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Supervised Contact Approved Providers List

2012-02-08

Supervised Contact Approved Providers List
Peterborough City Council (PCC) is looking to set up an Approved Provider List for the provision of Supervised Contact services within Peterborough and the Commissioner involved in this (Helene Carr) is keen to involve Voluntary and Community organisations. She has produced a brief outline of the service and the process involved and we have set up a meeting for you to meet the Commissioner to find out more. This meeting is open to all organisations who are currently working in this area of work within Peterborough – or who may wish to do so in the future. The meeting will be held 10am-11.30am on Tue 22 Feb at Bushfield House (Young Lives new office in Peterborough), Orton Centre, Orton Goldhay, PE2 5UW. If you wish to attend, please RSVP by email to David at Young Lives or call on 01733 341345 by noon on Mon 20 Feb. We apologise for the short timescale but as you can see from the attached brief there is very limited time to coordinate this and it is a great opportunity to hear what is happening in this area of work directly from the Commissioner and be able to ask questions around how this can relate to your organisation.

FREE advice on setting up and running parent groups

2012-02-08

FREE advice on setting up and running parent groups - and £1,000 available to help you get going or growing!
Date: 22 Feb, 9.45am-1pm
Venue: St Ives Corn Exchange, The Pavement, St Ives
Cost: FREE
• Do you work with or support families of children with additional needs or a disability?
• Are you thinking of starting up a group or want to know how to attract members to an existing group?
• Do you need support with funding, publicity, safeguarding or getting your group's voice heard?
Full details and booking slip attached. Any queries please email Sue at Pinpoint or call on 0751 7419761.

Contracts available for tender in SCCC - deadline extended

2012-02-13

Contracts available for tender in South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City (SCCC) - deadline extended
• Mental Health
£60,000 available funded by the SCCC CYP Area Partnership and the South Cambridgeshire Improvement Partnership to enhance the provision of early mental health support for young people in SCCC. £40,000 for 11-16 school based provision and £20,000 for 16-19 community based provision.
• Travellers and Eastern European families
£30,000 available funded by the SCCC CYP Area Partnership for a project working to increase the involvement of communities living on the Fen Road Travellers site in decision making, with a view to informing future work on other sites across the County.
• Detached Youth Work
£33,870 available funded by Cambridgeshire County Council to provide Detached Youth Work services in communities of need identified by demographic data or in response to local issues. To ensure a balance of City and South Cambridgeshire provision paying attention to those communities where access to services are more limited.
Click here for full details on these tenders. Please note, the deadline for applications has been extended to 29 Feb.

National Citizen Service for 16 year olds

2012-02-02

National Citizen Service
This summer, the National Citizen Service (NCS) is being delivered by the Young Lives Consortium in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We were selected as one of 26 national NCS delivery partners in 2012 and we are delighted to have a significant number of places available for 16 year olds. NCS is a flagship government initiative which aims to promote a more cohesive, responsible and engaged society by bringing young people from different backgrounds together to make a difference in their communities. It is a voluntary programme focusing on the young person's personal and social development and includes challenging activities such as away-from-home residential experiences and a self-designed social action project.
We will have 12 groups of 16 young people from around Cambridgeshire and Peterborough available to engage with local social action projects during the weeks beginning 23 Jul, 30 Jul and the 6 Aug. Currently we are looking for local organisations and charities that will be running projects/campaigns around these times that participants can potentially get involved with. It would be great to hear from you if you think you might have some projects in the pipeline we could help with, or if you were available to come in to talk with the young people about the work you do to help strengthen their understanding of social action and community engagement. Please email Jade at Young Lives or call on 01480 494 333 if you think you might be able to help. It would be great to hear from you!

Young Lives Peterborough Office Move

2012-02-02

Peterborough Office Move
The Young Lives Peterborough Office has now moved to Bushfields House, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, PE2 5UW, opposite the Ormiston Bushfields Academy and Bushfields Sports and Leisure Centre. We have taken possession of an empty commercial space for approximately the next 2 years, and although we are sad to leave Stanley House, this new location offers us much more space and the opportunity of a better equipped training & meeting space. Do please come and visit us and watch out for our Open House Day later in the year. On a practical side, there is short term (< 2 Hrs) free parking in the main car park, and for longer visits we have a small number of dedicated parking spaces. (please check before you come) We will still have a presence at Stanley House until March, but all our services will now be delivered from Bushfields with immediate effect. The Peterborough office number remains the same, 01733 341345.

Help a Young Lives Member collect a share of GBP10,000!

2012-01-25

Help a Young Lives Member collect a share of GBP10,000!
Young Lives member, The Connections Bus Project has been selected to receive a share of £10,000 from The Cambridge Cash for the Community project featured in the Cambridge News. But the charity needs your help to get it. Starting Mon 30 Jan (for 4 weeks) the Cambridge News will feature tokens that need cutting out and sending in. The more tokens submitted the more they receive. The charity provides youth services across Cambridgeshire both on converted double-decker buses and building based. It's services are in demand but funding (more than ever) is vital to support its team of youth workers building positive relationships with young people and helping them with appropriate advice and information. For more details check out their website or find their new Facebook page.

New Young Lives Membership Scheme 2012

2012-01-25

New Young Lives Membership Scheme 2012
Join Young Lives for just £30.00 and receive our full services for a year at special discounted Member rates - or even at no cost to you; PLUS receive 20 MemberPoints worth £20 to spend on our paid-for services!
So, if you:
- work or come into contact with children, young people and their families,
- are a 'not for profit' voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation, and
- work in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
See more about our services, or join Young Lives online today.

Localgiving.com matched funds

2012-01-18

Localgiving.com matched funds
Local Giving is a donation website that helps groups start building an online fundraising campaign easily and cheaply, and in February 2012, Local Giving is MATCH FUNDING any funds your group raises on the site. Cambridgeshire Community Foundation is encouraging as many Cambridgesire groups to get registered to take advantage of this. Full details here.

Grant application tips : writing really well

2011-11-23

Grant application tips : writing really well
Check out the latest fundraising tips from NCVO (the National Council For Voluntary Organisations). Also remember that the Young Lives' Funding Guide for Small Organisations is still available through our website; and for Young Lives Members, if you want tips on a grant application you are making – or to talk through an unsuccessful application please email Helen at Young Lives.

Commissioning - What does it mean for the VCS?

2011-11-23

Commissioning - What does it mean for the VCS?
Over 30 of us attended this event at Cambridgeshire Golf and Conference Centre on 1 Nov. Commissioning is the process local authorities, NHS and other public sector bodies use to make decisions about local services. John Hedge and Janice Lucas from IPC facilitated the event and their sessions focused on the importance of recording "outcomes" to evidence what we do as organisations.

Eva Alexandratou, Head of Children's Joint Commissioning, Cambridgeshire Children and Young People's Services/NHS Cambridgeshire, gave us an overview of the county commissioning strategy and framework advising that the principles are;
•  A strong focus on meaningful outcomes for children and young people with agreed measures of impact;
•  Openness, transparency and visibility of the commissioning process and commissioning decisions – in the light of a climate of austerity and the need for greater efficiencies, clarity about where savings and what the consequences will be;
•  Fair allocation of resources;
•  Clear priorities with minimum expected standards of quality for all;
•  An inclusive process of how commissioning is undertaken with engagement of relevant partners and service users in identifying needs and delivering valued services that meet needs;
•  Needs-led commissioning through evidence based commissioning decisions;
•  Clear accountability for services.

Eva also explained the importance of the voluntary, community and statutory sectors working together to achieve the overarching aim of the Children's Trust to reduce inequality in outcomes for all children and young people in Cambridgeshire. There was an opportunity for us to raise queries and say what further help the VCS needs to improve its understanding of commissioning, and this will help Young Lives support the sector in the coming months.

Young Lives announced as one of 10 additional NCS 2012 delivery partners!

2011-11-16

Young Lives announced as one of 10 additional NCS 2012 delivery partners!
The Cabinet Office has announced ten additional delivery partners who will run National Citizen Service (NCS) in 2012. In September, Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society announced an initial 19 delivery partners and said that up to 30,000 16-year-olds would have the chance to benefit from the scheme next year, a three-fold increase on the number of places in 2011. The NCS scheme will be offered in nearly all upper tier local authority areas in summer 2012. Read on.

VCS representative wanted for ECF Area Safeguarding Children Committee

2011-11-09

WANTED - Voluntary sector representative for the Area Safeguarding Children Committee in East Cambs and Fenland
The meeting is aimed at managers who run services in East Cambs and Fenland. The issues discussed are "local", but we also take forward actions and recommendations from serious case reviews. The group occasionally has speakers who may have done some research, or worked in East Cambs and Fenland.
It is not a front line practitioner that is needed, but someone who can take forward issues and develop services to meet the gaps/ needs within East Cambs and Fenland to support children and families.
Attached is the Terms of Reference and the dates of the planned meetings.
If you are interested in the role please email Angela at Young Lives in the first instance.

CYPS (Children and Young People's Services) Update

2011-10-27

CYPS (Children and Young People's Services) Update
Please find attached an important update on CYPS from Adrian Loades, Executive Director of Children's Services at Cambridgeshire County Council.

The Cambridgeshire Atlas

2011-08-09

The Cambridgeshire Atlas
The new Cambridgeshire Atlas Ward Profiles has now been published, and displays key socio-economic and demographic data for Cambridgeshire. New local geographic filters are also available for neighbourhood areas and updated datasets now include crime, health and education themes. Click here.

Disabled children's access to childcare (DCATCH)

2011-08-01

Disabled children's access to childcare (DCATCH): a qualitative evaluation

This report presents the findings of two qualitative studies: of families' views on the acceptability and impact of Disabled Children's Access to Childcare (DCATCH); and a process evaluation of three themes identified by the scoping study: brokerage; information and outreach; and the provision of additional services. Read on.

Launch of NSPCC helpline mobile phone texting service

2011-08-03

Launch of NSPCC helpline mobile phone texting service
The NSPCC Helpline has launched a mobile phone texting service which will allow members of the public to contact the Helpline by texting 88858. Members of the public can use the text service to seek advice and assistance and also to report concerns that may need follow up action or investigation. The service will be run on a pilot basis in the first instance until the end of 2011. The public can send a text anonymously if they wish at no cost to themselves. On receipt of the text the Helpline will send an immediate automated confirmation response and then a specific response to their enquiry from a Helpline practitioner within 3 hours. Through the texting service, we are extending the range of options that people have for contacting the Helpline. As you know, these currently include: telephone (0808 800 5000), email (help@nspcc.org.uk) and reporting on line (at www.nspcc.org.uk/helpline). All these services are available free to users and on a 24-hour basis. We recognise that "texting" will not be a medium of communication that will suit everyone but we believe that it will be appropriate for some people.

Want help recruiting volunteers and developing knowledge of how to support them?

2011-08-03

Want help recruiting volunteers and developing knowledge of how to support them?
Young Lives are piloting a service for our member groups. Support can be given to help with volunteer recruitment, developing on-going support structures, as well as helping you identify new ways in which you could involve volunteers in your work. This is an opportunity to generate extra support for your organisation, while providing a quality placement for volunteers.
We are trialling this to members on the package of £30 or over, and we will support the first 10 organisations that respond and express an interest. We will then use this pilot to identify the need for this service, and whether this is something we can offer to existing and new members in the future. For more information please email Alice Johnson at Young Lives.

New online gateway offers parents a roadmap to the foundation years

2011-07-24

New online gateway offers parents a roadmap to the foundation years
The government is today announcing the launch of a new website developed by the national charity, 4Children, offering parents in England an encyclopaedic ‘one stop shop’ for all the information they might need for pregnancy and the first 5 years of their child’s life. Read on.

Nurseries Continue to Experience a Mixed Impact from Current Economic Climate

2011-07-24

Nurseries Continue to Experience a Mixed Impact from Current Economic Climate
NDNA surveyed a focus group of nurseries in England in September 2010 to find out how current economic conditions had affected them during the previous six months in areas such as occupancy, levels of parental debt and plans for staff salaries. The research was repeated in March 2011 to see how developments in the economy such as public sector cutbacks and rising inflation were influencing the sustainability of nurseries. Read on.

Parents voice overwhelming support for more men in childcare

2011-07-24

Parents voice overwhelming support for more men in childcare
Parental opinion on male childcarers is warming after a survey by a group of major nursery providers found 98 per cent of parents are in favour of men looking after their children. Read on.

Going back to work before a child's first birthday 'does not harm your baby'

2011-07-24

Going back to work before a child's first birthday 'does not harm your baby'
Young children whose mothers return to work during their early years are less likely to have behavioural problems than if they stay at home as full-time mothers, according to a new study. Read on.

All About Mental Health: The Online Guide for Professionals

2011-07-21

All About Mental Health: The Online Guide for Professionals Working with Children and Young People
Does your organisation provide preventative or specialist mental health services to children and young people in Cambridgeshire?
If yes, then you need to be listed in the new website 'All About Mental Health'. All About Mental Health is specifically designed to support any professional from education, the voluntary sector, health and social care, working with children and young people in Cambridgeshire. It provides regularly updated information on access to and the availability of a comprehensive range of mental health services. The website will go live in August but first we need all organisations providing mental health services to submit a pro forma so they can be entered onto the website. A pro forma is attached as well as a Nature of Concern list to prompt you in considering what types of need your organisation supports. Please email completed pro formas to allaboutmentalhealth@cpft.nhs.uk.

How to involve young people in Voluntary Organisations

2011-05-18

How to involve young people
Young Lives has produced a Guide for Involving Young People in Voluntary Organisations. Click here to download.

Munro Review of Child Protection

2011-05-11

Munro Review of Child Protection
The Department for Education has published Professor Munro's independent review into child protection in England. Recommendations include: a shift in emphasis in Serious Case Reviews from what happened to why; keeping experienced social workers on the frontline; and keeping child protection services local, rather than focusing on central government targets. Read on.

Monitoring and Evaluation on a Shoestring

2011-02-23

Monitoring and Evaluation on a Shoestring
While there is good evidence that much of the third sector is engaged in monitoring and evaluating its work, many organisations are better at describing what they do rather than the difference they make to people's lives. Now, more than ever, third sector organisations need to be able to provide robust evidence about their effectiveness. This booklet offers a simple but systematic approach to monitoring and evaluating. It can be used by trustees, staff and volunteers of third sector organisations. It will be particularly useful for those who have responsibility for self-evaluation and for using the information both internally and for reporting to funders and investors. Download here.

Government launches free website to help charities find contracts

2011-02-17

Government launches free website to help charities find contracts
The government has launched a new website aimed at helping charities and small businesses to find public sector contracting opportunities. The site, called Contracts Finder, will list all such opportunities worth more than £10,000. Organisations can register on the free site to specify what sort of contracts they are interested in and receive emails about them. Read more here.

Help Young Lives raise money, without it costing you anything!

2011-01-19

Help Young Lives raise money, without it costing you anything!
It's very easy! When shopping online, use easyfundraising with over 2,000 well know retailers like Amazon, Argos, ebay, John Lewis, Play.com and many more to choose from. Whenever you buy something, the retailer will donate a % of the sale to Young Lives. Yes – it's that simple – it's completely FREE and your shopping won't cost you a penny more! All you need to do is register with easyfundraising.org.uk and choose Young Lives as your cause and then before you buy something online go to the easyfundraising site, log in, find the retailer and use the button on the site to click through to their website! Click here to sign up now!