In this issue... Free support from CYA New developments in 2017 at CYA Inspirational D of E GOLD achievers Dealing with Difficult and Challenging Behaviour Working Well Project Member News National News
Welcome to our December Newsletter...
Firstly a very Merry Xmas to all the groups out there supporting children, young people and families. 2017 has been a challenging year in terms of funding to keep our operations on the road. The needs of children, young people and families seem to increase against the backdrop of deceased funding but we have all come through the year and should celebrate the wonderful things you have achieved for the children, young people and families that you work with. In 2017 we said goodbye to Hein Van Der Westhuizen who had been with us for over 7 years which was great loss to the organisation. However, we welcomed a number of new staff to help us deliver our existing portfolio and also to undertake some new and exciting programmes of work. We have enjoyed working with you all during 2017 and look forward to supporting you and working with you again in 2018. From all the team here at Cumbria Youth Alliance we wish you a Merry Xmas and all the very best for whatever 2018 holds in store for you. Many of our current youth workers started their careers as volunteers and then moved into paid work with the host agencies - just one unintended outcome that volunteering can bring if you are unemployed and looking for a career change or a start to your working life. To discuss what opportunities might be available in your locality and to hear about the training available contact cath@cya.org.uk or give me a call on 01900 603131
Cath Clarke, December 2017 Member of the Institute of Fundraising
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Free Support For Organisations working with and for young people in Cumbria thanks to Cumbria County Council through the Infrastructure Support Contract Cumbria Youth Alliance delivers the following services under contract from Cumbria County Council as part of their infrastructure contract. These services support organisations that work with children and young people here in Cumbria.
Governance Support: From help to set up an organisation through undertaking to a
governance health check with personalised action plan to ensure your organisation offers quality services in a safe and secure environment and complies with current best practice Quality Mark: help to gain a recognised quality mark that demonstrates the quality of your work to a variety of audiences: funders; young people; families etc
Help with Fundraising: you can access a workshop on undertaking applications customised for your organisation - you can attend short courses on various aspects of training - you can request help to identify suitable funding sources - you can have your bids checked prior to submission
Short Courses: staff and volunteers can access a range of one day courses designed to equip staff
and volunteers to deal with issues that are emerging in our local communities and keep young people safe - forthcoming courses include “Dealing with difficult and Challenging Behaviour� and Outcomes Star Licensed Practitioner Training
Help to recruit volunteers: We can help you recruit volunteers/provide basic training for
volunteers and place them with a relevant volunteering opportunity - we are working with a number of key agencies to raise awareness of the needs of the sector for high quality volunteers
Newsletters: you can sign up for weekly and monthly newsletters so you can keep pace with what is going on - you can also sign up for a monthly funding gazette with all the latest funding opportunities brought together in one publication
Measuring Outcomes/Impact: we are licensed trainers for the Outcomes Star and can help embed this within your organisation so you can measure the impact of your work on the young people who take part in your services We also offer a range of consultancy services on request Contact cath@cya.org.uk or ring 01900 603131
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New Developments in 2017 at Cumbria Youth Alliance 2017 saw us doing some different things.
Step Ladder of Achievement Programme:
We entered into a partnership with the Share Foundation to help support their Step Ladder of Achievement Programme which enables us to support young people aged 15-17 within the care system to undertake learning modules to assist them to make a successful transition into independent living and adulthood. The best part of the programme is that young people earn whilst they learn and if they complete all the modules they can “bank” up to £1500 which goes into their ISA for when they are 18. This is in addition to the £200 which is in their Junior ISA from the Government. That could represent a deposit for a flat, a nest egg for going off to college or university. Our role within this programme is to provide mentorship and help and support whilst the young people undertake their learning programmes and then we continue to support and stay in touch as they make the next steps on their journey into work or into learning and further or higher education. The key funder in Cumbria is Frances C Scott Charitable Trust who has enabled this project to get off the ground. Currently we have 6 young people registered with space for a further 18 during 2018. Young People can self refer, foster parents can refer or Social Work teams can refer into this programme. If you are working with any young people who are in care and who are between 15-17 please make them aware of this amazing opportunity then please contact gary@cya.org.uk to have a chat or ring him on 01900-603131
Young People who are not in Employment Education or Training:
We started delivering work with young people who are not in Employment Education or Training thanks to the Groundwork Trust led partnership delivering on the Building Better Opportunities European Funded Programme Choices. We have 3 staff employed under this programme to work with young people up to the age of 25 who are in need of extra help, support and guidance to enable them to find a route into employment. We will be working with young people aged 16+ from Allerdale and Copeland.
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If you know of a young person who needs some help and support and who is unemployed then please contact us. karen@cya.org.uk for young people in Allerdale or Johnd@cya.org.uk for young people in Copeland or ring the team on 01900 603131 Cumbria Youth Alliance have over 17 years experience of working with young people who are NEET so this is not new to us getting to grips with the European social fund paperwork has been interesting. The Choices Programme has lots of partners led by Groundwork Trust and it is open to people of all ages. Ring us on 01900 603131 to find out more or contact Groundwork Trust
Outcomes Star:
We are now working with Triangle Training to embed the Outcomes Star into organisations working with children and young people. We have become licensed and approved trainers to offer the Outcomes Star training to organisations here in Cumbria. This will form part of our infrastructure support contract with Cumbria County Council for 2017/2019. The Early Help staff at Cumbria County Council have already been trained to use the Outcomes Star and it is now embedded within their work and this will enable organisations to receive and make referrals to and from the early help staff without having to go through further assessments etc so we significantly improve the outcomes we achieve with and for our young people. Having a system in place that was client focussed was essential to how we work and we examined many different systems before settling on the Outcomes Star. It brings together measurement and service delivery and can provide a shared language and framework across operations and across partnership working and even has a management function in terms of staff supervision and strategic planning. Finding out much more about the young people enables us to shape and design programmes that meet these needs. Cumbria Youth Alliance have been using the Outcomes Star “Youth Star� during 2017 and it has changed how we work with young people giving us a greater understanding of the needs of our young people which of course we can use in service planning and commissioning. It can be used with older people, families, homelessness, drugs and alcohol and health settings. It is widely used by a whole range of agencies from : Housing agencies; NHS Foundation Trusts; Mental Health Providers ; Local Authorities and it has the backing of Big Lottery and many of the larger Trust and Foundations who support the work in the third sector. Organisations working with children, young people and families do some amazing work under often difficult and challenging behaviour but often we are not good at demonstrating the impact of our work and embedding this simple to use tool with help you demonstrate to service users, funders and 5
commissioners that your work is making a difference. It equips staff to carry out an initial assessment based on the where the young person is at based on the theory of change. If you would like to find out more about the Outcomes Star contact Cath on 09100 603131 or email cath@cya.org.uk for an initial discussion or a demonstration of how this works in practice within an organisation working with young people.
Welcome back Ben
And last but not least, welcome back to Ben Jefferson who has come back to join us after an extended trip in Asia. Ben takes over as the project worker on our schools based Young Leaders Programme which is a Big Lottery Funded project now in its third and final year working with young people who are at risk of school dropout or who need some extra help and motivation to achieve. Young people can take part in a range of accredited training programmes including sporting activities and Duke of Edinburgh provision.
To find out more about the young leaders project and what we can do in your school contact ben@cya.org.uk or ring 01900 603131
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Achieving despite all the odds Congratulations to an inspirational group of young people
Over two years ago the young people from South Workington Youth Partnership set off on their journey to achieve their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. This group is led by their inspirational leader Angela Good and her team of staff and loyal volunteers. Nothing remarkable I hear you say but when you consider that the young people have multiple and complex support needs for me it was inspirational here was a group of young people not letting their barriers and disabilities get in the way of achieving their dreams. However as soon as they achieved their Bronze they told us they wanted to go for Silver and again we were amazed and humbled by what this group of young people achieved during pursuit of their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award- they undertook tasks and expeditions that many of their able bodied peers would have struggled to complete yet on they went and achieved their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award . Yes you have guessed they decided go for Gold and here they are celebrating the achievement of the expedition elements of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh.
So next time somebody tells you it cannot be done - show them this picture and tell them...
YES IT CAN BE DONE! 7
Dealing with Difficult and Challenging Behaviour
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Working Well Project
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Member News Transactional Analysis Cumbrian Conference Season's Greetings from the TA Cumbria Conference Committee! We hope you'll join us on March 3rd 2018 to spend the day considering Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards and the Maintenance of Clinical Boundaries. We are delighted to welcome our keynote speaker Ray Little. Our conference is renowned for its warm welcome, consistently excellent keynote speakers and wealth of workshop talent. 2018 is no exception. Why not treat yourself and your loved ones to an early present and book via our website.
Suicide Alertness Training - Future Dates Please see details listing future dates for Suicide Alertness Training, all dates will take place at Cumbria House. If you are interested in attending any of the dates please let me know and I will book you a place. Download the flyer and share Joanne McKenna - Community Development Assistant - Cumbria County Council Tel: 01228 226730, Email: joanne.mckenna@cumbria.gov.uk
Training from CVS The Right Structure for You: Take advantage of these free workshops and find out if your current structure is the right one for your organisation. Explore different governance structures including charities, charitable companies, community interest companies and charitable incorporated organisations – and decide which structure is right for you! The workshop is suitable for groups just starting out to those that have been operating for many years. The session will be run by Cumbria CVS in partnership with Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership (CSEP). Please choose to attend one of the following options and ring for further details Tuesday 27 February 2018: 2.30pm – 4.30pm or 5.30pm - 7.30pm St Michaels Church, Falcons Workington CA14 2EZ Alison Phillips , Support Services Manager, Cumbria CVS Shaddongate Resource Centre, Shaddongate, Carlisle CA2 5TY (Registered Office) Office: 01768 800350 www.cumbriacvs.org.uk
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National News Workplace news from ACAS Beware of the law - some ‘banter’ can go too far: This case highlights not just the problems comments can cause, but when employers make the common mistake of "digging in and going into chronic denial". Following a six figure payout...read more. Bullying and harassment - a guide for managers and employers. Our next related event: Behaviours at Work - Understanding the Unacceptable Voluntary overtime should be included in holiday pay: The Employment Appeal Tribunal has found that under the European Union’s Working Time Directive, there is no distinction between contractually required work and tasks that are...read more. Pay: advice and guidance. A requirement to 'look attractive': An employer has drawn criticism after posting a job advert that stated “physical attractiveness is unfortunately necessary for this role” and, as well as a having a fun, lively attitude, it also... read more. Dress code and appearance at work - advice and guidance.
4.5 million social action fund launched The Big Lottery Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced a £4.5 million fund to support the Place Based Social Action programme. By supporting existing partnerships, the programme is designed to “put social action at the heart of plans to make a positive difference in their local areas". It is hoped that Place Based Social Action will encourage new ways of working, helping communities to design and deliver local services. Funding is available to existing partnerships including infrastructure organisations, charities, local authority representatives and CCGs. Partnerships can apply for up to £240,000 and then a further £255,000 over the course of the threephase plan. Phase one is open to expressions of interest until 28 November 2017. For more information and to apply. click here.
State of health and care in England The annual assessment of health and social care by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides a veritable treasure trove of information about the state of services in England. Based on inspections of 21,256 adult social care services, 152 NHS acute trusts, 197 independent acute hospitals, 18 NHS community health trusts, 54 NHS mental health trusts, 226 independent mental health locations, 10 NHS ambulance trusts, and 7,028 primary care services over three years, the assessment offers grounds for concern and reassurance in equal measure. You can read a summary of the report and its findings on the Kings Fund Website. 11
New mental health ‘first aid’ programme A new £15 million programme will see up to 1 million people trained in basic mental health 'first aid' skills. The programme will improve personal resilience and help people recognise and respond effectively to signs of mental illness in others. The campaign, designed and delivered by Public Health England (PHE), will help people assess their own mental wellbeing and learn techniques to reduce stress. There will be an online learning module designed to improve the public’s knowledge, skills and confidence on mental health.
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