News

This is where we’ll post third sector news and important updates that are useful for your organisation.

Secondary prevention fund open now

We have just launched our secondary prevention workstream fund for 2023-24.

This is an exciting new fund from the VVU, with a potential pot of £380, 000 to support and provide interventions for children, young people and families who are at risk of being involved in criminality and exploitation through factors that make them more vulnerable than their peers.

This fund has two rounds; Round one will fund work taking place from January 2023, and round 2.) will fund work taking place from April 2023-March 2024.

About the fund

The Secondary Prevention Workstream focuses on those Children, Families & Young People, who are at risk of being involved in criminality and exploitation through factors that make them more vulnerable than their peers.

These factors might include but are not limited to- Adverse Childhood Experience, early trauma, peer/ sibling/ parental involvement in criminality, difficulty in engaging with education, risk of ‘falling out’ of education, poverty, disenfranchisement.

The secondary prevention ‘cohort’ includes children and young people suspected of being involved in county lines, gangs and knife crime.

Applications should demonstrate how projects have a positive impact on reducing serious violence, criminality and exploitation in areas within Southend, Essex and Thurrock.

Interventions need to target one or more of the vulnerable groups – especially those at risk of ‘falling out’ of education, and those who are frequently missing from education; those accessing A&E departments due to violence or threat of violence.

Outcomes should include increased awareness and resilience towards serious violence, criminality and exploitation with individuals taking part having the opportunity to divert away from crime and exploitation toward more positive futures.

All applications must demonstrate how their project enables children & young people to do one or more of the following: Improve engagement with education; Reduce the risk of exploitation and increase protective factors; Make positive choices that keep them safe; Raise self-esteem and confidence; Build resilience; Improve emotional and physical health and mental well-being.

And finally, applications must demonstrate how they reflect in their approach and delivery the learning from the Youth Endowment Fund Toolkit.

And now the small print!

1.) This funding round is ONLY open to for local **’not for profit’ voluntary or community groups and statutory organisations based in, and delivering in Essex, Southend and Thurrock. (Excluding schools, colleges or educational establishments – unless in conjunction with a voluntary community sector provider as above).

2.) We are looking to fund projects that meet our stated aims and can run from January OR April 2023-31st March 2024.

3.) Projects starting in January will be funded in ‘Round One’, and projects with an April start date will be funded in ‘Round Two’. Projects funded from January onwards in round one must be an established project with face-face work taking place in January.

3.) Groups can apply for more than one project if they would like to, but the total cost of all applications must be no more than £50,000

For the timeline and funding guidance visit: https://ecvys.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/secondary-prevention-fund-information.docx

For any outstanding questions take a look at our Q&A sheet available at https://ecvys.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/secondary-prevention-fund-q-and-a.docx

If you have any questions not already answered in our Q&A sheet, then please contact Jim White [email protected], or Rachel Brett [email protected]

Apply for this fund online using the link https://forms.gle/Rd9hK3EEJU7bUpSZA

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News

Be Well & Age Well Fund Launch Meeting

Be Well & Age Well Fund Launch Meeting

One Colchester Hub, 4-6 Long Wyre Street

On Monday 16th January 2-4pm, C360 will be co-facilitating a meeting with the Be Well (£150,000) & Age Well (£167,000) domains to launch a fund totalling £317k aimed to address key priorities:

Be Well

Outcome : Adults are empowered to make health lifestyle choices.

Funding Criteria: Physical activity in men aged 30-50 (linked to higher men suicide rates).

Cost of Living Support – healthy, affordable and sustainable eating.

Age Well

Outcome: For people to live as safely and independently as possible as they grow older

Funding Criteria:

  • Improve levels of physical activity in older adults >65
  • Improve outcomes for carers – specifically advocacy and/or respite
  • Cost of living – specifically support for vulnerable older adults to deal with practicalities
  • Improve mental health for older adults >65

The meeting will start at 2pm and will close at 4pm including time for networking.

The session will be interactive with an opportunity to hear from the Be Well & Age Well Domain followed by a networking session.

One Colchester, the local strategic partnership for the Borough, is holding £317,000 for distribution in Colchester over the next two years.  The same figure is being held by Tendring Together whose launch event will take place on the same day 10am-12pm please contact [email protected] for more details. C360 and CVS Tendring are providing administrative support for managing the fund and supporting development of applications.  There will be the potential to explore awarding funds to groups working across North East Essex through the collaborative management of the funding.

If you would like to attend the Colchester event, please contact [email protected]  to confirm.  If you would like to be involved but are unable to attend, get in touch and your name will be registered.

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News

Get up to £3,000 match funding for the warm spaces

Co-op and Crowdfunder have teamed up to help community organisations navigate the cost of living crisis to provide vital services this winter.

Are you welcoming people into a warm space in your community, or wanting to extend existing activities or services to support more people?

Eligible community groups could get up to £3,000 to continue or extend vital services.

Criteria

This £1m match fund has been launched by Co-op to support local organisations who are supporting their communities through rising costs this winter, by bringing people together into warm spaces.

To be eligible for match funding your organisation must:

  • Be based and have a bank account based in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
  • Be a not-for-profit constituted organisation, including community groups, schools, registered charities and social enterprises
  • Have a bank account in the name of the organisation
  • Run a crowdfunding campaign this winter, delivered by 31st March, 2023
  • Be raising funds for revenue costs only (capital costs such as building refurbishment are not eligible)

Your project must be a community organisation that welcomes people into a community space in your local area to provide support and needs urgent help this winter to:

  • Maintain vital existing services in the face of rising energy costs
  • Make the community space that you operate from more welcoming
  • Increase opening times or extend services

Typical projects may include (but are not limited to):

  • A community cafe that needs funding to continue offering their building as a warm space.
  • A local village support group wanting to extend existing activities to support more people in their community.
  • A community fridge, wanting to promote their services more widely to meet increasing need.
  • A youth group whose energy costs have increased.

Match Funding criteria:

To receive match funding, the following conditions must all be met:

  • For every donation made towards your project we’ll match it up to £250, so if your project receives a donation of £20 we’ll add another £20, If your project receives a donation of £600 then you’ll receive an additional £250.
  • Only one donation per supporter will be matched (we will not provide match funding where a supporter is deemed to have made multiple donations).
  • You can receive a maximum of £3,000 of match funding per organisation.

This fund will be distributed on a first come first serve basis and applications will close on 28th February 2023.

Please read the full funding boost criteria before applying

Projects will be required to agree to the Terms and Conditions

Apply here. 

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News

Fundraising and Events Assistant – Mind in West Essex

Base -Uttlesford Community Hub – Dunmow

Hours – 18.5hrs per week

Salary – £9.79 per hour

Please see the attached job description here

To apply for this position please click on the application form button at the top of this page, and complete the form by the closing date of Friday 23rd December 2022

Interview date – 4th January 2023

Apply here. 

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News

Uttlesford Community Action Network has a fixed-term vacancy for a Community Responder

Covid-19 has affected all aspects of our society along with the current cost of living crisis. There has been profound disruption to people’s lives and livelihoods and a significant impact on people’s physical, and mental health as well as their wellbeing.

Uttlesford Community Response Hub has been established in response to these needs and we are therefore looking for a highly motivated, practical individual to provide support, signposting, and engage with residents and communities in specific tasks whilst connecting them with health, the voluntary sector and other social services or support such as
volunteers to ensure that all Uttlesford residents in need get the support they require.

The successful candidate will be working alongside our other Community Responder. We are looking for someone who has good practical and people skills. This role would suit someone with a hands-on approach and will involve driving to different locations across West Essex, so access to own vehicle is essential. Training will be given to those unfamiliar
with the health, social care and voluntary sectors.

Download our Job Description and Person Specification

Please call 01371 878400 for an informal conversation about the role. No CV’s will be accepted, please email [email protected] to request an application form.

Please return your completed application form to the above email by 17:00hrs on the 21st of December 2022. Interviews will commence the week beginning 9th of January 2023.

Please be aware that this role will require an Enhanced DBS check and two satisfactory. References are to be provided and the completion of a 2-month Probationary period. This role will also require the ability to drive and have access to a vehicle for use at work (Mileage will be paid).

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News

Children’s Services Manager – Barnardo’s

Children’s Services Manager  

Contract type: Permanent

Available posts:   1                         

Area Covered: South Region – Surrey, Kent, Essex, and Isle of Wight

  • Contract type:
    Permanent
  • Hours:
    37
  • Salary :
    £38,000 per annum
  • Closing Date:
    3 January 2023
  • Interview Date:
    11th & 12th January 2023

Purpose:

Barnardo’s National Counter Trafficking Service runs several different services across England and Wales. This includes the Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship Service, a statutory provision set out in Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Do you want to improve the lives of young people affected by modern slavery? Do you have immigration, social care or criminal justice experience? Are you an experienced manager who is ready to join a passionate growing team and step up to this challenge? If your answers are yes, we want to hear from you.

 

Our Children’s Services Managers:

  • Provide strategic and operational leadership to a regional team which could include, Team Managers, Senior Practitioners, Independent Child Trafficking Guardians, Independent Child Trafficking Guardians – Post 18, Regional Practice Coordinators and Regional Practitioners
  • Develop best practice in practitioners work with young people who have been trafficke
  • Ensure that all young people supported by the Service are referred into the National Referral Mechanism
  • Hold responsibility and oversight for all safeguarding and risks management decision-making
  • Ensure that policies and procedures are followed, including those related to staff wellbeing
  • Implement robust recording, data management and collection practices and present data in report format as require
  • Build relationships of trust with strategic and operational stakeholders within the region
  • Represent the Service at operational and strategic forums, both locally and nationally
  • Support team learning and development, both locally and nationally
  • Contribute to developing an evidence base around work with children and young people who have been trafficked

 

This is a Home-Based role but will involve some travel around the region to meet with staff and attend meetings. Do you drive? Do you have access to a car? If the answers are yes, we want to hear from you.

What are the benefits of joining the National Counter Trafficking Service?

  • Extensive training, development and progression pathway
  • Line management and clinical supervision
  • 26 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and additional annual leave purchase scheme
  • Travel expenses for work at 45p per mile
  • Employee Assistance Scheme
  • Flexible Working and Time Off in Lieu
  • Access to Barnardo’s Retirement Savings Plan
  • Cycle to work scheme, offers from major high-street brands and discounts on cinema tickets and holidays

 

About Barnardo’s:

At Barnardo’s we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our safer recruitment processes mean that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount at every stage of the process and therefore, we adopt rigorous scrutiny in our pre-employment checking. This post is subject to a range of pre-employment checks including a Criminal Records Enhanced Disclosure for the successful candidate(s).

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo’s values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which should be in place by 1st April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a key pillar of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to grow and develop in their career at Barnardo’s.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible

Flexibility

Barnardo’s believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.

About Barnardo’s

At Barnardo’s we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Barnardo’s is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo’s.

Our basis and values

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News

Engagement Officer (B1) – One Colchester Community Hub

Salary £ 22,700 – 24,981

Why would you want to work as an Engagement Officer as part of our vibrant Community Hub team?  Here’s why….
·       To truly make a difference to people’s lives
·       To use your listening skills and empathetic nature to respond to individuals needs
·       To feel like you belong to a forward thinking company with passion
·       You want a job with real purpose
This role is based in Colchester and the main duties include; providing assistance to visitors to access information and activities to support their health & wellbeing, liaise with external organisations who may wish to hire our rooms, lead and assist with the planning and implementation of events, use databases to record and report on outcomes as well as recruiting, inducting and supervising volunteers (this list is not exhaustive).
You will build relationships with those you come into contact with and listen to how we can best support their needs.
You will bring:
·       A passion for helping people
·       Experience of working with people with complex needs (we would welcome candidates with a mental health working background)
·       A “can do” attitude
·       Strong communication skills
·       Empathy and emotional resilience
·       Ability to work in a team environment
·       Flexibility with working hours and location
·       Proven knowledge of IT systems/databases
 
This role would suit someone who has the resilience to deal with complex and sometimes challenging situations.
 
What you can expect:
·       A base in Colchester but there needs to be flexibility
·       28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
·       An extra day’s holiday for your birthday (after passing probation)
·       Five extra days holiday (pro-rata) after five years’ service
·       Up to three days volunteering per year (after passing probation)
·       Development opportunities
·       Full training and a robust induction
·       Staff Buddy Scheme
·       Social and Wellbeing programme
Benefits

28 days holiday (pro rata for part time) including bank holidays
Extra day off for your birthday (after passing probation)
Five extra days holiday (pro-rata) after five years’ service
Up to three days volunteering per year (after passing probation)
Development opportunities
Staff Buddy Scheme
Social and Wellbeing programme

Notes

Please upload your CV and a covering letter to the BreatheHR portal. Your covering letter must evidence specific essential criteria from the Person Specification. You can view the full Job Description and Person Specification on our vacancies page on our website for further information.

You will not be considered if a covering letter with the evidence requested is not provided.

Please note we cannot provide feedback on unsuccessful applications.

Apply here. 

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News

Call for county residents to shape future ECC Disability Strategy

All county residents, including those with disabilities, their families and those who care for them, are asked to give their views on Essex County Council’s future Disability Strategy.

It is important people living with disabilities, their families and carers, and all residents of the county can feed into the development of the Disability Strategy.

A consultation on the future Disability Strategy has now been launched and your views can be given online here.

An easy read version of the consultation can be found here.

The consultation will last for 12 weeks, closing on Thursday 23 February.

Cllr John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “The aim of this strategy is to be clear about our ambitions, and outline a set of commitments to the citizens of Essex who have a disability, that aligns with our aspiration for everyone to live a meaningful life.

“That means we need to know what is important to you so we can work in collaboration with partners to help you achieve it.”

“Your views are important to us. We would like to hear from you to make sure we have correctly understood the opportunities and challenges you face.”

A short video of Cllr Spence outlining why ECC is seeking your views on the future Disabilities Strategy can be found here.

If you would like to help ECC, please fill out this the consultation. It is fine for someone to help you fill out this consultation survey.

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Helping you with the cost of living

Household costs

If you need emergency money or food, you may be eligible for a budgeting loan or grants and charitable funds.

Council Tax

The government has introduced a £150 Council Tax rebate. If you live in an eligible property and you pay your council tax by direct debit, your local council will generally make the payment directly to your bank account. Payments started in April 2022. If you live in an eligible property and you do not pay your council tax by direct debit, contact your local council.

You could be eligible for a Council Tax Reduction if you’re on a low income or claim benefits. You can apply if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working.

Funding towards household costs

If you are facing hardship, you can get help with your essential household costs. You can also get advice and support from Citizens Advice and other voluntary and community organisations.

Food

Foodbanks give free food to people who are struggling financially. The Salvation Army also offers emergency assistance to people in need.

Broadband

If you’re a low-income family receiving Universal Credit or other benefits, you could be eligible for a discounted broadband service.

Public transport

Essex Highways have put together a list of money saving tips for travelling around Essex on public transport. This includes park and ride discounts, concessionary bus passes and saver bus tickets.

Author: Alliance Admin
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Categories: News

Mental Health Training Courses now available

As the leading local mental health charity, Mid and North East Essex Mind understands what is needed when it comes to providing mental health training. Our goal is to provide local businesses, community groups and charitable organisations with the knowledge they need to better support employees facing mental health challenges and how to best manage these in the workplace.

Courses we offer:

  • Mental Health Awareness Training
  • Managing Mental Heath in the Workplace Training
  • Suicide Awareness Training

For prices and to discuss your training requirements please call 01206 764600 or email [email protected].

Visit https://mnessexmind.org/training/ for more information.

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted:
Categories: News