NEWS
Edition 12 Summer 2015
Community & Voluntary Action Tameside
Move to merge? In 2012, CVAT was born from a merger of two organisations – Tameside Third Sector Coalition and Volunteer Centre Tameside. At our AGM in March 2015, Chief Executive Ben Gilchrist announced that CVAT was undergoing new merger talks to investigate whether we should merge with Voluntary Action Oldham. Ben explained that devolution of a range of decision making powers to Greater Manchester was just one key development that was driving the decision to explore a merger. He assured the audience that consultation would take place and ultimately it would be up to our members and Oldham’s members to vote on whether it went ahead. Since that announcement in March, work has been going on to look at whether the two organisations share the same objectives, values and priorities. The Trustees of both organisations have set up a sub-group to look at what the potential for a ‘combined’ organisation could offer. The key task of the sub-group is to make a recommendation to the trustees whether or not to recommend a merger to our members. To do this the sub-group will:
Volunteers’ Week
Let’s Celebrate....p4
1. Look at the risks of a merger 2. Look at who will run the merged organisation 3. Suggest the legal structure and how it would be governed 4. Consult about the suite of services the merged organisation could offer 5. Agree key milestones and timescales At the moment the timescale is that the subgroup would make their recommendations in July. If they recommend merger and if the trustees agree, then the issue will need to be voted on by the members of both organisations. That vote would happen at some point in the Autumn. This is the point that we would start to explore the detail of what the day-to-day operations could look like. If approval is given to merge, then from October onwards a Shadow Board would be formed which would then oversee the implementation of the merger. We are eager to discuss our members’ views from the start of this process so please do get in touch with your comments and questions.
Lottery Funding Better Futures Tameside Awards for all Top tips.................p8
Helping Families..p14
2 — NEWS
Question Time events In April we held three ‘Question Time’ events leading up to the General Election. The events were held in the constituencies of Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge and Hyde and Denton and Reddish. We invited candidates from all parties, including Labour, Conservative, Greens, Liberal Democrats and UKIP to face questions from community groups, voluntary organisations and the general public.
Changing the record Changing the Record is a new two year project, that started in January 2015, increasing opportunities for ex–offenders to “get back on their feet” through volunteering. The project offers learning, support and 1-2-1 time to match with volunteering opportunities. The project is open to offenders aged 18+ prior to release from prison and those who are starting or completing community-based orders. If you are working with anyone who would benefit from this project please contact Vashti Holland on 0161 339 2345, email vashti.holland@cvat.org.uk or visit www.cvat.org.uk
These events were very well attended and candidates answered a wide variety of questions on topics such as housing, unemployment, the big society and the NHS. At the election in May the following candidates were successful and will serve as Tameside’s latest Members of Parliament. Ashton-under-Lyne: Angela Rayner MP Stalybridge and Hyde: Jonathan Reynolds MP Denton and Reddish: Andrew Gwynne MP
Free course promises brighter future Brighter Futures is a new volunteer project that aims to help people into work by using volunteering to build skills and experience. People will receive support throughout their time with the project and will be being matched with a volunteering opportunity (if not already placed) that can develop “skills for work’’. They’ll also get help in producing a high-quality CV and portfolio of work to be shown to potential employers. The overall focus is to help people become “job ready’’ and give them the confidence to apply for paid employment within the vocation they choose. If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested in joining this FREE course, would like to book a place on the next course or for more information, please contact Vashti on 0161 339 2345 or email: vashti.holland@cvat.org.uk
Free training on changes to benefits Community groups across Tameside are being offered free training to help them better understand welfare reforms. The aim is to build confidence within communities around recent changes to the benefits system. The training will help your group become more knowledgeable, so you can help the people you support to deal with the changes to benefits that are having an impact on our communities. The training will be delivered by Clare Tierney, the new Welfare Reform Training Officer on the Council’s Welfare Rights Team. Amongst the topics on offer are: •
General updates on welfare reform
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Specific training on a range of benefits including Universal Credit
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Avoiding sanctions
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Changes to disability benefits such as the introduction of Personal Independence Payment
These briefings and training can be delivered at your organisation’s base and at a pace most appropriate to you. If you feel you may benefit from a briefing or training, please contact Clare Tierney, Welfare Reform Training Officer at Welfare Rights by email clare.tierney@tameside.gov.uk or by phone 0161 342 3494.
News in brief •
The new Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Vincent Ricci, has chosen Tameside 4 Good as one of his Mayoral charities for the coming year.
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Tameside 4 Good’s Paint it Pink campaign in February raised £4554, smashing last year’s amount. The 2016 Paint it Pink will be held on 12-13 February.
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Tameside Citizen’s Advice Bureau have moved to new offices at Ground Floor, TMBC Offices, Clarendon Arcade, Stamford Street West, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7LT.
Be Inspired When people talk about assets they usually mean money, valuables or buildings. But in our sector the ‘valuables’ are people. We’re the ones who have the contacts and networks, we have the skills, we create the goodwill needed for change to happen. At our recent conference ‘Celebrating our communities’ it was incredible to hear such great stories of the difference you’re making to our local community. You can read about some of them on pages 6 and 7. I found it particularly inspiring how much positivity there was for the future; despite the challenges we know that we will face there was an overwhelming sense of opportunity for us as a sector. The chance to grow and make a difference often requires money and I’m pleased in this issue to bring you news of the organisations that have been awarded grants from the ‘Five ways to wellbeing’ scheme. You can read about the projects on Page 9. We’ve also announced the next round of funding for our own Tameside 4 Good Fund and you’ll find details of that on Page 11. I continue to be inspired by volunteers and the change they are bringing about. On page 5 you can read an interview with one of our wonderful volunteer drivers Jill, who gives her time 5 days a week to help others. We’ll be celebrating her contribution and many others during Volunteers Week (June 1-7). We’re also approaching the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Tameside Volunteer Bureau in 1975 so watch this space for more news of how we will be marking that.
Ben Gilchrist, Chief Executive
4 — VOLUNTEERS
Celebrating local volunteering Volunteers are central to the work of countless charities and organisations. They are a valuable presence in many communities, helping out in places as diverse as sports clubs, libraries, schools and hospitals.
Volunteering in Tameside
Tameside Volunteer Bureau was first established in September 1975. Forty years on and it’s still going strong in the form of the Volunteer Centre. As well as having a shop front During Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June 2015) hundreds so the public can find out more about of events will be taking place across the country to volunteering, one of the key aims of the say thank you to volunteers who give their time and Centre is to support organisations who energy throughout the year. The campaign, which involve volunteers in their work. was established in 1984, seeks to recognise the work that volunteers do and showcase the varied volunteering opportunities that exist.
According to Justin Davis Smith, director of volunteering at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, ‘volunteers are the social glue keeping our communities together. This week of events across the country will, I hope, show people how much their contribution is valued.’ Commenting on the benefits of giving your time, Smith said ‘Volunteering is a way to give something back, but it is also an opportunity to benefit from new experiences, make friends, gain skills and have fun. There has been a rise in recent years in flexible volunteering, so that even people without the time to commit to a regular activity can get involved.’
Volunteering facts •
In 2012-13 volunteering output contributed an estimated £23.9billion to the UK economy. This is equivalent to over 1.5% of GDP
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There are over 160,000 voluntary organisations in England, many of whom rely on volunteers
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41% of people in the UK volunteer formally
Here are five ways we help: 1. Promoting volunteering and voluntary opportunities on behalf of organisations 2. Supporting organisations to put appropriate recruitment and basic selection of volunteers. 3. Running a volunteer coordinators’ forum, offer networking and support opportunities 4. Offering training and support in all aspects of volunteer recruitment and management 5. Helping make your volunteer opportunities appealing to potential volunteers.
at least once a year and 27% do so at least once a month
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Driving miles with a smile CVAT Volunteer projects
Jill Nichols is 67 and a volunteer for CVAT’s Miles of Smiles project.
As well as promoting volunteering across Tameside through the Volunteer Centre, we also use volunteers right across our organisation to help us deliver our services.
When I retired at 60 I had nothing to do all day. I walked into the Volunteer Centre and said ‘What have you got?’ They said ‘Can you drive?’ I had to wait a couple of months for all the criminal record checks but then I became a Miles of Smiles driver.
Volunteer Centre – volunteers work on the reception, update our website and support our paid staff Healthwatch – volunteers carry out inspections and report on health
Miles of Smiles
Miles of Smiles – volunteer drivers take people to appointments Tameside 4 Good – volunteers help raise money through activities like bag packs or sponsored sports events CVAT – we are run by volunteers who serve on our Board of Trustees and make the decisions that keep our organisation running Timebanking – people volunteer their skills and are rewarded in time credits.
At Miles of Smiles we drive people to medical appointments. We then wait for them and drive them home again. Our passengers love the service and are so grateful for the help. They enjoy the reliability of it and it’s a lot cheaper than a taxi. I usually drive 5 days a week and do one or two trips each day. I take people all over Greater Manchester. I do a lot of appointments at Tameside General but I also drive people to The Christie, Salford, Manchester Royal and Stepping Hill in Stockport. I’ve driven hundreds of people over the past couple of years. I even get recognised in the supermarket sometimes! It gets me out of the house and I meet such nice people. There’s a definite need for the service too. Demand is far greater than supply. I’ve always been involved in volunteering. For years I volunteered at a Credit Union. I did lots of different roles and eventually ended up a Director. I’m still really behind the ethos of Credit Unions and I’m still a member. There are more nice people in the world than you’d give credit for. That’s one thing I’ve learned from volunteering! If someone is thinking of volunteering I’d ask them ‘Why haven’t you done this already!’ Just try it and see.
6 — AGM
Alan Fish Friends of King George V Playing Fields ‘Friends of’ groups come together to support things like a railway station, park or green space. We set up ours three years ago and we’re run by volunteers. We’ve got a community cafe – Georgie Porgie’s – in the park and beehives, including an observational hive. We sell our own honey in the cafe but you’ve got to be there fast. The last batch went within two weeks! To try and get the community involved we have school days where kids come into the park and watch the bees. We’ve also got a keep fit path with outdoor gym equipment. The more people that get involved the more we make the park a better place and that’s our aim. www.fokgvpf.co.uk
Donna Thomas The Anthony Seddon Fund Two years ago a young man ended his own life. Just one of 6000 adult suicides that year. He was 30 years old and had battled with mental illness, stigma and discrimination all his life. Just another statistic to some. But to those of us who knew him, Anthony was a sweet, funny and caring young man. His family and friends wanted to do something in his memory to help others living with mental illness. We raised over £10,000 so Tameside MIND could begin delivering awareness sessions in schools. The Public Health Trust have now committed to funding sessions in over 60 Tameside primary schools. www.theanthonyseddonfund.org
Celebrating our communities
Our recent conference event celebrated the work that is done by voluntary groups across Tameside and highlighted our role at CVAT in helping that happen.
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Kush Chottera Europia At Europia we support East and Central European Migrants. One of our clients first came to us at a drop in service. He was making a fresh start and escaping a bad situation with gangs in Birmingham. For the previous couple of nights he’d slept at Manchester airport. Today he has full time employment, a small flat and he regularly volunteers for Europia. The amount of progress he has made has been absolutely fantastic. He has had his ups and downs but he is so motivated and such a passionate young man. He spent a few months in a hostel and whilst he was there he helped the staff apply for funding and set up computer classes. www.europia.org.uk
Rene Lumley Creative Arts and Minds When we first met Heather she had alcohol and mental health problems. She told us that before she found our group “life was empty and my relationship was in trouble. My drinking was becoming a problem, I had no patience with my kids and I had nothing to look forward to.” Since coming to our group Heather is now buying art materials instead of drink. She is painting large scale canvases and working towards an art qualification. Her children’s teacher says they are better behaved in class now. After leaving school at 15 with no qualifications Heather now feels differently. “I’ll never again say that I can never do anything” www.creativeartsandminds.com
8 — FUNDING
Awards for All – top tips for a successful application Awards for All is the small grants fund which comes from Big Lottery Fund and gives groups an easy way to get small grants of between £300 and £10,000. They want to fund projects which address the issues, needs and aspirations of local communities and people. To make this happen they fund a wide range of community projects aimed at developing skills, improving health, revitalising the local environment and enabling people to become more active citizens.
Top ten “Tip parade”
Coming in at 10 we have read the guidance notes. They contain the essential information you’ll need to complete your application form, and will save a lot of head-scratching! The Awards for All application form also has really helpful notes in the margin next to the application questions, these are designed to help you get it right, make sure you read them.
At number 5 it’s find critical friends. Other organisations or groups, such as us here at CVAT, can provide help and support. The great thing about people who are external to your group or organisation is that they can be more objective and honest and can also tell you if you’re using too much jargon. At number 4 be aware of timescales. Consider the time you will need to allow before your project or activities will start. Awards for All recommend applications are submitted 4 months in advance of anticipated project start date, so make sure you plan well in advance. At number 3 it’s involve your beneficiaries. Awards for All expect them to be involved in the design of the project, and evidence that you’re aware of their opinions and needs as a group will also demonstrate you’re listening to your users.
At number 2 know about the difference your project is going to make for your beneficiaries and be clear about the difference your project will make. Awards for At number 9 we have don’t chase funding streams. All expect you to meet at least one of their outcomes: It’s important to stay true to your organisation’s • People have better chances aims as it will be obvious if you’re trying to force a project or activities into the Awards for All • Stronger communities application which doesn’t really fit. • Improved rural and urban At number 8 we have get your finances sorted. • Healthier and more active people & communities It’s important to have a clear idea of the budget you’re asking for and to make sure that Awards for All And coming in at number 1 we have plan, will cover these costs. Don’t ask for something if the plan, plan! Make sure you have a clear plan guidance notes state that the fund won’t cover these! of your project and know how it links to your organisation and your aims. This will help you At number 7 we have get your governance sorted. demonstrate that you are a competent organisation It’s important to make sure the Management who will be able to manage your Awards for Committee are all present and correct and that All funding successfully and will give them the your insurance and policies & procedures are confidence they need to award you funding. all up to date as you will be asked to have all of these in place. Big Lottery Fund produce excellent resources, so it’s well worth visiting their website or ringing their advice At number 6 we’ve got evidence of need. It’s not line if you have any queries about Awards for All. just about what YOU think, Awards for All will ask you to demonstrate that you’ve researched the need Outcomes guide “Getting Funding and for your project. You can show this by talking to your Planning Successful Projects” available at: users and local people, researching local groups and www.biglearningzone.org.uk or call the facilities and using local statistics and strategies. Advice line: 0845 4 10 20 30.
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Ways to wellbeing and self-esteem through developing new skills
Local projects aim to help people Connect, Be and taking part in support groups. Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give! A new grants scheme is hoping to improve our local communities’ health by investing in key local projects. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (TMBC) has awarded £100,000 of Public Health monies to fund the ‘Tameside Five Ways to Wellbeing Community Grants Scheme’. The scheme is linked to Tameside Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2016 and was administered on behalf of Tameside MBC by us here at CVAT. The aim of the fund is to improve the mental wellbeing of our communities by providing community based activities and services that help people to access the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’. The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a set of simple things individuals can do in their everyday lives. There is strong scientific evidence that taking these simple actions can help to improve your health and wellbeing. They are: •
Connect: Having social relationships with other people.
New Hope Ashton – £5,000 Enabling adults suffering from real hardship and disadvantage to find permanent accommodation, paid employment or volunteering opportunities and providing support with literacy and developing essential life skills.
Community Led Initiatives – £10,000 Creating new volunteer roles (Recovery Champions) and introducing new activities which address the needs of substance misusers in recovery, both individually and collectively. Mottram Evangelical Church – £10,000 Providing social activities for older people, such as a new cinema and retro pub games, through a Monday Matinee Club. Creative Arts and Minds CIC – £8,750 Giving education and training opportunities to vulnerable women through a creative programme that will help to raise self-esteem and confidence.
Tameside African Refugee Association – £9,160 Promoting tolerance, understanding and diversity • Take Notice: Taking time to enjoy the moment amongst young people (11-18) in the local community and the environment around you. by bringing them together through music, dance, drumming, poetry, drama and creating a short • Keep Learning: Try something new and keep documentary on one of the issues affecting them. learning throughout life. Friends of Catch Nature – £9,000 • Give: Volunteer your time to do something Recovering and restoring a hidden gem near the for other people. centre of Stalybridge to make it more accessible to Eleven Tameside projects were funded to help the local community and creating valuable green disadvantaged people improve their mental space for projects involving stroke patients, carers, wellbeing by delivering activities that include at MENCAP members, schools and young people at least one or more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing. risk of anti-social behaviour. Grants of between £5,000 and £12,000 were Making a Difference Tameside – £10,000 available for projects. Applications were assessed Holding skills and life workshops for adults with by a panel of nominated representatives from long term mental health problems to enable people Tameside MBC Public Health Team, NHS to gain self-esteem, build up self-confidence and Tameside and Glossop, and CVAT. reduce isolation. The successful organisations will all receive training West African Development – £9,000 from CVAT to use the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Encouraging the community to socialise and Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) to measure the changes integrate by raising cultural awareness, learning people experience over the course of their projects and trying new things and being physically active. (www.healthscotland.com/documents/1467.aspx for further information). Organisations will also be Tameside Arts Limited – £5,500 required to attend a quarterly Five Ways to Wellbeing Providing user-led sessions for young people and Network to meet the other groups delivering projects. adults with a wide range of support needs, including Everyone will have the opportunity to feed in the play, social activities, creative and expressive drama. learning from their project to the Health and Wellbeing Denton Girls Football Club – £5,644 Implementation Group. The successful projects were: Engaging with girls aged 9-14 years old to get them St Peter’s Partnership – £10,000 physically active and using the club as a social Supporting the wellbeing of new mothers living activity through enjoying sport, meeting socially on a in Tameside, with babies up to 12 months old, by weekly basis and creating an inclusive atmosphere. providing opportunities to increase confidence •
Be Active: Regular physical activity.
10 — COMMUNITY GROUPS
Building stronger communities At CVAT we know that local people are what hold communities together. Too often decisions are made without calling on the vast pool of local knowledge that exists in the Community and Voluntary Sector. Hattersley and Hyde are two Tameside towns that have had more than their fair share of bad press over the years. Yet we know that the communities there are strong and vibrant. So in Hattersley and Hyde we’ve been working to trial a new approach to engaging local people in developing new ideas for their area. We organised two local events ‘Stronger Together Hattersley’ and ‘Inspiring Hyde’, as part of our Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Programme that focuses on identifying and building on local ‘assets’ (buildings, social networks, skills, green spaces etc). This approach is very much one of partnership and we worked together with the Council’s Neighbourhood team and Public Health teams, local voluntary organisations, New Charter Housing, Greater Manchester Police and local Councillors. Through these events we wanted to help identify what people love about the areas they live in. ‘Stronger Together Hattersley’ brought together 30 local people, volunteers and workers who all have an interest in and passion for Hattersley. The day was spent identifying the positive assets of Hattersley such as the local people and their community spirit, the local groups and the wonderful countryside. These positives were then concentrated on in more detail and people started to come up with ideas for how they could be involved and what they could offer. Some of the ideas that people wanted to get involved with were: •
Making more of the local countryside trails
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A graffiti wall for young people
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A lego club in the library
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Better communication locally including using notice-boards, community newspaper and Facebook group.
These were just some of the great ideas that people wanted to support. Feedback at the end of the day was very positive with people feeling ‘empowered’ and that the event had ‘changed people’s attitudes and perspectives’. People also commented that ‘everyone had been able to contribute’ and that they had ‘valued the partnership work’. ‘Inspiring Hyde’ was a similar community get together with over 50 people attending. The event was run in the same way as it was in Hattersley, but people came up with ideas for how to strengthen Hyde, such as. •
Make use of historic buildings
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More activities for young people e.g. skate park
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More green spaces
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Better markets e.g. artisan markets, a youth market to showcase young talents
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Community events e.g. shared faith celebration
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Better communication and more volunteering
Asset-based community development (ABCD) is about building on existing strengths within a community. It works on the principle that each person in a community has something to contribute and people are not apathetic about where they live but in fact do care deeply. However decision makers need to listen to local people and it’s better to ask for ideas than to impose solutions from outside. That’s the approach we’re taking together with our partners here in Tameside and these events were an exciting glimpse at what might lie ahead. If you would like to know more about the events or the ABCD programme please visit our website: www.cvat.org.uk/valuing-our-communities or contact Dawn on 0161 339 4985, email dawn.acton@cvat.org.uk
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Heartlink Cardiac Support Group There are many different heart conditions and problems, including angina, heart attack, heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms – as well as many other conditions including congenital heart disease and inherited heart conditions. Living with a heart diagnosis can bring difficulties. We spoke to Danny Jenkins who runs Heartlink a Cardiac Support group for people in Tameside and Glossop. Heartlink is a heart support group. We provide a safe and friendly environment where people who have heart problems and their carers or friends can find some relief and support. Our members can get answers to any questions they may have. We receive help and advice from health professionals attending the group, particularly the rehab team. We’re also affiliated
to the British Heart Foundation and the Arrhythmia Alliance so we get all the latest information. More people are now surviving heart attacks. We have seen advancements in the treatment and management of coronary heart disease which means we have seen an increase in the survival rates. This all adds up to the group being needed more than ever. Living with a heart problem can be scary. Some people really struggle with to come to terms with their illness and the beauty of our group is that ‘We have all been there’, we can share our own personal experience and form friendships and begin to get rid of the fear. Group meetings are held at Werneth House in Tameside Hospital. If you are interested in attending contact Danny Jenkins on 01457 862741 or email danny81jenks@yahoo.co.uk
Fund applications open The Tameside 4 Good Fund aims to make Tameside a great place to live and work by funding activities that will have a positive impact on local communities. The next round of funding is now open and local community groups can apply for up to £4000. Grants of up to £500 are also available for disadvantaged children and young people aged between 5 – 25 who live in Tameside and are in Developing skills, education and employment need of funding to help them learn and/or develop new skills or take part in a character building Alleviating poverty, hardship and social exclusion experience or activity. Improving the lives of people with long term illness / disability For more information about the grants please go to: www.tameside4good.org/what-we-do/ Activities for disadvantaged children and grant-process or contact a member of the young people Development Team on 0161 339 4985 Improving health and wellbeing of older people
Projects must meet one or more of the following priorities: • • • • •
12 — TAMESIDE 4 GOOD
Charity Business Speed Networking Event In the current economic climate there are fewer trusts and grants available to charitable organisations, therefore people are seeking new and more innovative ways to source support. It can be daunting to persuade a business to part with money, even for a good cause it’s harder than ever before. So how can your organisation obtain support or donations from businesses? Tameside 4 Good teamed up with Tameside Council and Business in the Community to host Tameside’s first Charity Business Speeding Dating Event in May. The event was designed to support any local charity or community organisation looking to build better relationships with businesses. We offered 15 charitable organisations the opportunity to ‘speed date’ 15 businesses to make some positive ‘matches’ to start a mutually beneficial relationship. Does your charitable organisation seek business support? Developing a relationship with a business is a real art. We’ve developed some top tips to help you build strong and long lasting relationships. •
Do your homework – research businesses that have a natural association with your organisation.
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Spend time getting to know the business and understand their aims and objectives.
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Demonstrate how partnering with your organisation would be beneficial to the business. How can the employees get involved?
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It’s not just about the money – businesses are often attracted by donating pro-bono skills and advice.
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Peer-to-peer relationships between chief executives in charities and businesses regularly lead to partnerships.
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Develop mutual respect – clear and regular information and skills sharing results in a sustainable partnership.
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Aim to avoid a culture of dependency.
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Be transparent about what you need. The business and the charity should be equal partners.
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Be flexible about the way you work with a business.
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Partnering with a business could affect your reputation. Does the business have similar values and ethics? Is it a reputable business?
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Set realistic and achievable targets when working with a company.
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Are their conflicts of interest? Does the business want access to your service users?
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Tell the story of your partnership – think Facebook, Twitter, newspapers, radio.
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Many organisations lose business support because they don’t invest as much time in maintaining the relationship as they were prepared to invest in establishing them.
Always remember to thank your business supporters! Invite them to events, meet up for coffee and send them Christmas cards. Use each opportunity to update the business on how the relationship has benefited the people you support.
HEALTHWATCH — 13
Share your views Know a useful smartphone app?
Healthwatch Tameside collects information about people’s experiences of health and social care in Tameside. We use a quick survey to do this, which can be found on our Are you someone who makes full use of their website at www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk/ smartphone? Are you someone who is interested our-survey The new survey for the next quarter is now available and can be completed by anyone who uses services in Tameside, even if you have completed the form before. The information we collect is anonymous. We look at the data for trends and patterns and can collate all the data relating to a specific service. This data can then be used when we are talking to providers of that service. The more data we collect, the greater the impact we can have. Healthwatch wants to improve the services used by the people of Tameside. We want to reduce the number of examples of poor experiences and we want to share good practice within a type of service. We have already provided a brief report to the GP network in Tameside, spoken to Tameside Hospital about experiences in the Endoscopy department and are currently working on other areas of the information collected in 2014. You can help us – please fill in the form and ask your friends and colleagues to do the same! If you feel you have more in depth information to share with us, tell us your story here www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk/content/ give-your-feedback If you are a group whose members regularly use health and/or social care services and would like a supply of paper copies of these forms, please contact the Healthwatch Office on 0161 667 2526.
in and uses health related smart phone apps? If so, Healthwatch Tameside would like to hear from you! These are some of the apps that we have had feedback about so far: •
Doc Ready – an app to help young people prepare for seeing their GP about a mental health problem www.innovationlabs.org.uk/ projects/doc-ready
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App from Meningitis Now with information about signs & symptoms and what to do if you’re worried someone may have this illness www.meningitisnow.org/meningitisexplained/signs-and-symptoms/ download-our-mobile-app
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Top 5 iPad apps for people with dementia www.myageingparent.com/top-five-ipadapps-for-people-with-dementia
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In Hand – an app to help young people deal with low mood or anxiety www.innovationlabs.org.uk/projects/in-hand
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HeadMeds – Straight talk on mental health medications www.innovationlabs.org.uk/ projects/headmeds
You can email your suggestions to us at info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk
14 — POLICY
Helping families find a better future ‘Step Up – Step Out’ is a new initiative in Tameside that is about reaching out to families who are having multiple problems. Local authority funding has allowed the Better Futures Tameside Consortium (see panel) to develop a grant scheme to support organisations help families. The ‘Early Intervention Grant’ targets help at families who are on low incomes, in debt, have housing problems or where a member of the family has a disability or mental illness. Families that have accessed specialist services like child protection, youth offending or mental health are also helped. Under the scheme, organisations from the Consortium have been delivering early intervention and prevention work with children, young people and families across a range of specialisms and settings. Off the Record have delivered counselling sessions for young people who have suffered domestic violence or sexual exploitation. Water Adventure Centre provide support for children and young people through positive activities. Other organisations providing a range of support include Tameside African Refugee Association.
Parenting support courses – LEAP – St Peter’s Partnership The Holy Trinity area of Ashton has one of the highest percentages of children that are “not ready for school” within Tameside. Therefore as part of the Better Futures Tameside initiative, LEAP delivered a school readiness course at Holy Trinity Primary School. The issues identified were predominantly language barriers, cultural values and beliefs and a high percentage of children not being school ready. The families were identified using the “new intake list” and parents were invited to attend family learning sessions which addressed the importance of play, communication, home learning and how this impacts on learning and later life. The children also attended sessions within the school and were given the opportunity to explore the learning environment and become familiar with the staff, setting, activities and equipment. At the end of these sessions, children and parents came together and staff shared good practice to provide positive examples of play and engagement to parents. The sessions enabled children and parents to build trust and familiarity prior to starting school. This improved the “settling in” period in September. From the school’s point of view it helped staff gain an understanding of children’s baseline abilities prior to them starting school.
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Better Futures Tameside This consortium has been set up to encourage high quality Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) services for children, young people and families. The organisations in the consortium work with commissioners and funders to co-design services and by tendering competitively for public service contracts. The development of the consortium has been supported financially by Tameside Council. The council also allows the consortium to manage the Early Intervention Grant on their behalf. Why should I join? There are many benefits to organisations that join the consortium but here are five good reasons: 1. You will have greater negotiating and bargaining powers with decision-makers. 2. You can be part of much larger tender opportunities.
A mentoring project – Restorative Community Service A young woman in her final year at school was referred for mentoring as she had been truanting. She lacked confidence, had low selfesteem and was in a constant battle with adults at home. Her mum explained her daughter hadn’t been the same since a bereavement in the family but she couldn’t get her to talk about her problems. There was a concern the girl was getting involved in risky behaviour such as drinking and smoking cannabis. The school and mentoring project found a female mentor who began going to school every week to try and develop a relationship. Initially the young person was slow to engage but gradually she began to develop a good relationship with her mentor. They spent a day together volunteering at a homeless charity and together they developed an action plan to help the young person stay safe. They discussed what she would like to do when she leaves school and looked at courses. The mentor arranged a visit to a beauty salon so the young woman could find out what the job entails. As the mentoring relationship grew there were improvements in the girl’s attendance at school and her academic grades also improved. The young person and her parents accepted help at home and are reporting that they are all getting on better.
3. Your services will be more attractive to funders and commissioners who will only need to use one contract to procure the services of many diverse organisations. 4. You’ll be able to deliver more effective and efficient services through sharing your experiences and good practice with other members. 5. Linking with other members through a partners’ hub will reduce the duplication of services and improve communication. Members also get: •
An updated directory of other member organisations. This can help if you need to refer the people you are working with to another organisation, or get advice.
•
Access to a designated internet chat area which you can use to communicate with other members.
Join today! If your organisation or group works with children, young people and families then you should seriously consider joining the Better Futures Tameside consortium. If you would like to become a member of Better Futures Tameside or to find out more please contact Laura Windsor-Welsh on 0161 339 4985 (ext. 2015) or email laura.windsor-welsh@cvat.org.uk
16 — STAFF
Community and Voluntary Action Tameside (CVAT) is here to support volunteers and the voluntary, community and faith groups in Tameside. The groups, and the volunteers who keep them running, are changing lives for the better across our local area. We’re here to help these good causes bring about change and to give them a louder voice.
We’re helping people make a difference across: Ashton-under-Lyne | Audenshaw | Denton | Dukinfield | Droylsden | Hattersley | Hyde | Longdendale | Mossley | Stalybridge
Chief Executive
Projects
Ben Gilchrist. Email ben.gilchrist@cvat.org.uk
CVAT is also home to the following initiatives:
Development Services
Timebanking in Tameside
One-to-one capacity building support, including funding information and advice.
A project that encourages people to exchange skills and time.
Contact Naomi, Dawn, Amanda or Lisa on 0161 339 4985. Email naomi.sampson@cvat.org.uk dawn.acton@cvat.org.uk amanda.benson@cvat.org.uk lisa.hannibal@cvat.org.uk
Contact Elaine or Julie on 0161 339 2345 Email elaine.kilburn@cvat.org.uk julie.cunliffe@cvat.org.uk
Partnerships Service
Supporting groups, providing a policy function and developing the voice of local community action. Contact Anna, Laura or Ruth on 0161 339 4985. Email anna.hynes@cvat.org.uk ruth.madden@cvat.org.uk laura.windsor-welsh@cvat.org.uk
Volunteering Services
Matching individuals and groups with appropriate volunteering opportunities. Promoting good practice and policy in volunteer management. Contact Sue or Vashti on 0161 339 2345. Email sue.vickers@cvat.org.uk vashti.holland@cvat.org.uk
Marketing & Communications
Promoting the work of groups and volunteers through website, newsletters, press, publications, social media and eBulletins. Contact Matt or Michael on 0161 339 4985. Email matt.hill@cvat.org.uk michael.withington@cvat.org.uk
Central Services
Facilities management, personnel management, financial control and administrative support. Contact Helen, Sam or Kelly on 0161 339 4985. Email helen.tallents@cvat.org.uk samantha.mcnicholls@cvat.org.uk kelly.meadowcroft@cvat.org.uk
Miles of Smiles A community transport scheme using volunteers to help people attend medical appointments. Contact Trish on 0161 339 2345 Email patricia.morris@cvat.org.uk
Tameside 4 Good An initiative to help local people and businesses give time, skills and money to local good causes. Contact Amy on 0161 339 4985 Email amy.watson@cvat.org.uk www.tameside4good.org
Healthwatch Healthwatch Tameside is the independent health service consumer champion created to gather and represent the views of the public. Contact Peter, Julie, Karen & Sue on 0161 667 2526 email info@healthwatchtameside.co.uk www.healthwatchtameside.co.uk
Aspire The Aspire Service provides respite for children with disabilities and their families. Contact Judith or Karen on 0161 339 2345 Email judith@vcspd.org karen@vcspd.org Have you got an interesting story to tell in CVAT News? The deadline for the next issue is Friday 24 July 2015. Articles should be sent to newsletter@cvat.org.uk tel: 0161 339 4985. You can also submit articles to our weekly CVAT eBulletin, sent every Wednesday lunchtime – send your articles to ebulletin@cvat.org.uk Community and Voluntary Action Tameside (CVAT) is a Registered Charity (No: 1148056) and Company Limited by Guarantee (No: 7930346)