Parenting support implementation group election
South Gloucestershire (Children and Young People)
We would like to invite you to take part in an evaluation of our service to Children and Young People's VCS organisations in Bristol and South Glos, operated through our CYP networks. We need your voice to illustrate the impact of our work and how it makes a difference to your delivery.
In these uncertain times it has never been more important for us to speak out for ourselves, our sector and the people we support.
Change is about to happen and the civil society is key to that future change. We want to make sure that the people who make those decisions hear your voice and understand how it feels to deliver services and activities on the ground and what support you need to do that well.
Your responses will contribute to a regional report and we will lobby locally and regionally for the support you say you need.
Please take the time to complete the survey on line at http://www.smart-survey.co.uk/v.asp?i=23523gkmvx
The survey will run for three weeks and upon completion you will be entered into a regional draw and the winner will receive £250.
If you have any queries please contact Louise Hudson, Bristol CYP VCS network co-ordinator, louisehudson@thecareforum.org.uk (0117 958 9337) or Lucy Rowe, South Glos CYP VCS network co-ordinator lucyrowe@thecareforum.or.guk (0117 958 9324).
Nomination of a Voluntary Sector Representative to the Severnvale Locality 1 Planning Group
Nominations are sought for a voluntary sector representative (rep) on the South Gloucestershire Severnvale Locality 1 Planning Group. There is one place.
It is really important that there is a voluntary and community sector perspective heard on this group. This is a great opportunity to be involved with developing services in the Severnvale Locality. The rep will report to the S Glos Children and Young People's voluntary sector Network, which meets quarterly, and be bound by The Care Forum's Rep Agreement and Code of Conduct. A copy of the terms of reference, the rep agreement and code of conduct, and a nomination form are attached. For inclusion in the election process, nomination forms must be returned to Lucy Rowe by 27th April. You can email it to Lucy, lucyrowe@thecareforum.org.uk or you can post it to me at The Care Forum, The Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Bristol, BS16 2QQ.
If you would like further information regarding this opportunity, please contact me via email lucyrowe@thecareforum.org.uk. (please note I work Wednesday and Thursday)
If more than one nomination is received there will be a vote.
ELECTION FOR VCS REPRESENTATIVE TO S GLOS DISABLED CHILDREN'S STRATEGY GROUP
Nominations will only be accepted on the nomination form. All nominations must be returned to the network of which you are a member by Wednesday 2 December. The following documents are attached and can also be downloaded from our Voluntary Sector Services section of our website at http://www.thecareforum.org.uk/:
- Terms of Reference for the Disabled Children's Strategy Group
- Representative agreement and code of conduct for the Disabled Children's Strategy Group
- Nomination Form for the Disabled Children's Strategy Group
The Care Forum is also developing a backfill payments protocol for small voluntary sector organisations to claim money for attending meetings. If you would like to find out more about claiming money please contact kateoliver@thecareforum.org.uk (0117 958 9336)
If you have any queries about becoming a representative and would like to find out more about the role please contact lucyrowe@thecareforum.org.uk
Bristol and South Glos VCS CYP Participation Payments Protocol for Reps 2009/10
The time has come round again for VCS representatives to be rewarded for your time and energy on the groups where they represent the voluntary sector. The Care Forum hopes that this stage of the pilot will encourage more organisations to nominate staff to stand as representatives in the elections that it holds.
We have amended the backfill protocol - it is now called the Children and Young People VCS Participation Payments Protocol, and the hourly rate has increased to £50.00 per hour. Other changes are explained in the letter [click here] and the protocol [click here]. Attached also are the amended attendance and claim forms [click here] and [here]
This year we are restricting the pilot to those of who are elected or invited representatives of the children and young people VCS, and changing the threshold for organisations that can apply to those with a surplus in their organisation's 2008/9 accounts of less than £500,000. There are some other eligibility criteria which are all explained in the protocol.
Reps will be able to make their claims for the period from April to September at the end of September 2009 and the those for the period from October to March at the end of March 2010.
When you have read them, if you have any queries before you complete your agreement forms and send them back, please contact kateoliver@thecareforum.org.uk
CWDC Partners Programme - South Gloucestershire Plans
For this year's action plan click on Bristol and South Glos CWDC Partners Programme Action Plan 2009/10
For more details on the work of the CWDC work click on http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/
Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) Partners Programme 
CVS South Gloucestershire and The Care Forum are receiving funding over three years from 2007-10 to strengthen the capacity of the third sector in South Gloucestershire to engage in the national children's workforce development agenda.
Two VCS local networks have been established in North 1 (Avonmouth, Shirehampton, Sea Mills, Lawrence Weston and Coombe Dingle) and North 2 (Southmead, Upper Horfield, Henbury and Brentry).
North 1
Ash Bearman, Community Development Officer for Shirehampton Community Action Forum (SCAF) is the local network coordinator for North 1. She has worked for SCAF since 2001 and has worked to strengthen the ties and build partnership working between statutory agencies, private enterprise and voluntary and community groups. She has experience of working with agencies who provide services for young people having set up a youth support sub-group within SCAF and she support the work of SCAF action groups on youth and young people and local play areas.
For more details on and to join the North 1 local network contact Ash Bearman, 0117 982 9963, email: ash@shirecaf.org.uk.
North 2
Maria Damsell at Upper Horfield Community Trust co-ordinates the North 2 network. Maria has worked for the past 5 years at the Upper Horfield Community Trust, a charity in Upper Horfield that manages a community centre and offers a range of support and activities to the residents in Upper Horfield. Their services include an Ofsted registered Out of school care for 5 - 14's, youth sessions for 8yrs and above, family trips, fundays, distributing a quarterly community newsletter, adult lifelong learning, social activities for the elderly and the introduction of a new exciting project ‘The Eden Market'. Maria has lived in Upper Horfield for the past 16 years with her family of 3 sons. She spends some of her spare time being the Chair of Governors at Upper Horfield Community School.
For the North 2 network contact Maria Damsell, 0117 969 0011, email:maria@uhct.co.uk.
Severnvale Local Network
Julie Snelling
Coordinator, Julie Snelling is Director of Southern Brooks Community Partnership, an organisation that has a staff team of around 70 and runs a variety of projects for children, young people and families. Julie's previous experience was a youth worker for the local authority, and working for a grassroots community development organisation in South Gloucestershire. She has worked for SBCP for the past 10 years. Julie is passionate about working to create a strong and vibrant voluntary sector, across South Gloucestershire and particularly in the areas of Patchway, Filton and the Stokes. In her spare time she has a new hobby learning about growing vegetables on an allotment, and loves travelling and finding new places to explore.
Honora Farley
The networks are administered by Honora Farley, who has recently joined SBCP after a background in administration for corporate business so has brought a range of new skills to our organisation.
For more details on and to join the Severnvale network contact Julie Snelling at Southern Brooks Community Partnership tel. 01454 868570, email juliesnelling@sbcommunitypartnership.org.uk or Honora Farley at Southern Brooks Community Partnership tel. 01454 868570, email honorafarley@sbcommunitypartnership.org.uk
Representatives
Representatives from local networks of children and young people voluntary and community organisations are sitting on more and more strategic planning groups in the area including on the workforce development strategy group, the locality governance groups and the Safeguarding Board. For a chart of all the reps supported by The Care Forum and CVS South Gloucestershire Click
Training
Surgeries and training in the three targeted localities will be available later in the year. For more information contact CVS South Gloucestershire Jocelyne Tagg tel. 01454 865205 or email youthdevelopment@cvs-sg.org.uk
Seeking voluntary sector reps in South Gloucestershire
The Care Forum is seeking nominations for representatives to sit on the following two multi-agency groups in South Gloucestershire:
Corporate Parenting Steering Group
See terms of reference, reps agreement and nomination form.
This is your chance to represent the voluntary sector in policy development and service planning for a range of initiatives for children and young people in South Gloucestershire.
Nominees should either be a member of The Care Forum or should submit a membership form and payment with their nomination form. Where more than one nomination is received a ballot will be held.
Please return your nomination form to louisehudson@thecareforum.org.uk or by post to The Care Forum. If you would like to discuss becoming a rep please contact Louise Hudson on 0117 958 9337
South Gloucestershire Parenting Support Strategy: Consultation with Parents and Carers
The Care Forum undertook a nine-month consultation exercise on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council Department for Children & Young People and funded by government. The main report, a summary and twelve good practice points arising from the consultation can be downloaded here
A further report on possible opportunities for sustained contact with parents and carers is being considered as part of the involvement strategy for parents and carers by the Parenting Support Strategy Implementation Group which is chaired by Liz Crocker, Assistant Director at South Glos Council Department of Children & Young People. http://carbon.focusnewmedia.com/Editor/Edit/kateoliver@thecareforum.org.uk
South Glos Children and Young People's Voluntary Sector Network
Is open to all voluntary sector agencies working with children and young people in South Glos and meets quarterly.
Click here for forthcoming meetings
Click here for notes of previous meetings
If you would like to be added to the mailing list or want any further information please complete the enquiry form
Information
We produce In Contact our regular newsletter monthly. We also produce regular ebulletins for people working in South Glos. We are always keen to include voluntary sector information in our publications. If you have any news or views to share please put the details on our enquiry form.
Representation
In S Glos we provide representation on a variety of groups working on children's services including:
- Age related partnership group (0 - 11yrs)
- Age related partnership group (11 - 19yrs)
- Better Support for Young Parents
- Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service Partnership
- Children and Young People's Partnership Executive Board
- Children's Centres Stakeholder Group
- Disabled Strategy Group
- Domestic Violence Forum
- Extended Schools Partnership
- Joint Commissioning Group
- LAA Steering Group
- Severnvale Locality Planning Group
- Yate Locality Planning Group
- Play Strategy Group
- Safeguarding Board
- Senior Officer Group
- Teenage Pregnancy Partnership
- Workforce Development Planning Group
- Parenting Support Implementation Group
If you would like more information or a full list of current reps or are interested in becoming a rep please complete an enquiry form or for the forms to complete, go to the representation page.
ChangeUp
ChangeUp is a government initiative to strengthen the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors. The Care Forum is a member of the ChangeUp consortium covering South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. Click here for more information on ChangeUp
Contact Us
We want to hear from you. If you have any thoughts about our services, would like to be a rep, have information you would like included in our information service, or would like to meet up to find out more about what we do, contact The Care Forum here.
Local Links
Children and Young People Partnership in South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust
Well Aware, The Care Forum's unique online database of local and nation services, groups and organisations that relate to health and well-being