SVSYF Snippets - June 2011
SVSYF Snippets collates information from a variety of sources that may interest you or your organisation.
'Snippets' will be distributed monthly.
Please feel free to distribute this to other colleagues. Note that this information has been provided to SVSYF by 3rd parties and we are not responsible for the content of information.
"I have now finished university and am leaving SVSYF on the 21st of June to move to London and undertake a graduate job with Bloomberg. This has been an excellent and rewarding experience for me and I have truly enjoyed working with the SVSYF team and our members.
SVSYF are looking for a new team member for my position, which means that our next snippets and newsletter issues will not be out until September 2011." Olga Volodina, SVSYF Information and Communications Officer
SVSYF News
Youth Work in a Digital Age Conference
SVSYF is organising the first Digital Youth Work conference in Sunderland which will take place on 14th July. The conference will ask key questions about social media for youth engagement, share practice guidance, ideas and tips and provide opportunities for learning from experts and from each other. After attending the Youth Work Digital Conference youth work practitioners will feel able and confident to take the learning into workplace.
Note: the conference is an invite only event.
For more information, please contact Amanda Gerry or telephone 0191 5655144. |
Visit the website |
Action Learning Sets
A series of Action Learning Sets have been developed as a follow on from the conference to build practitioners skills and give them the confidence to use some new social media tools in a supportive environment. These sessions are aimed at practitioners working with children and young people in Sunderland.
The ALS are only open to practitioners who attended the youth Work in a Digital Age Conference (14th July 2011) and places are limited to 1 per organisation; ideally this person will be someone who can cascade the information, e.g. training officer. We expect high demand so book your place quickly. |
Find out more
Download booking form |
Speed Networking Event
SVSYF ran a Speed Networking event in April this year. It provided a very good networking and promotional opportunity for youth work practitioners. We have received a lot of positive feedback about the event. Both, visitors and stall holders, found it useful and many new contacts were made. Visit the Speed Networking Event webpage to see what the delegates said about the event, look at the pictures taken on the day and learn about opportunities and projects offered by Spark FM, Museums & Winter Gardens and Young Asian Voices. |
Visit the website |
Young People Social Media Questionnaires
SVSYF are gathering data from young people to understand how and why they use the internet and how youth work organisations could engage with them. Please promote the young people’s questionnaire within your organisation. Our aim is to engage with at least 500 young people (prize draw for young people offering £25 high street voucher). |
Access the questionnaire |
Practitioners Social Media Questionnaires
SVSYF are gathering views on the use of social media from practitioners working with young people and would like to ask you to complete the practitioners questionnaire. Thank you very much for your help. |
Access the questionnaire |
Regional and National News
Different Pasts, Shared Futures
To coincide with National Refugee Week, All Points North Youth Project and North of England Refugee Service would like to invite you to come along to one of their 3 Regional Events. Refugee Week is a unique opportunity to discover and celebrate the contributions refugees bring to the UK so we invite you to come and explore the positive work some young people from our region have been involved with. |
Download: flyer
agenda
booking form |
Child Sex Abuse Offences Increase
More than 23,000 sex offences against children were logged by police in England and Wales last year, according to research by the NSPCC. Most of the cases concerned children aged 12 to 15, but more than 1,000 victims were pre-school age and one in four was aged 11 or under. |
Read the full article |
Youth Unemployment
The number of young people claiming unemployment benefits rose by 6,800 in a month, according to latest government figures. Those aged between 16 and 24 claiming Job seeker’s Allowance went from 415,100 in March to 421,900 in April.
Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have launched Supporting Youth Employment. This is an overview of the government's plans to tackle youth unemployment. The measures aim to tackle some of the long term structural barriers that stop some young people from getting a job and starting their career. They include a new £60m package to create apprenticeships and work placements in private firms later. A new £10 million a year innovation fund will also be launched aimed at the voluntary and community sector to help in the drive to help young people find jobs. Cameron also announced a pilot, involving 50,000 young people over two years, of six-week intensive periods of support - including help with training, childcare and presentation skills - with a guaranteed job interview at the end.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released their latest unemployment figures which show that the under-25s are being disproportionately affected. The number of young people aged between 16 and 24 who were out of work hit 963,000 in the three months to February – 12,000 more than in the previous quarter. This pushed Britain's youth unemployment rate up by 0.1 percentage points to 20.4%. The number of unemployed 16- to 17-year-olds hit records levels in the quarter, increasing by 14,000 to 218,000. The number of unemployed 18- to 24-year-olds fell by 2,000 on the quarter to reach 745,000. |
Read the full article
Read the report
Read the report |
Councils Face Judicial Review Over Cuts to Short Breaks Service For Disabled Children
Two councils in northern England are facing judicial reviews after withdrawing funding for services that provide short breaks for disabled children. The judicial review proceedings against Lancashire Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council have been launched by four families, two from each authority, who rely on local authority funding to pay for short breaks and respite care. The families say the councils have breached their human rights, the Equalities Act, the Disability Discrimination Act and the Children Act. Lancashire Council faces claims that its proposal to reduce spending on children and young people services by £11.8m is unlawful. In Blackburn it is claimed the council acted unlawfully and unfairly this month by withdrawing funding for short breaks. |
Find out more |
"The Need to Measure Valuable Outcomes" - Comment
It has been said that "the most valuable outcomes of youth work are the most difficult to measure". Now more than ever before, service providers need to be able to articulate the value proposition in their work with young people. In addition, the sector needs to explore new models of funding work with young people, including social finance.
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Read the full article |
Who needs an Institute for Youth Work anyway?
The wheel turns. An Institute for Youth Work? An idea to provide the youth workforce with a strong voice whose time has come, or an idea whose time has come and gone? In tough times, the talk is always about coming together, but as soon as things look a bit better, our internal divisions surface as different factions battle for the high ground. If an Institute for Youth Work is to be set up, it must be fit for purpose, for policy and for practice. As somebody once said, if we are to reinvent the wheel, let's be sure it's round. |
Read the full article |
Pupils Required to Achieve Grades
Pupils who fall short of obtaining a grade C or above in GCSE English and maths will be required to study the subjects until they reach age 18, the government has announced. The measure was among those proposed by Professor Alison Wolf in her review of vocational education earlier this year. |
Read the full article |
Rewarding Innovation and Inspiration
The Children & Young People Now Awards have become the gold standard for everyone working with children, young people and families. They offer an opportunity to raise the profile of projects and initiatives to funders and the general public. The awards recognise initiatives from the public, private and voluntary sector that work with children and young people from birth to adolescence as well as their families. Initiatives might be aimed at all children and families within a community or targeted at those who are the most vulnerable or disadvantaged. |
Find out more |
Benefits for Young People With Long-term Health Conditions
Margaret Curran (Glasgow East, Labour) has asked the Department for Work and Pensions about the benefits are available to 16 to 18-year-olds with long-term health conditions who are (a) in employment, (b) unable to work as a result of their condition, (c) seeking work and (d) in education. Minister for Disabled People Maria Miller set out a table summarising the benefits which may be available to people in those four groups. |
Find out more |
Join Thousands of Others in the Sunderland City 10k
The Sunderland City 10K will be held on 26th June 2011 at 10.30am and you can join thousands of runners taking part in this exciting city centre event. The run will start and finish at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light — taking in the city’s sights on both sides of the river, passing through the marina and along the sea front to Roker Park.
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Find out more and join |
No Priority for National Citizen Service
During the session Terry Ryall, chief executive of the NCVYS member v said that the National Citizen Service should "probably not" be given priority over other youth volunteering schemes. She said that, instead of setting up the scheme, the government should have tried to bring together existing volunteering activities under a national project. Loughton said, "Youth services in this country are one of the most high-profile unreformed services we have. A lot of other areas of children's services have undergone a lot of change - much for the better. But youth services have been left in a time warp." |
Find out more |
Sir Ronald Cohen Calls for at Least £250m to Fund Social Impact Bonds
Third Sector also reports that Sir Ronald Cohen, who has helped to develop the Big Society Bank, has asked the government to allocate between £250m and £300m to government departments and local authorities to fund social impact bonds. The bonds allow investors to provide cash for charities to carry out early interventions in fields such as crime reduction, drugs and childcare. If the charities are successful in reducing the number of people needing government support, their investors are repaid at a profit by the government. |
Read more |
Employment Regulations
Employment Relations Minister Edward Davey has announced moves to ensure Britain has flexible labour markets. He said that the Government would consider 'reforming' employment protection law in relation to collective redundancy consultation periods, the Transfer Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations, and compensation for discrimination awarded by employment tribunals. |
Find out more |
Welfare Reform Bill
At the committee stage of the Bill Kate Green (Labour, Stretford and Urmston) has argued that plans to cap household benefits at £500 a week could force more families to move to areas where rents are cheaper. She claimed that this would make it harder for social workers to support families and to monitor the welfare of children. Her amendment calling for an exemption is being backed by the charity Family Action. The exemption would apply to families where children are subject to a child protection plan, children in need assessment or where there is a common assessment framework team around the child in place. |
Find out more |
Voluntary Sector and Central Buying System
Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd has said that talks are under way to let the voluntary sector use the government's central buying system. Goods and services for the sector such as stationary, energy and professional services are some of the examples that could be purchased. Hurd said that talks were at an early stage but voluntary sector umbrella bodies were keen on the idea of setting up a mutual or cooperative to buy resources for a range of charities using the central government system. |
Find out more |
Homeless Young People
The Court of Appeal has ruled that local councils have a legal obligation to provide homeless teenagers with ongoing care and support beyond simple housing support. The Court ruled that Lambeth Council failed to meet its legal obligations through the Children Act to support a homeless teenage boy. The judgment said that 16- and 17-year-olds need to be assessed by social workers rather than housing officers. Also, housing and social services departments need to ensure they have a joint protocol in place for dealing with homeless teenagers. |
Find out more |
New Draft Rules for Local Authorities That Disproportionately Reduce Voluntary Sector Funding
The Communities and Local Government department has announced it may remove councils' responsibility for voluntary sector funding or force them to change their policies if they cut the sector's funding disproportionately, according to new draft rules. This follows Eric Pickles announcement against disproportionate cuts last month; new guidance from the department, published for consultation today, says councils "should seek to avoid passing on disproportionate cuts" to the voluntary sector. It also states that councils that are planning to cut funding for voluntary sector groups should give three months' notice to the groups and their service users if the funding cut "will materially threaten the viability of the organisation or the service it provides". |
Find out more |
Health and Social Care Bill – Criticisms Halt Progress
Council leaders have called for face-to-face talks with health secretary Andrew Lansley to answer local authority concerns about his NHS reforms and ensure they do not fail vulnerable groups such as the homeless or people with mental health problems, learning disabilities or HIV/Aids. The Government's Health and Social Care Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 19 January 2011. The Bill proposes to create an independent NHS Board, increase GP's powers to commission services on behalf of their patients, and to reduce NHS administration costs. |
Find out more |
Training/ Support
Understanding Leadership Development - FREE Training
Through attending these free leadership workshops, you will increase your understanding of leadership and how you can better plan for the future of your organisation.
When and Where:
Understanding Leadership Development - 16th June, (9.30am - 1.00pm), Thistle Hotel, Middlesbrough 4 |
Find out more |
Winning Bids - FREE Training
This practical 1 day skills session will provide expert and easy to understand guidance, techniques and support your skills development on how to get through the pre-qualification questionnaire stage and how to write tenders to set you apart from the competition. This session is open to staff from any Third Sector organisation in the North East seeking to bid successfully for public sector contracts. |
Find out more |
Creating Changes Offers FREE Training Courses
Creating Changes is a project offering free community development training to a wide range of local support and development organisations, so that they can improve their practice in supporting small groups and networks.
The next course in Sunderland will take place on 15th of June, 9.30 am - 4pm - Supporting and Managing Community Development FREE Course. |
Information about the course
All courses |
Youth Work Apprenticeships Frameworks
Youth Work Apprenticeships Frameworks have been designed as nationally recognised training programmes that offer routes of entry into the Youth Work sector in England and Wales. They are appropriate for Assistant Youth Workers (at level 2) and Youth Workers (at level 3) who are working in the private, public or voluntary sector. |
Find out more |
Workshops and Coaching Masterclasses for Sports Clubs, Coaches and Athletes in Sunderland
Active Sunderland Club Development is all about supporting and inspiring the city's sports clubs, coaches and athletes to become better equipped to deliver sports activities to the people of Sunderland. You’re invited to sign up to a variety of courses and workshops, which are taking place throughout June and July, from First Aid training and project planning to master classes delivered by International and Olympic Coaches. |
Find out more |
FREE Online Careers Service
Next Step, the adult careers service, provides access to the best information, advice and resources to help your staff make more effective skills, careers, work and life choices. It is available to all adults in England, aged 19 and over, whatever their prior skills, qualifications or current employment status. |
Find out more |
Eating Distress - Training for Professionals
This one day interactive training course delivered by Them Wifies and NIWE Eating Distress Service addresses a serious health issue, eating distress, which is affecting an increasing number of young people, particularly young women. Using a film made by young people as a guide it will provide a clear definition of the term “Eating distress” and an understanding of events or situations that could “trigger” an eating disorder. It promotes alternative ways of coping with difficult emotions, providing ways to raise self esteem and identifying support available to young people.
Cost Per place: £100 – Voluntary Organisations £120 - Statutory Sector
Venue: Newcastle City Library (Bewick room)
Dates: Tuesday 2nd August 2011; Tuesday 27th September 2011; Tuesday 30th November 2011
Time: 10am – 4pm |
To find out more call 0191 2619923 or email Maria Lavelle |
Events
FREE Drama Performance on Crime
Theatre Pie is a young women’s drama group based in Newcastle who have created an original DVD and pieces of Theatre which explore the short and long term effects of crime. The issues will include: Stalking, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and theft
When and Where: Tuesday 14th June, 10:00am – 11:00am at Newcastle Central Library (Bewick Hall) |
Find out more |
Social Media Convention
NCVO has joined the coalition of organisations for the June convention on social media for the third sector. Join over 300 delegates, 50 speakers and sessions for two days of inspiring debate and discussion on digital communications and social media, on 13-14th of June. For regular news follow @nfpsm on Twitter. NCVO members receive a £50 discount by quoting ncvo50 when booking online or over the phone. |
Find out more |
Speed Dating Event
The aim of this event is for representatives from community groups and organizations to meet academic staff and postgraduate researchers from across the University to find out more about each other and explore possibilities for collaborative research on any topic. Members of University support departments will be on hand to give advice about funding possibilities and other possibilities for Community-University engagement Format: There will be a long central table with scones, tea and coffee to fuel the interactions. People will be allowed four minutes per interaction, after which they are expected to move on or continue further discussions about potential research links at side tables. No need to register – just show up and get dating!! This event is FREE and open to all.
Where and when:
St Chad’s College, Durham University 4-6pm, Tuesday 14th June 2011 |
Download flyer |
Big Society
Big Society Commission Report
The Commission on Big Society has published Powerful People, Responsible Society.The commission was set up by The Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) and chaired by the Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard. It recommends that the government should repeat the £100m Transition Fund, but target it at the most deprived communities. It also made recommendations around guidance on council cuts to the voluntary sector, commissioning, service-user involvement, banking and VAT. |
Read the report |
Big Society Opportunities for Small Organisations
Where to find the money in the Big Society - Jess Farr pinpoints the likely funding sources for smaller organisations. |
Read the article |
Resources / Websites
Personal Safety Leaflets
KnifeCrimes.Org are developing personal safety leaflets for children, young people and adults. You can request a copy of any of the following leaflets to comment upon or provide feedback on their further improvement :
1. ICE – In Case of Emergency
2. Parents and Guardians Guide to Personal Safety for Children & Young People
3. Personal Safety Tips for 6th Form and First Year Students
4. Personal Safety Tips for Children & Young People
5. Personal Safety Tips for Teenagers
6. Personal Safety Tips when using the Internet
7. Self Harm and Young People
8. Top Tips for Adult Personal Safety
Once completed, after feedback and comments, the documents will be made available to download here. |
Request the leaflets by emailing KnifeCrimes
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PQASSO Quality Standard
All organisations need to demonstrate that they are effective, well-run and have robust systems in place, but finding an effective way of doing this can be a challenge. PQASSO3, the sectors leading quality standard, has been developed to meet these needs. An easy to use tool, it provides a comprehensive framework for running an effective organisation - irrespective of size or focus. |
Find out more |
Youth Work Textbook
Critical Issues in Youth Work Management communicates the complexities and controversies at the heart of youth work management, exploring key issues in a critical fashion. Written by a team of experienced youth work lecturers, the chapters cover topics such as planning, evaluation and supervision, whilst acknowledging the changing structures of integrated services and the impact of public service reform. |
Find out more |
Facebook Launches Non-profit Page
A new resource centre was created to help non-profits use the social network. |
Visit the page |
ACEVO Support Available for Third Sector
Through the Third Sector Capacity Fund, ACEVO is offering free governance support packages including Governance Review Service and free Preparing for Personalisation consultancy support to third sector organisations in the North East. |
Find out more |
Monitoring and Evaluation on a Shoestring
A new guide from Charities Evaluation Services’ National Performance Programme, designed as a practical guide and recognising the limited budgets available to many organisations for their monitoring and evaluation. |
Find out more |
ASDAN Enterprise Resources
ASDAN have developed an Enterprise page which includes 11 downloadable case studies on how ASDAN Programmes and Qualifications can be used to develop Enterprise skills and accredit these activities. The Enterprise Network is a project that aims to improve the quality and quantity of enterprise education for learners aged 5–19. |
Visit the website |
Third Sector Governance and Leadership for Change
Through the Third Sector Capacity Fund, ACEVO is offering free governance support packages including Governance Review Service and free Preparing for Personalisation consultancy support to third sector organisations in the North East. |
Find out more
Visit the website |
What's Your Destination
The Government has launched a new, independent and charity sector led initiative that will try to make it easier to find and access the many organisations that aim to inspire young people. The initiative has support from a variety of organisations already. It is still at an early stage, and is currently focused on bringing together all interested stakeholders to help shape the initiative for a launch later in the summer. |
Visit the website |
Helping You Find Top Quality Consultants
NCVO will shortly be posting a new Directory of Approved Consultants 2011. Selecting the right person for a project, with the right experience, skills, and some assurance about the quality of their work, can be difficult, time-consuming and expensive. So they have ensured that their list of experienced specialists has gone through an approval process and demonstrated a commitment to providing you with high quality service. You can also access an online version. |
Find out more |
Hotspots For Problems Faced by Young People
The helpline Get Connected has published a map highlighting regional hotspots for problems faced by young people such as bullying or housing issues. Based on data from its call centre the map reveals that 9% of calls from young people in Birmingham relate to bullying and in Sheffield 22% of calls relate to housing problems. Other hotspots include Edinburgh, where addiction-related enquiries make up 12% of calls and Cardiff, where education concerns trouble 9% of callers. |
Find out more |
Get Technology Donations from Microsoft, Cisco and Symantec
Did you know that some of the world’s leading technology companies will donate their products to eligible UK charities? To see the full range of donors, available products and how to apply for a donation, visit the Charity Technology Exchange website at . |
Visit the website |
Value for Money of Youth Services
The Audit Commission has developed a self-assessment pack to help providers of youth services to identify how best to spend their money. The pack has been developed in partnership with the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services and is organised into five modules that take users through a structured assessment of their services, drawing on their own and comparative data about spending and outcomes. It then helps them develop an action plan. The Services for Young People: Value for Money Self-Assessment Pack covers a variety of youth services, including youth clubs, outreach projects, information, advice and guidance schemes and the youth offending services. |
Find out more |
Commissioning Guide
The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) has launched A beginners' guide to commissioning. The guide is aimed at development workers supporting local charities and voluntary organisations to engage with the commissioning landscape for the first time. |
Download the guide |
Resilience and Growth Programme for the North East Third Sector
The Thrive programme is here to help. Delivered by a partnership of organisations (VONNE, New Skills, The Social Investment Business, Business Mind Social Purpose) it is offering 1 to 1 intensive bespoke support to third sector organisations in the North East for free. This offer is open to organisations wanting to secure alternative sources of finance and/or to win and deliver public service contracts. Up to 8 days consultancy support is available (worth £4,800) made up of practical 1 to 1 support tailored to your needs.
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Register your details or email Thrive
Find out more |
Free Equipment Recycling
Sunderland City Council are opening up a system to recycle equipment to VCS organisations/ charities. Items which have been advertised for a certain length of time without any interest can default to then be available to charities. WARPit is a redistribution network which makes it easy for individuals in an organisation to give away or loan unwanted items to others inside the same organisation or beyond. |
Find out more
Register |
Reports/ Newsletters/ Case Studies
Drug Laws
The UK Drug Policy Commission has published Taking Drugs Seriously, which argues that the UK's drug laws are out of date and are failing to tackle the spread of "legal highs". The report, produced by the think tank Demos, said that the Misuse of Drugs Act, which focuses on prohibiting drugs and is 40 years old, is no longer fit for purpose. The report says that instead of prohibiting drugs, laws should be 5 brought in with a focus on consumer protection. It goes on to say that a harmful substances act should be brought in over time that also covers alcohol and tobacco. |
Read the report |
Munro Review of Child Protection
The final report says that local areas should have more freedom to design their own child protection services and that a one-size-fits-all approach to child protection is preventing local areas from focusing on the needs of the child. |
Read the report |
A Third of UK Children Suffer Violent Abuse by Their Peers
A research report from Beatbullying found severity of bullying is significant, 52 per cent having sustained physical injuries from the attack, 28 per cent threatened with a weapon and almost seven per cent knocked unconscious, reported the 16 – 25 years olds questioned. |
Read the report |
Social Impact Bonds
The Ministry of Justice has published Lessons learnt from the planning and early implementation of the Social Impact Bond at HMP Peterborough. The report aims to identify early lessons from the development and implementation of the Social Impact Bond (SIB) at HMP Peterborough. It suggests that such lessons may inform future SIBs or wider payment-by-results (PBR) pilots under consideration by the Ministry of Justice and other government departments. It shows that the majority of investors in the first-ever social impact bond launched by the UK government were foundations and charities, according to an early report into the success of the payment-by-results pilot. |
View the report |
The Source
The new issue of The Source online magazine is out. It contains information about young people planning a bike trip, provides Think Big update on funding for young people, information on accessible accreditation, presentation tips, peer education partnership and much more. |
View online issue |
Review of Child Protection
The Department for Education has published The Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report - A Child-Centred System. The report says that 'bureaucratic' aspects have become too dominant in child protection work, and that the system has become characterized by individuals 'doing things right' rather than 'doing the right thing'. It proposes that front-line social workers should regain the freedom to decide what was best for children. It recommends that local areas should have more freedom to develop their own effective child protection services, rather than focusing on meeting central government targets. NCVYS will be writing a briefing on the paper. |
Read the report |
Savings From Mental Health Spending
The Department of Health and the London School of Economics have published Mental health promotion and mental illness prevention: The economic case. The report found that every £1 spent on parenting programmes to prevent chronic child behavioural problems saves the UK £8 over a child's lifetime. It found that specialist early intervention teams working with children during their first episode of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder save £18 for every £1 invested and suicide training for GPs saves £44 for every £1 spent. |
Read the report |
Report in Support of EMA
The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has published Going for Growth. In the report it calls on the UK government to reinstate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in order to improve the educational achievement of young people. It suggests that this could boost youth employment in Britain, propel economic growth and help the UK cut the budget deficit. |
Read the report |
Ofsted - Professionals Not Listening to Children
Ofsted have published a new report The voice of the child: learning lessons from serious case reviews. According to this report professionals are failing to listen to children's views, potentially placing them at risk of harm. Ofsted found that in too many cases children were not seen enough by professionals. Analysis of 67 reviews published between 1 April and 30 September last year focused on the theme of listening to the child, of the 67 cases reviewed 93 children were involved, 39 of whom died. Christine Gilbert, Ofsted chief inspector, said: "It is shocking to see that too often children in vulnerable situations are not heard by those who should be looking out for their interests. |
Read the report |
Eight Out of 10 Teachers Have Students Living in Poverty
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) have released findings from their survey on student poverty. A poll of more than 600 teachers has found that nearly 80 per cent of education staff say they have students who are living in poverty. Four in 10 respondents think poverty has increased among pupils since the recession began three years ago. The survey showed that 80 per cent of staff said students living in poverty come to school tired, another 73 per cent said children arrive hungry and 71 per cent said children living in poverty lack confidence. |
Read the full story |
Raising The Participation Age
The National Youth Agency, as part of its ongoing work with the Local Government Association, has published Raising The Participation Age: Developing an Engaging Offer to Young People. It finds that a majority of young people have said they are in favour of the government’s plans to increase the age for remaining in education and training to 18 years old, however many are unaware of the options available to them. Respondents’ feedback identified that there is a need for a comprehensive campaign explaining to young people, and those who advise and support them, that the options include college and employment, as well as school. |
Read the report |
The Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood
The DfE have published the Bailey Review of Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood, nearly half of parents are unhappy with programmes or adverts on TV before the 9pm watershed. A survey of 1000 parents of all backgrounds has revealed that 88 per cent think that children are under pressure to grow up too quickly. The survey was commissioned by the Department for Education to unravel and tackle issues around the premature sexualisation and commercialisation of children. |
Read the review |
Consultations
British Crime Survey
Shows that more than 20% of children aged 10 to 15 have been frightened or upset by bullying in the past year, with a quarter of these victims of cyber bullying. Boys aged 10 to 12 are most likely to have experienced bullying. The survey also found that around 1% of those aged 13 to 15 had carried a knife for self protection, with 13% knowing someone else who had done so. However, over two-thirds of children thought that carrying a knife made it more likely that they would get stabbed. |
Find out more |
Youth Work and Communication Technologies - a Survey of the North East of England
This questionnaire supports the research into in the impact of communication technologies (such as the internet, mobile phone, games consoles) on youth work practice. It will contribute to a wider understanding of youth work theory and practice in its current context. Participants will be contributing to an important and unique study which will have implications not only for everyday practice, but also for professional training and development. This study will also influence the content of professional education. The findings will be disseminated through the usual route of academic journals and contributions to appropriate conferences. |
Access the questionnaire |
Headline Findings From Citizenship Survey
The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published the statistics from the April-December 2010 Citizenship Survey. The key findings include: 38 percent of people felt they could influence decisions in their local area; 44 percent of people felt they would like to be more involved in local decisions; and 33 percent of people said they had engaged in civic participation in the 12 months prior to interview. |
Find out more |
Effective Practice in Implementing the QCF
Derbyshire Learning and Development Consortium is working on a report for the Learning and Skills Improvement Service highlighting effective practice in implementing the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) in voluntary and community sector organisations. They are collecting examples from voluntary and community sector organisations that may be collaborating with other providers, or have devised new working methods to make the most of the opportunities the QCF offers. If you can contribute please email lisa.vernon@consortium.org.uk. |
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Are You a Faith-based Youth Worker?
Nigel Pimlott from NCVYS member the Frontier Youth Trust is asking for a few minutes of any faith-based youth workers’ time to complete this questionnaire. Nigel is looking to discover the scope, impact and understanding of faith-based youth work. Specifically, he is hoping to explore the relationship between faith-based work, community cohesion and the Big Society. |
Access the questionnaire |
Take Part in Your Charity Forecast Survey
If you are a CEO, senior manager or a trustee NCVO would like to hear from you about your plans for the coming months. The short survey will only take 5 minutes to complete and the final results will be a useful tool for you to use in your future planning. The results will be published in a free member report which will give you valuable insight into what your colleagues and peers are planning and thinking. |
Take part in the survey
Find out more |
Green Spaces Consultation
The City Council has been working this year on assessing the green spaces across the city, and has been asking people to help identify and make the most of 'greenspaces' in their local communities. Greenspaces include parks and play areas, wildlife sites, outdoor sports facilities, cemeteries and allotments and also to any open, grassed area which have, or could become used by people for sport and recreation.
The survey should take no longer than ten minutes to complete, and the results will be used by to help make future decisions about creating new greenspaces and protecting the valued existing sites across the city. |
Access the questionnaire
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BIG Community Campaign against Youth Violence
CHISEL Kids has launched the BIG Community Campaign against Youth Violence needs your support. If you are of the opinion that something needs to be done to end the 'youth violence' on our streets please visit their website, follow the link to the BIG Community Campaign, and you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire which will be used to provide evidence of support and concern for this cause. The campaign aims to collate numbers of interested parties, produce a consultation with all those who register their interest and produce an action plan based on said consultation and level of support. |
Visit the website |
Best Value Guidance
The Department for Communities and Local Government has today launched a new consultation on draft ‘Best Value’ guidance. It sets out clear guidelines for local authorities who are considering cutting funding to local voluntary and community organisations. The guidance sets out the specific terms of engagement between the sector and local government and builds on the principles of the Compact. This is more important than ever and should help both partners work together effectively to help identify ways of lessening the impact of cuts on individuals and communities. To ensure that the final guidance is as well-informed and robust as possible, your are encouraged to answer the online survey before the closing date of 14 June. |
Access the survey
Find out more |
Funding
Funding Update
NCVYS has produced a Funding Update for May, which brings together the funding opportunities mentioned during the last month in the bulletin, and additionally includes local funding opportunities left out of the bulletin for space reasons. |
Read |
Health Volunteering Funding
The Department of Health has announced that it will be providing £6m for Volunteering Fund National Awards. This will support volunteering projects in health and social care centred around one of four themes – patient led NHS, delivering better health outcomes, improving public health or improving health and social care. Funding worth around £200,000 each year for the next 3 years has been awarded to NCVYS members YMCA England, Platform 51 and Mencap. YMCA England will train ‘Young Health Champions’ who will mentor other vulnerable young people and to influence local health providers so that services are suitable for the needs of young people. |
Find out more |
British Red Cross's Positive Images Programme
Grants of up to £1,000 are available to support activities that promote positive attitudes towards vulnerable migrants. The grants range from £50 to £1,000 and they available to schools, colleges, universities, youth groups and student groups working with young people aged 12 to 25. The deadline for applications is 17 June 2011. |
Find out more |
Playing Fields
Sport England has launched the £10 million Protecting Playing Fields as part of the Places People Play mass participation legacy. The fund will see hundreds of sports playing fields across the country protected and improved, with the workshops explaining how applicants can bid to protect, improve or create a new playing field in their local area. Applications for round one of Protecting Playing Fields will be accepted between 25 May 2011 and 6 July 2011. |
Find out more |
One-third of All Applications to Trusts are Ineligible
DSC research shows that around 1/3 of all applications (c.a. 1 million applications in total) to trusts and foundations are ineligible. Learn more about how DSC's website can help you target your applications and maximise your chances of success. |
Find out more |
Procurement Guide
NAVCA has produced a flow chart to show which procurement rules commissioners have to follow when procuring a service and when are they free not to apply the full regime of procurement regulations. It shows when the full EU procurement rules apply and when they do not. This can seem a complex area with thresholds and the distinction between part A and part B services to bear in mind. |
Download the guide |
How will councils spend your £53 billion this year?
New figures were published showing exactly how much town halls have to spend for each resident. The average spending figure is equivalent to councils spending over £1,000 for every resident in their area. The new figures and 'spending heat map' reveal councils' revenue spending across England will be almost £53 billion this year to spend on services, despite the need to reduce the inherited budget deficit.
Average revenue spending power per head for 2011-12 over £1000
2011-12 Formula Grant Per Head |
Find out more |
Funding Central Newsletter
Funding Central weekly newsletter keeps you updated with the latest trends, news and issues regarding funding and finance opportunities. Can’t wait for our weekly newsletter? Did you know you can view all the latest information driven from your user profile on your own personalised home page? Including all the latest funding updates on new funds and deadlines, partner suggestions and topical news and events. There’s also a to do list to help you keep on top of your applications. Simply log in and click on the switch to customisable homepage link on the top right hand corner of Funding Central’s home page. You can amend any of the type of information you see both here and in the weekly newsletter in Your profile. |
Visit Funding Central homepage |
Outdoor Projects
The Andy Fanshawe Memorial Trust is a small trust which gives grants mainly to schools and youth groups wishing to carry out projects which will develop disadvantaged young people's existing interest in the great outdoors. |
Find out more |
Jobs/Volunteering/ Other Opportunities
Organisation: National Citizen Service
Position: Team Leader
Are you interested in being part of a flagship Big Society initiative this summer to support young people from all backgrounds to work together, take on new challenges and make a difference? If so, NCS are looking for people experienced in working with a diverse range of young people to apply for team leader and key worker posts with National Citizen Service (NCS) working with 16year olds. NCS is a personal and social development programme to help participants become socially active young adults that will be delivered between July and October 2011. Applicants must be available to deliver the whole programme which includes two 5 day away from home residentials. Team Leader (must be qualified to NVQ2 minimum in Youth work or equivalent plus 2 years experience) - £ 11.46 per hour for 193 hours Key Worker (minimum 1 year experience in a youth work or equivalent field) - £ 8.03 per hour for 193 hours |
To apply contact Safe in Tees Valley or call 0845 271 3883
Visit the website
National Citizen Service website |
Civil Servant Volunteers – Could Your Organisation Benefit?
The Cabinet Office has set out the next stages in developing the Civic Service. The Civic Service aims to encourage even more civil servants to volunteer and to provide them with opportunities to use their skills to support civil society organisations. Permanent secretaries and senior civil servants will be asked to encourage their staff to volunteer as part of the objective setting about to take place for the next year. All other civil servants will be encouraged to volunteer as a means of broadening their knowledge and developing skills. If your organisation is interested in being involved, email civicservice@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk. |
Find out more |
Guardian Jobs – Free Advertising for Volunteering Roles
As part of their continuing support of the voluntary sector, Guardian Jobs is offering free advertising for a variety of volunteering roles across guardianjobs.co.uk. If you would like to advertise your volunteering vacancies on the site, contact 020 3353 3400 or email sales@guardian.co.uk. |
Find out more |
A Sessional Worker Vacancy
Due to a successful award from BBC Children in Need, YMCA Herrington Burn are recruiting a Sessional Youth Worker. This post will be funded for three years initially and will enhance and extend existing staff team of dedicated workers who deliver junior youth provision within Herrington Burn YMCA. Closing date - 16 June. |
Find out more and apply |
Opportunities for Young People
RSPCA Young Photographer Awards
The RSPCA Young Photographer Awards (YPA) is the only national animal photography competitions for under 19’s that is FREE and easy to enter. There are some fantastic prizes to be won, including a weekend photography break with top wildlife photographer Danny Green and an exclusive behind-the-scenes photoshoot at an RSPCA Animal Centre. Plus all finalists are invited to the awards ceremony at the Tower of London in December. |
Find out more
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Cheap and Free London Theatre Tickets
Because of the high-price of tickets for most of London’s theatre shows and the belief that a night out at the theatre is only for the middle class and the middle aged, there have often been schemes to encourage young people to buy theatre tickets. This is done by providing reduced or even free tickets to those under the age of 26. This website offers information on various discount schemes or free tickets available in London. |
Visit the website |
FREE Football Coach for Your Football Team
Do you run a local Football Team for children and/or young people? Does your youth club, school, play project or sport centre run any football activities for children and/or young people? Would you be interested in having a trainee football coach/es to support your activity or session for up to 6 hours per week for 23 weeks for FREE? Sessions can be during the day/evenings or weekends. Gentoo Living have up to 50 people who can support football/after school or youth club sessions with the Sunderland area. If you are interested in having a FREE Football Trainee work with your group or project or if you would like any further information please contact Estelle Brown. |
Email Estelle Brown or call 0191 5256138 |
Paid Apprenticeship Programmes for Young People
Do you know of any young people aged 16 - 18 who may be interested in a Sport Apprenticeship? If they are due to leave school this year, recruitment for a programme commencing in Early September will take place in July 2011. Young people will be offered a 26 week paid contract and receive a FA Level 1 Coaching Certificate. Download the flyer to find out more. Young people can express their interest now by contacting Dean Gordon. |
Email Dean Gordon or call 07768214195 |
Not Sure What to Do After Your GCSEs...
Why not earn and learn and get started on the career ladder with an Apprenticeship from Intraining. Apprenticeships provide the opportunity to join the career ladder with training in the workplace and a sample of the 9-5 lifestyle. Intraining offers apprenticeship placements in following areas:
•Business Administration
•Childcare, Learning and Development
•Customer Service and Contact Centre
•IT
•Retail
•Sales and Telesales
•Warehousing and Storage
•Team Leading and Management
•Playwork
•Travel and Tourism
•Health and Social Care
•Driving Goods Vehicles |
Find out more |
Paid Fitness Instructor Apprenticeship
Passionate about fitness or sport?
Get paid to train! If you’re 16 to 18 and fancy getting into the fitness industry, Lifetime’s got a solution – and it won’t cost you a penny. Better than that, you will receive £100 to train. The Lifetime Fitness Academy Fitness Instructor Apprenticeship is an entry level programme to take your first step on the career ladder. |
Find out more |
Website Supporting Young People's Professional Carrer
Notgoingtouni.co.uk website offers extensive advice, inspiration, tools and support to young people who want to start their career after finishing school. It provides information on distance learning, gap years, various courses, training, apprenticeships, vocational training, starting own business and much more. |
Visit the website |
Health Information Drop-in Sessions (HIS)
HIS
are open to all young people aged 15 - 24 years. These sessions provide advice and support on a number of health initiatives, including:
- SHOWT/ C Card
- condom distribution scheme and sign-up if you don't already have a card
- Chlamydia Screening
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Body image, etc.
These sessions are open to all young people. Feel free to drop in for any health information, you don't have to attend the youth club to access HIS support. There are HIS in every area of the city, so there should be a session near you. |
Find out about session times and dates |
16 to 19 Personal Development Programme
Springboard Sunderland Trust are organising a full time programme for 24 weeks @ 24 hours per week starting with the first cohort of 10 young people from the 4th July to September. They are looking for a community project where they can include five young people as volunteers for about 11 weeks. During this time, each volunteer can access up to £40 per week expenses and has access to £200 each to set up a community event which will be of interest and education to other young people within their community placement. |
Find out more |
Work Experience with the City Council
Sunderland City Council is providing unpaid work experience for people of all ages across the council. The Placement Opportunities Team are responsible for the management, support and monitoring of all work experience and apprenticeship opportunities across the City Council working closely with colleagues and partners including schools and Connexions staff to ensure a successful experience for all. |
Find out more |
Apprenticeship with Google
Livity have teamed up with Google to offer 12 young people the opportunity of a life time – to become official Google Digital Experts. |
Find out more |
Sunderland Echo Junior Run
The Sunderland Echo Junior Run is open to all youngsters aged between 8 and 15 years old on the day of the race, June 26 2011. It’s a fun run over approximately 3km or just less than 2 miles in old money! You can go as fast or as slow as you like and everyone that completes the run will receive a t-shirt and medal, as well as a race goody bag – how can you refuse?
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Find out more and register |
A New Fares Deal for Under 18's
Under 18? Then why pay full price for your bus travel when the new Get Around key smartcard entitles you to cheaper fares across the Go North East network
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Find out more |
Diversity in Apprenticeships
As advised by NCVYS member KIDS: Diversity in Apprenticeships is a new initiative designed to provide disabled young people with information, advice and support to join an apprenticeship programme. The project is being run by the charity Skill, the National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, Remploy and The National Apprenticeship Service. The project aims to place 350 disabled young people across the country into an Apprenticeship by March 2012. For more information contact Skill Tel: 0800 328 5050 or Email: info@skill.org.uk |
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BME Young People and Apprenticeships
NCVYS member Rathbone has launched a drive to get more black and minority ethnic (BME) young people into apprenticeships. The charity is driving a push for recruitment after statistics showed that just nine per cent of apprentices in England come from BME backgrounds. The aim is to recruit 300 new apprentices over the next 18 months by providing targeted information on work-based training to specific ethnic groups. |
Find out more |
Dogwoof Films Needs Young Ambassadors
They are looking for bright, innovative, entrepreneurial people, interested in film and/or social issues, who are reliable and well connected both online and in their local area. Are you one of them? Dogwoof are the leading UK film distributor for social issue films and documentaries. This year they are introducing a ground-breaking project that will give young people an exciting opportunity to become a crucial part of the national film campaigns and organise premieres for Dogwoof film releases in their local areas. They will be able to gain invaluable experience and have an opportunity to meet professionals from the film industry, as well as express their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. This opportunity is open to people aged 16+. If you are interested, call 0207 326 5979 or email. |
Find out more |
Summer Fun For Young People
Learn about interesting ideas and suggestions of summer games for young people and youth clubs, as well as trips and camps for youth groups and other fun activities. Also, find out about fun games equipment to keep youth groups busy and learn about various outdoor team-building activities for schools and youth groups. |
Read the article |
Creative Young People
IdeasTap currently has a number of design briefs open for young people with creative ideas. Ideas Fund Innovators is open to young people aged 16-25 who have an idea for a creative project. Awards of up to £1,000 are available in all creative disciplines. |
Find out more |
BYC Youth in Democracy Awards
The British Youth Council (BYC) has announced two new youth in democracy awards which promote and recognise young leadership and participation in democracy. Designed to be accessible and affordable – these awards reach and recognise every young voice.
The Local Councillor Shadowing Award is an ASDAN accredited Award. Young people can achieve this accreditation by providing evidence of their learning through shadowing a local councillor for a minimum of 10 hours.
The Youth Voice Award is the first nationally accredited (ASDAN) award to recognise the real contribution that young representatives make to their local communities. It will recognise active young citizens who have completed 10 hours of activities representing their peers through youth participation initiatives such as youth councils, forums and parliaments. |
The Local Councillor Shadowing Award
The Youth Voice Award |
The Urban & Hip Hop Games 2011
The Urban & Hip Hop Games will take place on Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th August 2011 at Whitley Bay Seafront, Whitley Bay Panama Skate Park, 12 to 6pm both days and at Whitley Bay Playhouse (Saturday evening only 7pm to 10pm).
Plans are well under way for the 2011 Urban Games which are going to be bigger than last year and will be linked to the International Kite Festival. The 2011 Urban Games will include: Competitions in- Skateboarding & Game of Skate (hosted by Urban Skate Myth), A BMX/Mountain Bike (hosted by the Mountain Bike stunt team 3Sixty), Street/Break Dance, DJ & Turntablism (hosted by CoMusica The Sage Gateshead) open to the regions young crews and talent. |
Find out more and register |
Workshops For Young People
Do you work with groups of young women aged between 13 and 25? Would you like to explore sensitive issues in a fun way? Do you think increasing self esteem and confidence is important? Are you thinking of activities you could offer during school holidays or as part of a longer project? If the answer is yes then check out the workshops Them Wifies are offering and let them deliver the work on your behalf.
Workshops on cyber bullying, self esteem and healthier relationships are offered to young people. |
Cyber bullying
Self esteem
Healthier relationships |
Policy Updates
Charities Voice Fears Over Lack of Checks Under New Legislation
Children will be endangered unless vetting and barring rules ensure that all adults in contact with them are checked whether they are supervised or not. Under legislation currently going through parliament, volunteers would only be checked if they have unsupervised contact with children. |
Read the full article |
Giving White Paper
White paper published by the government includes the National Citizen Service as a case study. Includes a revised down £10million Social Action Fund and £30million local infrastructure fund which will be delivered by the Big Lottery Fund and open to applications in July. The Government will be hosting a Giving Summit in the autumn to discuss ideas further. |
Access the white paper |
Localism Bill Briefing
NCVYS has published a short briefing around their comments on the Localism Bill. It explains their support for the Real Power for Communities campaign which welcomes the Localism Bill. The campaign supports the intention to devolve greater power over decisions about local services to local communities. The briefing raises a number of issues of concern, including on equalities issues, and democracy and young people. |
Read the briefing |
Youth & Policy
The new issue of Youth & Policy is now available. It includes youth work stories, policy, struggles and silences, exploration of the benefits of the Child Trust Fund on youth transitions to adulthood and much more. |
Download |
The snippets are made up of contribution from our members, as well as Sunderland City Council, The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS), Children England, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Regional Youth Work Unit, Children and Young People Now, Voluntary Organisations' Network North East (VONNE), Voluntary and Community Action Sunderland (VCAS), Directory of Social Change, Active Sunderland, Young People in Focus, Funding Central, Third Sector and UK Youth.
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