B&NES CVS Publications & Documents

Publications

Providing access to appropriate and up to date information is a vital part of the service we offer. If we don't know the answer ourselves we can put you in touch with someone who does. Please contact us if you cannot find the information your require on this website.

B&NES CVS produces a range of publications to keep the voluntary and community sector informed of local , regional and national events, news and opportunities. Please follow the links below to access the latest issues.

B&NES CVS Publications

Context (the latest issue of our newsletter)
e-Bulletin
Hot Topic bulletins

Chief Officer's Network and Chairs & Treasurer's Network Newsletters.

B&NES CVS Trustees Guide

B&NES CVS Treasurer's Guide

B&NES CVS Funding Pack

B&NES CVS Social Enterprise Pack

B&NES CVS Directory of Voluntary and Community Sector Services 2008

We also have links to certain External Publications that may be of particular interest to the sector.

B&NES CVS Documents

	Bath & NE Somerset CVS Annual Report 2006/2007 Open a copy here
	B&NES CVS Service Evaluation Questionnaire Report 2007. Click here.
	B&NES CVS Complaints Policy & Procedure. Click here
	B&NES CVS Directory of Services Form (for inclusion in Directory). Click here
	B&NES CVS Membership Application Form. Click here

Connect

Connect is the new name for our quarterly newsletter (produced jointly with CVS North Wiltshire) covering local and national topics of interest to voluntary sector groups. The first issue of Connect was July 2008 - previously newsletters were produced by B&NES CVS only (Context). If you would like to receive a hard copy of Connect or be removed from our distribution list, please contact the webmaster.

Please let us know if you have any local developments, news, or information about your group which you would like be included in future issues.

e-Bulletin

Between issues of our newsletter we issue an e-mail news update to help you keep up to speed with current events. If you would like to be added to or removed from our e-Bulletin distribution list, please contact the webmaster.

Hot Topic bulletins

As well as our regular e-Bulletins and newsletter, we send shorter Hot Topic e-mails to announce news of interest to the sector as it happens. If you would like to receive these bulletins or be removed from the distribution list contact the webmaster.

External Publications

	Children & Young People
	Environment & Sustainability
	Equalities
	Funding, Marketing & Commissioning
	Government Strategy & Reports
	Health & Safety
	Health & Social Care
	HR
	ICT
	Leadership, Management & Governance
	Legal Issues
	Social Enterprise

Children & Young People

The Children and Young People's Plan 2006-2009 provides a clear strategic direction to all staff and agencies working with children, young people, parents and carers and to achieve the local priorities for Children and Young people. For more information, please visit the B&NES Council website.

THE CHILDREN'S PLAN - Following the publication of the Children's Plan, NAVCA have now produced a short briefing paper which outlines the key initiatives and implications for the third sector. Please follow this link to the NAVCA website.

Bath & NE Somerset CYPSP have produced a Parenting Strategy for our area. Download the Parenting Strategy here and also see the Every Child Matters website.

The Common Assessment Framework is a mechanism to assess children of concern, and where appropriate refer to specialist services. It is an important development in the move towards prevention and early intervention, and will help integrate services for children and young people. Further information is available in this document.

Revised Information Sharing Protocol for those working with children, young people and their families.

Follow these links for the Practitioners Handbook and the Wallchart.

INTEGRATED WORKING - The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has a CD Rom to support groups with Integrated Working. As well as guidance on different aspects of integrated work there are also quick guides in the form of simple fact sheets. The CD Rom can be obtained by calling the integrated team on 0113 244 6311 or emailing: integratedworking@cwdcouncil.org.uk.

ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR ORGANISATION - A toolkit from Community Matters which provides a range of ideas to meet the challenges of effective engagement with young people within a multi-purpose community organisation. For details and to order your copy click here.

CWLN (Children's Workforce Learning Network) NEWSLETTER - please find the most recent version here.

BRIGHT FUTURES, POSITIVE INFLUENCE: Creating a successful work experience placement in the third sector is a new guide for third sector organisations who are interested in hosting a work experience placement. This guide, produced by the Workforce Hub, focuses on supporting third sector organisations through the creation of a work placement aimed at key stage 4 school students (14-16 year olds). Download free from the Workforce Hub Website.

BETTER CARE, BETTER LIVES - Improving outcomes and experiences for children, young people and their families living with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. See the Better Care, Better Lives strategy on the Dept of Heath website.

New Guidance – Managing Allegations against those who work with children - The Managing Allegations guidance sets out new roles and responsibilities for all organisations that work with children, young people and their families, whether in paid or voluntary work to ensure that any allegation is dealt with appropriately and in a timely fashion. Where an allegation is made, your organisation must ensure that staff are aware of who to refer their concerns to within their organisation (usually the Child Protection lead) and that the designated person discusses any allegation with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for their Local Authority. Further details are available in the Managing Allegations against Professionals - Briefing Paper, and also on the Local Safeguarding Children Board webpage at www.bathnes.gov.uk under ‘L’ for LSCB.

THE DfES GUIDELINES "Safer Practice, Safer Learning", advocate a whole organisation approach to promoting a safe learning environment, and include learner information materials.

THE NCVCCO SUPPORTING SMALL ORGANISATIONS PROJECT has produced four fact sheets around some of the more challenging issues facing groups working with children, young people and families. These are not comprehensive guides but attempt to present the issues in a basic and more understandable way. Titles: commissioning, monitoring and evaluation using the 5 ECM outcomes, VCS representation and the new vetting and barring scheme. These fact sheets are available to download free from the NCVCCO website. Click on Supporting Small Organisations.

Environment & Sustainability

GREENING YOUR OFFICE - 'Changing the Way We Work' is a guide for the voluntary and community sector on greening your office, and saving money. Available as a large (4.91MB) pdf download here.

CHARITY SECTOR OVERVIEW - from the Carbon Trust. Energy saving opportunities for charitable organisations. Produced with the support of the charity commission. this guide looks at low and no-cost ways for charities to reduce their carbon emissions and manage their energy use more effectively. These measures, which can be applied across all types and sizes of organisation can result in significant savings in cost as well as reducing environmental impact. Subjects covered include: lighting, heating and ventilation, building control, catering and general housekeeping as well as offering advice on creating and maintaining awareness. Download pdf here

Equalities

THE EQUALITY & DIVERSITY PRACTITIONER'S PROJECT
The Equality & Diversity Practitioner's Project has now come to a close. The final report is available on-line and can be found at the Learning & Skills Council website.

Dealing With The Far Right - guidance produced by NAVCA in association with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission on how to respond if people with a history of advocating racist violence become, or attempt to become involved with your community or voluntary organisation. Sets out the steps that be taken and the legal context. Download the guidance from the NAVCA website. There will be an updated version available soon - please check.

Equalities Monitoring Guidance - this guidance from Bath & North East Somerset Council's Corporate Equalities Team gives recommended guidelines for monitoring in both employment and service delivery. Includes information on why we need to monitor, what to monitor, setting targets, how to set up, analyse and report on results of monitoring and summarises relative legislation and policies. See Bath & North East Somerset Council website.

In Focus: Putting people first: Equality and Diversity Matters 1 - Providing appropriate services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. One year after the introduction of a law establishing equality in services on the grounds of sexual orientation, CSCI has published the first in a series of three equality and diversity good practice bulletins. These are designed to help service providers address the new personalisation agenda set out in the joint protocol Putting People First. This first bulletin builds on good practice to help social care providers make their services appropriate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, no matter what their sexual orientation. Download this bulletin from the CSCI website.

Mapping the needs of ethnic minorities in Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Download this report here. This report was commissioned by the ChangeUp Consortium West of England Consortium as part of an agreed programme of work.

Equality Matters - A Good Practice Guide for Small to Medium Sized Voluntary or Community Sector Organisations

This is a good practice guide for small to medium sized voluntary or community sector organisations'. The guide is designed to help applicants think about equality issues and incorporate them into the planning of their projects, whether they are applying to BIG (or another funder) for a grant. It also sets out the equality standards BIG expects from grant-holders. The Guide has been produced with input from external stakeholders and will be reviewed in light of user feedback and then formally launched this autumn, when it will be published in hard copy format.

Funding, Marketing & Commissioning

INTRODUCING FUNDING AND FINANCE FOR VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS

Produced by SFP for the Finance Hub, this mini guide provides a snap-shot of sector funding and basic exercises to guide voluntary and community organisations through the basics of topics such as planning, financial
management and sustainable funding. It is an ideal primer for very small and new VCOs, or for those new to these concepts. This guide can be downloaded free from the NCVO website.

FUNDERS FOOTPRINTS - Impressions from the Voluntary and Community
Sector of funding and its delivery 2006. Download Report.

THE BIG LOTTERY FUND - Findings from the 2007 Stakeholder Survey. Please see the Big Lottery website.

Free Full Cost Recovery Toolkit from ACEVO - download here.

DIRECTORY OF GRANT MAKING TRUSTS

The 20th Edition of this directory of 2,500 grant making trusts has now been published by the DSC. Order a copy from the DSC website. You can also order the CDRom: Grant Making Trusts 2007/2008 which details 4,000 trusts and has a search engine facility.

Fundraising Websites: what works? Artilcle looking at the benefits and options for online donations - see NCVO Website

FUNDING GUIDE TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT - February 2008 - information on sources of funding for development of the voluntary and community sector (VCS) children and young people’s workforce developed by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) and National Council of Voluntary Child Care
Organisations (NCVCCO). Download from the NCVYS website.

NEW GUIDANCE FOR PROFESSIONAL CHARITY FUNDRAISERS.
From 1 April 2008, fundraisers who are paid to raise money will be required to tell potential donors how much of each donation will go to charity and what proportion goes towards their own wages. Details on Cabinet Office website.

SOCIAL NETWORKING TIPS TAILORED FOR CHARITIES
A new book will give charity fundraisers the practical tools to tap into social networking opportunities on the web. The book, entitled: 'People to People Fundraising: Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities' uses hands-on techniques and case studies to explain how non-profit organisations have used the internet to encourage large numbers of people to support a charity or cause. The book reveals how to use MySpace and Second Life to influence social change, how to influence single-gift web donors to become regular givers and the power of celebrity in building communities. The book draws on the expertise of a team of internationally respected names in the field and is edited by author and global online nonprofit expert Ted Hart. Please see the P2P website for details plus subscribe to Ted Hart's free newsletter to receive regular updates with the latest news, trends, and tips to help you create the most success for your organization.

Writing Effective Press Releases
You must be able to get your main points on one page of A4. Good press releases are simple – don’t communicate complexity. Good work can be boring – you have no absolute right to media coverage. Is it tempting to an editor deluged with press releases daily? Click here to download a free guide on writing an effective press release courtesy of Wales Council for Voluntary Action.

HOW TO ENGAGE WITH BUSINESS - This guide is for community groups, schools and other voluntary sector organisations to help them engage with business. Download this document.

FUNDRAISING THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMPANIES: advises on some of the issues that arise when a charity allows its name to be used or associated with a commercial company as a means of raising funds for the charity. Download PDF from Commission Website

PATRONS, PRESIDENTS AND PERSONALITIES

Celebrity endorsement can dramatically increase your charity's profile, inspire public support and boost campaign activities. But, choose the wrong celebrity and your charity could suffer. Select, recruit and manage a successful relationship with the right celebrity for your charity with Patrons, Presidents and Personalities, Eileen Hammond's step-by-step guide. Read more about how to choose the right celebrity for your charity.

AUDIT COMMISSION - Hearts and Minds - Commissioning from the Voluntary Sector (summary)

The report recognises the role of VCS organisations in providing public services and looks at the reasons behind the limited success of Government Initiatives to strengthen the sectors ability to deliver these services. The different funding mechanisms adopted by councils are compared and a need to provide and analyse financial and performance data to demonstrate value for money is identified. Looks at the role of smaller VS organisations and analyses the roles of various bodies in the commissioning process, giving recommendations for improved procedures. Download Report

ACEVO - The Future of Commissioning - Leadership Challenges

By focusing on behaviours and attitudes, it gives many examples of how third sector leaders and commissioners can work together effectively in order to design and deliver excellent public services which really address the needs of the user and which develop the organisation. Clear learning points for third sector leaders and commissioners develop the messages of the report, and recommended required behaviours and skills for both are outlined. Download Report.

SUCCESSFUL PROCUREMENT AND NEGOTIATION IN THE THIRD SECTOR - Improving the relationships between third sector organisations and statutory commissioners is of high priority in order for the sector to be more effective in winning and delivering contracts. To improve the skills of third sector leaders in working with commissioners, the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) has published 4 updated briefings based on feedback from delegates at the regional seminars held from November 2007 to February 2008 and covering the following areas: Tendering and Bidding Briefing: Give your tender a winning chance; Impact Briefing: Putting impact at the heart of the tendering process; Negotiation Briefing: Effective negotiating to secure better outcomes; VAT Briefing: VAT made simple when working in partnership. These briefings can be downloaded from the ACEVO website .

EVALUATION OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR THIRD SECTOR COMMISSIONING: BASELINE REPORT -FEB 2008 - This is the first report from the outcome evaluation of the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning. The research explored current commissioning practices and attitudes to third sector involvement in public sector commissioning. The research generally reflected an openness amongst commissioners to work with the third sector but in practice, significant barriers to involvement remained. For some TSOs, commissioning was seen as a threat to the diversity and independence of the sector but thers saw it as an opportunity to move towards funding based on achieving the best outcomes for user, rather than a more ‘patronage’ based system of grant giving. Yet TSOs, and in particular smaller TSOs, were disadvantaged by commissioning processes, so that they were not ‘on a level playing field’ with private or public sector organisations - particularly when it came to competing for contracts. Download the Report

Government Strategy & Reports

GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
The Communities and Local Government Department published the White Paper on 9th July.
It states that it aims to: ‘pass power into the hands of local communities. We want to generate vibrant local democracy in every part of the country, and to give real control over local decisions and services to a wider pool of active citizens.’ To download the White Paper click here.

B&NES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP MAPPING REPORT

B&NES CVS, The Care Forum and Bath & NES Council have now completed the mapping of voluntary sector representation on key strategic partnerships and joint planning boards in our area. This work commenced in 2005 following a request through the Voluntary Sector Forum. Hard copies of the report are available from B&NES CVS. Download Report.

THE NORTH HARBOUR REPORT - October 2007
Mapping the Voluntary and Community Sector in Bath and North East Somerset. Download Final Report.

To read the Voluntary Sector Steering Group's response to the North Harbour Report click here.

THE JOINT STRATEGIC NEEDS ASSESSMENT (JSNA) gives an analysis of outcomes for health and well being for people in Bath and North East Somerset. It is published in chapters corresponding to the main care groups, which include: (1) Overview - General Health and Social Care Needs of the Population; (2) Needs Assessment for Adults with Mental Health Disorders; (3) Health Profile of Older People; (4) Older People with Mental Health Needs; (5) Children and Young People. The information is updated regularly and can be found on the council's Local Strategic Partnership webpages. Click here.

HM TREASURY - The future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration:

Download Report.

THE QUIRK REVIEW - of community management and ownership of public assets.

Link to this Report.

OPENING THE TRANSFER WINDOW - The government's response to the Quirk Review.

Link to this document.

COMPACT VOICE - Stronger Independence, Stronger Relationships, Better Outcomes.

Report drawing on a Local Compact Voice survey conducted for Local Sector Independence Day, 4th July 2007

Looks at the key issues and problems surrounding Local Sector Independence, identified from the results of the survey and gives pointers for local public bodies and groups when considering strengthening the Local Sector independence in their area. Download Report.

Health & Safety

INDEPENDENT SAFEGUARDING AUTHORITY UPDATE ON CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS - March 08

Update on the new vetting scheme for all who wish to work with children or vulnerable adults and which comes into effect on 12 October 2009. Read update.

GUIDANCE ON CRB CHECKS FOR VOLUNTEERS - Guidance from the Office of the Third Sector to help organisations be clear about when they do and don’t need to carry out Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on volunteers. The guidance will help cut unnecessary red tape and responds to concerns that potential volunteers can be put off if they are asked to undergo a CRB check without good reason. You can access the guidance and find further information on the OTS website.

POSITIVELY SAFE - a guide to developing safeguarding policies - A good step by step guide including: risk assessment, 8 steps to recruiting safely, whistleblowing and complaints and working towards a safeguarding policy statement. Produced by NCVCCO and available on the Every Child Matters website

THE DfES GUIDELINES "Safer Practice, Safer Learning", advocate a whole organisation approach to promoting a safe learning environment, and include learner information materials.

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR VILLAGE HALLS - Recent addition to the online case studies of risk assessments compiled by the Health and Safety Executive is one for a village hall. Also applicable to many small community buildings. See HSE Website.

Guidance on Risk Assessment and the Employment of Disabled People

The guidance which has been prepared by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a joint document which provides employers and disabled people with guidance on how to ensure that health and safety issues are managed effectively, so that disabled people do not experience discrimination, but so that employers can also maintain a safe working environment for everyone. The web-based guidance has been developed to encourage employing and retaining disabled workers. It provides expert advice on delivering the necessary workplace adjustments to both employers and disabled people. The guidance also includes links to relevant government agencies, which provide reliable and up to date information to help employers achieve levels of good practice and meet requirements under health and safety and disability discrimination law. You can follow the step by step guide by going to the HSE Website.

Health & Social Care

DRAFT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR IMPROVING HEALTH IN THE SOUTH WEST 2008/9 t0 2010/11
The Strategic Health Authority’s vision and proposals for making significant improvements in health and health services for people in the South West. The document is available on their website www.southwest.nhs.uk.

CARERS AT THE HEART OF 21st-CENTURY FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES - This strategy acknowledges that carers need more help and support than has been available in the past and sets out a framework for developing a progressive system of support for carers over the next 10 years. It recognises the increasingly important role that carers play in our society, the wide variety of caring roles and the diversity of those within these roles. Cash to provide short breaks, support to get back into work and a pilot of annual health checks are among the measures to be brought in. More personalised support for carers will also be made available. See This publication on the Dept. of Health website

OLDER PEOPLE'S DIRECTORY OF SERVICES FOR B&NES - This free directory can be accessed on the B&NES Council Website If you would like a copy of the Directory, please contact Melanie Hodgson on 01225 477983 or email Melanie_Hodgson@bathnes.gov.uk or Michelle Fillary on 01225 477831 or email Michelle_Fillary@bathnes.gov.uk'

THE COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL CARE INSPECTION (CSCI) has Published it's Third Report on the State of Social Care in England 2006-07. The report is critical of the widening divide between those who have the greatest need and are helped by the formal system, and those with more moderate needs who are often left to their own devices, or expected to rely on friends and family or voluntary services that are not contracted to provide care. To read the summary or the full report see the CSCI website.

GOOD GUIDE TO EMPLOYMENT - Managing and Developing People in Voluntary and Community Organisations is aimed at voluntary and community organisations that may not have a dedicated Human Resources (HR) function or where staff don’t have HR experience or training. The guide, launched by the Workforce Hub and NCVO, offers a step by step guide to help with the recruitment, management and development of staff. The book contains helpful example template policies and HR documents, which are all available to download for free click here. Copies of the guide cost £25 (£17.50 for NCVO members).Details on the NCVO website

Guidance on Risk Assessment and the Employment of Disabled People

ICT

ICT FORSIGHT - How ICT is Shaping the Future Design and Delivery of Public Services - This report is written for strategic planners – for CEOs, trustees and senior managers – to guide you through the strategic implications of ICT for your organisation. The report outlines some of the characteristics of ICT which lie behind its potential to shape the future of how services are designed and delivered before highlighting some of the ways in which ICT has changed the kinds of services that are available. ICT facilitates an open framework for working jointly and this results in a powerful culture of co-production and knowledge management between organisations, and between organisations and users. Case studies are used to highlight some of the innovative practice in this area from both the voluntary and public sectors. Download the pdf from the NCVO website.

From Nightmare to Nirvana - An ICT Survival Guide for Trustees. ICT Governance can impact on everything an organisation does in society. It can lead to greater efficiency, better services and greater impact for beneficiaries. ICT Governance is the core of good ICT planning and management. This guide is not to improve your technical understanding; but will help your trustees understand the role of ICT and the importance of strategic planning to reduce the cost and risk implications. Download from ICT Hub website.

Leadership, Management & Governance

GOOD GOVERNANCE: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector - a free guide to effective governance available from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations website.

ACEVO - The Future of Commissioning - Leadership Challenges

Free Guide to Interim Management - Interim management can be practical, productive and cost-effective for voluntary organisations looking to manage major projects, bring heavy-weight management skills to solve a particular problem, put together bid or tender documents, or to fill management gaps due to illness or maternity leave. This free guide from interim management provider Russam GMS will help you establish whether an interim management solution could work for your organisation. To receive your free guide Email your full postal details, name and job title.

THE GOOD TRUSTEE GUIDE - National Council for Voluntary Organisations publication. Please follow this link to the NCVO website.

IMPROVING YOUR PERFORMANCE - A guide to Performance Hub resources, including a summary of all the publications from the Hub (2005 to 2008). Most of the resources are free! Download from the Performance Hub website.

THE CHARITY TRUSTEES HANDBOOK - recommended for anyone who has recently become a trustee, or is thinking of becoming a trustee of a voluntary organisation. It details the responsibilities of management committees, and offers straightforward guidance on planning the work of the organisation, getting funding, and managing staff and resources. Available through the Directory of Social Change website.

FINDING NEW TRUSTEES: WHAT CHARITIES NEED TO KNOW is a Charity Commission publication updated in October 2007 which gives detailed information on CRB and other checks that must be carried out on potential trustees for both new and existing charities. Read on the Charity Commission website.

New Guidance on Trustee Expenses
The Charity Commission has issued a new version of CC11 Trustee Expenses and Payments. This is a complete revision of the original and is in a different format. It explains the rules introduced by the Charities Act 2006 which apply to paying trustees to provide goods or services. You can read it on the Charity Commission website

Charities Evaluation Services (CES) offer a range of guidance papers as free downloads from their site. Titles include:

How to Cost an Evaluation, What to Include In an Evaluation Brief, Key Terms and Definitions, First Steps in Monitoring and Evaluation, First Steps in Quality, Your Project and its Outcomes. Please see CES website.

DEVELOPMENT TRUSTS ASSOCIATION - To Have and to Hold - The DTA guide to asset development for
community and social enterprises. Download Report.

GUIDANCE ON CAMPAIGNING BY CHARITIES has now been published by the Charity Commission. This revised guidance, 'Speaking Out - Guidance on Campaigning and Political Activity by Charities' can be found on the Charity Commission website under publications.

ADVICE, INFORMATION & SUPPORT - key resources for small voluntary and community organisations.

A comprehensive guide that will help direct you to advice agencies and sources of information for the questions that arise in the course of your everyday work.. Each section is divided into sub-sections that cover specific topics of relevance to the smaller organisation. Topics include Funding and Finance, Trustee and Governance, and Human Resources, this guide will help you identify the organisations that can answer your queries. See the publications section of the NCVO website.

Legal Issues

PLAIN ENGLISH GUIDE TO THE CHARITIES ACT - An essential guide, which summarises what trustees
need to know about the new Charities Act 2006. For a printable version of this report click here.

CHARITIES ACT - UPDATED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN - NOVEMBER 2007

Several important changes to timescales are detailed in this update which can be downloaded from the Cabinet Office website. Click here.

Social Enterprise

DEVELOPMENT TRUSTS ASSOCIATION - To Have and to Hold - The DTA guide to asset development for
community and social enterprises. Download Report.

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