NAVCA Latest Content

Web Page: Youth contract

2012-02-22 10:48:26 GMT

The youth contract offers opportunities to young people to help them into employment. These include incentives to organisations that take on apprentices or offer work expereince to young people who are not in education employment or training. These opportunities are open to employers from the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors as well as the private sector. For more information on the youth contract and how VCS organisations can be involved visit:

NAVCA's comment

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive, said;

“Youth unemployment is a major problem. We have lobbied government on this issue and in particular we asked for the Government to ensure charities are included in plans to help young people. NAVCA is pleased that the Government has listened and Charities are being given the chance to play a constructive role in this scheme. It is important this is implemented in a way that benefits the young people it is intended to help. Involving charities can help make sure this happens.”

Download: Youth contract

2012-02-22 10:24:10 GMT

News Article: NAVCA welcomes Government plan to help unemployed 16-17 year olds

2012-02-21 14:22:53 GMT

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive, has welcomed the plans announced today by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to help young people find work, training or get back into education. Nick Clegg MP has announced a £126 million scheme to help at least 55,000 "neets" – those not in education, employment or training. As part of the scheme, charities and businesses will be invited to bid for contracts worth up to £2,200 to take young people on.

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive, said;

News Article: NAVCA joins Early Intervention Foundation Consortium

2012-02-21 11:00:12 GMT

NAVCA has joined the Early Intervention Foundation Consortium. The Consortium was set up by Labour MP Graham Allen and is supported by David Cameron. The consortium seeks to become a centre to champion Early Intervention, develop an evidence base of what works and provide advice to practitioners. NAVCA’s involvement means that the local voluntary sector, who play an important role in supporting and delivering early intervention policies and programmes, can be at the heart of this work.

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive said,

“Early intervention can dramatically improve lives, tackle child poverty and improve people’s health. Much of the work of local charities and voluntary groups concerns itself with early intervention. We believe local and small scale charities can play a big part in successful early interventions.”

“We really welcome the chance to be part of this consortium and we would like to see public bodies make a start by allocating at least one per cent of budgets to early intervention.”

More information on the work of the Early Intervention Foundation Consortium can be found on the website of Graham Allen MP.

Download: SocialValueBriefing2

2012-02-20 16:40:22 GMT

Download: The Best Value Statutory Guidance and how to use it

2012-02-13 13:08:51 GMT

Download: SFC What partners need to know

2012-02-13 12:18:40 GMT

Download: SFC briefing for young people

2012-02-13 12:16:28 GMT

News Article: NAVCA joins influential health board

2012-02-10 14:58:29 GMT

NAVCA's Chief Executive Joe Irvin has been invited to join a key Department of Health Board. The Department of Health Local Government (DH LG) Programme Board is charged with ensuring the implementation of the health and social care reforms which will establish local authorities as the system leaders. Joining this board will allow NAVCA to input the views of the local voluntary and community sector to decisions concerning Health and Wellbeing Boards, local HealthWatch and developing local public health systems. NAVCA will attend its first meeting of this board on 15 February 2012.

The invitation to join this board is recognition of NAVCA as a credible and authentic voice for the local voluntary sector and local communities. It will enable the local voluntary and community sector to influence decisions aimed at ensuring effective commissioning and improving the health and wellbeing of local communities.

Joe Irvin, Chief Executive of NAVCA, said;

"It is really positive that the Department of Health recognises how important it is to involve the voluntary sector in their transition planning. I am delighted that they see such an important role for NAVCA. By sitting on this board, we can ensure the views of the local voluntary and community sector help to shape this important agenda."

"It is vital that our members continue to feed in their views and information to us: this is what the Department of Health wants and needs to hear."

If you have any issues, concerns or questions about local HealthWatch, Health and Wellbeing Boards, or changes to local public health systems, email Katy Wing, NAVCA’s Director - Improving Local Services.

Web Page: NAVCA Members and Representation

2012-02-10 11:38:08 GMT

An important aspect of NAVCA members’ work is making sure local decision makers hear the voices of the local voluntary and sector (VCS) and the communities they represent. In November 2011 NAVCA surveyed members about this aspect of their work. We wanted to know how they went about making sure that the local VCS had an effective voice and in particular how they worked to get seldom heard or excluded voices were heard.

The findings from the illustrate that:

1) The involvement of VCS representatives in local joint decision making is beneficial for local services and local people.

2) Most areas have an LSP or a similar body and nearly all have VCS representation.

3) NAVCA members generally lead VCS representation.

4) NAVCA members’ considerable reach into the local VCS makes them ideally placed to lead this representation work.

Download the report

News Article: Free learning events for LINks members

2012-02-09 09:00:25 GMT

The Department of Health has asked a consortium of its voluntary sector strategic partners, including NAVCA, to run a series of learning events for LINks members over the next few months. These events will focus on how people can develop their skills as leaders, carry out enter and view visits, represent the views of local people, engage with diverse local communities and influence decision makers.

Katy Wing, NAVCA’s Director, Improving Local Services said, “These are a great opportunity to share and embed best practice across all LINks in the run up to local Healthwatch. They are ideal for LINks members who wish to gain more confidence and enhance their skills, as well as those who are new to LINks and want to make a difference to local health and social care services.”

The events will be delivered by NAVCA in partnership by Disability Rights UK, the Race Equality Foundation and Regional Voices. More information on dates, venues and how to book is available at www.regionalvoices.net/events or by contacting Ciara Mcintyre on 0191 233 2000 or events@regionalvoices.org

Download: EC proc Comments to cabinet office

2012-02-08 13:46:24 GMT

EC proc Comments to cabinet office

Download: Modernising EC procurment Comment

2012-02-08 13:45:54 GMT

Modernising EC procurment Comment

Web Page: Modernising EU Procurement

2012-02-08 13:43:29 GMT

The European Commission has proposed a number of positive ideas to procurement with possible implications for NAVCA member's own services, see the link to our notes on the changes and our response to the Cabinet Office at the bottom of this page.

Background
In December 2011 the European Commission published new legislative proposals to reform public procurement across the European Union. These proposals followed on from a consultation green paper held earlier in 2011, which NAVCA encouraged members to respond to, and responded to ourselves.

The EC proposals, the good points
The proposals included a number of measures that NAVCA supports including

a need to explain why contracts above € 500 000 have not been divided into lots.
recognise that certain social, health and education services have specific characteristics that do not fit with the current procurement rules.
apply a specific ‘light’ regime to certain social, health and education services and to raise the threshold for these services to € 500,000.

The EC proposals, concerns about support and development services
We do however have reservations that some services could be excluded from this new light regime. Inclusion appears to be based on ‘services to the person’ as opposed to services that build social capital and are inextricably linked with the local community.

NAVCA will therefore be undertaking a concerted lobbying campaign to ensure local infrastructure services are included within the lighter regime. We will need to work with a variety of stakeholders, including local government representatives. We need to develop consensus between relevant bodies to why such services are distinctive and should be removed from the full EU procurement regime. It is likely that many different groups will be lobbying to have their services included in the lighter regime, so we will need evidence and data to help our case stand out.

Links

Read our notes for a detailed analysis of the proposals

Read out response to the Cabinet Office on the EC proposals

Web Page: learning 4 LINks

2012-02-06 15:57:16 GMT

The Department of Health has asked a consortium of its voluntary sector strategic partners to run a series of learning events for LINks members over the next few months.

These learning 4 LINks events are a great opportunity to share and embed best practice across all LINks in the run up to local Healthwatch.

Who should attend?

They are ideal for LINks members who wish to gain more confidence and enhance their skills, as well as those who are new to LINks and want to make a difference to local health and social care services, improve local patient experiences and outcomes, give a voice to those who are seldom heard and hold commissioners and providers to account.

More about the events

The three-hour events focus on how people can develop their skills as leaders, carry out enter and view visits, represent the views of local people, engage with diverse local communities and influence decision makers. They are free to attend, travel expenses will be paid and lunch will be provided.

The events will be delivered in partnership by Disability Rights UK, NAVCA, the Race Equality Foundation and Regional Voices.

Bookings and further information

For more information on dates, venues and how to book go to www.regionalvoices.net/events or contact Ciara Mcintyre on 0191 233 2000 or email events@regionalvoices.org

Web Page: Resources to support campaigning

2012-02-06 14:35:15 GMT

Empowering the Voluntary Sector training and workshops and resources. As well as offering training on using public law and the Compact. The project has developed resources to support local organisations to use the principles of public law and the Compact to negotiate effectively with public bodies.
Best Value Statutory Guidance. Among the important issues covered in this one-page document are instructions to councils to honour local Compact commitments and not to impose disproportionate funding cuts on their local voluntary and community sector.
The Compact. The Compact is the longstanding agreement that sets out shared principles and guidelines for effective partnership working between government and the voluntary and community sector in England.
Fighting the Good Fight: Effective Dispute Resolution Tactics: A single page of top tips on how best to resolve disputes published by Compact Advocacy:
Local Government Ombudsman or telephone the Local Government Ombudsman Advice Team on 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983
Parliamentary and Heath Services Ombudsman or telephone the helpline on 0345 015 4033.
The Campaigning Handbook, Mark Lattimer, pub. Directory of Social Change, 2nd edition, 2000, £15.95

Web Page: Campaigning tools

2012-02-06 14:21:37 GMT

Consider using the following campaign lobbying tools, listed in order of likely effectiveness:

Direct contact with primary targets

Personal lobbying from service users and volunteers
Individually written letters of support from volunteers and service users
Individually written letters of support from influential individuals (secondary targets) e.g. MPs, MEPs, local business people, senior officers from partner organisations, local celebrities.
Individually written letters of support from management committee members/trustees
Pre-drafted and individually signed letters of support
Emails as above

Secondary tools

Published letters of support in local media
Editorial coverage in local media
Petitions
General media news coverage

Campaign leaflets and other campaign support materials (stickers, button badges and balloons but exercise caution on funding such materials)

The list above suggests that personal contact with the primary targets is the most effective lobbying tool. Local factors will influence the choice of secondary tools and caution should be exercised in how the media is used. A judgement has to be made against the value of the media to build public support and the extent to which over critical media coverage will antagonise the target organisation and cause it to entrench its position.

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Web Page: Political lobbying

2012-02-06 14:18:49 GMT

Meetings of a political parties Councillors are not public meetings. This is despite the fact that a political ‘line’ (or ‘The Whip’) will often be agreed at such meetings for an item of Council business that could include the funding of a particular voluntary organisation. Once the ‘line’ has been agreed, unless given special dispensation, Councillors voting outside of the agreed policy can be disciplined by their political party and, in extreme cases, have the ‘Whip’ withdrawn. This means that they can no longer represent their party as a Councillor, and they must withdraw from their party’s group, though their status as a member of the local authority remains.
It is therefore important to find out when the group meeting of the largest party in the Council meets (and/or the political parties whose combined membership is larger than the ruling group) and lobby sympathetic Councillors to argue against the funding cut.
If it is possible to identify supporters who are members of the respective political parties, they can lobby Councillors directly and/or argue in support of the organisation at their political party branch or constituency meetings.
Whilst it would appear to be logical to lobby the local Member of Parliament to put pressure on local Councillors over a particular decision (especially ifthey are a representative of the same political party as the ruling Council group), in practice MPs may be reluctant to interfere with a local decision-making process which is outside of their jurisdiction. This does not mean local MPs should not be lobbied as secondary targets, but it should be recognised that the extent of their influence will be dependent on the quality of their relationship with the Council and individual Councillors.

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Web Page: Attending meetings and accessing information

2012-02-06 14:14:49 GMT

Local Council and NHS meetings are public meetings which members of the public have a legal right to attend except for items that are deemed confidential or personal or are technically ‘exempt’. See ‘Code of Practice on Openness in the NHS’ on the Department of Health website for more information on NHS meetings.
Members of the public have the right to find out, from the Local Authority Cabinet's Forward Plan, what major decisions are to be discussed or decided by the Cabinet or Officers, and when they are due to be discussed.
Check out your local Council’s website under ‘Citizens’ Rights’ or ‘Constitution’ for more detailed information about rights of access to meetings and information. The Council’s constitution should also cover procedures for formally presenting petitions and deputations where speaking rights can be granted at meetings.
Although members of the public have a right to attend Council meetings, they only have the right to speak at the discretion of the Chair of the meeting. Some Councils will hold a formal question and answer session before the meeting, others may suspend the meeting in order to take questions or invite contributions from the public.
Under the Public Meeting Act 1908, anyone attempting to break up a lawful public meeting (or inciting others to do so) is acting illegally and can face a maximum penalty of up to six months imprisonment. In the case of serious disruption of a public meeting, an offender can be asked to leave the meeting by a police officer and, if necessary, can face arrest.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, everyone has the right to request information held by public sector organisations who must, unless having good reason not to, respond to such a request within one month. You may wish to exercise this right to support a legal challenge or other complaint. More information about this can be found on the Directgov website.

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Web Page: Marches, processions and stunts

2012-02-06 14:10:16 GMT

Well organised marches or processions can be an excellent way to galvanise support, attract media attention and show public feeling. They are also a good way of involving a broad cross section of supporters and build a great sense of solidarity.
Organisations planning a march, procession or demonstration must comply with the Public Order Act 1986. There may also be by-laws to comply with and there are particular laws affecting public assembly in London. The local police must be consulted in writing at least six days in advance of any procession indicating the date and time the march is due to start, the route of the march and the name and address of the organiser. Police advice should be sought on any other form of public gathering as far in advance as possible
Attention seeking stunts can provide excellent photo opportunities and help to get the message across in a powerful way. (Mental health campaigners made a very powerful point by standing in dustbins outside the three main party conferences to emphasise the point that as users of mental health services, they felt like rubbish).

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Web Page: The media

2012-02-06 13:51:51 GMT

The media can be important allies in a campaign, though need to be managed carefully.

Prepare a list of local media organisations including press, radio and television.
Try and develop a personal relationship with a particular journalist and invest time to brief them thoroughly and get them on your side.
Suggest the local paper could be your media partner for the campaign, covering progress over a period of time.
Nominate a media contact person on a reliable contact telephone number who is prepared to be contactable out of hours to ensure publicity opportunities are not lost.
The local media will be particularly drawn to covering your story if they feel a sense of injustice and you can demonstrate you have the support of local people. One way the media will judge the strength of local feeling is by the size of their ‘Letters to the Editor’ postbag, (or, for local radio,thenumber of phone-ins), so letters of support to the Editor and/or calls to the local radio station should be encouraged and specifically requested in campaign letters to supporters.

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Web Page: Building support

2012-02-06 13:48:16 GMT

Start with your Management Committee/Board of Trustees and members. Write a personalised letter featuring your key campaign points, seeking their support. Be specific about what you want from them. Personal introductions to primary and secondary targets, informal advocacy and letters of support are particularly useful.
Use your management committee members/trustees as advocates. Build a list of key individuals (primary and secondary targets as identified above) to lobby and allocate willing management committee members/trustees and volunteers to approach them. Most local Councillors and MPs run regular local ‘surgeries’ which provide good lobbying opportunities.
Make up a campaign pack or fact sheet featuring the key points and arguments for management committee/trustees, staff and volunteers to use.
Put together a database of other potential supporters (broad targets). Send personalised letters to them requesting that they in turn send letters of support to the Chief Executive and/or Leader or Chair of the funding organisation and the local media. Feature the key campaigning points and suggest arguments to make, though discourage standard letters which are not as powerful. Personal anecdotes about the writers’ experience of the organisation that support its outcomes are very effective and should be encouraged.
Involve paid staff fully in the campaign from the beginning and make sure they are fully briefed with the campaign strategy. They will have a wealth of information and contacts to help build the campaign.
If staff affected by the funding cuts are members of a trades union, include the local union organiser in your list of secondary targets. Individual union officers will often have close links withthelocal authority and other statutory bodies and may be able to commit resources and expertise to support your campaign (in one LIO campaign, Unite (thentheTGWU) funded campaign materials).
Involve your volunteers inthecampaign. Volunteers can make particularly effective advocates and lobbyists.
Produce a daily campaign email keeping supporters up to speed with developments.
Consider putting together a petition in support of thethreatened services. (Some are sceptical of theauthenticity of petitions, but they present a good opportunity to publicise the campaign, provide a focus for supporters and a media opportunity when presented.)

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Web Page: Campaign materials

2012-02-06 13:40:27 GMT

Assess your campaign portfolio, highlight no more than two or three key points or arguments on which to build your campaign. The points should be key strengths and your most powerful arguments. They need to be easily understood and avoid jargon. Stick with your key campaigning points throughout the campaign.
Find someone with graphic design abilities to help put together a leaflet featuring a campaign slogan and your key campaign points. You might want to adopt a campaign logo to help people identify with thecause (one campaigning CVS featured a giant axe made from a carpet tube with a cardboard ‘blade’ which was suspended over their offices alongside a banner with theslogan “Don’t let them axe CVS!”. It naturally gained considerable local attention and became a focus for thecampaign).
Consider other campaign materials featuring the campaign slogan to reinforce the message and build public support including button badges, stickers and balloons. (Spending on such items can potentially attract criticism as inappropriate expenditure and this has to be weighed up against the benefits. Registered charities should only use unrestricted or general funds for campaigning materials with the knowledge and support of the Trustees unless any restricted charitable funds specifically permit use of funds for such purposes. Purchase of campaigning materials could be made on the organisation’s behalf, for example as sponsorship from a private sector partner or individual benefactor).

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Web Page: Third stages

2012-02-06 13:33:09 GMT

Building the campaign

Campaign materials

Building support

The media

Marches, processions and stunts

Attending meetings and accessing information

Political lobbying

Campaigning tools

Web Page: Second stages

2012-02-06 13:30:20 GMT

Making the case

Assess the impact of the cut

Who will suffer most as a result of the cut?
What services will have to be withdrawn and what might be the consequences to users and/or member organisations?

Valuing the service

What impact does your organisation make with the funding it receives?
Pull together a campaign portfolio of easily digestible facts and figures. Your data should broadly answer three questions:
- How much service you provide (e.g. number of people served, number of activities delivered)
- How well do you provide it? (e.g. user survey results, quality marks)
- Who is better off as a result of your service (i.e. service user outcomes)
Evidence of how service users are better off as a result of your service and how this contributes towards your funder’s strategic objectives make the most compelling arguments.
Charts and graphs say infinitely more than lists of figures.
Personal, individually written testimonials from service users are particularly powerful outcome indicators.
Use other material including independent evaluation reports and press cuttings.

Partnership factors

What are the funding organisation’s main strategic priorities?
How does your organisation contribute to the funding organisation’s strategic priorities?
Open up a dialogue with the funding organisation at as senior a level as possible and put the case.