News from the VOCypf Officers

The current economic climate and its impact on the voluntary sector

VOCypf is responding to the current climate of in year cuts and those predicted for 2011-12.

The letters below have been sent to the Portfolio Holder, Director of Children’s Services, Assistant Directors and Commissioners in Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Bedfordshire NHS on behalf of the Voluntary Organisations working with children, young people and families.

These letters and the CVS report highlight the concerns of the voluntary sector regarding the current economic climate and the impact on vulnerable families and the future of the voluntary sector.

Click on the Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire or NHS letters to view. (31.8)

Local Safeguarding Children Board COMPACT for Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire

The VOCypf is being asked to sign up to the Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Strategic Board Membership Compacts June 2010. As the VOCypf is a network and not a legal entity VOCypf is unable to sign on behalf of the sector.

This has been discussed with the Chairs of both boards and they would be happy for VOCypf to add a caveat with the signature such as: We agree as the VOCypf network to actively support the promotion of the COMPACT and its codes and policies as appropriate for Voluntary Sector organisations.

The COMPACT will be signed by the current Co- Chairs Matt Buttery and Sue Henderson. Please click to view the Bedford Borough COMPACT or the Central Bedfordshire COMPACT. (20.8)

14 – 19 Agenda commissioning and funding changes

Changes to the funding arrangements for 16 – 19 education announced by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education on 19 July 2010

The main changes announced on 19 July relate to the funding of 16 – 19 education and training and not to the council commissioning role. The Secretary of State makes it clear in his letter that councils will continue to have a strategic commissioning and influencing role. However, the changes to the funding arrangements will have implications for the way that councils, in practice, carry out their commissioning role.

The funding changes are:

• The YPLA will make payments directly to FE Colleges, Sixth Form Colleges, and other training providers, and will manage the contracts with them. School sixth forms will continue to be paid by councils.

From 2011/12 funding will be based on ‘lagged learner numbers’ (as is the case with pre-16 education funding at present).

Please click here for full details.

Letter ref Changes in Funding – voluntary sector July 19 2010

The YPLA is now taking immediate steps to implement these decisions as follows:

• We will issue letters of intent to those independent providers that have had individual allocations of funds set by the YPLA for 2010/11 and which had been due to be paid by local authorities. The letters of intent will be valid until then end of October by when full contracts will have been issued. On receiving the letter of intent providers are asked to confirm their banking details to the YPLA by return even if the banking details have not changed since April 2010. All such providers will receive further details on this process in the course of this week.

• The YPLA will pay providers direct for 16-19 learning from mid August.

• We have withdrawn the National Commissioning Framework with immediate effect and will work with partners on a new simplified system which will be available by the end of September and which will set out the steps in the allocation process for the 2011/12 academic year.

Please click here for full details. (11.8)

All change again! Your questions answered ...

Your questions answered in this Children & Young People Now article by Lauren Higgs (10 August 2010). Click here to download.

Bedford Borough Children’s Services -The current economic climate and its impact on the voluntary sector

Click here to view this article. (4.8)

Empowering the Voluntary Sector Special Edition July 2010: Cuts – to challenge or not to challenge.

Click here to view. (6.8)

Are you ready to collaborate for commissioning?

Go to the bassac website to find out. (25.8)

Bedford Youth Agency Forum Survey

VOCypf would like to say thank to all those who completed our survey about Bedford Youth Agency Forum. Of those who responded, all were unanimous in their support for this to be re-established and a small group are now working to set up the first session. To view the survey results, please click here. (6.7)

Bedford Borough 14 – 19 Agenda

Recently the VOCypf Officers met with Michael Gleeson 14 – 19 Lead for Bedford Borough. The agenda is a new and exciting way of looking at education for 14 – 19 year olds.  Michael said:

“The Third Sector and employers are two groups which have key roles to play in the 14 – 19 Partnership and Bedford Borough’s 14 – 19 Partnership Team is very keen to work much more closely with these groups in the future. With respect to the Community and Voluntary Service (CVS) sector we would like to explain more to you about what 14 – 19 Education is all about and how it could involve you and your organisations in the future. Clearly the sector could have a major role in the National Citizen Service initiative, but also potentially in providing apprenticeship opportunities to older students and other work-based learning experiences. The possibilities are almost endless!”

Click here to read the full article which goes into detail about the offer and the way forward in Bedford Borough.If you work with this group of young people and would like to be kept up to date with what is happening in Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire VOCypf is setting up a distribution list specific to this agenda. Please email linda@voc-ypf.org to be added to the list. (23.6)

Central Bedfordshire 14 – 19 Strategy

 The 14 –19 programme aims to transform the opportunities available to our young people by reforming qualifications, broadening the curriculum offer and ensuring that the right support is in place so that all young people can learn in a way that engages and motivates them and puts them on the path to success.

Click here to view the Central Bedfordshire 14-19 Strategy. (24.6)

Have you got a story to tell?

We are looking for case studies of good practice / partnership working / human interest for the website.

We would also like to share them with our statutory partners and would like anything that shows the added value that the voluntary sector can bring to the table. If you would like more information please contact linda@voc-ypf.org. Thank you. (22.6)

Every Contribution Matters - The Director's Cut

This is an overview report from Children Matter East on the VCS contribution to the delivery of effective outcomes for Children, Young People and their families in the East and South East Regions of England. Click to read the VCS Engage Every Contribution Matters The Directors Cut. (16.6)

Personalisation in Children's Services

The first report is focused on the personalisation agenda in children's services; looking at how personalisation is being developed and what experiences can be drawn from Adults Social Care.    This report will help those working with / for children and young people to understand what personalisation is and how it is being implementation in children's services.  There is also information on the role of the Budget Holding Lead Professional and the potentials of this approach. Commissioners need to understand about personalisation and how to commission it; in addition, personalisation could require changes to Children's Trust systems and processes. Click here to read in full. (16.6)

Costing Services

The second report focuses on why commissioners need to know the cost and value of the services they are using across the children's trust.  This report is primarily about the challenges of costing services provided by the local government. Click here to read in full. Click here for more information on the work of the Commissioning Support Programme, including more resources and learn together reports. (16.6)  

July registration halted as VBS is remodelled

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has today (15th June 2010) issued a statement to the House of Commons which confirms the stated intention of the coalition Government to review the Vetting & Barring and criminal records regimes to ensure that they are scaled back to common sense levels. Click here to read the Written Ministerial Statement.

Vetting and Barring Guidance from the BRCC

The CRB fees that follow take effect from 1st July 2010 and are for CRB checks only, not registration with the ISA.

1. Volunteers:

10 free checks for volunteers in each financial year, then each application received thereafter is £13.00 plus VAT. (£15.27 inc VAT)

2. Paid employees:

Each check costs £36.00 for the CRB element and £22.00 plus VAT BRCC admin fee - (Total £61.85 inc VAT)

There is also an £11.00 plus VAT (£12.93 inc VAT) administration fee for each CRB form that has to be returned to applicants because of errors and / or omissions on the form.

Note. If you are currently completing CRB applications for your staff / volunteers, please can you ensure that the BRCC receive them completed no later than Friday 9 July 2010. This will allow them time to process the forms and submit to CRB before the cut off date of Monday 26 July, when the current application form will no longer be accepted by CRB.

The new application form is available now. However, there is a very limited supply until Monday 26 July. If you need forms, please contact David Maxwell. Click here for a handy information sheet relating to the new CRB application form.

Organisations do need to be members of BRCC in order to access their CRB services. For further information click here, or contact David Maxwell at Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity on 01767 626466.

Keep up to date

All customers are advised to check the CRB / AccessNI websites (www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk or www.accessni.gov.uk ) for the latest information on the disclosure process. Alternatively, you can contact the CRB Customer Services team on 0870 90 90 811

The latest guidance about the other aspects of the scheme is available via www.direct.gov.uk or www.nidirect.gov.uk/vetting or www.businesslink.gov.uk . The VBS contact centre can also provide you with guidance if you call them on 0300 123 1111 (this is a lo-call number and will only cost you the same as making a local call).

Over 66,000 employers, charities and voluntary groups have registered an interest in being updated on the Vetting & Barring Scheme, and this newsletter is being circulated as an update to those individuals and organisations. If you know of anyone else who would like to be kept updated, please forward this to them and ask that they complete their details on the ISA website (click here) to receive information directly in the future. (16.6)

Coalition Unveils agenda for children and families

This article in the Children & Young People Now magazine  25 – 31 May edition highlights the changes in policy.

The Lib – Con programme for government document sets out the priority policies for children while leaving others subject to some uncertainty. Below are a few key areas, click here to go the full article (see item 2 on the list - page 3).

Some of what made it in…

• Scrap ContactPoint
• Reduce local government inspection, abolish Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA)
• Provide £10m for children’s hospices, focus on oral health
• Maintain 2020 target to end poverty
• Focus Sure Start on the neediest families, refocus funding to provide 4200 extra Health Visitors
• Scale back vetting & barring regime
• Remove the bias towards inclusion and improve diagnostic assessment of SEN
• Improve vocational education by increasing flexibility for 14 – 19 year olds
• End detention of immigrant children (will affect Yarlswood)
• Introduce the National Citizen Service for 16 year olds to get them involved in their community
• Publish serious case reviews in full
• Give parents, teachers, charities and local communities the chance to set up schools, and introduce pupil premiums for disadvantaged pupils
• Free colleges from state control and abolish education quangos

Some of what’s missing…..

• Reform of Early Years foundation stage
• Reform of careers advice for you people
• Abolition of the obligation on local authorities to set up children’s trusts and publish children & young peoples plans.
• Make youth services a statutory responsibility for LA’s.
• Increase the adult learning grant to £45 a week for 16 -18 year olds
• Consolidation of funding for early intervention and parenting support under a newly created Early Years Support Team

VOCypf Logo for use by Voluntary Organisations

The VOCypf logo below has the added words "member of" and can be used by any voluntary organisation that receives our update and works with children, young people and families. By using this logo your organisation will be indicating that they are keeping themselves up to date with current good practice and information much of which can be found the VOCypf web pages. Your organisation will also be recognising they are part of the One Children's Workforce which works in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for children ,young people and families.

Click here to view the VOCypf logo. Please feel free to put the VOCypf logo on any of your leaflets and documents as appropriate. For further information please contact linda@voc-ypf.org. (20.5)

VOCypf Survey

We have now processed the results of the VOCypf Survey 2009. We would like to say a big thank you to all of the organisations that took part, and would like to take this opportunity to illustrate the results to you in a visual format. Please click here to veiw the result analysis, and click here to view your comments and our actions. If you would like to discuss or provide us with any further feedback or information regarding the website, please contact Linda Bulled on 01234 354366 or email linda@voc-ypf.org (17.5)

VOCypf Representatives

We have a range of organisations that represent VOCypf at the many Children’s Trust Board meetings.  These representatives give a voice to the sector and contribute with their knowledge and expertise to partnership working which improves the outcomes for children, young people and their families.  It is important that the issues of the sector and the participation of the sector in all aspects of the Children’s Trust is encouraged.  VOCypf representatives are at the table to contribute to the strategic overview of the meeting agenda with their understanding from an operational perspective.  By being at the various Children’s Trust meetings the representative will also gain knowledge of both local and national agendas which affect the work they do in their own organisation.

Please click here to view the current representation.

We have several vacancies if you are interested in taking a place please email linda@voc-ypf.org. If you attend a meeting which is not on this list please email Linda as it would be useful to know the wide range of engagement the sector has. (14.5)

The First Year of Local Authority Change in Bedfordshire

This article was written for the Children Matter East  (East of England Children and Young Peoples VCS Forum) Ezine by Linda Bulled, Voluntary Organisations for Children, young people & families VOCypf. Click here to view the article which you can find on page 7 of the ezine. (27.4)

Early Intervention – gathering the evidence

Children's Trusts and Central Government must work together to gather evidence on how early intervention can improve outcomes and save money. This article reinforces the need for voluntary organisations that hold contracts with local authorities to ensure they capture the evidence of their added value and the outcomes they achieve.  Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Children’s Trusts will be reviewing contracts this year and this evidence will be crucial. Click here to view. (23.4)