Bulletin Contents - 14 July 2008

Independent Examination of Charity Accounts

The Six Hallmarks of an Effective Charity

Balancing Financial Risks

Should The Compact be Supported by Statutory Powers?

Community Empowerment and Citizen Engagement Consultations

Developing Policy Skills

More Information for MPs on Registered Charities

Exploring the Extent of Children and Young People's Voluntary Sector

Public Service and the Third Sector – Parliamentary View

Almost 700 Wrongly Labelled by CRB in a Year

Sector Not Very Positive About Local Authority Support

Rewards for Work to Improve Health

Collecting and Using Data on Volunteers

Microsoft to Develop Accounting Software for UK Charities

Independent Examination of Charity Accounts

An updated version of the Charity Commission's directions and guidance on Independent Examination of Charity Accounts (CC31) in England and Wales brings it up to date in terms of legislation and accounting regulations.  It also addresses the inclusion of charitable companies in the statutory IE regime from 1st April 2008 and the new 'Duty to Report' to the Commission on certain issues (the old Direction 12) has been completely re-written with greater detail and a change of emphasis.  The duty applies to any work carried out from 1st April, with the other provisions applying to accounting periods beginning on or after 1st April 2008.  In web or pdf versions from www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/ccpubsar.asp  (From Fiona Gordon, ACIE)

The Six Hallmarks of an Effective Charity

The Charity Commission has revised 'The Hallmarks of an Effective Charity' guidance (CC10) ‘to clarify the key areas of governance that will provide a governance framework based on good practice for all charities’ and reflects the increasing importance of financial prudence and accountability.  

News item at www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/hallmarkspr.asp or go direct to www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc10.asp

Balancing Financial Risks

A downloadable guide to (financial) risk management for charity trustees has been published by Triodos Bank and auditors Sayer Vincent.  
Balancing Risk Triodos news item at
www.triodos.co.uk/uk/whats_new/latest_news/press_releases/686835,
or download 'Balancing Risk' (pdf, 509KB) from
www.triodos.co.uk/uk/static/pdf/Balancingrisk.pdf

Should The Compact be Supported by Statutory Powers?

A debate has been kicked off on whether the Compact, the agreement between Government and the voluntary sector, should be supported by statutory powers.  Minister for the Third Sector, Phil Hope, has asked the Compact Commissioner Sir Bert Massie to lead this – see his initial comments (requires login) and the Office for Third Sector news item at
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/080707_compact_review.aspx Comments should be sent by email to: debate@thecompact.org.uk

Community Empowerment & Citizen Engagement Consultations

A consultation paper has been issued on the "third sector's strategic voice" within the Communities and Local Government Department, the Third Sector Partnership Board, covering its future role and remit, membership and way of working.  Respond by 30th September, download from
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/thirdsectorconsultation

There is a consultation paper on The Empowerment Fund – proposals to provide support for existing national third sector organisations operating across England to help local communities turn key proposals into practical action on the ground.  Views needed by 30th September,
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/empowermentfund

Closely related is a Ministry of Justice proposed framework for greater citizen engagement, using innovative methods such as citizens' summits and juries to inform national policy-making.  The discussion paper also contains proposals for strengthening the process for petitioning the House of Commons.  To 31st October,
www.justice.gov.uk/publications/citizen-engagement.htm

Developing Policy Skills

Anyone currently working in the voluntary sector in the policy field, or wishing to develop the policy functions of their organisation, is invited to complete a ten minute survey which will guide the work of the NCVO Policy Skills Development Programme.  The survey aims to capture information on:

• how policy work is understood and carried out by organisations and individuals across the sector;
• individual learning needs of policy workers; and
• broader challenges to effective policy work.

Closing date is 31st July,
www.ncvo-consult.org.uk/survey.asp?s=01220217234165148

More Information for MPs on Registered Charities

The Charity Commission has created a facility for Members of Parliament so that they can find and collate details of registered charities in their constituency (based on correspondent address), making it easier to get in touch.  There is also an MPs toolkit of practical factsheets on issues such as what to do if a constituent complains about a charity and charity collection scams.  

Commission news item at www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/Toolkit1.asp interview on the background to the development at
www.epolitix.com/latestnews/article-detail/newsarticle/sarah-atkinson-charity-commission/ or go to the microsite on ePolitix

Exploring the Extent of Children and Young People's Voluntary Sector

Pioneering research, mapping the size and scope of the children and young people's voluntary and community sector carried out for umbrella bodies NCVCCO and NCVYS, reckons that one in three of the total voluntary sector workforce is employed in this area.  However, the limitations of the data available are also highlighted, particularly with regard to smaller organisations.  The research, by a team from University of Hull, is part of Speaking Out, a partnership between the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations and the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services.  

Download the summary or full version of 'Every Organisation Matters' at www.ncvcco.org/index.php?page=635

Public Service and the Third Sector – Parliamentary View

The Public Administration Select Committee of the House of Commons has published the ‘first ever’ select committee report on the third sector, 'Public Services and the Third Sector: Rhetoric and Reality'.  The three points highlighted by the committee are:

• No compelling evidence to support Government claim that sector provides public services in distinctive ways.
• Report also notes gap between rhetoric of "transformation of services" and reality that sector's involvement still on small scale.
• Committee suggests ‘intelligent commissioning’ the key to discovering if sector has something truly distinctive to offer.

The committee chair discusses this in Society Guardian at
www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/09/voluntarysector.policy

Charity Finance has a good round-up at
www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2086.

PASC press notice or read the report (web or pdf versions - PASC Eleventh Report) via www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmpubadm.htm

Infrastructure body NAVCA has welcomed the report, but says that "in parts their thinking appears a little behind the time", www.navca.org.uk/news/pasc.htm

Almost 700 Wrongly Labelled by CRB in a Year

People Management magazine reports that errors at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in the year to February 2008 resulted in wrong information being given about 680 applicants for jobs in teaching, nursing, childminding and volunteer work.  Given the volume involved this is not very high, but still a serious issue for those concerned. www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2008/07/crb-checks-hit-by-errors.htm

Sector Not Very Positive About Local Authority Support

A pilot survey for the Office of the Third Sector of sector satisfaction with local authorities found only 22 per cent rated the support given by them as 'positive' or 'very positive', reports Charity Finance.  This is a pilot for the much larger survey which will attempt to measure for the government how local authorities perform against the national indicator 7 – ‘creating an environment for a thriving third sector’ (see last week's newsletter).
Read more at www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2088

Rewards for Work to Improve Health

The IMPACT Awards, now in their twelfth year, recognise and reward registered charities that are doing excellent work to improve people's health, with amounts of up to £35,000.  Organisations have to be at least three years old, working in a health-related field in the UK, with a total annual income between £10,000 and £1 million.  Apply by 26th September, www.kingsfund.org.uk/funding/gsk_impact_awards/index.html

Collecting and Using Data on Volunteers

A new Research Bulletin, 'Monitoring volunteers: a guide to collecting and using data', has been published by the Institute for Volunteering Research.  It aims to provide guidance to both volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) and volunteer development agencies (VDAs), based on findings from a four-month research project.  In pdf, 168KB.

Microsoft to Develop Accounting Software for UK Charities

Third Sector reports that Microsoft is to develop a version of its Office Accounting Pro program for charities in the UK.  The head of citizenship at Microsoft UK says that they are "going to research added features that will offer charities more functionality... looking at having something ready by the end of the calendar year."  

The current version is available via Charity Technology Exchange for a £6 admin fee, and this could be a significant development for cash-strapped charities.  Third Sector: www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/829795/ (registration required).