntary and
community sector: for people
taking their first steps into
volunteering, those wanting to
set up new groups, to grow their
organisations, to train their staff
and volunteers, to recruit trustees
and to improve their governance.
Both organisations are committed
to the proposed merger but
there is still lot of work to do.
We are currently undertaking a
full due diligence process and will
be consulting with our members
and funders.
If you would like
to find out more
or respond to our online
consultation, please go to:
goo.gl/OjT39.
Voscur and Volunteer Bristol
BIG Green Week 2013, the UK’s
festival of all things eco, is back in
Bristol from 15-23 June. More than
40,000 visitors enjoyed the festival
last year with its inspiring talks,
workshops, art, music, poetry,
comedy and films.
This year’s guests will include
environmental leaders such as
Jonathon Porritt (this year’s Chair);
Tony Juniper, speaking about
his new book; John Sauven, the
executive director of Greenpeace
UK; and Satish Kumar, the editor
of Resurgence and the Ecologist
Magazine. They will be joined
by others such as scientist Alice
Roberts, architect George Clark,
Radio 4 Saturday Live poet Susan
Richardson, comedian Tony Hawks,
and Richard Branson via a live
video link.
The city centre and harbourside
will be transformed for family-
friendly weekend activities
including Bristol’s Biggest Bike
Ride, Bristol’s BIG Market, the
creation of a giant playground
by local children and the World
Electric Bike Championships.
For more
information, visit:
www.biggreenweek.com
It’s good bein’ greenPaul Rainger, Co-Curator of the BIG Green Week Festival, describes what lies in store for Bristol in 2013...
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 7
In light of BIG Green Week, as
well as National Volunteers’
Week which takes place in June,
Voscur has spoken to a local
green initiative (which won two of
Bristol’s 2012 Green Volunteering
Awards) about how to involve
green volunteers. Lucy Mitchell,
Community Project Worker at The
Golden Hill Community Garden,
shares her thoughts:
“The Golden Hill Community
Garden has had a great first
year and over 200 people have
volunteered. We put an emphasis
on flexible volunteering and
our garden is accessible for
wheelchairs (as is our composting
toilet). We make every effort
to be welcoming and friendly
and maintain a supportive
atmosphere. The volunteers are a
really diverse bunch with different
life circumstances and all sorts
of reasons for volunteering.
There is always a range of jobs
that need doing so everyone’s
contribution is valued and anyone
who volunteers gets to take home
some fresh organic veg. We also
work with schools and youth and
community groups. Our beautiful
and productive garden hums with
life, from the newts in the pond
to the laughter in the shelter as
we take our breaks, drink lots of
tea and eat lots of biscuits.”
For more information about Golden Hill, visit: www.thegoldenhillcommunitygarden.com
Volunteers having a well-earned break at Golden Hill Community Garden
Proud maker of an insect hotel at Golden Hill as part of TCV’s Young Carers’ Nature Challenge
Volunteers doing some planting at Golden Hill
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 208
The Community Right to Challenge
(RtC) is one of the Community
Rights which came into force
through the Localism Act 2011. It
‘enables communities (including
staff) with good ideas about how
council services could be run
differently or better to submit
an expression of interest (EOI),
have it formally considered and
allows additional time to prepare
a bid to run a service as part of a
procurement process’.
The regulations and statutory
guidance which came out last
year are specific in a number of
aspects, particularly in terms of
who can use the RtC, the process
of considering an expression
of interest and next steps.
However, where there are areas
for discretion, the Council has
worked with Voscur to develop
our approach.
How does the process
work in Bristol?
For full information, go to the
link in the information box below,
but in essence, the process is
formally triggered by the relevant
body submitting an EOI to the
Council. However, if you are
thinking about getting involved
in or running a service we would
encourage you to read the
guidance and then talk to the
Council first about your ideas,
as using the RtC may not be the
most appropriate route. You can
do this by sending an email to
uk. This aligns with the latest
advice from Government and
the community rights support
organisation, Locality.
If you subsequently decide to
submit an EOI, this needs to be
submitted in a specified
format, available from the
Council’s website.
Once an EOI has been
submitted to the Council, it
will be considered by a panel
independent to the service area
and a decision made as to
whether to accept or reject the
EOI. The Council will let relevant
bodies know the date by which
they will receive a decision and
the next steps in the process.
For more information,
links to the guidance
and EOI form, please visit: www.
bristol.gov.uk/page/community-
and-safety/community-rights
For information on the
Community Right to Bid
(another Community Right that
has come into force through the
Localism Act 2011) see p31.
Community Right to ChallengeVoscur asked Christine Storry, Market Development Manager at Bristol City Council, to tell us about the Council’s approach to the Community Right to Challenge. Here is what she said:
Voscur’s position The RtC could be useful for
Bristol VCS organisations that
wish to deliver public services.
However, we advise caution; if an
organisation makes a successful
challenge, the subsequent
commissioning/procurement
process would then be open to
any organisation with an interest
in delivering the service. There
is no guarantee that the original
‘challenging’ organisation would
be successful against these
competitors.
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 9
With people generally living
longer and facing the possibility
of funding a retirement that
could last 20 years or more, the
Government is getting employers
to enrol their workers automatically
into a workplace pension to make
it easier for people to start saving
and not rely on the state pension.
This automatic enrolment will
allow people to decide whether
to stay in or opt out of a workplace
pension. It began in October
2012, starting with the largest
employers, and workers (unless
they specifically opt out) will
automatically join and pay into
their employer’s staff pension
scheme which could be an existing
or new scheme to which the
employer will also contribute along
with the Government by way of tax
relief on employees’ contributions.
Smaller employers and newly
formed businesses will have until
2016/17 to comply.
It is all designed to reinvigorate
pension saving in the UK, create
a simpler system to help people
make better informed decisions
about how much they need to save
privately, and make it easier for
them to plan for their retirement.
The reforms follow the failure of
stakeholder pension schemes,
which floundered because
they required no contribution
commitment from the employer
and excluded many smaller
employers. Automatic enrolment
recognises that the solution lies
in private provision and compels
all employers to enrol eligible
jobholders in a workplace
pension scheme, unless they are
already a member of a qualifying
scheme. Contributions will be
collected and paid to the scheme
by the employer through the
payroll system.
For automatic enrolment,
employers will have to
choose a pension scheme,
perhaps an existing one or a
scheme set up with a pension
provider. Information from
the Pensions Regulator (www.
thepensionsregulator.gov.uk) is
now available to help companies
make this decision.
A fundamental principle is that the
jobholder must be enrolled and will
then be able to opt out. Employers
will be banned from incentivising
opt-outs.
Pensions can seem a confusing
subject, full of financial jargon
and complicated rules, and the
new reforms provide much
food for thought. Certainly for
employers, a proper strategy is
going to be essential.
Employers should be mindful
too of the requirements and
restrictions of the Financial
Services Act. They may invite an
adviser to present to staff, and
there is no problem in giving
staff information that includes
no recommendation or advice.
In addition, there is no problem
recommending that employees join
a scheme to which the employer
contributes. It is vital that the
employer informs the employee
that advice is available from a
financial adviser, and the employer
should take no financial reward for
establishing a scheme.
Voscur’s next Finance
Forum is taking
place on 8 July 2013.
It is a great chance to meet
other workers with financial
responsibilities and find out
about what’s happening in the
world of finance. For more
information and to register
your interest, visit: www.
supporthub.org.uk/training-hub
Pensions reform is having a major impact New rules designed to resolve the UK’s pensions savings crisis are having a major impact on employers and employees alike following the introduction of reforms in October 2012. Diana Thal-Jantzen Dip PFS of St. James’s Place Wealth Management explains to employers in Bristol the background to the changes that are taking place and what their responsibility will be:
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2010
Welfare Reform: the
changes in a nutshell
Some of the changes already in
place or underway:
• Child benefit is frozen for
three years and maternity
grants are now only for the
first child.
• Absolute caps are introduced
to local housing allowance.
• The single room restriction is
extended to people under 35
(from under 25).
• The required working hours to
qualify for Working Tax Credit
are increased from 16 hours
to at least 24 hours per week
for couples.
• The time limit for notifying
changes to all tax credits is
reduced, and penalties have
been introduced.
• Housing benefit is paid to
recipients and not landlords.
Some of the changes coming up
(from April 2013) are:
• A ‘bedroom-tax’ for people
deemed to be under-occupying
their social housing properties
(impacting at least 4,500 Bristol
residents).
• Working age Disability Living
Allowance recipients must apply
for Personal Independence
Payments (impacting 24,450
local residents).
• A Household Benefit Cap for
all except Disability Living
Allowance recipients and war
widows/ers (impacting 400
local families).
• Universal Credit is replacing
several individual benefits.
For details of all the changes,
visit: goo.gl/f23c8.
What’s happening in Bristol
to continue supporting
vulnerable people impacted
by the changes?
In January 2013, Voscur, Bristol
City Council, and the Advice
Network (on behalf of Advice
Centres for Avon) organised
a round-table event. Eighty
voluntary and community sector
organisations across Bristol and 12
Council officers came together to
discuss the impact of the changes
on their services and what needs
to be done.
More detail of the discussions
and outcomes is available at:
goo.gl/f23c8. The two main
outcomes were:
1. Living wage: people discussed
the importance of everyone
being paid a living wage, or
even making Bristol a living
wage city, encouraging
employers to pay a living wage
if they aren’t already. An on-
going campaign around this
was enthusiastically welcomed.
2. Access to advice and
information: there are a lot of
organisations in Bristol offering
advice services (be those
general or more targeted
Welfare Reform: the changes and the impact‘Welfare Reform’ is a phrase we’re all hearing a lot, especially organisations working with vulnerable people likely to be affected by the changes. These changes are happening across the country, driven by the Government’s aims to simplify the benefit system and get claimants back to work, whilst also achieving a reduction of £26 billion in national spending. In Bristol, these changes mean a loss of at least £100 million in benefits by 2015, impacting a significant proportion of the population.
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 11
services), but finding out about
them can be a challenge. The
website www.advicewest.
org.uk already contains a lot
of information, discussions
centred on making links more
explicit and promoting it to a
wider audience.
Two examples of who’s
supporting people in Bristol
Housing and homelessness:
Bristol Community Housing
Foundation is a community-based,
not-for-profit housing association.
They have been preparing their
residents for the welfare reforms
for several months by providing
them with advice and guidance to
maximise their income and reduce
the impacts.
Skills and employment: Full Circle
Family and Youth Project currently
exists mainly as a play and sports
scheme for young people but will
be establishing more advice-based
services (in response to changing
needs) beginning with a work club
to offer advice and support to
jobseekers in their area.
For details of others who are
supporting people in Bristol visit:
goo.gl/f23c8.
Useful links:
www.advicewest.org.uk is the
website for Advice Centres for
Avon (ACFA) – a network of
independent advice agencies
providing high-quality legal
advice to the public across
Bristol, North Somerset, South
Gloucestershire and surrounding
areas. The website provides a
searchable database by postcode
and/or issue to enable people to
secure information about where
they can best get advice.
goo.gl/f23c8 – more
information, presentations,
notes and biographies from the
Welfare Reform round-table.
There are also copies of useful
reports, including
‘Beyond the Bottom Line’ about
the living wage, and ‘A Broken
System’, a local report about the
impact of medical assessments
for employment support
allowance on people in Bristol.
Attendees at the recent Welfare Reform event
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2012
Voluntary and community
sector (VCS) organisations and
commissioners have
expressed concerns about
commissioning processes over
the last few years. Voscur,
Bristol Compact and Bristol City
Council (BCC) have been working
together to address those
concerns. A recent event
involving commissioners and
VCS organisations achieved
much progress.
The event (held in February
2013) was organised so that
people could raise concerns
about commissioning and work
together to find solutions.
Seventy people – from the VCS,
Clinical Commissioning Group,
Police and Crime Commissioner’s
office and commissioners from
BCC – focused first on issues
and concerns and identified
these themes: process; quality;
marketisation vs mission; TUPE;
expertise and information;
consortia and collaboration; risk;
and joint strategic shaping of
services. Everyone then worked
together to devise a detailed
action plan to address issues.
The following reports – from
three different perspectives –
illustrate the scope and success
of the event.
Some quotes from participants
also nicely summarise the
importance of this collaborative
approach:
• “The event exceeded all my
expectations!! I look forward
to building on the great work
started.”
• “Other areas don’t do this – it’s
really good that Bristol is having
this conversation – it feels like
we’re getting there!”
• “I really liked the format and
very good recording of actions.”
• “Very useful to meet
commissioners and to ‘hear
their side’.”
One step closer to each other – commissioning in Bristol
VCS perspective:
Jackie Boyce Services Manager for the Bristol Community Support Services, Rethink Mental Illness
“I’m constantly surprised by how
many other VCS organisations I
still don’t know or know about,
so it was wonderful to have
the chance to meet or get re-
acquainted with other managers
and leaders and hear how similar
we all are in the issues that
challenge us. I have to admit I also
felt like I hit the jackpot by finding
myself sitting at a table with
some of the commissioners and
decision makers in my sector!
“The day opened with the positive
statement, ‘We’re going to be
one step closer to each other’,
and well before the end of the
day I believed it! The day was
facilitated beautifully, keeping
the momentum going from
one solution-focused activity
to the next. I can’t say enough
how much I appreciated the
determination to ensure that
there were commissioners in
every working group and that
the day ended with a plan for
better joint working and a much
clearer understanding of the
challenges on both sides of the
commissioning table!”
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 13
Voscur and the Bristol Compact
are excited to have a detailed
action plan – with actions for
commissioners, Voscur and
VCS organisations. We are sure
that, with the combined effort
of all involved, we will change
commissioning so that VCS
organisations in the city continue
to achieve better outcomes
for local communities. Watch
this space.
Commissioner perspective:
Jane Stone Strategic Commissioning Programme Manager, BCC
“What a fantastic day! As
someone relatively new to
Bristol and just embarking on
a major commissioning change
programme for the Council, I
was delighted to be part of this
event. It provided the
opportunity to meet a range of
committed VCS service providers
who are positive about working
together towards meaningful
outcomes for the communities
and individuals that we are
ultimately all here to support.
“The event was extremely well
designed and facilitated which
meant that we all worked very
hard and came away with agreed
documented action plans. Clearly
more work needs to be done to
refine those plans and identify
resources but we now have some
shared actions that came out of
robust and informed discussions.
“So, without wishing to sound like
Churchill in his famous ‘This is not
the end…’ speech, we haven’t
solved all the problems but we
have the direction and content
from the event to guide us on
our way.
“Bristol City Council is embarking
on a major new Strategic
Commissioning Programme. It will
improve the way we work with
our partner commissioners and
providers to deliver the outcomes
that communities of Bristol need.
This VCS/Commissioner event has
informed the scoping and shaping
of this programme – a big ‘thank
you’ for that.”
Bristol Compact perspective:
Mark Hubbard Compact Liaison Officer, based at Voscur
“Overall, I was very pleased with
this event and its achievements.
It feels like we’ve been working
towards this for some time and
that the event built on lots of work
over the last few years.
“In the run-up to the event, I
spoke to many people from the
VCS and commissioning bodies.
People raised certain points
relating to things such as the time
away from offices (questioning
whether they could invest a whole
day), being able to speak freely and
openly, and whether they would
be put on the spot and need to
justify aspects of their work. It was
good to hear these thoughts and
to be able to reassure people that
we had designed today to be safe,
comfortable and constructive.
This is crucial for us in our working
relationships; of course there
are issues, but we are all working
towards the same thing and it’s
imperative that we work well
together to achieve what
Bristol needs.”
What happens next?
The full report and
action plan can be downloaded:
www.voscur.org/reports
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2014
Support for organisations = better services for service users
These three local groups have
benefited from our support in a
range of ways. Get in touch on
0117 909 9949 if you think we
could help your organisation.
The Equality Collective
Natalie Bennett was researching
gender representation when it
became clear to her that many
young women’s voices are not
heard, especially about issues that
affect their lives. Natalie brought
together a group of six women
and two men from different
backgrounds who share a passion
for gender equality and The
Equality Collective was born.
The Equality Collective contacted
the Support Hub for help to
understand how and where to
begin establishing a local not-for-
profit organisation. In Natalie’s
words the first meeting “reinforced
how exciting our project is and the
potential it has to positively impact
people of all ages and genders.
It was a great morale boost and
increased our energy, enthusiasm
and focus to take the next steps.”
The Equality Collective signed up
to our Kick Start Your Organisation
course – six sessions that give
participants the knowledge, skills
and information they need to
establish and run a small group.
“Kick Start has provided loads of
resources and built our confidence
immensely,” Natalie says. “We
now know what to do next in
establishing our organisation.”
Kick Start will enable The Equality
Collective to begin to develop
their business plan and identify
the funding they require. The
group agrees that they are now a
much stronger team and are very
enthusiastic about what the
future holds.
Sikh Resource Community Development Centre (SRCDC)
SRCDC has been delivering
services to the Sikh community
in Bristol for more than 25 years.
The charity aims to improve the
quality of life of disadvantaged and
marginalised communities through
health programmes, day care for
elders, empowering women and
supplementary schooling for young
people who are at risk of exclusion.
Voscur’s Support Hub service works with many voluntary and community (VCS) organisations to increase their capacity, sustainability and quality. Our development workers go through a ‘health check’ with each organisation to better understand their situation and support needs. A detailed action plan that includes a range of offers from the Support Hub service is then developed and implemented to meet these needs.
New group The Equality Collective at the One Billion Rising event in Bristol this February.
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 15
It encourages and enables people
to access mainstream services,
build friendships, feel valued and
provide mutual support. The group
tackles isolation through shared
experiences, such as enjoying
meals together and a variety of
recreational activities including arts
and crafts.
Mr. B. Singh, one of the oldest
service users, has been involved
for over 20 years. “I have been
coming to the centre since the
day care opened,” he says. “It not
only provides me day care but an
emotional boost to come out of
my house, catch the bus or walk
to meet my friends and do some
recreational activities in the centre.
I have celebrated many festivals
here – Diwali, Christmas and more.”
SRCDC staff members have
attended Support Hub courses
to develop different skills and
have been supported in applying
to a number of funding sources
– successfully gaining funding
from the Lloyds TSB Foundation.
SRCDC has a fundraising volunteer
through our Boost! service who
is supporting the organisation to
become more sustainable.
The Severn Project CIC
The Severn Project CIC is a
Community Interest Company
established in 2010 by Steve Glover
who, after a period of addiction,
gained a degree in addictions
counselling. Its aim is to teach
socially excluded individuals who
have suffered from substance
misuse, mental health issues
or offending behaviour how to
achieve independence and develop
potential through volunteering
and employment.
The beneficiaries produce organic
food, which is sold to local
restaurants as one way to sustain
the work of the project. One of
its service users describes the
experience: “By working up at the
land in Keynsham, I have been
given something to focus on, and
have been able to develop new
skills. I feel more confident and less
pessimistic about the future. I have
not used drugs or alcohol since I
joined the project and no longer
take medication for my depression.
I’m also living independently for
the first time in years.”
The Support Hub is working
with the project in a variety of
ways: connecting it with local
organisations doing similar work,
as well as local funders and
decision makers; helping it to
develop its business plan and
recruit a fundraiser; supporting
it with monitoring and evaluation
work; and helping it to update its
policies and procedures with the
help of a professional volunteer.
Local women taking part in an SRCDC arts and crafts session.
Volunteers and staff at the Severn Project’s Keynsham site.
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2016
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Support Hub Spring/Summer programmeThe Support Hub is offering an exciting range of courses between April and July to help your organisation demonstrate the work you do, attract new service users, manage staff and volunteers, and engage in fundraising and commissioning. For all of these courses, as well as others planned in July and beyond, visit: www.supporthub.org.uk/training-hub.
Voscur also offers in-house and bespoke training at competitive rates for organisations looking to train
several staff and/or volunteers at once. Contact our training and events co-ordinator: [email protected] or call
0117 909 9949 to discuss your organisation’s needs.
Introduction to Fundraising 14 May 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
This course introduces you to the landscape of
funding and helps you to think about what funding
opportunities to apply for. It also introduces you to
the language and skills you need for successful
funding bids. This is a great course for people new
to fundraising.
Using and Understanding Payment by Results21 May 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
Payment by Results (PBR) is becoming an increasingly
common way for funders and commissioners to
contract for service delivery. VCS organisations can
find it confusing or complex to work within. This one-
day session, delivered by the National Council for
Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), looks at the context
of PBR and the skills needed to be effective at
working with it.
Costing Your Project for Commissioning28 June 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
This one-day course is a practical introduction to
costing out a project, including understanding your
organisation’s financial model, the best way to assess
and plan for funding needs, and ways to improve
decision-making around commissioning proposals.
Delivered by Sayer Vincent, a specialist consultant
and auditing firm working with charities and social
enterprises, this course also offers plenty of time to
get your questions answered.
Funding, finance and commissioningThe new financial year has just started but it’s never too early to start thinking about funding – whether it’s applying for funding for an exciting new project or engaging with commissioning for the first time.
“One of the best courses I have been on in a long
time, very helpful and fun!”
Attendee, Introduction to Fundraising, 2013.
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 17
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Communicate!4 July 2013, 9:30am-3.30pm
After a very successful first year, Communicate! is
back, bringing together voluntary sector organisations
and specialists in marketing and media. Workshop
details are being developed to ensure that
Communicate! is an informative and interactive event.
Marketing Your Project under PersonalisationDate and time TBC
The personalisation (also known as self-directed
support) agenda is changing how organisations market
their services, as well as who they market to. This
session will give you hints, tips and tools on the
most effective ways to do this, while avoiding
potential pitfalls.
Writing Small Fundraising Bids3 July 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
Whether you’re applying for £200 for a community
event or £2,000 for new equipment for your services,
you need a strong bid that makes it easy for funders
to say yes to you. This one-day course, delivered
by Quartet Community Foundation, will take you
through the basics of how to write a strong bid
that will appeal to funders, while avoiding the most
common pitfalls.
Finance Forum8 July 2013, 1–3pm
The Finance Forum offers you a chance to meet
other workers with financial responsibilities, find out
about what’s happening in the world of finance and
attend workshops designed to develop your skills.
Marketing your organisationGetting your services and projects up and running is the first hurdle – the second is making sure that people know about them! These courses and events will guide you through the sometimes confusing world of social media, traditional media, and the tools to make the
most of both.
“I really enjoyed the training. It was lively and the
venue and delivery was very comfortable and
accessible. It included all kinds of people and the
information was very helpful. I was actually very
excited afterwards but could not fully implement
what I had learned due to limitations and this is
quite frustrating! I had a wonderful day!”
Attendee, Communicate!, 2012
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2018
An Introduction to Charitable Incorporated Organisations23 April 2013, 10am-12:30pm
Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) came
into existence at the end of 2012, offering a simpler
option for organisations looking to protect their
trustees from liability without necessarily becoming
a charitable company. This interactive session will
introduce you to the new structure and help you
decide whether it’s right for you. The session is
delivered by Lancaster Parr, who offer legal advice
and training to the voluntary and community sector.
Being a Good Trustee 16 April 2013, 6:30-9:30pm
This evening course is ideal for anyone who has just
become a trustee or wants to brush up on their
knowledge and skills. It guides you through the roles
and responsibilities of being a trustee, and provides
you with useful expertise to take back and share with
your board.
Being an Even Better Trustee 23 May 2013, 6:30-9:30pm
This course can be a follow-on for those who have
attended ‘Being a Good Trustee’ or for those who
want to go into more detail about governance,
managing risk, effective meetings and how to make
the most of the skills in your trustee team.
Introduction to Quality Marks25 June 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
If you’re thinking about applying for a quality mark,
or wondering if it’s the right decision for your
organisation, then this course, delivered by the
Charities Evaluation Service, could be for you. It will
take you through the advantages and disadvantages
of the approaches and the costs and benefits of
applying for a quality mark, with lots of practical tips
for how to do this.
Trustee Network16 July 2013, 6:30-8:30pm
The Trustee Network is open to any trustees, from
the brand new to the very experienced. As well as
a short presentation on a relevant topic, Trustee
Network meetings offer a chance to meet other
trustees and share good practice.
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Trustees/governance Whether you are large or small, there are many different options when it comes to deciding how to structure your organisation. These courses, aimed at staff and trustees, will guide you through how best to govern your organisation and
make these important decisions.
“The training was very good. As a trustee, I got
the chance to share my experience with the other
organisations and get to know the experiences of
other trustees. The training helped a lot, as did
the networking element.”
Attendee, Being a Better Trustee, 2012
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 19
Increasing Diversity in Your Organisation25 April 2013, 9:30am-1pm
We all know the value of having a diverse group of
staff, trustees and volunteers, but what steps can
we take to make sure this happens? This practical
course gives you tools for increasing diversity in your
organisations, as well as introducing you to some of
the changes from the 2010 Equality Act.
Strengthening Your Team – During and After Change8 May 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
Whether it’s redundancies, restructures or
recruitment, change can have an impact on your
team and how it works. This practical course, delivered
by Charlton Associates, will give you tools for
managing this before, during and after the changes.
Lone Working and Personal Safety6 June 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
Developed in partnership with the Suzy Lamplugh
Trust and delivered by Volunteer Bristol, this mix
of information and practice will guide you through
everything you need to know to safeguard staff or
volunteers working alone in an office, out of the
office, or in service users’ homes.
Managing Staff9 July 2013, 9:30am-12:30pm
This course is for anyone who manages paid staff,
whether you’re new to it or have been doing it for a
while. Delivered by Cornhill HR, this session aims to
give you space to work through issues or challenges
you might be facing, in particular around sickness
and absence, and share good practice with other
organisations in and around Bristol.
Managing Volunteers9 July 2013, 1-4pm
This fun, creative session is suitable for any
organisation that involves volunteers, whether you’re
brand new to it, or very experienced. Delivered by
Volunteer Bristol, it aims to get participants thinking
about the ethos of volunteering and how to make
volunteering a rewarding, long-term activity.
To book or to find out more, please go to:
www.supporthub.org.uk/training-hub.
Alternatively, you can call us on
0117 909 9949.
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Managing staff and volunteersFor many of us, managing other people can be a complex part of our roles, whether it is being uncertain how to recruit the best candidate or keeping staff safe.
“Great session; it was engaging and covered a
wide area in good detail.”
Attendee, Volunteers and the Law, 2013.
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2020
Charities Online – a new way to do Gift Aid
On 22 April 2013 the way in which
charities claim Gift Aid will change
significantly. The old R68(i) form
will be replaced by an online
system and there will be three
ways to claim, depending on the
size of the organisation and how
many claims it makes. HMRC (Her
Majesty’s Revenue & Customs) has
announced a five-month transition
period, lasting until 30 September
2013, but organisations should start
planning for the change now.
Option One
For those without internet access
and with a small number of Gift
Aid donors, there is a new paper
claim form. Organisations can
order copies of this new form by
calling the HMRC helpline on
0845 302 0203 after 25 March.
Option Two
For organisations with under a
thousand Gift Aid claims, there will
be an online form and spreadsheet.
The form will have fields that must
be filled in, and will automatically
check that the information has
been entered in the correct format.
If it is likely that your organisation
will be using this method and
your database currently generates
your R68(i) donations schedule
for you, it is advisable to contact
your database supplier now to ask
whether they will be producing an
update to the claims report that
will be compatible with this new
claims method.
Option Three
For organisations that claim Gift Aid
on over a thousand donations or
use an automated system, there is
the integrated software route. Once
set up, a database will be able to link
directly to HMRC so all organisations
need to do is trigger the claim. By
using this method organisations will
be able to list up to 500,000 Gift
Aid donation details in any one day.
If this is the likely route for your
organisation, contact your database
supplier to establish whether they
will be producing an update to the
claims report and process that will
be compatible with the new claims
method. If you have a bespoke
fundraising database, ask your IT
team or developers to study the
‘Tech Pack’ on the HMRC website.
This gives the technical specification
that must be followed to make
claims through the software route,
and is available at: www.hmrc.gov.
uk/softwaredevelopers/gift-aid-
repayments.htm.
Further resources:
Institute of Fundraising
briefing: www.institute-of-
fundraising.org.uk/library/
charities-online-member-
briefing-feb-2013/
HMRC guidance: www.hmrc.
gov.uk/charities/online/
Oliver Williams from the Institute of Fundraising explains the changes being made to claiming Gift Aid.
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 21
Support Hub
Stepping up to equality and diversityIt is always useful to reassess how we are doing with equality and diversity (E&D), to be reminded or motivated to look at our organisation, to take action and progress. Voscur has produced 10 key points for reviewing and improving your policy and practice.
1. Your E&D policy
Ensure it is effective and well communicated, that it
makes reference to and explains how it is compliant
with the Equality Act 2010 and how your policies and
activities are fair and inclusive.
2. Protected groups
Be knowledgeable about the Act’s protected
characteristics groups, and other social groups that
often experience discrimination and exclusion. Are
you able to explain how your organisation’s service is
both inclusive and diverse?
3. Mission statement
Produce an E&D mission statement for all who use
and support your services. It should set out your
organisation’s ethos on, and commitment to, equality
and diversity, and your expectations of all your
stakeholders to support your mission statement.
4. Monitoring
Sound processes and regular monitoring will help
you to track who you are reaching with your services.
Consider how you make the data captured
anonymous; you should state this on the monitoring
forms you produce.
5. Evaluation
Use feedback from those who use your service
to improve what you do. Be alert to the groups
responding to your feedback – who is participating
in your services, who’s not, what are you being told?
Plan the actions you need to take.
6. Training
Offer opportunities for staff, board and volunteers to
learn about the Equality Act 2010; keep them updated
on changes to legislation and how this will impact on
your service; and ensure you advise people about their
responsibilities under the Act.
7. Tools and resources
Make use of and share guidance that is relevant for
your organisation to help improve your E&D awareness.
Here are a couple of useful online resources:
Community Action Hampshire: goo.gl/38BBN
A useful guide from ACEVO: goo.gl/AV2uH
8. Access
Involve all those who use and support your services
and keep them informed about how to meet your
requirements. Make regular checks on how accessible
your services are, including your premises, your events
and your publicity materials.
9. Promotion
What does your promotion say about your
organisation? Consider your leaflets, websites, articles
/ newsletters. If your services are reaching a diverse
audience then proudly reflect this.
10. Campaigning
Get your voice heard about equality issues. What are
the key concerns impacting those you support? What
does your organisation do about this? To help with
this, you may want to link in with the VCS Assembly
and networks: www.voiceandinfluence.org.uk.
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2022
Planning services and Self Directed Support
There has been a shift in the way
voluntary and community sector
(VCS) groups are funded by Bristol
City Council Health and Health and
Social Care (HSC) to fit with Self
Directed Support (personalisation).
Self Directed Support creates a
personal budget for each service
user; people will know how much
money is allocated for their social
care needs. Payment for services
will now come out of the personal
budget. Services must address
the critical and substantial care
needs of service users. This covers
personal care needs, ‘being part of
your community’ and ‘learning and
other activity opportunities’ (visit:
goo.gl/sr4pi for more information).
Providers will need to provide a per
person per session cost.
Voscur is planning to run a training
session on ‘Marketing Your
Project under Personalisation’
in Spring/Summer 2013 (see
p17). There is also a range of
materials on our website at: www.
voiceandinfluence.org.uk/hsc_
resources.
Our top tips for planning services
that target those on Self Directed
Support are:
• Charging may not sit well
with your values. Tackle this
issue before starting work on
calculations.
• If you want to target HSC
service users, the client group
may have higher support needs
than your existing client group
– don’t forget they have been
assessed as having critical and
substantial support needs to
meet HSC criteria.
• Be clear what your overhead
costs are, and have a good
model for splitting them
between all your activities
(useful websites on full
cost recovery are www.
fullcostrecovery.org.uk and
www.cash-online.org.uk).
• Establish the minimum
attendance needed to run
a viable service. Think about
creating a ‘programme of
events’ so service users commit,
or two levels of charging, one
for the programme and a higher
one for a per session basis.
• Look to commercial models –
yoga classes, martial arts groups
etc., as many run on sustainable
funding models.
• A small grant or local donation
to subsidise your activity can
make a big difference. This initial
support whilst numbers build up
may appeal to funders.
• You could offer discounts for
people who contribute to
running the service.
• You could approach local
organisations to buy tickets for
your services, which they could
then distribute to others, such
as local housing providers.
It may be a new way of planning
services, but it does bring benefits
– no more end-of-grant reports,
you can design your services
without trying to fit into funding
criteria, income generated is
unrestricted funds, and your
services will benefit those with
the highest support needs.
Service user and member of staff planting spring bulbs at Age UK Bristol’s New Beginnings Day Service in Withywood.
A training session on
Marketing Your Project
Under Personalisation
will be taking place this
Spring/Summer. Details are
still to be confirmed and will
be published on:
www.supporthub.org.uk/
training-hub
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 23
Support Hub
Frequently asked questions about safeguardingSome recent changes have taken place relating to safeguarding. The Criminal Record Bureau and Independent Safeguarding Authority have merged to form the Disclosure and Barring Service. Some of the terminology and definitions relating to safeguarding have also changed. This article highlights some key questions, particularly related to children and young people.
Are criminal record checks portable for volunteers?Employees and volunteers
only have to apply once to the
Disclosure and Barring Service
(DBS) for a criminal record check
and can then go online at a
later date to find out whether
this certificate is still up to date.
This update service is free for
volunteers. It allows people to re-
use criminal record checks when
working with vulnerable groups.
Employers will be able to check
this update service as well, but
there may be a cost for this.
What criminal record checks are available?There are five different types
of criminal record check offered
by the DBS:
Standard check: for certain
specified occupations, licences
and entry into certain specified
professions. For example,
doctors, dentists.
Enhanced check: for those
carrying out certain activities with
children or adults; applicants for
gaming and lottery licences, and
judicial appointments.
Enhanced DBS and barred
list check (child)
An enhanced check with
information from the DBS’s
children’s barred list is only
available for those individuals
engaged in regulated activity
with children and a small number
of posts as listed in the Police
Act 1997 regulations, for example
prospective adoptive parents.
Enhanced DBS and barred
list check (adult)
An enhanced check with
information from the DBS’s
adults’ barred list is only available
for those individuals engaged in
regulated activity with adults and
a small number of posts as listed
in the Police Act regulations.
Enhanced DBS and barred list
check (child and adult)
An enhanced check with
information from the DBS’s
children’s and adults’ barred list is
only available for those individuals
engaged in regulated activity
with both vulnerable groups
including children and a small
number of posts as listed in the
Police Act regulations.
How long is a criminal record check valid for?There is no official expiry date
for a criminal record check issued
by the Disclosure and Barring
Service (DBS).
The Unique Voice Ambassadors showcasing their talents at Bristol’s Harbour Fest
Continued overleaf
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2024
What is the new definition of regulated activity?‘Regulated activity’ relating to
children still excludes family
arrangements and personal,
non-commercial arrangements.
The new definition covers:
i. Unsupervised activities:
teach, train, instruct, care
for or supervise children, or
provide advice/guidance on
well-being, or drive a vehicle
only for children.
ii. Working in ‘specified places’,
with the opportunity for
contact. For example, schools,
children’s homes, childcare
premises. It does not cover
work by supervised volunteers.
Work under (i) or (ii) is regulated
activity only if it is done regularly,
carried out by the same person
frequently (once a week or more
often), or on four or more days in
a 30-day period (or in some cases,
overnight). There is guidance on
what is classed as ‘supervision’.*
iii. Relevant personal care, for
example washing or dressing;
or health care by or supervised
by a professional.
iv. Registered childminding
and foster-carers.
The full, legal definition of
regulated activity is set out in
Schedule 4 of the Safeguarding
Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, as
amended, in particular, by the
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
This includes working with adults.
* Statutory guidance: Regulated
Activity (children) – supervision
of activity with children which is
regulated activity when unsupervised:
goo.gl/xaBl1
Further details about
the DBS are available at:
www.homeoffice.gov.
uk/agencies-public-bodies/dbs/
Bristol’s Health and Wellbeing StrategyFebruary saw the publication of the
draft Joint Health and Wellbeing
Strategy – ‘Bristol Living City’.
Following national changes to the
delivery of health and wellbeing
services, each local authority and
Clinical Commissioning Group now
has a shared strategy setting out
how to improve the health and
wellbeing of its citizens.
The draft Bristol strategy has
four themes:
1. A city of healthy, safe and
sustainable communities
and places.
2. A city where health, life
expectancy and wellbeing
are improving for everybody.
3. A city where health inequalities
are reducing.
4. A city where people get access
to quality support when and
where they need it.
The strategy recognises the
challenges ahead – Bristol has a
growing population and has health
inequalities. People in some parts
of Bristol are statistically more likely
to die about 10 years earlier than
people in other parts of the city.
There is also recognition of the
reductions in public spending, in
all parts of the system.
The strategy identifies four ways
the themes can be achieved:
1. Working together to tackle
the main reasons why people
become unwell.
2. Working together in a
joined-up and cost-effective
way, integrating services
around people.
3. Driving integration –
ensuring better joined-up
services and empowering
people and communities to
help themselves.
4. Spreading good practice
and making the best use
of resources.
The draft strategy is out for
consultation until 10 May 2013.
You can find out about
consultation events, download
a copy of the strategy and give
online responses at: www.bristol.
gov.uk/healthandwellbeing.
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 25
Who do we think we are?
The census findings show that
since 2001 the population of
Bristol has grown by 38,000 (just
under 10%). As there was a larger
rise in the population of men, the
overall Bristol population is now
more evenly split between men
(213,100) and women (215,200).
Age
There has been significant growth
in the number of young people
in Bristol with an increase in 0-15
year olds of 5,200 (+7%) and
an increase in 16-24 year olds
of 9,400 (+16.6%). The only age
group to see a slight reduction is
those aged over 65.
Ethnicity
The number of people describing
themselves as White British has
remained broadly stable since
2001, showing a slight drop of
1,653 to 333,432. However, the
2011 census reveals an increase
in population amongst some
of Bristol’s minority ethnic
communities. The largest
increase has been in those people
describing themselves as Black
African, rising by 9,775. Other
ethnic groups which have seen a
significant increase include those
who describe themselves
as mixed/multiple ethnic group
(+ 7,504), other black (+ 5,986),
other Asian (+ 3,271), Pakistani
(+ 2,813), Indian (+ 1,952), and
Chinese (+ 1,737). The 2011
census included Arab as an
ethnic group for the first time;
Bristol’s Arab population is
recorded as 1,272.
Language
There are now more than 85
main languages being spoken in
Bristol. After English the most
frequent languages spoken are
Polish (6,080), Somali (5,004), Urdu
(1,432), French (1,403), Spanish
(1,329), Punjabi (1,306), and Arabic
(1,103). The 2011 census also
recorded for the first time the
number of people who stated that
British Sign Language (BSL) was
their main language (201).
Health — provision of long-term care and disability
The number of people who state
that they have a long-term health
problem or disability has increased
by 9,985 to 71,724. For the first
time the 2011 census recorded
the number of ‘people with good
or very good health’ as 352,307.
The census records that 40,138
people provide unpaid care in
Bristol, an increase of 4,794
since 2001.
Faith
The 2011 census shows a
significant increase in the number
of people stating that they have
no religion, rising by 66,896 to
160,218. The number of people
stating their religion has dropped
by 35,985 to 200,254. There has
been an increase in the number
of people identifying as having
other faiths including Muslim
(+ 14,352), Buddhist (+ 935),
Hindu (+ 581) and Sikh (+ 355).
The results of the 2011 census have now been released in full and provide a picture of the changing age and diversity of Bristol’s population since 2001. In February, Voscur’s Voice and Influence Service organised a briefing on the latest census results. The presentation from the briefing is available on the Voice and Influence website here: goo.gl/SuLeb.
Find out more
The full 2011 census
findings for Bristol can be found
on the Bristol City Council
website here: goo.gl/tIqT0.
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2026
During January and February, local
voluntary and community sector
(VCS) organisations completed
the 2013 Voice and Influence (V&I)
survey. Initial results give an insight
into how influential the sector in
Bristol feels. We will use the full
results of the survey to tailor our
V&I support to the needs of VCS
groups in Bristol.
We asked how VCS organisations
rated the effectiveness of V&I
activities* in ensuring the views
of the VCS were represented to
decision makers and/or influencing
a decision or outcome.
Overall, responses were positive
to the statement ‘I am confident
that Voice and Influence activity is
effective in helping to represent
the views of Bristol’s voluntary and
community sector to key decision
makers’ although they highlight a
need to further promote the work
(see pie chart).
We also asked to what extent
VCS organisations thought that
the Voscur/V&I activity helped
ensure that the views of the VCS
were heard and responded to
by key decision makers. We have
highlighted some key results in
the chart below:
Find out more
These are interim findings; at the time of Thrive! going to press, 60 VCS organisations had responded to the survey. For the full results visit: goo.gl/N0Fm0
How influential do you feel?
* Voice and Influence activity including Assembly and network meetings, special consultation and information events/meetings, VCS Advocates, reports and publications, website and e-information, surveys and questionnaires.
28% Mostly agree
7% Partially agree
27% Fully agree
5% Do not agree
33% Don't know
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Heard
Responded
Heard
Responded
Heard
Responded
Heard
Responded
Very well Well Well
Heard 12% 49%
Responded 31%
27%
22%
15%
24%
13% 47%
8% 41%
10% 37%
6% 42%
Key decision makers overall
The Mayor of Bristol
Elected councillors
The Police & Crime Commissioner
Senior public sector officers
To what extent has Voscur/Voice and Influence activity helped ensure that the views of the VCS are heard and responded to by key decision makers?
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 27
Reclaiming the agendaOver many years the voluntary and community sector (VCS) has been expected to respond to the latest government initiative. It is Voscur’s role to support the sector to engage with those initiatives that will affect organisations and/or the communities they serve.
Last year saw us supporting the
sector to engage with the Mayor
and Police Crime Commissioner
elections, reporting on
neighbourhood partnerships, and
working with health and social
care commissioners to influence
the personalisation agenda.
In January, we worked with Advice
Centres for Avon and Bristol City
Council to raise awareness of the
impact of Welfare Reform.
In February, we brought providers
and commissioners together at a
joint event in February to explore
some of the issues that groups
have raised with us in relation to
commissioning and procurement
(see pages 12-13).
Also in February, the Mayor
accepted our invitation to come
along and meet VCS advocates
and members of Voscur’s board
and staff team. We had a wide-
ranging discussion – hot topics
being commissioning, investing
in the sector, the use of Social
Impact Bonds, preventing
homelessness and the Bristol
Youth Links contracts.
Being able to bring the sector
together to respond to the
external agenda is a strength,
but we want to help the VCS
to have a more proactive role
– it’s time that we did some
agenda setting ourselves! The
election of the Mayor and Police
and Crime Commissioner and
the development of the Local
Enterprise Partnership provides
us with an opportunity to do
just that.
We would like to invite you to the
VCS Assembly Conference, to take
part in an ‘open space’ discussion
to help us set the priorities for
next year. What are the messages
that we should be getting out
there? How can our skilled and
resourceful team, our links to
decision makers, and our access
to all kinds of communications
technologies better support you
and your organisation?
In other words:
VCS Assembly Conference – Reclaiming the Agenda12 June 2013, 10am-4:30pm, The Park Community Centre
A chance for organisations and
communities to identify critical
issues, voice their passions and
concerns, learn from each other,
and take collective responsibility
for finding solutions.
If you would like to work with
us to put this event together or
are interested to find out
more, please email:
• What do you want to say?
• Who do you want to hear your message?
• How can we help you?
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2028
How Deaf aware are you?
There are a few basic rules to
improve communication with Deaf
people, including steps you can
take to make your organisation
more Deaf aware. On Voscur’s
website you will find a range of
resources including the standard
manual alphabet and guidance
on communicating with Deaf
people that can help you make
a start on this. You can also
take a look at information on
the BSL Charter on Bristol City
Council’s website (see links in the
information box below).
An update on Voscur’s Deaf Transitional Development Project
Voscur’s Deaf Transitional
Development Project is focused
on the health and social care
needs of Deaf people. The project
aims to explore and encourage
action on:
• How Bristol City Council (BCC)
can improve services for Deaf
people and make their services
more accessible.
• What Deaf people need to
increase their independence
and be empowered (for
example, developing skills to
run their own organisations).
Between November 2012 and
January 2013 Voscur conducted
a questionnaire surveying the
health and social care needs
of Deaf people. We were very
pleased with the 34% return
rate – which was more than
anticipated; this demonstrates
that Deaf people want to engage
and have their say. In our next
edition of Thrive! we will report
back on what the responses tell
us in relation to what the local
Deaf community needs.
When the survey results are
analysed we will undertake specific
actions for increasing skills among
Deaf people to participate in
managing organisations. This
could include training to develop
personal skills, such as leadership
and confidence building.
The project is also making
comparisons between Bristol
City Council’s services and other
local authorities that are known
to follow the BSL (British Sign
Language) Charter. This charter
includes five pledges that local
authorities sign up to around
increasing access for Deaf people.
For more information on the
project, email: [email protected]
Deaf Awareness Week is a national event which aims to promote a greater understanding of the issues faced by Deaf people. The week takes place from the 6-12 May 2013 and the theme this year is ‘Look at me’ which focuses on communication.
Further information:
Voscur resources: www.voscur.org/deaf-awareness
BSL Charter: goo.gl/naeR6.
Photo by hellojenuine
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 29
meeting with Bristol-based
BME-led organisations and
those representing local BME
communities, to discuss their
views and needs. From these
discussions we will work to
connect BME groups with relevant
public and private sector decision
makers, for example the Police
and Crime Commissioner. We will
also work to connect them with
other BME groups and encourage
groups to join the VCS assembly
to strengthen their voice and
influence in the city.
We will be working in creative ways
with groups and organisations
including using radio to encourage
the discussion of BME voice and
influence in the wider community.
We will be using social media
sites such as Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube to encourage
participation and discussion
and encouraging the groups we
work with to do the same if they
haven’t already done so.
I am excited and honoured to
be working in the area of black
and minority ethnic (BME) voice
and influence in Bristol at a time
when there is so much change.
Instability can highlight threats
as well as create opportunities.
The task ahead is significant
but I have every faith in local
BME communities and the
organisations that represent
them and their interests.
In the next few months we will
have a BME Voice and Influence
steering group. Members on the
steering group will be experts
in their field who bring a wealth
of knowledge about the BME
community groups in Bristol. The
steering group will meet quarterly
to inform and support the work
being carried out by Voscur, as
well as evaluating its success. If
you are interested in the work of
the group or want to get involved,
please feel free to contact me
(details in the box to the right).
We have some exciting areas
of work to come, including an
events programme to champion
BME groups, BME initiatives
and BME interests. We will be
For more information
on this project,
contact Hibaq Jama on
0117 909 9949 or email:
For more information on
the VCS Assembly, visit
www.voiceandinfluence.org.uk/
voice-and-influence/assembly-
meetings
A new approach to BME Voice and Influence in BristolHibaq Jama, Voscur’s BME Voice and Influence Connector, writes about this exciting new project.
Photo by Coventry City Council
www.voscur.org April / May / June 2013 Issue 2030
Strike, rise up and dance
One Billion Rising was created by
Eve Ensler (author of ‘The Vagina
Monologues’), urging women,
men and children across the globe
to ‘Strike, Rise Up and Dance’ in
solidarity to demand an end to
violence. The movement highlights
and says ‘No more!’ to the atrocity
that one in three women on the
planet will be raped, violated or
beaten in their lifetime.* I am one
of nine local women, led by Jodi
Ahmed, who have come together
to organise Bristol events this year,
both on 14 February and one to
come on 27 April.
Zumba was chosen for a series
of February 14 flashmobs, with
easy-to-follow dances that people
could learn or else freestyle on
the day. We began with around 50
people at Castle Park and marched
and danced through Broadmead
to the fountains where Bristol’s
mayor George Ferguson joined us.
We ended in Millennium Square
with over 250 people dancing and
then observing a minute’s silence,
with a chance to light a candle for
those who have been or still are
affected by abuse. Bristol Against
Violence and Abuse (BAVA) spoke
at the event about the importance
of the movement and what they
do locally. It was an uplifting and
emotional day.
On 27 April we are running a free
dance workshop and information
day in St Werburghs Community
Centre. Local charities such as
Next Link, Womankind, Bristol
Rape Crisis, One25 and The
Freedom Programme will be on
hand to provide information,
signposting and support. In the
evening at The Attic Bar we will
host a musical fundraiser for
Next Link; I myself was a client
four years ago and they changed
my life.
One Billion Rising is the biggest
mass global action to end violence
against women and girls in the
history of humankind and events
have taken place in 199 different
countries. We hope to expand it
further in years to come.
* 2003 UNIFEM report entitled ‘Not A Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women’ or the 2008 UNITE To End Violence Against Women Campaign, initiated by the UN Secretary-General’s Office.
Eleanor Bridge, one of the organisers of Bristol’s ‘One Billion Rising’ movement, writes about the February day of action and events still to come to promote awareness of violence against women and girls in our city and around the world.
For photos and videos
from the Bristol event,
visit: www.facebook.
com/groups/OBRBristol.
You can contact Eleanor
Bridge by emailing:
For more information about
One Billion Rising, visit:
www.onebillionrising.org
To read the Guardian’s coverage
of events around the world,
visit: goo.gl/SzW5N
Photo by Mark Simmons Photography
Local people taking part in the One Billion Rising event this February
Issue 20 April / May / June 2013 www.voscur.org 31
Nominating Community Assets
What does the Community Right to Bid actually allow organisations to do?
Voluntary and community sector
(VCS) organisations can nominate
both privately and publicly owned
assets to be included on a list of
assets of community value. This
list is managed by the Council.
If a landowner wants to sell a
registered property, they must
tell the Council. If a community
group wants to buy the asset,
the group can trigger a six-month
moratorium to give it a chance
to prepare a bid. The moratorium
means that during this period,
the owner cannot sell their
property on the open market.
This gives community groups an
increased chance to save much-
loved shops, pubs or other local
facilities by developing a proposal
and raising the required funds.
At the end of the six-month
period, the owner is free to sell
the asset to whomever they wish
and at any price.
Who can nominate an asset of community value?
Only eligible VCS organisations can
make nominations, not individuals,
nor the Council.
The Community Right to Bid (also known as Assets of Community Value), which gives people the chance to bid to buy and take over the running of assets that are of value to the local community, has become law.
Eligible organisations must have
a local connection to the property
they wish to nominate and be one
or more of the following:
• An unincorporated community
group with at least 21 members
who are registered to vote in
the Bristol City Council area.
• A parish council.
• A charity.
• An industrial and
provident society.
• A local neighbourhood forum.
• A company limited by
guarantee or a community
interest company.
How can I nominate an asset of community value?
Nominations need to be made
by completing an Assets of
Community Value nomination
form. This form, along with the
full list of criteria and information
required for nominations, is
available on the Bristol City
Council website.
What happens following nomination?
The Council has to decide whether
or not to list the asset within eight
weeks following the nomination.
The Council must check that the
information supplied is correct
and that the asset is not in an
excluded category. Decisions as to
whether the nominated assets are
of community value will be made
by a specially convened officer
asset group.
Photo by Elliott Brown
Find out more and useful links
www.bristol.gov.uk/page/
community-and-safety/
community-right-bid
www.mycommunityrights.org.
uk/community-right-to-bid/
For information on the
Community Right to Challenge
(another Community Right that
has come into force through the
Localism Act 2011) see p8.
For details of all the above training and events visit: www.voscur.org/calendar/month
Voscur Ltd. Royal Oak House Royal Oak Avenue Bristol BS1 4GB
Tel: 0117 909 9949 Fax: 0117 933 0501 Email: [email protected] Web: www.voscur.org
Voscur is a registered charity and a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Company no. 3918210. Charity no. 1148403.
Printed on 100% recycled paper using vegetable-based inks
April 2013Date Time Event/training Location
16th 6:30-9:30pm Being a Good Trustee Barton Hill Settlement
17th 1-3:30pm Health and Social Care Network meeting St Werburghs Community Centre
23rd 10am-12:30pm An Introduction to Charitable Incorporated Organisations Southville Centre
25th 9:30am-1pm Increasing Diversity in Your Organisation The CREATE Centre
May 2013Date Time Event/training Location
8th 9:30am-3:30pm Strengthening Your Team – During and After Change St Werburghs Community Centre
11th 10am-1pm City-Wide Neighbourhood Partnership meeting The Greenway Centre
14th 9:30am-3:30pm Introduction to Fundraising Easton Community Centre
21st 9:30am-3:30pm Using and Understanding Payment by Results The Gatehouse Centre
22nd 10am-12pm Children and Young People’s Network meeting Barton Hill Settlement
23rd 6:30-9:30pm Being an Even Better Trustee Barton Hill Settlement
June 2013Date Time Event/training Location
6th 9:30am-3:30pm Lone Working and Personal Safety St Pauls Learning & Family Centre
12th 10am-4:30pm VCS Assembly conference – Reclaiming the Agenda The Park Community Centre
20th 1-3:30pm Health and Social Care Network meeting St Werburghs Community Centre
25th 9:30am-3:30pm Introduction to Quality Marks The Withywood Centre
28th 9:30am-3:30pm Costing Your Project for Commissioning Windmill Hill City Farm
July 2013Date Time Event/training Location
3rd 9:30am-3:30pm Writing Small Fundraising Bids St Werburghs Community Centre
4th 9:30am-3:30pm Communicate! TBC
8th 1-3pm Finance Forum TBC
9th 9:30am-12:30pm Managing Staff The GreenHouse
9th 1-4pm Managing Volunteers The GreenHouse
16th 5:30-8pm Neighbourhoods and Communities Network meeting Windmill Hill City Farm
16th 6:30-8:30pm Trustee Network TBC
Training and events diary