NCVYS STRATEGIC INFORMATION SERVICE BULLETIN NO. 454

28 August 2009

Leadership Development Programme for aspiring senior leaders

In September, FPM Training will be launching the fully funded Leadership Development Programme via the Children's Workforce Network's Young People's Workforce Reform Programme. It is aimed at emergent middle managers and will run from January to March 2010, with recruitment starting on 1 September 2009. 150 middle managers will undertake the course, with places allocated equally between the statutory and voluntary sectors across England. NCVYS encourages members to get involved. Find out more from robert.weatherhead@fpmonline.co.uk or 0116 249 5000.

http://www.fpmonline.co.uk/

BIG announces awards for Young People's Fund 2

The 185 awards, totalling £52,118,001, are being made to local projects from across the country through BIG's Young People's Fund 2 scheme. Each project will be planned, developed and run by young people for the benefit of young people to help them develop talents, skills and self-confidence through valuable volunteering, education and training schemes.

http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/pr_260809_eng_ypf_lottery_betters_life_prospects?regioncode=-uk&status=theProg&title=Lottery%20betters%20life%20prospects%20for%20recession-hit%20young

Targeted Support Fund grant recipients announced

The Targeted Support Fund, launched in February 2009 as part of the £42.5 million Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises action plan, has announced over 500 voluntary and community sector recipients. The Fund provides grants of between £10,000 and £40,000 to smaller frontline service providers in 50 local areas considered particularly at risk during this year due to the recession. Grants have been awarded under three themes: employment and employability; information advice and guidance, and health and wellbeing. Case studies of some of the recipients have been published.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/090826_tsfgrantsawarded.aspx

CWDC Common Core consultation

The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is consulting on the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge with a view to publish a refreshed version in March 2010. The consultation would like practitioners' views on their experiences of the Common Core through a short online consultation. CWDC is also hosting two consultation events, one in Manchester on 28 September, and the other in London on 30 September. Further details are available on the CWDC website. NCVYS will not be submitting a direct response to the consultation but encourages member organisations to get involved.

http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/e-bulletin/articles/2284_have-your-say-and-make-a-difference

New football and myplace partnership

The Football Association and the myplace programme have joined forces through a new twinning scheme that aims to see experts from The FA working with myplace funded projects to encourage more young people to take part in football, ensuring high quality football training at a grassroots level and maximising the benefits that football can bring to young people.

http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/pr_180809_uk_mp_sporting_heroes_join_forces_?regioncode=-uk

NAVCA paper on 'grant dependence'

Kevin Curley, NAVCA's Chief Executive, has written a paper objecting to the Adventure Capital Fund's use of the term 'grant dependence' in its recent guidance on the Communitybuilders Fund. NAVCA believes that this language and the thinking which underlies it is damaging to the interests of the local third sector and urges the Adventure Capital Fund to: re-evaluate the advantages of partnership, mutual benefit and interdependence; reconsider its use of negative language with respect to grant funding and to; and acknowledge the legitimate place of grants as part of the overall funding mix. Please direct any feedback to Faiza Chaudary on Faiza@ncvys.org.uk.

CBI five-point plan to tackle youth unemployment

The CBI has published a five-point plan to tackle youth unemployment. The proposals include: helping employers to offer more apprenticeships; ensuring that employing young people is attractive; practical help for young people to get a job; offering more young people work experience; and ensuring the education system teaches basic skills. Under the CBI's apprenticeship proposal, £125m of the government's £500m recruitment subsidy fund to help the unemployed would be used to subsidise 50,000 new apprenticeships. Firms would receive a subsidy of £2,500 towards the cost of training each extra apprentice.

http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/bc2bef176a3c6580802576190035f9fc?OpenDocument

CIPD calls on subsidy for younger jobseekers

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is calling for a six-month work placement subsidy of £1,250 to give ‘vital help' to younger jobseekers. According to the CIPD's latest Labour Market Outlook survey, 16- to 18-year-olds are less likely to be recruited than the long-term unemployed, with only a quarter of employers planning to hire teenagers from this age group over the next quarter. In contrast, almost two-thirds of employers intend to hire from the 19-24 age group and a similar proportion plan to take on older workers, the survey of 900 HR professionals found.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/news/_articles/cipd-calls-for-subsidy-for-young-jobseekers.htm

Diploma evaluation

On behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the National Foundation for Educational Research and Exeter University have published their evaluation of the Diploma and found that the majority of universities support the new qualification. The study included the Russell Group universities (20 major research-intensive universities) and found that all those surveyed would welcome applications from the first Diploma cohort in 2010.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0153

Report on funding university places

In a new report published this week, ippr says the Government needs to learn from this year's problems in funding university places, by making sure sufficient funding and student places are made available next year to meet demand. ippr argues that this year's restriction on funding student places means many qualified students will not be able to attend university at a time when jobs for young people are in short supply.

http://www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=690

Representing young people's voices to decision makers - youth volunteering opportunity

UNICEF UK is looking to sign up young volunteers across the UK as Article 12 Advisors, as part of a new programme on promoting children's rights. The Article 12 Advisors will influence and negotiate with many different people, from the top of organisations to young people on the streets. Candidates must be under 18 on the 31 August 2009, commit to this role for at least 12 months and be able to travel to London for meetings and training. The closing date is 5 October 2009.

http://www.unicef.org.uk/jobs/volunteer_role_detail.asp?job_id=387

http://max.mailbigfile.com/457f35a916cb5b0d8d5c10ff507ef534/listFiles.php

Research on multiculturalism in the UK

According to a new study by Lancaster University, watching soaps, reading tabloids and turned off by politics - the children of International Migrants in Britain show a high degree of cultural assimilation compared to their European neighbours. The report - Children of International Migrants in Europe - presents the results of an international project that examined the situation of over 2500 children of international migrants in Britain, France and Germany. Children of international migrants in Britain expressed very little interest in the politics of their parents' country, which contrasted particularly with Turks in Germany and North Africans in France. Ethnic disadvantages within education were pronounced in Germany but far less evident in Britain.

http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/I/894AC019F59D3C3C802576160035C626

Identity and values report

Using 2007-08 Citizenship Survey data, this report by Communities and Local Government provides an in-depth examination of identity and values. The report focuses on identity and sense of belonging to Britain, in particular whether or not people feel there is a conflict between their national and religious identities and whether it is possible to belong to Britain and maintain separate cultural or religious identities. Other reports in this series cover Community Cohesion, Volunteering and Charitable Giving, Empowered Communities and Race, Religion and Equalities.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/citizenshipsurvey200708identity

Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme research - young offenders

According to a new study by the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth, public safety is being threatened by the failing Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP). This is a multi-million pound initiative to keep persistent offenders aged 10-17 out of custody and at home. However, the institute concludes that the scheme has not been rigorously enforced; has not had a positive effect on offenders' attitudes; has not provided supervision appropriate to offenders' ages; and has not separated offenders from damaging environments or peers.

http://www.port.ac.uk/aboutus/newsandevents/news/title,101205,en.html

Children's services in the spotlight - where to next?

The Local Government Association is organising a national conference on 24 September to explore developments in safeguarding and children's social work in 2009, looking at the challenges, the responses and how to improve social work as a profession.

http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/events/display-event.do?id=1911719

Probationary citizens - access to services and impact on young refugees

Youth charity Centrepoint has expressed concerns around the impact on young refugees of the newly proposed Home Office ‘points test for citizenship' which is currently open for consultation. According to Centrepoint, the Home Office has been vague on which services probationary citizens will be unable to access, which could further marginalise young refugees. The proposals would leave some unable to access all public services for an indefinite period. In addition, the steps required to gain full citizenship are expensive - nearly £1000. The Government is proposing further courses, including an orientation programme on British values and customs, and an examination on the UK political system, which are likely to incur further costs.

http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/be-informed/media-centre/centrepoint-news/centrepoint-fears-government-proposals-do-not-live-up-to-un-refugee-convention

Life in the UK test: http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp?trackid=002353&FO=1278111

Home Office consultation: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/managingborders/managingmigration/earned-citizenship/points-test-citizenship/

Seminar on children and adults with autism

A cross-sector seminar is taking place on 23 September in Leeds to look at ‘How do we best enable children and adults with autism to lead full lives?'. Speakers include a range of representatives from different sectors including the Department of Health, the National Audit Office and the National Autism Society.

http://www.cppseminars.org.uk/site/dpb.cfm?do=ref&fldCPPSref=ACA/263&varDetProgBiog=det

THIS WEEK IN PARLIAMENT

Sure Start inquiry

The Children, Schools and Families Committee is to undertake an inquiry into Sure Start Children's Centres to examine whether the Children's Centres model of integrated services for under-5s and their families promotes early childhood development and is an effective response to deprivation. The deadline for written evidence submissions is 12 October 2009.

http://news.parliament.uk/2009/08/committee-launch-sure-start-childrens-centres-inquiry/