VIN AGM

Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire’s Annual General Meeting took place on the 21st of November 2024.

 

The Minutes for this event can be found here.

 

VIN’s Annual Accounts can be found here.

 

Prior to the Annual General Meeting, Darryn Frost of Own Merit CIC gave a compelling presentation on his life and the work of the organisation. This can be found here.

 

VIN would like to thank its Trustees and all those who attended and contributed to this AGM.

Healthwatch Commissioning (West Northamptonshire)

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires local authorities to establish and maintain a local Healthwatch service to understand the needs, experiences, and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf.

Currently, West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council have a joint Northamptonshire Healthwatch organisation contract that will expire on 31st March 2025. This transition will enable the Council to separate from a Northamptonshire-wide Healthwatch service and develop a new, local Healthwatch West Northamptonshire service.

This new service will be more inclusive and representative of the residents of the Council by embedding Healthwatch into the area, raising awareness of its role and function, maximising local participation and representation, and providing a strong and local independent public voice that is both recognised and valued.

Cllr Matt Golby, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Public Health and Regulatory Services said:

We are committed to providing a local West Northamptonshire Council Healthwatch service for our residents. The new Healthwatch service will play a crucial role in ensuring that our community’s needs are heard and addressed. I encourage eligible organisations to apply for this grant and be part of this vital initiative.

Healthwatch West Northamptonshire will have several key rights and responsibilities, including:

  • The power to monitor, known as “Enter and View,” health and social care services (with some exceptions). The primary purpose is to find out what patients, service users, carers, and the wider public think of health and social care.
  • Reporting findings of local views and experiences to health and social care decision-makers and making the case for improved services.
  • Being a strong and powerful voice for local people, influencing how services are planned, organised, and delivered.
  • Being an effective voice rooted in the community. Healthwatch will find out what local people think about health and social care, researching patient, user, and carer opinions using various methods.
  • The option to escalate concerns and report evidence to national organisations, including Healthwatch England, NHS England, and the Care Quality Commission.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 places limitations on the types of organisations that can provide Healthwatch services. These limitations ensure that providers meet the definition of voluntary, community, or social enterprise organisations, and certain not-for-profit constitutionalised organisations.

A grant of up to £137,000 per year is available to provide Healthwatch West Northamptonshire from 1 April 2025 for two financial years, with an option to extend for a third year. The closing date for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 22 January 2025. Click here for more information on the grant programme. To request an expression of interest grant application form or to find out more about your eligibility, please email: communitygrants@westnorthants.gov.uk.

VIN works with Adult Social Care

VIN has started work with Adult Social Care (West Northamptonshire) on their Co-Production Register.

The Register consists of Experts by Experience (or EBEs) who contribute to Adult Social Care Policy and future Commissions.

Russell Rolph (the CEO of VIN) states:

I am delighted to be working with Adult Social Care (ASC) on this Register and in supporting the Co-production Board. Working with those who have Lived Experience is vital in ensuring that the right services are compiled and delivered, and this is a great opportunity for VIN to step further into this arena. As we know more, I am calling on all VCSE organisations across West Northamptonshire to suggest potential candidates for these EBE roles, all of which are remunerated for the time they give. Please contact me for information in the first instance. The programme will start in earnest in January of 2025, and my thanks to all those in Adult Social Care who gave us this opportunity. Further information on the pipeline of ASC Commissions will be circulated in due course.

Public consultation on Community Safety

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Danielle Stone has this week launched the public consultation on her Community Safety Plan, Safe and Sound (Police, Fire and Crime Plan).

This consultation also includes a further separate consultation on the council tax precept for both policing and fire.

She is keen to hear as many views as possible from all sections of the community before finalising any of these.

Please click on the link provided below where you can view the Community Safety Plan in full.

The Plan is a strategic level Plan that is aimed at improving the quality of services provided and the service to local communities. It will be underpinned by operational police and fire Plans being developed by the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer and will also have falling from it several “spin off” Plans and activities.

https://www.research.net/r/PlanAndPreceptConsultation2025OPFCC7

Children and Young People Consultation in West Northamptonshire

West Northamptonshire Council are asking for feedback on two important consultations around the delivery of Children and Young People (or CYP). VCSE organisations that work with these beneficiaries are encouraged to reply.

The first appertains to services delivered to those aged 0-19.

This consultation will be open for six weeks and is available via the following links:

The second concerns Sexual Health. This consultation will run for four weeks and can be accessed here:

Review of Placed Based Arrangements

The West Northamptonshire Health and Wellbeing Board have recently discussed a Review of the Placed Based Operating Model (Local Area Partnerships Or LAPS).

The Model is a fundamental pillar in the successful achievement of the 10 Live Your Best Life (LYBL) ambitions at a Place. The Model has been rolled out since August 2022 and it is now deemed time to review the benefits and identify where there are opportunities to strengthen delivery. A Task & Finish Group has been established to oversee the Review and will agree the governance, process, scope, timescales, options appraisal methodology and production of the full Business Case to include conclusion and recommendations on how the Model will evolve going forward.

 As part of this process West Northamptonshire are gathering feedback on the Model to understand what is working well and what needs to improve. This will help us to ensure that the local area partnerships (LAPs) are as effective as they can be in supporting a Place-Based Approach to improve the health and wellbeing of residents.

As the VCSE lives, works, and invests in Place your views are sought. Please complete the survey by 15th December 2024.

Children and Families Conference 2024

Connect Northamptonshire jointly hosted, with the VCSE Assembly Northamptonshire, a county wide CYP conference on 7th October at the Towcester Forum.  The Conference report is available to view here

 

 

 

LAP CYP and Family Summits

The Local Area Partnerships are running a series of CYP and Family Summits through November and December 2024. The summits will bring together a range of organisations that offer services to and work with children, young people, and families within our local community. This is an exciting opportunity to collaborate, share your great work and help design an early help community network focused on better outcomes for local families.

The Agendas are all broadly similar and will take place in each of the 9 LAPS within West Northamptonshire.

If you are a VCSE organisation delivering services around this agenda then please visit the summit most closely co-located for your work.

Purpose: Under the theme “Think Family First, Think Local Community Solution”, the summit will encourage organisations to explore how we might:

 

  • Acknowledge and build on each other’s strengths.
  • Reduce silo working through improved collaboration.
  • Introduce early help and intervention strategies.
  • Improve outcomes for families and reduce inequalities.

Key Outcomes: Through our discussions we are aiming to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Co-design the local early help community element of the Family Hubs and Spokes model and
  • Build on the momentum and agree how local multi-agency forums meeting regularly can solve local issues together.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Showcasing innovative local projects.
  • Breakout sessions to share services, better understand needs and explore potential collaboration.
  • Designing the early help community framework for Family Hubs & Spokes.
  • Discussion on forming local multi-agency forums to meet regularly and address local challenges.

If you wish to find out more about the event, its location and date, or to book a space please contact the LAP lead for your local LAP area.

Emilie.vavsour@westnorthants.gov.uk (Northampton Central. South and East).

Justine.horrocks@westnorthants.gov.uk (Rural West).

Michelle.grimwood@westnorthants.gov.uk (Northampton North and West).

Rachel.Bryne@westnorthants.gov.uk (Rural South and Rural East).

CEO Network Event 26th September 2024

Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire held the first CEO Networking Event on the 26th of September 2024, in partnership with the Doddridge Centre who provided a venue and refreshments. These networking sessions are brought under the new Infrastructure contract with West Northamptonshire Council, which is itself a collective approach driven under the umbrella of SAWN (Social Action West Northamptonshire) which includes VIN, South Northants Volunteer Bureau (SNVB) and Daventry Volunteers. 18 CEO’s or Principal Decision Makers attended and were treated with two guest speakers in the shape of Shah Alhabib and Emilie Vavasour.

 

Shah gave a superb presentation on Artificial Intelligence and what it could mean for the VCSE. We all know how labour intensive some of work is, and AI may be a route to simplifying some of that. It was agreed that those in attendance would look and examine some of the many free options or packages which exist in the marketplace, with a view to formalising an approach at the next session (February or March 2025).

 

Emilie Vavasour (LAP Lead) gave an insightful presentation on the current Local Area Partnership priorities and how VCSE organisations can involve themselves. The priorities can be seen here

 

VIN is acutely aware that the role of CEO can be a lonely and unforgiving space. As a result,  we will build in time to discuss issues, concerns, challenges, or a better way of working at the next session.

 

If existing delegates want a particular subject discussed or a guest speaker invited please contact russell.rolph@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

 

If you wish to prebook your space in advance (a date will be circulated in due course) please contact Sophie.negus@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

 

VIN would like to thank those who took time from their busy schedule to attend and would also like to thank the Doddridge for their efforts on our collective behalf.

Grant scheme applications now open for community organisations to provide crisis support for residents

Several grant schemes are now available for registered charities, not-for-profit and Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises (VCSE) organisations in West Northamptonshire, or who are prepared to operate within West Northants, to apply for funding to support vulnerable households most in need with the cost of living.

Using funds from the sixth tranche of the Household Support Fund for West Northants, £955,000 has been allocated for grant funding to support those in financial hardship, with funding being available until the end of March 2025.

To ensure funding can support as many residents as needed, three grant schemes are available for organisations to apply for. These include:

  • £545,000 available for projects or services supporting the Food Aid Network
  • £225,000 available for projects or services supporting vulnerable households struggling to afford energy bills and energy saving essentials.
  • £185,000 available for projects or services supporting vulnerable households struggling to afford household and wider essentials.

All applications must demonstrate they can offer services that cater for immediate needs as well as providing support that has a long-term sustainable impact.

Closing date for this funding is 5pm on Wednesday 6 November 2024.

Further information and the full criteria for applications can be found on the WNC website and in the Council’s Community Funding Grants Framework.

For an application form and guidance please email communitygrants@westnorthants.gov.uk.

More information on the Household Support Fund (HSF) can be found on the West Northamptonshire Council Website.