|
|
|
|
Sector News returns in February
Due to opening hours over the Christmas period, the next regular edition of Sector News will be issued on 1st February 2021. To keep up to date with our news please click the button below.
We will of course continue to monitor the situation regarding the pandemic and provide extra mailings as appropriate. Over the Christmas period we will be closed for the following:
-
Community Action Norfolk – closing from 5pm Thurs 23th December until 9am Mon 4th January
-
Voluntary Norfolk - closing from 4pm on Fri 24th December until 9am Mon 4th January
-
Momentum (Norfolk) - closing from 4pm on Fri 24th December until 9am Mon 4th January
|
|
Covid Restrictions
From 2nd December, lockdown will be replaced with a new tiered system. The tier restrictions are slightly different from those in place before the second lockdown and organisations are encouraged to read the government’s guidance to implement these.
General information:
-
Homeworking should take place where possible.
-
A face covering must be worn in most indoor public settings, (except in cases of an exemption).
-
Schools, universities, colleges and early years settings remain open in all tiers.
-
Places open to the public (Community buildings, venues and workplaces) should follow Covid Secure guidelines.
Further details about the tiers and their particular restrictions can be found by clicking the button below. Currently, Norfolk will be in tier 2. The restrictions for this tier can be found by clicking the button below.
OCS confirmed that in “all tiers there is an exemption ‘for work or providing voluntary or charitable services, including in other people’s homes’.” Stressing the need for all activity to be delivered responsibly. We are, however, expecting guidance to be updated after the regulations are published. This will likely affect a range of specific activities. We will provide further updates as they become available.
We will be doing our best to keep our Covid pages up to date, with guidance relevant to the sector. To view our Covid-19 Information please click here.
|
|
|
Norfolk VCSE Sector Conference Presentations
Norfolk’s Annual VCSE Sector Conference took place online this year, over the course of the week commencing 23rd November. The theme of this year’s conference was “Survive, Drive and Thrive”. The following presentations were recorded and are available to view:
-
Building and Shaping a Better Future – Chair: Jon Clemo, CEO, Community Action Norfolk. Speakers: Seth Reynolds Principal Consultant for Systems Change, NPC and Katie Turner, Deputy Head of Research, Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR).
-
The Direction of Health and Social Care in Norfolk – Facilitator: Jon Clemo, CEO, Community Action Norfolk. Panel: James Bullion, Executive Director, Adult Social Services, Norfolk County Council and Melanie Craig, Chief Officer, Norfolk & Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group.
-
Challenging Social Injustice in adults’ health and social care services – Chair: Alan Hopley, CEO, Voluntary Norfolk. Speaker: Belinda Schwehr, CEO, CASCAIDr
-
A VCSE Health and Social Care Assembly for Norfolk & Waveney – Chair: Tony Osmanski, Chair, East Coast Community Healthcare CIC and Chair, VCSE Assembly Steering Group. Panel: Chris Abrahams, CEO, Community Action Suffolk, Jon Clemo, CEO, Community Action Norfolk, and Alan Hopley, CEO, Voluntary Norfolk.
-
Developing and Sustaining Community Based Voluntary Action – Facilitator: Tracey Allan, Development Officer, Community Action Norfolk. Panel: Richard Barker, Coordinator, North Walsham Good Neighbour Scheme, Helen Brook, Coordinator, Mattishall Volunteer Hub and Chris Garrod, Coordinator, Great Hockham Good Neighbour Scheme
-
Engaging and Influencing Parliament – Speaker: Nikki Luke, Senior Education and Engagement Officer for the East of England.
-
Working in Partnership to Collectively Campaign and Influence - Facilitator: Jon Clemo, CEO, Community Action Norfolk. Panel: Judy Dow, Head of Philanthropy, Norfolk Community, Foundation, Phoebe Sabin, East Anglian Community Coordinator, FareShare, and Stuart Wright, Chair, Living Wage Foundation’s Advisory Council and Property Director, Aviva.
-
Demonstrating the Impact and Value of your VCSE Organisation – Facilitator: Lucy Hogg, Head of Voluntary Infrastructure. Panel: Jenny Potkins, Consultant, NCVO and Paul Webb, Head of Youth Work, MAP and East of England Lead, Centre for Youth Impact.
-
Developing and Sustaining Volunteering in your Organisation – Speakers: Tracey Allen, Development Officer, Community Action Norfolk and Claire Grainger, Voluntary Sector Development Manager, Voluntary Norfolk.
-
Funding Top Tips – Speaker: Claire Grainger, Voluntary Sector Development Manager, Voluntary Norfolk and Rik Martin, Operations Manager, Community Action Norfolk.
To view the presentations please click the button below.
|
|
CJRS (Furlough) and Notice Periods
HMRC Treasury have published a Treasury Direction (which underpins the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) guidance, updated on Fri 13th November). This states that the CJRS grants cannot be claimed for an employee who is serving any kind of notice period (including resignation or retirement). For more information about the Treasury Direction please click here. For more information about the CJRS and how to claim, please click the button below.
|
|
A Marathon not a Sprint: VCSE Health & Social Care Assembly is off the blocks!
Voluntary sector organisations delivering health and social care services in Norfolk & Waveney are encouraged to get involved in the new VCSE Health and Social Care Assembly, launched last week during the VCSE Conference. Tony Osmanski, Interim Chair of the Assembly Steering Group, has published a blog post about the launch and why it is important organisations get involved. Read Tony’s blog and download the Conference presentation from the Assembly website by clicking the button below.
|
|
Norfolk and Waveney NHS Updates
The Norfolk and Waveney NHS regularly publish updates on how they are tackling coronavirus locally. To keep up to date, please click the button below to visit their newsletter library.
|
|
Fundraising Regulator publishes evaluation of FPS
The Fundraising Regulator has published their independent evaluation of the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS), which allows members of the public to stop direct marketing from registered fundraising organisations. The report finds that FPS users found it reliable, whilst several charities found the service more complex than it needed to be. To read the full report please click the button below.
|
|
British Red Cross Hardship Fund
British Red Cross are offering grants through their Hardship Fund. The fund provides grants to people who are experiencing acute hardship, and are unable to afford essential including:
-
Food and toiletries
-
Somewhere safe to sleep
-
Access to a telephone and the internet
-
Fuel to keep the lights on, cook and stay warm.
More information about the fund is available by pressing the button below.
|
|
|
Independent Age’s Winter Wise Booklet
Independent Age have updated their Winter wise booklet. This contains practical tips on staying warm and healthy in the winter months, including information on Winter Fuel Payments. For more information please click the button below.
Are fuel poverty and cold weather a challenge faced by your service users?
If you are a frontline volunteer or employee who works directly with people who could be experiencing fuel poverty, then our free Big Energy Savings Network Training is for you! The session will help you to:
-
Explore ways to save energy and money in their homes
-
Understand what support is available
-
Help people find the cheapest supplier
-
Know where to signpost clients to and understand what else they might need to consider
The dates of the next sessions are:
-
Tues 8th December – 11am – 12.30pm
-
Weds 16th December – 2pm – 3.30pm
For joining details please contact office@communityactionnorfolk.org.uk. We can also arrange a session for staff and volunteers at a time convenient to you. If you are interested in booking a session for your staff or volunteers please contact rik.martin@communityactionnorfolk.org.uk.
|
|
QPR Suicide Prevention Webinar
This free course aims to increase confidence, knowledge and understanding of suicide and enable delegates to effectively support someone experiencing suicidal thoughts. It is aimed at those working in higher risk occupations and workplace settings where they are more likely to encounter a person at risk of suicide. The sessions take place as follow:
-
Tues 8th December from 3pm – 5pm
-
Fri 11th December from 9.30am – 11.30pm
-
Fri 11th December from 3pm – 5pm
-
Tues 15th December from 10am – 12pm
For more information please click the button below.
|
|
IiV Essentials
NCVO have published their IiV Essentials -an online tool for organisations to review their volunteer experience. The tool is based on six quality areas and helps organisations to think about best practice in involving volunteers. For more information please click the button below.
|
|
Diversity in Charity Sector Recruitment: A Hiring Guide
CharityJobs have published a guide to help organisations establish the changes they need to cultivate a more diverse workforce. The guide includes information about how to audit your organisation, build better hiring practices and inspire collaboration and inclusivity in everything you do. For more information please click the button below.
|
|
Young People and Train Track Trespassing
Live UK are sharing a series of 15-minute videos aimed at discouraging young people from trespassing on train tracks. There is consistently an increase in these incidents during school holidays.
|
|
Supporting disabled spokespeople in media interviews
Media Trust in partnership with Scope has published guidance to demonstrate how organisations can support disabled spokespeople in media interviews. The guidance has been developed as part of the BBC’s 50:50 project. For more information please click the button below.
|
|
Scam Alerts
Many VCSE organisations, and their beneficiaries are targeted by scammers. Sometimes these are easy to spot but some of them are very convincing. To keep up to date with scams that are being attempted in the area and for information about reporting scams, please click the button below to visit Norfolk Trading Standards Consumer Scams Alert page.
|
|
UK Cervical Cancer
UK Cervical Cancer are committed to preventing suffering and death from cervical cancer, by any person, anywhere and in particular those who are disadvantaged and deprived. In Norfolk there are over 52 cases of cervical cancer and roughly 16 deaths a year, which could be prevented. To help combat this, they have created a resource pack, which is available in additional languages or for different audiences (such as schools). Find out more by clicking the button below.
|
|
Help us combat a fuel poverty crisis
With winter upon us, pandemic restrictions in place, reduced incomes for many people, and more time spent at home, more people are facing higher energy bills. For those dependent on heating oil the unregulated prices are of real concern.
Can you help in raising awareness of ThinkingFuel - CAN’s collective heating oil buying service that combats fuel poverty across Norfolk? We would be grateful if you could include an article in your organisation’s newsletter or magazine, and/or display posters in your premises or venues where you deliver your services. You can find a downloadable article for use or adaptation and a printable poster by clicking the button below. We can also send you A5 leaflets for use if needed. For more information email steve.nunn@communityactionnorfolk.org.uk.
|
|
Children and Young People’s Speech and Language Therapy Services
Consultation is open on Norfolk and Waveney’s Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT / SLT) services for children and young people. A report on the survey results will be presented to the SLT Project Group in December and will be used by Norfolk County Council and NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group to improve SLT services in the future. B The deadline for comments is Sun 6th December. For more information or to have your say, please click the button below.
|
|
|
Sector Healthcheck
We are now six months on from our last snapshot of the health of Norfolk’s VCSE sector and it is important we understand how organisations are managing and the impact on their beneficiaries. We would therefore ask you to complete the following survey by clicking the button below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
