GENERAL
Voluntary Sector Statistics Published
The NCVO Almanac is the biggest annual survey of the voluntary sector and the release of a new one always provokes lots of interest. This year’s Almanac shows that income for the sector has gone up, but this disguises the true picture for most organisations as the increase is accounted for by a few very large charities often taking on government functions. The Guardian says ‘This year’s dominant narrative of the further flourishing of big charity, while small and medium-sized organisations continue to be battered by spending cuts and contract commissioning practices that work against them, should provide much food for thought.’
A further issue is the conversion of public sector organisations into charities, and the Guardian says that “There is no doubt that a significant wedge of the £506m net rise in government funding will have come via “charitisation” of bodies previously in the public sector, such as creation of the Canal & River Trust in 2012 from the former British Waterways Board. This is continuing apace, not only at national level – the setting up of English Heritage as a charity in 2015, for instance – but also locally where schools and other services are being spun off out of council control.”
NAVCA have also joined the debate, criticizing the way in which income is sometime perceived as a proxy for effectiveness to the detriment of smaller vcs organisations.
Brexit: Implications for the Voluntary Sector
NCVO’s initial analysis of the situation is available at the NCVO website. Stuart Etherington, NCVO gave his reaction to the referendum result:
“The voluntary sector is needed now more than ever. These have been troubled times, and they will continue to be so. Britain is facing political and economic unrest for months if not years to come.
Your support and advocacy for the people and causes you work for will be essential in this climate.
There are millions, even tens of millions in the UK who feel distanced from institutions that are meant to work on their behalf. At best apathetic, at worst, deeply hostile. Meanwhile the debate has left a bitter taste on both sides. It has served to exacerbate other divisions within our society.
The referendum has thrown into sharper contrast than ever previously a division in the United Kingdom. Questions of social mobility will rightly now come to the fore again. And we can hope that the racial tensions stoked so crudely and cruelly during the campaigning do not linger, but the risk of this is clear. We must now play our role in healing these divisions. We can and must help people in the communities we work with to understand, respect and cherish each other.” Read the full statement. Since then much has been written about the future implications of brexit for the sector. A fuller briefing worth reading is here and you can view an interesing webcast about brexit and the vcs here.
Why infrastructure support matters
NPC makes the case for local infrastructure.
“‘Everybody wants what we do, but nobody wants to pay for it.’ This is a lament frequently made by voluntary sector infrastructure organisations. The smaller or less experienced organisations most likely to benefit from their services are often those least able to afford it. Local authorities-struggling to fund core statutory duties let alone anything else besides-are cutting back support and/or narrowing the terms of what it should provide. Individual and institutional funders, meanwhile, often want to channel their support ‘to the frontline’.
What infrastructure bodies can offer
For charities, the benefits are obvious: access to information, advice, training, and even professional services that cannot be provided in-house. Effective infrastructure bodies are also a channel of communication. They can act as conduit between the voluntary and statutory sectors, feeding intelligence both ways and helping the two to work better together.
For communities, the benefits are indirect; they stem from the effects that a vibrant, confident, well supported voluntary sector can have on individuals and neighbourhoods.
For funders, the benefits are less obvious, but no less useful. The availability of support and guidance from infrastructure organisations can lead to much better funding applications from a wider range of organisations.
Six principles for engaging people and communities
The six principles were developed by the People and Communities Board, in conjunction with the new models of care ‘vanguards’ sites, to give practical support to services as they deliver the ‘new relationship with people and communities;’ set out in the Five Year Forward View.
These ‘six principles’ set out the basis of good person centred, community focused health and care.
The six principles require that:
1 Care and support is person-centred: personalised, coordinated, and empowering
2 Services are created in partnership with citizens and communities
3 Focus is on equality and narrowing inequalities
4 Carers are identified, supported and involved
5 Voluntary, community and social enterprise and housing sectors are involved as key partners and enablers
6 Volunteering and social action are recognised as key enablers
Full details at the National Voices website.
HEALTH
General Practice Health Advocates
The latest edition of the Camden Patient Participation Groups Newsletter looks at Community health advocates are volunteers who signpost people to health and wellbeing services, websites, and community activities. Most advocates work from GP surgery waiting rooms in two hour sessions.
The project is part of Voluntary Action Camden’s health inequalities work which aims to address issues which contribute to poor health outcomes for Camden residents. The service is funded by Camden CCG and Camden Council. You can read the full article in the CPPG Newsletter, read a blog about new models of care and the involvement of the the VCS on the VAC website, or email vac to find out more or get involved.
NHS England tell teams developing STPs to talk to local charities and community groups
Engaging Local People, new guidance from NHS England for teams developing STPs in the 44 footprint areas, says they should engage with the voluntary sector. And the best way to do this, according to the guidance, is through their “local CVS or development and support agency”.
The guidance makes clear that charities and community groups are key stakeholders and says that “the best source for support for linking with the voluntary sector is frequently the council for voluntary services (CVS), sometime is called a local development and support agency”.
Also NHS England has published the NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2017 – 2019. This emphasises the importance of STPs. The guidance says that “STPs are more than just plans. They represent a different way of working, with partnership behaviours becoming the new norm…although STPs are relatively new, we see them as having a significant ongoing role in the NHS.” Camden and Islington NHS Trust have published a Sustainability and Transformation Plan – Case for Change Sept 2016 and you will find a single mention of the voluntary sector on page 45.
CQC Report on Camden Care Navigation Service
In the recently published Care Quality Commission (CQC) report Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers, the Primary Care Navigation Service run by Age UK Camden was praised as a good example of multi-agency working. The CQC report was generally critical of lack of integration, calling for improvements, but Camden was held up as good practice, see: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/older-people-denied-personalised-effective-and-responsive-care-due-poor-integration-across
Age UK Camden’s CEO Gary Jones said “We deliver with Camden CCG funding with close links to GPs and other practice staff as well as social care professionals. Voluntary sector partners are also key and our Care Navigation Manager is seconded from Camden Carers Centre and is a nurse by training. We also had some help from Age UK London and Age UK Kensington and Chelsea in developing the model.”
Social Prescribing in London
As part of the Regional Voices’ strategic partnership work, LVSC is mapping social prescribing activities in London. The map includes links to social prescribing activities in London. Each link takes you to a uniquely created page with information about and contact details of each social prescriber.
We are also working with Healthy London Partnership (HLP) to take this work forward across London. We will look at best practice and different models of social prescribing activities in London.
The map will be widely shared with the VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) sector in London. We will also share it at a strategic level with commissioners, NHS England (including HLP), London Health Board, Public Health England, local authorities, Social Prescribing Network and academic institutions that are reviewing and evaluating social prescribing activities.
If you are a social prescriber, you are cordially invited to complete our survey which will inform your unique page on the map. It will also provide useful information for our work with HLP.
If you know of other and emerging social prescribing initiatives not listed on the map, please email me: sandra@lvsc.org.uk. Access the new social prescribing map in London online here
New Models of Care: Working Together for a Healthy London
In March Peter attended “New Models of Care: Working Together for a Healthy London” an event organised by the London Voluntary Service Council. The title refers to the government’s “Five Year Forward View” of the NHS which argued for a “more engaged relationship with patients, carers and citizens so that we can promote wellbeing and prevent ill-health.” The voluntary and community sector is very much at the core of this and the document specifically referred to Voluntary Action Rotherham’s Social Prescribing Service.
Read the full article here.
Camden Integrated Digital Record (CIDR)
Camden CCG, working in partnership with health and social care providers in Camden, has developed a digital record service that links health and social care data together. This creates a joined up and secure digital record for people registered with a Camden GP. This means your health and social care professionals are able to view vital information about you at the right time, and place, to provide you with the best possible care. Find out more here.
CRIME and SAFETY
Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) to tackle antisocial behaviour in London
The specific purpose of the research is to test how individuals in the Borough are likely to react to PSPOs in different sets of circumstances. The project is run by Erasmus University, Rotterdam. More information here.
CHILDREN and FAMILIES
Safeguarding: Myths, Harmful Practices and the BAMER Community
For the past 8 years VAC’s Asha-Kin Duale has been delivering training sessions on ‘Safeguarding Children’ and ‘Harmful Practices’ to BAMER community, faith groups and supplementary schools in Camden. These sessions are delivered as part of the Community Partnership Project, funded by Camden Council’s Children Safeguarding Board. The project has been running since 2007 to address issues of child safeguarding amongst Camden BAMER communities.
In this time I have met a variety of people, mainly older women, attending these sessions in groups, many of whom are initially wary of Social Services and the Police and their role in protecting children in the community. But recently a young couple with their baby attended my session. It was the first time I have ever seen a young couple attend one of my sessions. Read the full blog at the VAC website.
ENVIRONMENT
Air Pollution
The Mayor of London has recently launched a new public consultation on some measures to improve air quality in London. Find out more here.
Camden will be holding an Air Quality Conference on Wednesday 2 November (6 – 8.30pm),
Air pollution has a major impact on all of us. Nearly 9,500 people die every year in London as a result of poor air quality and action must be taken to change this. Full details and booking at Eventbrite
VAC will be sending out a quarterly selection of Policy highlights of relevance to the VCS in Camden. The policy highlights are drawn from a wide variety of sources and may have featured in recent editions of the e-bulletin or have been drawn from conferences, workshops or seminars. Please do give us feedback on the briefing and let us know if there are particular issues you would like covered in more depth. The VAC e-bulletin will be back as usual next Friday.
