NVSC - Newham Voluntary Sector Consortium
November 30, 2007
Working in Partnership
Over the past few months, everywhere you go in Newham. People are talking about "working in partnership". All around us there are odd groupings of people beginning to show signs of stress as they desperately try and join a consortium, and then worry just in case there are other consortia, and should they join another group. They are spending all their time just attending meetings. Partnership is not the panacea to all the issues that we, as the Third Sector in Newham, are currently battling with.
I say battling, because that is exactly how it feels. It doesn't have to be like this, but in Newham it is. The facts of the matter are that we, in the Third Sector, have a different definition of Partnership Working than the decision makers.
There is nothing mysterious about working in partnership, forming a consortia or any other name that is used. But it doesn't just happen. It takes time, and resources and above all a commitment from all involved that this is how they want to move forward.
Over the past few months we have been forced into partnerships, these are based solely on the fact that the Council would prefer to fund a consortium. Or that a partner is required as part of a bid. And yet there has never been any attempt to properly resource partnership development.
This is not to say that there are not successful partnerships in Newham - there probably are, but examples don't immediately spring to mind. If we look at the experience of the recent commissioning process you will find in almost all the service specifications, the Council are positively welcoming consortia bids. We have 14 weeks in which to submit a bid. The only additional resources that are available to put a consortia together is half a day of a consultants time.
The experience of a recently formed consortia is that it took some 6 months, a dedicated staff member 2 days a week, numerous meetings, each consortia member having to get their Trustee approval and learning to trust each other. The additional cost of this was £10k. The consortia were also fortunate that the lead organisation was large enough to be able to second a member of staff to do the developmental work required. It takes skill and time to get agreement.
The sector should be encouraged to work together, we are all acutely aware of the reducing resources, we understand that there is very little sense in duplication, but at the same time, we are also aware of the real needs of the communities in this Borough, that a one size fits all approach does not work in Newham.
There is little point in encouraging partnership if at the same time the very organisations that could lead on this work are facing severe cuts to their funding.
We accept that in many cases the larger organisations could enable smaller community organisations, by partnering, but this should never be seen as a way to silence the demands of the many groups who are doing an excellent job
in supporting the very communities that continue to be marginalised.
Partnership working requires commitment, trust, respect and a genuine agreement to work together - if in any way this is forced it will end in divorce, and the losers will be the communities we work with.
Sarah Ruiz
NVSC Director
Funding
Local Network Fund has now closed
The Local Network Fund for Children and Young People, which for the last four years has offered grants to voluntary or community groups based in Newham, has now closed.
It’s Your Community
O2 has launched a new community fund to enable people to make real improvements to where they live. Awards of up to £1,000 will be available to support local environmental, urban renewal and conservation projects.
The funding is available for both groups and individuals and could, for instance, be used to hire tools and equipment, or to purchase plants, paint, signs and materials. May be of use for play rangers to use for small improvements.
Website: o2.com/cr/community_fund.asp
HMRC Grant in Aid Funding Programme
The aim of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is to administer tax and customs systems fairly and efficiently, and make it as easy as possible for individuals and businesses to understand and comply with their obligations and receive their tax credits and other entitlements. HMRC has £2 million per annum available for the next three financial years, aimed at funding Third Sector Organisations (TSOs).
HMRC is committed to building its funding relationship with TSOs so that they play an increased role in public service delivery, particularly socially inclusive services to those who are hard to reach or who do not engage directly with them. The funds are available in the form of grants in aid to help with the costs of activity contributing to the HMRC's key aims, outcomes and priorities.
See website for more details: hmrc.gov.uk/vcs/guidance0809.htm
Playful Ideas
The deadline is 31 December 2007 for the under-subscribed Playful Ideas programme, which supports projects that focus on innovation and new ways of providing for children’s play.
Projects seeking funding from this programme must display a creative and novel approach to addressing an identified need within the field of children’s play.
The programme is open to voluntary and community groups, the social enterprise sector, and town and parish councils. Capital and revenue grants between £10,000 and £250,000 for projects lasting up to five years.
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_playful_ideas.htm
LSP Update: Newham Partnership Board
As we reported in our last newsletter, the Local Strategic Partnership has had a makeover. This has happened to take account of the new requirements and funding to all Local Authorities. We now have the Newham Partnership Board (NPB) and six Local Area Partnership Boards (LAPB).
The Civic Partnership, Community Board and the Community Forum Steering Groups have all been disbanded and be replaced by an Annual Conference and Active Community Teams.
NVSC accepts that this is work in progress and that there will be a review after 6 months. However, we are now 4 months into the new system and there are still no elected representatives from the VCF sectors.
The Annual Conference is on November 24th, but instead of this event being used to explain the new working arrangements, it is being used to bring together elected Newham Partnership Board Members and representatives from each of the LAPBs, to discuss further the priorities for the Borough.
The Active Community Teams (ACT) have still to be formed. If you receive the Newham Magazine, then you will have received an application form to be involved with the ACT. This was a 2 page form, asking detailed questions, which you would have to post, which I assume will be sorted and sifted then you may be one of the chosen few to work with your local Lead Member. Given that, if you live in a block of flats, or in certain areas of the Borough, you won't have received the form, and given the diversity of the Borough, the number of languages spoken, and the fact that the Community Forums were the last to know that they had been disbanded, there is every chance that the ACT will not be represented in the areas they are set up to serve.
If you then add in to the equation the preferences of the Lead Members and the fact that you have to undertake training, then you will end up with a group of people who are even less representative than the Community Forum Steering Groups, who were disbanded because they weren't seen as being representatives of the community.
At a time when Central Government is expecting local government to put communities at the heart of decision making, it is hard to see how involving less people in the decision making process is meeting that challenge.
Hopefully, the communities in Newham, together with the Third Sector, will have an opportunity to discuss the merits of the new system. Let’s hope that this is before the review claims that the new system is so much better than what it replaced.
Profile: One World Foundation Africa
Who we are
One World Foundation Africa is a UK registered charity working in London and in Africa to empower and promote the independence of the socially excluded.
We particularly support people from the African Community, living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and people from black and minority ethnic (BME communities, including refugees and asylum seekers.
Our Aims and Objectives We aim to promote independence through training, advancement of education, community support, advocacy, advice and research. We aim to develop the capacities and skills of the socially and economically disadvantaged in order to empower and promote their independence in the community, both here in the UK and overseas.
We strive for the relief of poverty, sickness and distress particularly as a result of HIV/AIDS, disabilities, war and forced migration.
Our Activities… Volunteer Work Placement Opportunities
We run a Volunteering Programme for adults from BME communities, including refugees. Over the last two years we have successfully placed people in charities and service organisations in a range of areas, including:
• office/admin work
• Work with elderly people and children
• Information Technology
• Research
• Finance and Accounting
Our work placement programme is open to people living in the London boroughs of Newham, Barking & Dagenham, Hackney, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets.
We also offer support with:
• CV writing & Job applications
• Writing covering letters
• Accessing training
• Sign-posting to services
• Information and advice
• Peer support
Youth group - Xperience We run a youth group called Xperience for young people aged 15-19 Years. This is a chance for young people to come together and have a good time. We run a variety of activities:
• Music production
• Learn to DJ and MC
• Dance/Talent shows
• Football
• Exchange trips
• Workshops on issues that affect young people
• Community events
We offer the opportunity for young people to become volunteers. Volunteering can give young people the skills, knowledge and UK work experience that could lead to paid employmen.
Our Work in Uganda
We work in Kiboga District, Uganda. We support people living with, or affected by HIV/AIDS, children disabled as a result of war, street children and AIDS orphans.
They are selected by the local partners with the help of local councils, on the basis of need. We are working to:
• Supply scholastic materials, school uniforms, school meals and basic health care.
• Improve access to clean water.
• Build a computer training centre - equipping students with computer skills.
• Run tailoring classes - training marginalised people to enable them to earn an income as self employed tailors.
• Provide income generating activities for the poorest families.
• Provide basic sports equipment such as footballs, netballs, volleyball nets and uniforms.
• Deliver HIV/AIDS education to the local community.
• Provide condom machines for people to have easy and discreet access to contraception.
Contact Us
Unit 114 Burford Business, Centre, 11 Burford Road, Stratford E15 2ST
Tel 020 8555 0788 Fax 020 8522 6662 email oneworldfoundation.org.uk
Local Area Aggreement
The Local Government White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' published in October 2006 sets out fundamentally different arrangements for Local Area Agreements. The Government's ambition is for LAAs to provide local authorities and partners with the flexibility and capacity to deliver the best solutions for their areas through a reformed relationship between central and local government.
It is therefore envisaged that the new LAAs will no longer be an add-on to the multiple national performance frameworks under which local authorities operate - they are central to the new integrated performance management regime for local areas: the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA).
The new arrangements are based on a stronger role for local authorities to lead their communities, shape their areas and with other local service providers to innovate and respond to local needs, based on a full and comprehensive consultation and involvement of local people and the key stake holders including the Third Sector. LAAs represent the priorities for improvement in the local area as identified by local authorities and their partners and agreed with Central Government.
The aim of the White Paper is to give local people and local communities more influence and power to improve their lives. It is about creating strong, prosperous communities and delivering better public services through a re-balancing of the relationship between central government, local government and local people. The Government's thinking is that in giving local areas more freedom and powers to bring about the changes they want to see, it will show its confidence in local government, local communities and other local public service providers (Source Communities and Local Government Department).
An overview of new Local Area Agreements (LAAs)
The Local Area Agreement sets out the strategic direction and focus on the priorities that will make Newham a better place to be. LAAs will continue to be three-year agreements with priorities agreed between all the main public sector agencies working in the area - lead by the Newham Partnership. This will mean everyone working together to have the right evidence to know what these priorities are. But these should not just be decided between public sector agencies. Everyone should have the opportunity to say what matters most to them. A good LAA should ensure there are the systems in place to be sure that what everyone agrees should happen does.
The New Shape LAA 2008 - 2011
The major changes are being made in 2008 with the remaining architecture of the new performance framework in place by 2009. This will mean:
More emphasis on area based service delivery - a package of measures which mean stronger partnership working, alignment of local government performance management arrangements with that of partner agencies and replacement of authority - based inspection with an area-based assessment of risks to service delivery (The Comprehensive Area Assessment);
More freedom in spending decisions - the local authority will be able to make decisions about spending priorities with partners locally without these being conditioned by centrally imposed targets. The 2007 Budget reinforced the commitments in the Local Government White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' to reduce the number of specific grants. The presumption will be against ringfencing grants unless there are strong reasons for doing so and these will be made public.
Fewer central targets and reporting systems - the new LAAs are part of radical reforms to replace the multiple national performance frameworks under which local authorities operate with around 200 national indicators. These will cover everything local government does on its own or in partnership with others. Each LAA will have no more than 35 negotiated (designated) alongside 17 statutory education and early years targets. There will be a single annual performance review to examine the findings of the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) and respond to changing priorities in the area;
In addition the passage of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill will place a statutory requirement on the Local Authority to develop an LAA, and duties on named partners to co-operate with the authority. Councils will also be able to agree local targets with partners that will not need to be reported to central government.
Engaging the Third Sector in Local Area Agreements LAAs represent a change to the way local services are planned and delivered. The three year agreements negotiated between local partnerships and local government, set out local targets for government funding.
The government wants to ensure better planning and delivery of local services, as well as greater involvement in planning and delivery by the Third Sector. Other benefits are cited as: rationalising monitoring and target setting in relation to different government funding streams, creating opportunities to respond to local circumstances and acting as a catalyst for improvement and change.
The Third Sector LAA Steering Group seeks to ensure robust response, ensure robust response, involvement and delivery of the LAA targets by the sector. In so doing representatives were elected on to the Local Area Partnership Boards. This is the vehicle by which we can raise our concerns, and ensure that any gaps we identify are incorporated in the Agreement. The Steering Group also seeks to influence the LAA priorities, liaise with thematic groups, strategic partnerships and stakeholders and undertake liaison work between the Local Authority and the Third Sector on future ways of working.
Developing the LAA Shared Outcomes in Newham:
The initial Mayoral specifications were published on 20th July 2007.
These were subsequently developed by theme lead officers, and then presented to the Newham Partnership Board on 15th November 2007.
In addition the Council is organising a Newham Partnership Conference on 24th November 2007. This will bring together stakeholders from the Newham Partnership Board, members of the Local Area Partnership Boards and crucially Voluntary, Community and Faith sector representatives who sit on the Local Area Partnership Boards. In partnership with the LAA team we are also planning an engagement event for the sector on 3rd December 2007.
To ensure strong Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector involvement in the LAA process and delivery; the Steering group via NVSC and in partnership with the LAA team, will be holding an engagement event on Monday 3rd December 2007, at West Ham United. This event will give organisations the opportunity to help in identifying gaps and how their services fit with local priorities, as outlined in the Newham LAA 2008-2011.
If you would like a copy of the Developing Shared outcomes and or book a place on the event - please contact Ali Ahmed at NVSC on 020 8522 5353 or email ali@nvsc.org.uk
LAA's fail to involve the third sector
Local Area Agreements (LAAs) include only limited references to the Third Sector and there are as yet no visible changes in local patterns of service provision or in local public bodies' funding practices towards the third sector. That's one of the main conclusions of a National Audit Office report, "Local Area Agreements and the Third Sector: Public Service Delivery", published in June 2007.
The report strongly recommends that Local Authorities should work more collaborative way with VCF sectors to help them improve the delivery of public services.
It looked at whether LAAs are helping to promote better value for money in the way local governments work with the third sector to deliver public services. It also examined the impact LAAs have had on the role of third sector organisations in the delivery of public services.
LAAs are a new form of contract between central and local government and were designed to devolve greater power over public services to local communities. The Department for Communities and Local Government and the nine Government Offices for the Regions have worked to introduce LAAs over the past three years and by April 2007 every local authority in England had an Agreement in Place. The amount of public expenditure covered by the agreements is expected to reach around £5 billion in the next three years, nationally.
Government pronouncements make it clear that third sector organisations play a greater role in public life, building 'social capital', promoting volunteering, representing the community and delivering public services. Despite this ambition for the third sector involvement and delivery, few efficient links have been developed between central government's activity to promote LAAs and its activity to promote the third sector. Where changes have occurred, they are due to other initiatives rather than to LAAs.
The opportunities which the introduction of LAAs offered, to help place third sector organisations on a 'level playing-field' with other potential suppliers, have mostly been missed.
The NAO recommends, that the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Government Offices should encourage local bodies to consider third sector organisations as potential partners in the delivery of public services, alongside other private and public partners. They should also further develop existing programmes to improve commissioning by local government.
The Office of the Third Sector and the Treasury should promote awareness of guidance on the third sector and should find ways of spreading good practices more widely. Source: NAO, 22 June 2007.
As indicated elsewhere in the Newsletter, we are organising third sector engagement event on 3rd December 2007, at West Ham Football club. We have invited one of the Authors of this report from the NAO as a key speaker - Grace Beardsley, Audit Manager, Health Value for Money. She would be sharing the findings of the report and lessons to draw from past experience of the LAA as we embark on agreeing on the New Shape LAA 2008 - 2011.
If you would like a copy of the report please visit: www.nao.org.uk./publications/nao_reports/06-07/NAO_Local_Area_Agreements.pdf
For more information, please contact Ali Ahmed on 020 8522 5353 or email ali@nvsc.org.uk.
Emmanuel Nkusi
We were very sad to hear of the recent death of Emmanuel Nkusi.
Emmanuel was a Board member of NVSC until ill health required him to resign. Emmanuel represented the Faith sector on our Board and was very supportive to the work of NVSC.
Our sincere condolences and good wishes to Emmanuel's family and his many friends across Newham.
Newham Carers’ Network and Newham Council
Do you look after someone who is ill, frail or disabled?
Newham Carers’ Network invite you to the Newham Carers’ Rights and Information Day on Friday 7 December 2007, 11.00am – 3.00pm at East Ham Town Hall, Barking Road, E6
Get advice about benefits for carers Find out about your rights to flexible working Relaxation therapies and health checks Information on the new Emergency Support Scheme.
Play Seminar
Friday 7 December 2007
9.30am - 1.00pm at Durning Hall. Earlham Grove, London E7 9AB
This event is for organisations who work with children in the borough and is your opportunity to shape the future of play in Newham. Workshops on the five every child matters theme.
For booking, please contact Sarah Ruiz on 020 8522 5352 or email sarah@nvsc.org.uk
ACTION AND RIGHTS OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN NEWHAM
You are warmly invited to attend Action and Rights Annual General Meeting on 13 December 2007 from 11.00 to 2.30pm Grosvenor Centre, Ursuline Convent, 38 Grosvenor Road, Forest Gate E7 8JA
If you would like to attend, please contact Ali Safder on 020 7473 9655 or
email: actionandrights@btconnect.com
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