We are recruiting a trustee

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Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire is looking to recruit a new Trustee to its already burgeoning Board. If you want to help and support a local charity or understand a little more about the importance of Infrastructure Organisations that connect People to Places, then this might be a role for you.

Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire has been part of the Northamptonshire landscape for thirty years. It started life as a Volunteer Bureau and has developed over time to provide a range of support and advice services. Find out more about us and our recent two-year strategy can be found here.

We are ideally looking for one specialist who has current or past experience in human resources and three generalists. Any potential interest should be directed to russell.rolph@voluntaryimpact.org.uk in the first instance. Please leave your name, contact number, and provide a short paragraph on why you are interested in the role and your experiences.

How much time do I need to give?

In general, trustees will have to attend four board meetings per year plus our annual AGM. Board meetings normally take place between 5 pm and 7 pm quarterly on a Thursday. On occasions, extra meetings are called throughout the year to cover certain specific subjects or if there is urgent business to conduct.

State Sector Survey

State of the Sector Survey

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We are once again asking you to reflect on the year that has just passed and complete our State of the Sector Survey for 2021/22.

There are questions about your workforce, activities and beneficiaries. The impact that you make, The challenges you have overcome and your plans for the future.

The surveys will be used to produce a report building a picture of the VCSE in Northamptonshire that demonstrates the valuable role the sector plays in the health, wellbeing and economy of our county.

Please take 10 minutes out of your day to complete the survey – its important.

Friday bulletin

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In this week’s bulletin, a forthcoming Integrated Care System event in North Northants, we are looking for a new Trustee, the State of the Sector report and much more.

 

Integrated care – embedding the VCSE

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Over 50 Voluntary and community organisations attended the first Integrated Care Workshop delivered by Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire and funded by both NHS England and the Big Lottery Community Fund. The event took place at Northamptonshire Saints Rugby Club, and speakers included Naomi Eisenstadt (the Independent Chair of the Health and Care Partnership Board), Katie Brown of West Northamptonshire Council and Joanne Fletcher of the Northamptonshire Heath Foundation Trust. Voluntary Sector speakers included Sarah Hillier, the CEO of Northamptonshire MIND and Chris Duff, the CEO of Age UK and VCSE Assembly Board Member. All of the slides from these speakers can be found here:

Health and Wellbeing Board

Mental Health Northants Collaboration

The Northamptonshire VCSE Assembly and Thematic Groups

Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme

Our ICS – Our conversations

Russell Rolph, the CEO of VIN stated:

The Integrated Care System is a massive change in the way in which Healthcare is delivered in Northamptonshire. The VCSE has a major role to play in this Transformation, but the concept of the ICS is complex, and our sector is far reaching and diverse. This is the first of hopefully many discussions which take place over the next 12 months.

Response to the Integrated Care Place Board White Paper

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Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire recently participated in a UK wide discussion seminar on the likely impacts of the Government White Paper on Point of Place Delivery within the newly to be formed Integrated Care Systems. The collective response, delivered through NAVCA, can be viewed here:

Russell Rolph, the CEO of VIN stated:

Its always nice to be invited to these UK wide discussions on important subjects, and I am grateful to NAVCA for the opportunity. How healthcare and health inequality is delivered and addressed at a point of place will be crucial moving forward. Big complex ideas always become clearer at a local Neighbourhood level, so it will be interesting to see how the implications of the White Paper play out, and particularly in Northamptonshire which is experiencing significant Transformation in its own right beyond the Integrated Care System.

Ukrainian resettlement

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The Local Authority is coordinating all aspects of the Ukrainian welcome in conjunction with a range of different community and statutory partners.

Information relating to all aspects of Ukrainian resettlement can be found on the West Northamptonshire Council website here.

Any individual sponsor or community response can register their support offer here.

A fundraising campaign has also been established and donations can be offered here.

The £1 million We Move Fund

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Children In Need have introduced their We Move Fund which aims to empower Black children and young people through Youth Social Action. They define youth social action as when children and young people use their voices to tackle subjects that matter to them. Children in Need will commit £10m over 10 years to create and invest in opportunities for Black children and young people.

They state: Youth Social Action is also part of our £4m Sharing Power (Youth Social Action) Programme. It is one of two Youth Social Action funds, being delivered in partnership with the #iwill Fund (a £54million joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport), which are open this year. If your organisation or project is not focussed on Black children and young people, you can read about our other fund here

BBC Children in Need wants to place children and young people at the heart of what we do. We want to create opportunities to support and nurture children and young people’s voices, ideas, and leadership in the UK. We also know that children and young people experienced a reduction in their chances to participate during the pandemic.

We know that Black children and young people face many barriers in British society. Racial inequality, racism and discrimination prevent Black children and young people from accessing many opportunities including:

  • accessing similar opportunities and services, compared to their peers.
  • engaging in social, cultural, education and economic activity.

This impacts a child or young person’s emotional wellbeing, mental health, and ability to thrive and be the best they can be.

The We Move Fund: Youth Social Action aims to:

  • Reach Black children and young people with opportunities to have their voices heard. It will empower them to create change about issues that matter to them
  • Achieve positive outcomes for Black children and young people through Youth Social Action
  • Learn about what Youth Social Action means to Black children and young people. We will share this learning with the sector.

For more information on the grant and how to apply click here.

Emmaus require volunteer support

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Emmaus Village Carlton is about to host several Ukrainian refugees soon, all displaced by the ongoing conflict with Russia. Emmaus Village Carlton will be providing accommodation which consists of one three-bedroom house, two one-bedroom flats and three bedrooms of shared accommodation. The accommodation will need regular cleaning and a call for volunteers is requested.

Potential volunteers are asked to bring all relevant cleaning equipment and chemicals. Emmaus Village Carlton is located here. For more information, please contact Conroy Whitebrook on 07743 019482.

Are they safe: Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire safeguarding podcast

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The purpose of the podcast is to raise awareness of safeguarding. You should listen if you are a member of staff, a volunteer or a trustee in the voluntary sector. We have been joined by a range of guests from organisations in Northamptonshire.

The series has been produced with NLive Radio and NAVCA, with guests Amarjit Pawar from Right Resolution CIC, Caroline Gooch from Age UK Northampton, Natriece Westwood from NDAS (Northampton Domestic Abuse Service), Northamptonshire Safeguarding Adults Board, Jane Geraghty, NSAB Independent Scrutineer, Michelle Wright, Team Manager for Safeguarding and Assurance, North Northants Council, and Angela Dempsey Chief Nurse for Northamptonshire CCG.

Listen now

In addition to a short introduction, our episodes will cover a number of topics including:

Roles and responsibilities

  • How to involve everyone in safeguarding
  • When and why organisations might want a designated safeguarding lead
  • The role of boards/ trustees/ management committees in safeguarding
  • How do organisations ensure that everyone is safe, and that all staff and volunteers take responsibility for keeping others safe?

Policies and procedures

  • What policies and procedures should organisations have (proportionate to size and the nature of their work)
  • How to make sure everyone in the organisation is familiar with the policies and procedures and comfortable using them

Risk, recognising, responding and reporting

  • Who is at risk and how this relates to organisation’s own responsibilities around safeguarding
  • Understand and recognise the different types of harm and abuse
  • Know what actions to take re safeguarding concerns, disclosures or allegations
  • How to report different types of incidents and safeguarding concerns

Recruitment and criminal record checks

  • What should organisations consider during the recruitment and induction of volunteers and staff?
  • What are Criminal Records checks, how to use them, and how not to.

 

happy-at-home-leaflet.pdf

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