VAL E-Briefing 27 August 2010

ASCC Conference

The ASCC is the Association of Social Care Communicators. It is a forum where communicators working with vulnerable children or adults can come together and share good practice and develop ideas. Every year a national conference is held, and this year the conference is in Derby.

The conference gives you a chance to meet up with other social care communicators in the region, and develop your skills in the workshops. This is an opportunity to learn about the current issues affecting social care (there are many!), and how they relate to the way we communicate with our service users. It should not be missed.

Prince' Trust TEAM Programme

Team is a 12 week full time personal development programme for unemployed 16-25 year olds delivered by Leics Fire & Rescue Service on behalf of The Prince's Trust. Two programmes are coming up and two open days are being held to find out more about the programme.

Open Days
Wednesday 15 September - Walkers Stadium, Leicester
Wednesday 22 September - Pathways Centre Hinckley

Neighbourhood Learning for Deprived Communities

Leicester City Council are inviting applications from Voluntary and Community Sector organisations who wish to offer pre-employment and vocational training activities.

Training providers must be able to offer a safe, healthy and supportive environment, employ recruitment processes that comply with the law and ensure that vulnerable adults are protected. Beneficiaries must be within one of Leicester city's priority areas and grants of up £10,000 are available. 

Lighthouse Learning - Qualifications support for organisations in Leicester and Leicestershire

Lighthouse Learning is now able to offer a service to voluntary and community sector organisations; helping you to accredit learning.

As a registered Open College Network Provider they can support your delivery and accreditation of National Open College Network qualifications. They have a Quality Reviewer, Curriculum Development Officer and an admin support team to develop courses, register learners, review portfolios and issue certificates.

Engage Multimedia Training

Engage Multimedia will be running 1 day courses in Desktop Publishing, Photoshop, Web Design and Social media. 

There is an introductory offer - Buy one get one free, on one and two day courses.

All courses will be held at the Samworth Enterprise Academy, Trenant Road, Leicester, LE2 6UA  

Read more

Training group offers funding for activities that inspire young black people

Youth charities are being invited to bid for a share of a £20,000 grant to organise activities to "encourage and inspire" young black people.

The Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG) is offering grants of £500 to 40 local community and voluntary groups through its Reach Community Engagement Fund . BTEG will be making members of its black role model programme available to take part in activities, which could involve events such as workshops or career advice sessions.

Reduce Your Costs By Using ESPO Contracts

Are you doing all that you can to keep your costs down, and be as competitive as possible when bidding for contracts in the current difficult economic climate? It may be that the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) can help you in reducing your overheads. ESPO is a Local Authority purchasing consortium that aggregates the requirements of its seven members, including Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council. This means that ESPO has contracts that represent great value that you, as a registered charity, can buy into.

Finance and Administration Worker - Turning Point Women's Centre

Position: Finance and Administration Worker
Hours: Part time (20 hrs per week)
Salary: £17,161 - £19,126 pro rata

Turning Point Women's Centre exists to transform the lives of women and their families in the community and works towards creating a society where women, girls and their families are not limited by disadvantage, inequality and poverty.

Last call for 2011 Queen's Volunteer Award Nominations

The people of Leicester and Leicestershire are being encouraged to nominate outstanding local voluntary groups for next year's The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service; the MBE for volunteer groups. Nominations for the 2011 Award should be received by 30 September 2010.

If you know of the great work undertaken by a voluntary group, or indeed have benefited from a voluntary group's hard work, then please do nominate them for this prestigious Award. Successful groups will be announced on 2nd June 2011 (Coronation Day).

Further information is available from, and forms can be downloaded at, www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice or by calling 020 7781 2397 to request a hard copy.

Support for small providers of social care

VAL is currently offering additional support for Micro Providers of social care services. A Micro Provider is classed as either an individual or group with 5 members or less and can be from the VCS or private sector.

Micro providers are being encouraged as part of a Local Authority initiative in order to provide an increased choice of services for people wishing to use their individual budgets as part of Personalisation.

Cutting Red Tape to help the local VCS - Your views needed

Nick Hurd MP, the Minister for Civil Society has asked NAVCA to tell him the top five burdens - either regulations or processes - the VCS most want lifting off their backs.

NAVCA is now looking to members of VCS to have their say before responding.  He has set a tight deadline so please reply by the end of Wednesday 1 September by explaining the regulations or processes which hinder your work most. Please be clear whether you want the regulation or process changing - if so in what way - or eliminating.

Please send your response to barney.mynott@navca.org.uk