• Relias Training Courses
• Wru Training Courses
• Management Training Courses

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Relias Training Courses

• 1. FUTURE SUPPORT FOR YOUR ORGANISATION On behalf of the VYS Executive I am asking member organisations for their help and support during what is going to be an important time for VYS and the voluntary youth sector generally. As you may know VYS has had its funding withdrawn by the Local Authority Youth Service. However, we have reserve funds and will have new opportunities to make bids for funding from other sources in the future. We are also now totally independent of the local authority and free to determine our own future. With this in mind, the VYS Executive wants to ensure that its services are focused upon the wishes and the needs of its members (and of the voluntary youth sector generally). To give VYS the best chance to attract new funds and to provide its members with a service that is relevant to their needs, we need you to tell us what those needs are and what services from VYS will be the most valuable to your organisation in the future. THIS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO US AND I SUGGEST TO YOU AND YOUR ORGANISATION. CONTENTS Devon/Regional News Events Training Courses Publications and Resources Grants / Awards / Competitions National News & Information I know that many of you may not like completing questionnaires but please do complete the one we have recently sent to some of you as it will be invaluable to us in our planning for the future. We have tried to make it as simple as possible and it should not take long to complete. This is REALLY IMPORTANT TO US, so please help us so that we can help and support you, your organisation and the work that you do with young people more effectively in the future. If you would like a copy of the questionnaire, please contact Juliet or Anthea at the VYS office. The information we receive from your questionnaire will also inform the briefing meetings we are organising in May and at which you will be able to discuss more fully the needs of your organisation and the sort of services you require to support your important work with young people. The meetings will be held at the YFC Centre, Exeter and the dates are as follows: THE NEWSLETTER FOR ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN YOUTH WORK IN DEVON AND PRODUCED BY VOLUNTARY YOUTH SERVICES Issue 4 APRIL 2011 VYS, YFC Centre, Retail Park Close, Marsh Barton Road, Exeter EX2 8LG Tel / Fax: 01392 250976 E-mail: admin@vysdevon.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1054442 www.vysdevon.org.uk

Wru Training Courses

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is offering a three-day course delving into the intricacies of the federal Government’s Small Business Programs, including efforts to improve small business participation. Our broad-based curriculum focuses on the professional development needs of staff and faculty of CWRU. These courses and learning opportunities are. All online training is done through Canvas. Log in and visit your portal to review your required training courses. How to sign up You must register for this online.

Management Training Courses

2. 2 Monday 9th May 3.30 5.00 Monday 9th May 6.00 7.30 Tuesday 10th May 3.30 5.00 Tuesday 10th May 6.00 7.30 Thanking you in anticipation for your support in completing the questionnaires and I look forward to seeing you, or a representative from your organisation, at one of the briefing meetings in May. Paul Allan, VYS Chair DEVON NEWS JOB VACANCIES - Visit the VYS website which is updated with new vacancies on a regular basis see http://www.vysdevon.org.uk/page/jobs Balloons Pre and Post Bereavement Support Service - balloons is a charity providing support for children, young people and families before or following the death of someone significant in their lives and it is looking for people who will be dedicated in supporting grieving children and young people, sharing their experiences as they move through the healing process. Free training is provided to those committed to providing this service. If this area of work interests you, then please take a look at www.balloons-devon.org.uk and then contact Deborah Butler, Family Worker/Trainer on 01392 826064, or email familyworker@balloons-devon.org.uk. Wren Music is looking to appoint a Chair of Fundraising to maximise its income generation. This person will be an ex-officio member of the board of Trustees. The role of this voluntary post is to stimulate fund raising activities based on individual giving. For details contact Kevin Buckland at info@wrenmusic.co.uk Devons Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) - This now covers the whole of Devon and will receive all contacts and referrals to children's social care (new language MASH enquiries). MASH will provide information sharing across all organisations involved in safeguarding encompassing statutory, non-statutory and third sector sources. Essentially the hub will analyse information that is already known within separate organisations in a coherent format to inform all safeguarding decisions. All partners will work together to provide the highest level of knowledge and analysis to make sure that all safeguarding activity and intervention is timely, proportionate and necessary. MASH focuses on three key functions: Victim identification and early intervention - working with the Early Response Service to support children and young people whose needs do not meet the threshold for Children and Young Peoples services. Harm identification and reduction - this will be done by identifying children and young people experiencing the highest levels of harm and making sure partners work together to support them with harm reduction strategies and services. Co-ordinating partner agencies - working with vulnerable adults and vulnerable children. 3. 3 There will now be one central number for the MASH 0345 155 1071. The MASH will run a consultation service for professionals to discuss cases where they are unsure whether to make a MASH enquiry. It is also promoting the use of written MASH enquiries, and there is an enquiry form on the DCC website http://www.devon.gov.uk/text/index/childrenfamilies/childrenfamiliescontacts/multiagencyr eferralform.htm and www.vysdevon.org.uk/resource/cat/safeguarding/1019 Extreme Coasteering are North and South Devon's Coasteering specialists. Coasteering is the perfect outdoor activity for groups and their fully qualified team will take you along an adventurous coastal route where you will climb, scramble, traverse, swim, go through caves & crevasses, get washed around in the swell, jump and freefall your way to an adrenaline pumping time. They operate from Croyde bay in North Devon and from Ansteys Cove in Torquay in South Devon. It costs from 25 per person with a minimum group booking of 6. For details ring 07816169011, email info@extremecoasteering.co.uk or see www.extremecoasteering.co.uk Free Exmoor Activities - Ashcombe Big Adventure on 31st May (half Term holidays). Visit the heart of Exmoor on this free, all-day family event. For details of this and other activities contact David Rolls on 01398 322164 or email DRolls@exmoor- nationalpark.gov.uk North Devon All Starz will this year be presenting the regional premiere of Peter Pan the Musical as part of their 5th Anniversary celebrations. If you know of any young people aged 8 to 23 who would like to be part of this exciting production the auditions at The Park Community School, Barnstaple are on Friday 27th May from 6.30pm to 9pm. If you would like to know more about the auditions, the show or the group then please contact the chairman on tolleyangell@yahoo.co.uk. The ethos within the group has never changed and the main aims are for the children to have fun and to raise money for childrens charities through the profits of the show. Many thousands of pounds have been raised for different childrens charities. EVENTS 10th May Tendering through Partnerships and Consortia is a one day workshop being held in Exeter to help Voluntary and Community Sector organisations adapt to the shift towards being commissioned to deliver services through partnerships and consortia. This event will give you and your organisation: A clear understanding of the types of tendering and delivery consortia, including benefits and risks and the types of legal structure/contracting and sub-contracting arrangements that underpin consortia. Key challenges and how to manage them e.g. managing relationships with larger organisations and between peers An overview of procurement, including best practice, advice, and what commissioners and procurement officers are looking for Practical recommendations around issues such as risk management, liability, performance management, financial management and governance. A chance to meet with similar organisations to share your experience, good practice and ideas for partnership working Limited places are available and a deposit cheque of 10 is required with the booking form returned on attendance. This workshop is open to any voluntary and community 4. 4 sector organisations actively interested in tendering as part of a consortium or partnership. For details ring 01392 202055 or email info@devonconsortium.net 11th May Introduction to Youth Challenges and Youth Achievement Awards is a training day from UK Youth to be held in Bristol. This training is aimed at anyone who is new to or currently considering delivering the Youth Challenges and Youth Achievement Awards with young people. For details contact Charmaine Simpson on 0203 137 3827 or 07702 958544 or charmaine@ukyouth.org or see http://www.ukyouth.org/whatwedo/Training+Calendar/yaatraining 17th May Social Enterprise Demystified (morning) Legal Structures & Governance (afternoon) are workshops from Cascasde Training. The morning session will introduce the concepts and reality of social enterprise, using examples and interactive exercises. The afternoon workshop will guide you in exploring different organisational structures. See www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk or email lauren@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk 18th May Preparing effective funding applications is a training event from ETN being held in Bristol. This popular event will cover the principles of preparing and writing effective funding bids and applications. Ring 0121 359 2113 or see http://shop.btcv.org.uk/shop/level3/562/stock/8158 20th and 25th May Equality Act 2010 Equality South West are running events that will give a thorough outline of the implications of the new Equality Act and the Single Equality Duty, drawing on the latest Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance. They run in Exeter and Plymouth respectively from 10.00 to 1.00 with a networking lunch. See http://www.equalitysouthwest.org.uk/about-us/promoting-equality-for/legislation/the- equality-bill/equality-act-tour-2011.html 23rd May Invitation to Tender Process training to be held in Exeter. It is being run as part of the VCS Commissioning Project and will be a practical workshop aimed at helping organisations work through the various questions in the ITT process. The training will be run by Tamara Essex. Full details and a booking form will be available shortly. A booking deposit will be required but the training will be free, funded by the VCS commissioning project. To register your interest email Sarah Prior at info@devonconsortium.net or ring her on 01392 202055. 24th May Introduction to monitoring and evaluation is a training event from ETN being held in Bristol. This very down-to-earth event will answer questions such as: what is the difference between monitoring and evaluation? why do it? who should do it? who is it for? how does it fit into the learning cycle of a project or organisation; how does M&E relate to planning? what does a funder want to know in an evaluation? how to use it for fundraising? Ring 0121 359 2113 or http://shop.btcv.org.uk/shop/level3/562/stock/8160 24th May Strategic Planning for Social Enterprises (in a nutshell) this workshop from Cascade Training is being held in Taunton and will provide an ideal introduction to the business planning process for not-for-private-profit organisations. It will look at why strategy is critical to your success, identify the basic principles involved, explore what makes a good business plan and help you to decide what to put in and, more importantly, what not to put in your plan. You will learn how to develop clear and compelling vision and mission statements, how to tell your story in a format that will meet the needs of your 5. 5 different stakeholders and gain an understanding of how to implement the plan across your organisation and get buy in. See www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk 1st June Practical Tools for Community Engagement - This workshop being held in Plymouth considers the principles of participation and presents a range of lively and accessible ways to involve and empower people. It is delivered in a participatory way that will have participants talking, laughing and actively learning. This course is suitable for anyone who wants to engage community members or people who use services in decision-making. For more information contact the Zebra Collective on 01752 395 131 or see the website for full training programme details www.zebra.coop 2nd June Working together to safeguard children in Devon this is the NEW DATE for this FREE event. It aims to be a stimulating event bringing colleagues together from the community and voluntary sector who work across early years and young people's provision. Responding to the safeguarding audit, this interactive event will build knowledge and confidence, share best national and local practice and engage participants in interactive workshops, demonstrating tools and techniques to improve the safeguarding of children and young people. See www.saferdevonchild.org for details and to book. 7th June Working in Partnership in the Youth, Arts and Cultural Sectors is a course from Artswork in partnership with Gathering Voices at SoundWorks in Bristol. This workshop shares practical techniques and approaches to working in partnerships with other organisations and individuals in order to achieve a successful youth arts project or event. Looking at the benefits of where, when and how to find the right partner, this session will offer a simple structure for both working in and developing your partnerships. The training will use an interactive approach to explore issues such as defining roles and setting realistic targets, this course will also cover troubleshooting for problem areas, including when and how to bow out gracefully if partnerships arent working! Prices for the courses usually range from 110 to 150, however if you book before the 5th May you can benefit from a special rate fee of 75 per person. For more information contact the Programme Manager - Artsplan via: artsplan@artswork.org.uk or call 02380 682535. 16th June Managing Change restructuring for success! Is a new course from Cascade Training taking place in Bristol that is designed to support managers at all levels in an organisation who are confronting the challenge of planning and implementing change in the workplace. This is a very lively, practical workshop which encourages delegates to bring a live change issue for discussion and work collectively with colleagues to identify good solutions. What is the argument for change in your team or organisation? How will you consult? Who do you need to influence? During the day, you will learn how to lead and manage a change process, and explore the essential skills needed to persuade staff in your organisation to follow your lead.For more information visit www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk or contact Lauren Evans on 07854 208369 or lauren@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk. 17th July Devon RFU Young Leaders Development day is being run as part of the RFUs people and places programme at Plymouth Albion RFC for anybody who is actively volunteering within Rugby Union between the ages of 14 and 20. This may include; referees, coaches, assistants, administrators, fund raisers, first aiders and many more. Bookings need to be made by 30th May. For details contact Rob Masters on 01548 854222 or email RobMasters@RFU.com 6. 6 TRAINING DACVS Learning Programme: Planning and Running Events - North Devon on 11 May Supporting Volunteers with Support Needs - Exeter on 18 May Marketing your Group/Organisation - Torridge on 17 May and South Hams on 14 June Emergency First Aid at Work - Teignbridge 15 June Volunteers and the Law - Mid Devon on 22 June Volunteer Management and Support - West Devon on 29 June . For further information on all courses see www.dacvs.org.uk or contact your local CVS. Devon Welfare Rights Unit (DWRU) provides a programme of training courses on benefits and tax credits. For further information contact Llinos Davies on 01392 223827 or email Llinos.davies@citizensadvice.org.uk. Details of the full programme are available at http://www.dwru.org/training.html Domestic Violence and Abuse Training - ADVA now partners with DSCB as Working Together to Safeguard Children training providers. For details of courses running in May and June contact Claire Birch on 01392 382567 e-mail: claire.birch@devon.gov.uk or see http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/childrenfamilies/domestic_violence/adva- professionals/adva-training.htm Ethical Ventures: a different way of doing business is a social enterprise start-up training programme that offers a choice of 10 workshops over 6 days in Taunton during May, June & July. The 'Ethical Ventures' programme is designed to support those in emerging or fledgling social enterprises and those considering starting one up by offering workshops that provide new learning opportunities in affordable bite-sized chunks. For further information see www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk or contact Lauren Evans on 07854208369 or email lauren@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk Qualifications to work with young people NCVYS has a section on its website giving information. See http://www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?alias=qualyp. Safeguarding Training - DSCB Inter Agency courses there are a number of dates available to book from May for the various inter-agency courses. Please go to www.devon.gov.uk/onlinebookings for further information and follow the drop down menus as follows: Course Category: Working with Children and Young People Sub Category: Multi-agency Course title: DSCB (whichever course is applicable). Group 3 Inter-agency Child Protection Training (formerly Child Protection Level 3 two day course) is now a new inter-agency Child Protection programme for Group 3 which is a combined 'e' learning module plus a one day taught course. Please visit www.dscb.info/training-index for details and look at the Downloadable documents and the Quick Links to access both dates and the 'e' learning module, which can be accessed at anytime and should be completed 4 weeks before the taught course. If you have any questions please ring Anita Davidson 01392 383366. 7. 7 Solution-focused Communication Training to be run in Plymouth 6th & 13th June. This two-day training course will leave you thinking and working in a powerful new way. It may change your life. The ideas, values and skills of solution-focused communication are helpful to anyone who works with people: the focus moves away from the problem towards preferred futures, progress already made, strengths and possibilities. The power of this approach has long been evidenced in helping services, community work and schools, but is becoming recognised also in staff / human resource management, coaching and supervision, and organisational development. For details go to www.zebra.coop, or contact Jan Horrocks on 01752 395131 email jan@zebra.coop PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES An Equal Place at the Table for Children and Young People is a resource pack that highlights the benefits to organisations and young people of involving the younger generation in decision-making. http://www.participationworks.org.uk/files/webfm/files/npf~/npf_publications/An%20Equal %20Place%20at%20the%20Table_jun10.pdf Charitable Status: A Practical Handbook - This handbook provides straightforward explanations of what a charity is and how it should operate. It covers charity categories, registration, liabilities, requirements, trade and many more basics needed for running a charity. This is must for charities and would-be charities, and their trustees, staff and advisors http://www.dsc.org.uk/Publications/Law/@7808?dm_i=6S7,4UEU,N89OL,F1Y6,1 Charity Commission CIO Guidance and Constitutions has been published to enable charities, advisers and anyone else interested in setting up a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) to decide if the CIO structure is the right one for them, and to familiarise themselves with the guidance and constitutions ahead of the expected implementation in the summer. A CIO, brought in by the 2006 Charities Act, is an incorporated form of charity which is not a company. It only has to register with the Charity Commission and not Companies House and is only created once it is registered by the Commission. A CIO can enter into contracts in its own right and its trustees will normally have limited or no liability for the debts of the CIO. See www.charitycommission.gov.uk Charity Commission News - The Spring 2011 edition has been published and it introduces a new piece of guidance to help you manage your charity's assets and resources. It also suggests tips for protecting your charity against fraud, and includes an update on the Commission's strategic review. See http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/About_us/About_the_Commission/newslist.aspx. Developing Skills for the Future is a new resource produced by NIACE that is designed to offer guidance to practitioners across the youth sector, to support them in working together to develop young adults' literacy, language and numeracy skills. Free to download from http://shop.niace.org.uk/developing-skills-future.html Health and safety made simple is a new section to the Health and Safety Executive's website - http://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/index.htm. It gives the necessary basics and links for more resources and key issues. 8. 8 HRBank - 112 new policies have recently been added to this. HRBank contains an extensive collection of human resources policies and job descriptions which have been donated by voluntary and community organisations. These are available for organisations to amend and tailor to their own needs. It is FREE to access see http://www.ncvo- vol.org.uk/advice-support/people-hr-employment/hrbank/hrbank Media Matching is a FREE Media Trust service that aims to bring media and communications professionals together as volunteers with charities and voluntary organisations looking for help with specific media and comms needs. For example, a charity might need some assistance in writing a communications strategy, advice on producing a press release, designing an annual report, re-branding their organisation, suggestions of how to pitch stories to journalists etc, and they try and find them a professional who could help them with this for free. There is an online service where any charity can upload their request for help, and where media advisers can register, then view all the charity requests. If the adviser feels they can help, they respond direct to the charity via the site and the 'match' goes from there. A match might consist of a one off phone call, or a longer term relationship - it's totally up to the adviser and charity involved and depends on what the charity is looking for and the adviser can offer. If you are interested visit www.mediatrust.org/media-matching and click on 'voluntary organisations' and you can download a guide about how it works, and register if you are interested. Snippets, NCVYSs workforce development e-bulletin, is available to download from http://www.ncvys.org.uk/Workforce.html. Too safe for their own good? Is a new edition of a book from NCB that was originally produced more than 10 years ago. It is aimed at anyone who works towards enabling children to become competent and capable adults and includes examples of how thoughtful practice can create a genuinely interesting learning environment in which children can be safe enough to take on manageable risks. It looks at the role of the media in influencing adult fears and then discussing our increasingly risk-averse society. See www.ncb.org.uk/books/toosafe for details. GRANTS/AWARDS/COMPETITIONS Claude and Margaret Pike Charity makes grants almost exclusively to organisations and individuals in Devon. Almost half of its funds are given to overseas ventures of students at or between school and university and the other half of their funds goes to voluntary organisations. Whilst the beneficial area is Devon, the current policy of the Trustees is to focus on organisations and causes within the travel to work areas of the WBB ball clay and china clay operations (ergo Newton Abbot). Applications in writing to John D Pike, Correspondent and Trustee, The Claude and Margaret Pike Charity, Dunderdale Lawn, Penshurst Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 1EN. Live UnLtd provides young people with the opportunity to create positive change in their communities by offering awards of up to 5,000. Live UnLtd awards can help them with the costs of running their project for example venue hire, equipment costs, marketing materials, travel and volunteering expenses. For details go to http://www.liveunltd.com/ Princes Trust Community Cash Awards grants of up to 3,000 are available for young people to help set up a project that will benefit their community. Projects must: be 9. 9 run and managed by people between the ages of 14 and 25; clearly benefit the local community; benefit the people running the project; and be a new or developing project. See www.princes-trust.org.uk/communitycash Sport for You - The Daily Telegraph, in partnership with the Royal Bank of Scotland have launched a new grants programme to support community and amateur sports clubs across the country. Five grants of up to 1,000 will be awarded on a monthly basis. www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/amateur/8281316/A-1000-amateur-sports-club- grant-could-be-yours.html NATIONAL NEWS AND VIEWS 2011 European Year of Volunteering - The Office for Civil Society has announced the names of the charities that will receive funds under this 580,000 programme to encourage volunteering. The umbrella body Volunteering England will receive a 78,000 grant from the fund and will be responsible for overseeing UK-based activities carried out as part of the project, which has been set up by the European Commission to raise awareness of volunteering. A partnership between the volunteering charity v and the youth charity Catch22 will receive 37,000 from the fund. A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and Transforming Families Lives sets out the Governments approach to tackling poverty for this Parliament and up to 2020. At its heart are strengthening families, encouraging responsibility, promoting work, guaranteeing fairness and providing support to the most vulnerable. This strategy meets the requirements set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010, focuses on improving the life chances of the most disadvantaged children, and sits alongside the Governments broader strategy to improve social mobility. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childpoverty/a0076385/chil d-poverty-strategy Are you a faith-based youth worker? Nigel Pimlott from the Frontier Youth Trust is asking for a few minutes of any faith-based youth workers time to complete a questionnaire as he 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. http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=IJIJGK_4ef1e494 . Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has announced its programme of work with the Department for Education (DfE) during 2011/12, with 113.4m being invested in workforce development. By next March much of its work will be transferred to either DfE, a new executive agency or be led by employers. Most of the funding will be for social work (79.9m) and early years (16.85m), and there is nothing for the voluntary sector specifically. Activities include completing work to develop and deliver the framework for the development of apprenticeships for working with young people at levels 2 & 3 that was started under the Young Peoples Workforce Reform Programme. Direct funding will not continue for the Young People's Workforce Reform Programme, Integrated Working and Safeguarding, but 11m of administration funding is expected to be used 'to ensure that products such as training materials and other resources are kept up to date'. See http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/assets/0001/1784/Remit_letter_28_March_2011.pdf 10. 10 Consultation on Best Value the Department for Communities and Local Government DCLG have launched a consultation on new guidance setting out clear expectations when councils consider cutting funding to local voluntary and community organisations. This draft guidance builds on a recent speech given by Eric Pickles, in which he outlined three reasonable expectations when changing funding. These include: giving 3 months notice when changing or ending funding relationships; assessing the impact of changing funding to voluntary and community sector organisations; and consulting with affected organisations and communities. These replicate undertakings established in the Compact, and the draft guidance also recognises the vital role of local Compacts. The consultation ends 14th June. The government expects to publish new Best Value guidance as early as possible before the summer. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/bestvalueconsult Consultation on Cultural education - Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has launched an independent review of cultural education, to be led Classic FM Managing Director Darren Henley. The review will look at how children can experience a wide variety of high quality cultural experiences, both inside and outside of school. Henley has issued an open invitation to anyone who wants to contribute to the consultation and feed into his review. He will aim to create a definition of what a solid cultural education should comprise of and how to make sure that all young people benefit from it. Deadline is 20th May. http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8039.aspx Consultation on EMA Replacement - The government has announced it is to replace the education maintenance allowance with a 180m bursary scheme to help disadvantaged 16- to 19-year-olds continue in full-time education. The bursary will be made up of a guaranteed payment of 1,200 a year to 12,000 of the most vulnerable young people, including children in care and teenagers living away from their parents. The rest will be given to schools and colleges to distribute as a discretionary fund to students who face financial barriers to participation such as transport or equipment costs. They will have the freedom to decide the scale of the bursaries; to pay weekly, monthly, or annually; and link it to behaviour or attendance. Even after the guaranteed bursaries have been paid to the most vulnerable 12,000, colleges will still have 165M for the discretionary pot. There will also be additional transitional arrangements to help those who are part-way through their studies and are currently receiving the EMA. The Government is carrying out a consultation on the scheme so the detailed arrangements can be finalised in time for allocations to be made to learning providers for the 2011/12 academic year. The consultation seeks the views of young people, parents, learning providers and other stakeholders and the deadline is 20th May. For details of the proposed scheme see http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/DNWA-8FEKDX and for the consultation http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consulta tionId=1754&external=no&menu=1. Meanwhile, the OECD has called on the government to encourage participation in further education and reinstate the EMA to improve achievement among young people. It also said the government should continue its focus on core literacy and numeracy skills. Dormant Bank Account Funds - Co-operative Financial Services (which runs the Co- operative Bank) has been approved by the Financial Services Authority to establish the facility to receive monies from dormant bank accounts which have not been used for 15 years or more. The Reclaim Fund will then go to the Big Lottery Fund and eventually out 11. 11 to good causes. Based on the current industry view that the amount of money that the Reclaim Fund will receive is around 400 million, it is estimated that the first distribution to Big Lottery Fund will be in the region of 60-100 million and will be transferred in phases over the next twelve months. Education Endowment Fund - The Department for Education has announced that the Impetus Trust and Sutton Trust will co-manage this fund. The fund, which is worth 125m, will be used to provide grants to underperforming schools to boost the attainment disadvantaged pupils. The trusts will be responsible for making sure that grants go to a variety of different projects. These projects will use bold and innovative methods to boost the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in underperforming schools. The fund will invite applications from teachers, charities, local authorities, social enterprises, public sector bodies and co-operatives, and is expected to launch in the early summer with the first awards expected in the autumn. For the first two years the scheme will only accept applications from, or in partnership with, underperforming primary and secondary schools in England. http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/pressnotices/a0076339/social- mobility-charities-put-in-charge-of-fund-for-the-poorest-children Evidence Base - Children's minister Tim Loughton delivered a stark message to children's and youth organisations at the Funding the Future conference in London last month. He told delegates that government support will focus more on 'quality of outcomes,' adding, 'it is, in other words, about producing more evidence-based projects'. His warning came less than two months after Labour MP Graham Allen's report Early Intervention: The Next Steps urged the government to end the culture where 'billions of pounds are paid out year after year; indeed decade after decade, often without the faintest acquaintance with an evidence base'. http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/cypnow_daily/article/1065973/home-evidence/ Improving Services for Young People - an economic perspective is a report from Catch22 that reveals that if a more coordinated approach to services for vulnerable young people were adopted the cost benefits to the state, and improved outcomes for young people, would be to the value of 3.2 billion. It shows that adopting a more joined-up approach to services for young people would see a return of 5.65 for every 1.00 invested. It says that at the ages of 16, 17 and 18 many of the better targeted and coordinated services for children fall away, often leaving young people who lack support from their families both vulnerable and struggling. http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news- 1.nsf/0/6E5DFD74851839E78025786F003A921F?OpenDocument Inquiry into the Future of cheques - The Treasury Select Committee is to reopen its inquiry on the future of cheques given continuing public concern about possible moves to phase out this method of payment by 2018. Written evidence should be sent to the committee by 6th May. http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a- z/commons-select/treasury-committee/news/new-inquiry-the-future-of-cheques/ Institute for Youth Work - Catalyst is a consortium of four organisations (led by NCVYS in partnership with the National Youth Agency, the Young Foundation and the Social Enterprise Coalition), working with the Department for Education as the strategic partner for young people. Workforce development is one strand of the consortiums work and a work plan for this activity is still in development, but as part of this there will be an opportunity to explore the possibilities for developing an Institute for Youth Work. This opportunity has been discussed in the sector for a number of years and would be intended 12. 12 to provide a strong voice for the sector and those individuals within it. Early discussions between the Catalyst consortium and the sector have concluded that the plan for an Institute would require it to work in harmony with existing structures and bodies, and serve to secure a coherent framework for a wide range of practitioners, enabling them to contribute to the setting of standards for the sector. Into the Future: Young Peoples and Teachers Views on Career Advice is a survey by the National Youth Agency and Local Government Association that showed that 8 out of 10 young people find the careers advice they receive in school useful. The study surveyed the views of 900 pupils aged 14 to 18 and 500 teachers. Young people rated parents and carers as the most useful sources of advice on career choices (26 per cent), followed by teachers talking to the whole class (20 per cent). Only 10 per cent stated that a one-off meeting with a Connexions adviser was the most useful source of careers advice. A classroom setting was the favoured way to find out basic careers advice, the study found, but young people also felt there should be more personalised support offered in small groups or one to one. http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/cypnow_daily/article/1063582/majority-young-people- rate-schools-careers-advice-useful-survey-reveals/. Meanwhile an Ofsted report, Girls career aspirations has found that some girls are receiving weak careers education, which is making it difficult for them to make properly informed choices about courses and careers. In most of the schools visited, not enough was being done to promote the confidence, drive and ambition of girls to take risks in challenging vocational stereotypes. Of the 1,725 examples of work placements for young women collected from school records, only 164 represented non-stereotypical experiences. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News/Press-and-media/2011/April/Girls-making- uninformed-choices-about-careers Ofsted should be split into two new organisations covering education and children's care, according to a report by the education select committee on the role and performance of Ofsted. It says that a single childrens inspectorate is too big to function effectively and needs greater elements of specialism to give people increased confidence in inspections. The split would raise confidence that inspections in any setting are carried out by inspectors with relevant training and experience, the report claims. The recommendations have been criticised by children's services union Aspect and the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS). See http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news- 1.nsf/0/09EBB50F6CBB72FA80257877003029E0?OpenDocument and http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/cypnow_daily/article/1066072/sector-declares- opposition-ofsted-split/ The chief inspector of Ofsted, Christine Gilbert, has resigned and will leave the position at the end of June. Miriam Rosen, a former executive director at Ofsted, will be the interim chief inspector until a permanent appointment is made. Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers this is the new strategy published by the government that aims to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. The strategy, focuses on inter-generational social mobility: ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to do better than their parents. It aims to tackle unfairness at every stage of life with specific measures to improve social mobility from the Foundation Years to school and adulthood. http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-determined-open-doors- opportunity 13. 13 Safe Network - Following the announcement of a further two years of funding from the Department for Education it is putting together a detailed business plan that reflects the needs and priorities of the community and voluntary sector. The partnership of NSPCC and Children England is being strengthened by the addition of the Child Accident Prevention Trust to enable it to provide even greater support and advice to the sector. http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/news_and_events/news_articles/Pages/the_safe_network_ secures_funding.aspx Scouts - More girls than boys joined the Scout Association in the UK in the past year for the first time in the movement's history. Annual membership figures reveal that 4,330 girls joined the movement compared to 3,796 boys in the 12 months up to 31 January 2011. Waiting lists to join the Scouts remain at an all-time high, with the group still in need of a significant rise in the number of adult leaders to cope with demand. The current waiting list stands at nearly 33,500. UK Youth Parliament - The British Youth Council (BYC) is to take over the running of the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) for an interim period of six months after receiving a 335,000 government transition grant. The charity Democracy for Young People currently oversees the management of UKYP, but it will be wound down and its responsibilities transferred to BYC and has been awarded a 65,000 grant to help with the transfer. Volunteering charity v will receive 1.25m in core funding from the Office for Civil Society in 2011/12. The charity was given 37m from the OCS last year. The 37m was given to v to run a set of programmes that implemented the recommendations of the Russell Commission, which aimed to encourage more young people to volunteer. Jayne Colquhoun, corporate affairs director at v, said the 1.25m would go towards the charity's running costs. It would aim to raise other funding through donations from the private sector and by bidding for government contracts. Volunteering England is calling on volunteer-involving organisations to sign up to raise the standards of volunteer management. By signing the promise, organisations are making a commitment to work towards criteria set below the following headings: We will endeavour to get it right from the beginning We will offer means to achieve reconciliation if things go wrong We accept our responsibility See http://www.volunteering.org.uk/WhatWeDo/Policy/Volunteer+Rights+Inquiry Volunteer Infrastructure Programme - The government has delayed giving more details of this fund that it announced in its Giving Green Paper in December. The green paper said the Office for Civil Society would set up a fund worth 42.5m over four years that would 'provide brokerage as well as front-line support to volunteers and the organisations that manage them' and that it would begin in March this year. A spokesman for the OCS said more details of the programme would be in the white paper on giving, which was due to be published in May, saying that 'The process has been delayed because we had far more responses to the green paper on giving than we expected. Its important to look through these properly, and get things right rather than rush into them.' Work Programme - The Prince's Trust is among 289 voluntary sector organisations that will be charged with helping young unemployed people find jobs through the new Work Programme. The 5bn initiative is the largest payment-by-results scheme ever run by government. For the first time all welfare-to-work providers will be paid through the benefit 14. 14 savings made from the people they help find employment. Providers will have the freedom to design tailored support for individual clients and extra money will be paid to those who get the 'hardest to help' people off benefits and into work. In total, 16 private and two voluntary sector organisations have been appointed as 'prime contractors' and they will then subcontract welfare-to-work activities to the 289 voluntary sector groups. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2011/apr-2011/dwp037-11.shtml Young people and the justice system - Moves to divert young people with mental health and substance misuse problems away from the criminal justice system towards support services have received a boost following government investment of 2m. The money is part of a larger 5m pot that includes provision for adults, with the aim of establishing a national liaison and diversion service by 2014. The scheme supports the early assessment of young people on first contact with the police, by providing suitably-trained staff who are able to undertake a rapid assessment of health needs. http://www.yjb.gov.uk/en- gb/News/%C2%A32m+to+help+divert+vulnerable+young+people+from+crime.htm Youth inter faith guide: call for information - In 2004 the Inter Faith Network for the UK published Connect: Different Faiths, Shared Values, an inter faith guide for young people see http://www.interfaith.org.uk/connect/index.htm. The guide has proven popular and successful with schools, youth groups and local government, however it is now needs updating to reflect the range of exciting new projects involving young people in inter faith activity. In the context of updating the guide, they would like to receive from organisations that work with young people: Information about what you would like to see in a new edition of Connect. Information relating to any recent projects which you (or your member groups) have been undertaking in the area of inter faith work ie, work bringing young people of different faiths backgrounds (or religion and belief backgrounds) together better to understand each others traditions or to cooperate on projects. If you would like to send information, contact Augustine Booth-Clibborn ifnet@interfaith.org.uk Youth Strategy - The government is being urged to use its forthcoming youth strategy to support formal partnerships between providers and guarantee young people a minimum entitlement to services. Children's minister Tim Loughton promised earlier this month that the youth policy document, due to be published later this year, will be developed with significant input from the sector over the summer. Consultation on the plans is yet to begin, but key youth organisations are preparing their proposals for government. http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/youth_work_news/article/1060958/sector-bids-shape- coalition-youth-policy/ DISCLAIMER VYS (Devon) accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure details are correct, VYS (Devon) cannot endorse events or items mentioned in this newsletter.