Bulletin Contents - 12 November 2007

Information and Development Officer Vacancy at Stockport CVS

Job Vacancy: Volunteer Health Trainer

Pay Scales 2007-08 at Last

Action Plan for Community Empowerment

Campaigning for Right to Campaign

Progress on Compact Agreement

Collaborating for Real

Developing Open Source Software for the Sector

Making Community Sustainable Energy Happen

Working for a Charity Online Course: Enrol Now!

Information and Development Officer Vacancy at Stockport CVS

Contract: 6 months (maternity cover)

Salary Scale:  6: Spinal Column Point 26 (£21,412) pro rata

Working hours: 21 hours per week

Main purpose: To support and develop voluntary and community groups in Stockport and be responsible for the information service including the production of the newsletter, leaflets and resource pack. 

For an application pack please email pam@stockportcvs.co.uk or ring 0161 477 0246.
For an informal chat or if you have any questions please ring Naomi or Janet on 0161 477 0246. Download: Job Description

Deadline for applications: 26th November 2007 noon
Interviews will be held on: 3rd December 2007

Please send completed application forms to Pam Snelson at: pam@stockportcvs.co.uk
or post to: Stockport CVS, Russell Morley House, 8-16 Lower Hillgate, Stockport, SK1 1JE

Job Vacancy: Volunteer Health Trainer

Do you care about improving the health and lifestyle for receivers of mental health services?

• Could you support other service receivers by providing information about activities and contacts to them?
• Can you spare between two and five hours per week?
• Does free training to become a Health Trainer appeal to you?
• Would you like to increase your future career prospects with a recognised training qualification?
• Have you or are you receiving mental health services (or do you have a good understanding of the issues)?

Then please contact Angie or Ian on 01773 744537 for further information about the new Derbyshire Voice Health Trainer scheme and to request an application pack.

Successful applicants may work in any chosen part of Derbyshire with the exception of the Derby City area, as we have only received funding to work in the County.

Applications are welcomed from Derbyshire residents who match the above requirements. Successful applicants will be supported by a health Trainer coordinator and Derbyshire Voice.

Training will take place in Cromford on 3rd, 10th and 17th December 2007. Travel expenses will be paid and lunch provided.

Closing date is 16th November 2007

Downloads: Person Specification & Role Description

Pay Scales 2007-08 at Last

Unions have reluctantly accepted a pay award for local government workers of 2.475%, with a bottom rate of £6 an hour giving a 3.4% increase for the lowest paid workers. Many voluntary organisations use these NJC pay scales, and the 2007/08 rates should now be circulating. NAVCA has them in Word format (91kb).

Action Plan for Community Empowerment

The government has published "An Action Plan for Community Empowerment: Building on Success", and is inviting comments via an online discussion forum or otherwise by 19th January. Urban Forum has produced a handy policy briefing explaining it in a digestible format, in pdf, 217kb, at:
www.urbanforum.org.uk/pdf_files/Action%20Plan%20Comm%20Empower%201007.pdf.
Or go to Communities site for the official version:
www.communities.gov.uk/communities/communityempowerment/actionplan/.

Campaigning for Right to Campaign

The Advisory Group on Campaigning and the Voluntary Sector met with officials from the Ministry of Justice last week with the aim of introducing an amendment to the Charities Act that would secure the right of charities to campaign.The Constitutional Renewal Draft Bill, announced in the Queens Speech, could be a suitable vehicle. See Plaza Publishing news alert at www.plazapublishing.co.uk/campaigners.html.

Third Sector reports that the group is looking for case studies from registered charities that have encountered difficulties caused by the current campaigning rules - www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/764820 (registration required).

Progress on Compact Agreement

Two developments linked to Compact Week (1st to 8th November), the annual focus on the agreement between government and the voluntary and community sector:

Compact Voice is establishing a National Network to provide a forum for national voluntary organisations to discuss their concerns and priorities around the Compact. It will include an online discussion forum as well as regular meetings and information updates. This fits alongside the existing Local Compact Voice network of over 300 voluntary sector representatives from local authority areas across England. News release at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/press/releases/?id=6924.

The Compact Commission has published results from a study 'Central Government Grants for the Voluntary and Community Sector and the extent to which they are comply with the Compact'. They found progress in implementing good funding practice in many programmes, with half of the programmes studied offering multi year funding agreements.

Collaborating for Real

A 'Real Collaboration' guide has been designed to help local authorities develop and manage projects with other local authorities. However, they reckon it can be used by anyone who needs guidance on working together with others to achieve aims that would difficult to achieve alone. From Planning Advisory Service site at www.pas.gov.uk/pas/core/page.do?pageId=46132

Developing Open Source Software for the Sector

A new website is to provide updates on the progress of the ICT Hub's Free and Open Source Software in the Voluntary and Community Sector project, www.fossvcs.org.uk. The project aims to build service supply and develop training for the sector along with certified standards for FOSS professionals.

Making Community Sustainable Energy Happen

The Community Action for Energy programme offers training to community groups to help them start up projects designed to save energy and tackle climate change. The one-day courses are being run around Britain to March - see www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/cafe/events/index.cfm?mode=view&event_id=275.

Working for a Charity Online Course: Enrol Now!

New starters in the voluntary sector can now enrol online for the 2008 NCVO Working For A Charity online course, which will give them an overview of working for a charity and a chance to boost their career.

The course, Effective Voluntary Sector Management, is aimed at people who have recently joined the voluntary sector or who are looking to make a career move into it.

Volunteers and trustees can also benefit from this course, which will run from February until October 2008. For more information, visit the Working For A Charity website.

Applications are also requested from voluntary sector practitioners who are interested in acting as online tutors.

Tutors will support learners online on a part-time and regular basis over 8 months. You will need extensive knowledge of the voluntary sector and confidence /competence with computers, email and internet.

For more information, job description and fees please email elaine.smethurst@ncvo-vol.org.uk. Closing date for applications 30th November.