Stuart Ashmore

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‘Do you have what it takes to join us’ – CVT Shared Lives looking to recruit Paid Carers to an innovative new Scheme across the Black Country.

February 19, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Vacancies, Volunteering tagged ,

National charity, Camphill Village Trust, has recently been awarded the contract to deliver a Shared Lives Scheme on behalf of Dudley MBC, and are looking to recruit paid Carers to significantly expand this innovative service across the wider Borough and surrounding Black Country areas over the coming years.

As a starting point, Shared Lives is sometimes described as being similar to providing ‘foster care for adults with additional/complex needs’…but it’s so much more than that, as you support the Person to make choices and decisions, maximise independence and lead an ordinary life at the heart of the community just like you and me. Being a Shared Lives Carer, you encourage the Person to develop practical skills, build self-esteem and develop new friendships and social networks in the neighbourhood, which creates a sense of belonging.

CVT Shared Lives will provide a comprehensive induction programme and on-going support to ensure that the highest quality of care is maintained throughout each Shared Lives Arrangement. An Enhanced DBS Check and references are also required. Training will take place in your own home, via e-learning and also as a group at our community hub in Stourbridge. The Assessment process can take between 3-6 months. Once approved by an Independent Panel, you are carefully matched with a Person who comes to stay/live with you on either a live-in, short-break or day-support basis…it’s such a rewarding role!!!

96% of all Shared Lives Schemes inspected by the Care Quality Commission are rated as Good or Outstanding as people are known to lead longer, healthier, happier lives when living in the community. Not only is Shared Lives more cost effective but it also provides a viable alternative to other long-term settings such as hospital or residential care.

Registered Manager for CVT Shared Lives, Kate Morgan, said “We already have 38 households in the area supporting people with a learning disability, mental ill health, autism and physical disability. The recent demand for the service, means there is a continual need to recruit dedicated Carers and by joining our Scheme, caring people can build a paid career from their own home, doing a role they love and which is very much valued by all those involved.”

You must be over 21 years of age and don’t need any qualifications or experience, just the right values, commitment and of course…..a spare bedroom. If you don’t own your own home, you will need to ask your landlord’s permission to use your property as a Shared Lives Arrangement.

As a Shared Lives Carer you can be paid from £370 – £560+ per week, depending on the level of support you provide to the Person who comes to stay/live with you. That works out between £19-29K annually, as well as qualifying for tax relief and receiving four weeks respite.

To find out more about becoming a Shared Lives Carer , please go to www.cvt.org.uk/sharedlives Call 01384 441505. Email sharedlives@cvt.org.uk or follow us on Twitter: @CVTSharedLives

Rowley Regis Community Awards 2019

February 19, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Blog

Friday, February 8th 2019 saw the Rowley Regis Community Awards 2019 take place in Cradley Heath, attended by 260 delegates.

Anam Choudhury, of Sandwell Community Hubs, writes:

On behalf of Sandwell Community Hubs and Sandwell Council, I would like to thank everyone for coming together to celebrate the Rowley Regis Community Awards 2019, which took place on 8th February 2019 and was attended by 260 delegates involving representatives of the local council, community sector, local businesses, the nominees and the finalists of the community awards. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Independent Awards Panel Members- Cllr Susan Eaves, Prabha Patel (SMBC Neighbourhood Manager), Paula Cope (TESCO) & Sergeant Cheryl Reed (WM Police) for their involvement in the awards process.

 Please follow the link to view pictures from the event. https://we.tl/t-8U6hWsYMg5

 Following the event, we have had a number of emails and phone calls with positive feedback. Cllr Julie Webb said “this event was so special to so many people.  It was long overdue.  I look forward to next year’s event”.

“A huge thank you and congratulations to everyone involved in arranging such a splendid evening. Receiving the award has done wonders for the volunteer team who are justly proud of being recognised for their efforts to support artists in the community”, said Harry Bloomer from the Art Yard.

“Just wanted to say a big thank you for the awards ceremony, which we attended on Friday, and was awarded the Community Partnership Award,” said Pauline Withey from Agewell.

 “Thank you for an Amazing Evening at the Rowley Regis Awards Ceremony. It was an absolutely fabulous event – so good to see so many outstanding volunteers praised for their hard work. The finalist Certificates were well received. Many thanks for organising this event” said Norma Hyde from Special Olympics Sandwell.

“I would just like to show my appreciation for a lovely evening. It was a very enjoyable evening” Tracy Lowe, the winner of Outstanding Volunteers Award.

Councillor Susan Eaves, town chair for Rowley Regis, said: “This awards ceremony has been excellent in giving a big thank you to people who have gone the extra mile for the area.”

The winners and (runners-up) of the Rowley Community Awards 2019 were:

  • Outstanding Volunteers Award: Tracy Lowe (Ernie Locke)
  • Partnership Working Award: Agewell Kingfisher Buddies & Your Health Partnership Living Well with dementia (Haden Hill Leisure Centre & Old Hill Cricket Club)
  • Good Neighbour Award: Mrs Balbir Kaur and Mr Shinda Singh (Kelvin James and Pat James)
  • Community Project Award: Student Voice (The Art Yard)
  • Community Organisation Award: The Friends of Haden Hill Estate (Cradley Heath Community Link)
  • Young Persons Award: Jordan Goodridge (Student Voice)
  • Community Special Award: Daya Singh Nagi (Christine Smith).

Brexit and The Implications for the Third Sector…

February 12, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Blog, Funding, VCS Feature

Brexit (in one form or another) has been a constant news headline since the outcome of the referendum back in June 2016…and ‘Brexit Day’ is fast-approaching: 29th March 2019.

What’s clear is that matters, and a way forward, are still very unclear, but the clock is ticking…so what might some of the implications be for the Third Sector given some of the possible scenarios that might play out?

To try and respond to that question, SCVO attended a recent briefing organised by the WM Funders Network , hosted by Brewin Dolphin, 9 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BJ. The focus of the briefing was to provide an update and offer some assessment of what this might mean for the Sector.

There is still much to be clarified, such as the agreement on how much money the UK ‘owes’ the EU, what happens to the Northern Ireland border and what happens to UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK. There has also been agreed a ‘transition period’ to put in place the necessary arrangements for the UK to leave the EU. The speakers considered what this might mean for the Third Sector:

Ian Burrows, Brewin Dolphin, Investment Managers started off the briefing by looking at the implications for the economy and investment income for charities.

Mick McAteer, The Financial Inclusion Centre provided evidence from various data sets on the particular impact on households in the region with higher financial vulnerabilities;

Jill Rutter, BritishFutures focused on the likely changes to immigration policy and implications for obtaining settlement status for EU migrants in the UK, and

Andy Churchill, Chief Executive, Network for Europe looked at European Funding  and its replacement by the Government’s proposed’ Shared Prosperity Fund.’

If you would like to get a sense of more of the detail covered by each speaker, you can find a copy of their PowerPoint slides HERE.

In a nutshell, despite the level of uncertainty regarding a certain way forward, the answer is NOT to be like an ostrich, but be aware of the every-growing plethora of publications and resources regarding Brexit, some of which are below. However, a key item to watch out for is the impending consultation regarding the Government’s proposed ‘Shared Prosperity Fund’. It had been hoped that such consultation would have taken place before the end of 2018, but a question posed in Parliament and answered on 3rd December 2018 elicited the following response:

Jake Berry, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

“We are continuing to work on the design and priorities of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the composition of which will be decided at next year’s Spending Review. Decisions will be informed by a consultation and will be published in due course, which will give all interested parties an opportunity to convey their views directly to Government.”

Basically, “Watch this space!”.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Here is the resources list:

Department for Exiting the European Union: How to prepare if the UK leaves the EU with no deal:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/how-to-prepare-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-with-no-deal

Home Office: Immigration from 30th March 2019 if there is not deal:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-immigration-after-free-movement-ends-if-theres-no-deal/immigration-from-30-march-2019-if-there-is-no-deal

The Treasury: The Government’s guarantee for EU- funded programmes if there is no Brexit deal

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-governments-guarantee-for-eu-funded-programmes-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/the-governments-guarantee-for-eu-funded-programmes-if-theres-no-brexit-deal#after-29-march-2019-if-theres-no-deal

The National Agency: Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programme – Updated guidance from Government

https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/brexit-update

The Brexit Civil Society Alliance: https://www.brexitcivilsocietyalliance.org/resources/

NCVO: Brexit updates https://www.ncvo.org.uk/policy-and-research/europe

Learning and Work Institute: https://www.learningandwork.org.uk/futureesf/

Birmingham City Council: The Impact of Brexit on Birmingham and the West Midlands

Smethwick Community Awards 2019: Nominations now open.

February 12, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in News and Events, VCS Feature

Nominations are now open for the Smethwick Community Awards 2019.

This is an opportunity for local people and community organisations to be recognised for their outstanding contributions to the Smethwick town and its people. The Smethwick Community Awards 2019 is organised by the Sandwell Community Hubs in partnership with the Sandwell Council.

Nominees are being sought for seven categories of awards. The categories open for submissions are:

  • Outstanding Volunteer Award: Someone whose volunteering makes a huge impact on the local community.
  • Outstanding Young Person Award: A young person who makes a positive contribution to the local community.
  • Outstanding Good Neighbour Award: Someone who helps their neighbours & makes a difference to someone else.
  • Outstanding Community Project Award: A community project that makes a difference to the local community.
  • Outstanding Community Organisation Award: A community project/organisation that makes a difference to the local community.
  • Outstanding Partnership Working Award: A Group has shown that partnership working has had a positive impact.
  • Community Special Award: An individual that has contributed positive lifelong service to the area.

To enter, all projects or services must take place in the town. All entries will be judged by an independent panel involving local councillors and businesses.

Deadline for the Smethwick Community Awards 2019 is Friday 1st March 2019 at 11:30 pm.

Please visit www.sandwellchc.org/community-awards to submit your nominations.

 

All Nominees will be invited to an Awards Ceremony to be held on 15th March 2019 from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

Save the Date! Briefing: EU Settlement Scheme

February 11, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Blog, News and Events tagged ,

You are invited to attend a briefing with the Home Office Settlement Scheme team
Date: 25th February 2019
Location: Birmingham (venue TBC) Time: 1.30pm – 4.30pm

The briefing, aimed at those from frontline/voluntary and community groups will provide an overview of the scheme. In addition, an update on the vulnerability strategy and the additional support the Home Office is making available for more vulnerable or at-risk EU citizens and their family members.

During the session, there will be an opportunity to look at local needs in relation to the scheme, and to discuss what actions are required to address these issues together. Attendees will also be presented with the communications tools and resources the Home Office has developed for frontline organisations to help them inform and reassure EU citizens.

Confirm your attendance at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eu-settlement-scheme-briefing-in-birmingham-tickets-55646635585 

Fizz Free February is here – make your pledge!

February 1, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Health & Wellbeing, VCS Feature tagged ,

Friday 1st February marks the start of Fizz Free February – meaning it’s time to ditch sugary drinks for 28 days.

Launched by Southwark Council in 2018, Fizz Free February is a great way to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet and make it easier to cut down on fizzy drinks for the rest of the year, too. It can also help you to save money, stay healthy and keep your teeth. For instance, did you know that you could save £438 if you stopped drinking one bottle of soft drink, per day, for a year

Through the campaign, Sandwell’s Public Health Team will be raising awareness of the health implications of drinking fizzy drinks, which often contain high amounts of sugar.

Pledge to give up fizzy drinks for 28 days and tweet about it using #fizzfreesandwell and #gofizzfree

You can find out more about the reasons to quit fizzy drinks and sign up to take part at: www.fizzfreesandwell.co.uk.

iSandwell Camp 2019 – “Making sure our digital agenda puts people first”.

January 31, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Training Support and Resources tagged ,

We all understand that even though digital is not the be all and end all, we have to accept that it has a lot of power to create social change … but are we using it in the correct way in Sandwell and can we do more to ensure the people who need support the most are getting that help?

Digital is not just about helping people to get online or having access to tech, it’s about being able to use it to alleviate issues such as social isolation and improving collaboration, for example.

As a community, we also need to address if we actually trust using digital and what we can do as a network to ensure the people we support get the best out of it when considering these barriers.

For the next iSandwell Camp we will be discussing these issues and forming a network, which you can be a part of.

You will take part in a series of activities that discuss a range of issues together with the opportunity to form a working network that will work closely with Sandwell Council to ensure we can use digital for good in the region.

Free spaces are available for voluntary and community staff and people who are passionate about Sandwell.

When: Wednesday 13 February, 10am – 1pm (lunch included)

Where: Jubilee Community Centre, Powis Avenue, Tipton, DY4 0RD.

Please book your place via the Eventbrite link below.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/isandwellcamp-2019-making-sure-our-digital-agenda-puts-people-first-tickets-55560186012

EPIC Funding is Go! Grant application window now open…

January 28, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Funding, SCVO News tagged

 SCVO is working in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to help build long-term resilience within Sandwell Communities.

 

The purpose of the EPIC Grant Programme (Empowering People In Communities) is to enable local voluntary and community organisations to access funding that supports the following broad outcomes:

  • Increased resilience within communities
  • Increased self reliance
  • Improved and stronger relationships within the community
  • Residents are involved in the design and delivery of activities that make a positive change in their communities
  • Asset and strengths based – building on what exists in communities

Extensive community conversations have helped to shape the elements of this programme.  EPIC is a three year grant programme aimed at improving the wellbeing of communities, and tackling isolation and loneliness. It does this by developing stronger relationships and building on what exists within communities. This could include making the most of community spaces, improving access to transport and using people’s skills, talents and experience.

Grants up to £80,000 will be available for projects that are aimed at people (of all ages) who feel lonely or isolated, and projects that aim to improve the wellbeing of communities.

There are three tiers of funding available:

  • under £10,000
  • £10,001 to £40,000
  • £40,001 to £80,000 (working in collaboration)

Applications for Round 1 open on Monday 28th January 2019 and will close on Monday, 18th March 2019 at 12 noon.

Application paperwork (in Word format) and guidance notes (in pdf format) are available for download as follows:

For applications under £10,000:

 

For applications over £10,000 (incl. collaboration):

 

If you would like to discuss any proposals before submitting an application, or you have any general queries, please contact Manisha Patel, Community Partnerships Coach, T: 0121 525 1127 / E: manisha@scvo.info

 

What do you think? Your views needed on new EU exit information website

January 16, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in VCS Feature tagged ,

Leaving the EU means a number of changes that will affect organisations and individual citizens. The Government has developed a website gov.uk/euexit to give information on how to prepare and the steps organisations and individuals may need to take.

We are really keen to get some initial feedback on the quality and user-friendliness of the content. Please record your feedback in this two minute survey, your views on the website will influence any improvements, so a swift response would be appreciated. Please feel free to skip any questions that you do not feel apply to your organisation.

We are keen to hear from civil society organisations and those that work with them to make sure that the information on the website information reflects your needs.

Thank you for your support.

If you have any questions, please contact Ruth Verrall (ruth.verrall@cabinetoffice.gov.uk) at the Cabinet Office.

EPIC funding lands in Sandwell

January 14, 2019by Stuart Ashmore in Funding, SCVO News tagged

SCVO is working in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to help build long-term resilience within Sandwell Communities.

As mentioned in last week’s e-bulletin, SCVO will be launching EPIC funding in early February.

The purpose of the EPIC (Empowering People in Communities) Grant Programme is to enable local voluntary and community organisations to access funding that supports the following broad outcomes:

  • Increased resilience within communities
  • Increased self reliance
  • Improved and stronger relationships within the community
  • Residents are involved in the design and delivery of activities that make a positive change in their communities
  • Asset and strengths based – building on what exists in communities

Extensive community conversations have helped to shape the elements of this programme.  EPIC is a three year grant programme aimed at improving the wellbeing of communities, and tackling isolation and loneliness. It does this by developing stronger relationships and building on what exists within communities. This could include making the most of community spaces, improving access to transport and using people’s skills, talents and experience.

Grants up to £80,000 will be available for projects that are aimed at people (of all ages) who feel lonely or isolated, and projects that aim to improve the wellbeing of communities.

There are three tiers of funding available:

  • under £10,000
  • £10,001 to £40,000
  • £40,001 to £80,000 (working in collaboration)

Applications for Round 1 open on Monday 28th January 2019 and will close on Friday 15th March 2019.

To help organisations with potential submissions, we have organised five sessions, where you can hear more about the detail of the funding opportunity and what we are looking for in applications.

Please use the relevant Eventbrite link to book a place at your chosen/preferred session – attendance is on a first come, first served basis and is limited to 1 ticket per organisation (so that we can make the sessions available to as many groups as possible):

Application forms and guidance notes will be available on our website from 28th January 2019.

For more information contact: Manisha Patel, Community Partnerships Coach – T: 0121 5251127 / E: manisha@scvo.info

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