The Web site is occasionally
asked to promote local, regional & national
events or activities to improve VCS capacity.
The current list of activities is shown below.
If you would like to promote an activity or an
event contact: admin@tvwt.org.uk
Deprived Area Fund (DAF)
The purpose of the fund is primarily aimed at adding value to current mainstream services offered by Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and it is envisaged that this will build upon the experiences, and incorporating the most effective elements of previous community based initiatives such as Action Teams for Jobs, and Ethnic Minority Outreach whose activities ceased operation on 30th September 2006. The fund is ward specific.
Consultation with the 5 LA’s within the Tees Valley District has taken place and is ongoing to ensure that the delivery of DAF will align with their Local Area Agreement’s (LAA) particularly with regard to increasing employability within the identified wards and other funding streams.
The Scope of DAF
DAF will have a geographical influence rather than focusing on aspecific customer group; this gives the fund the advantage of being accessible to all people in the most deprived Wards. Currently this is the most fair and equitable way that JCP has in ensuring help is available to those with the greatest need. All residents in these identified areas who are workless can benefit through this fund, individuals do not necessarily have to be benefit recipients although clearly reducing benefit dependency is a desirable by-product.
DAF can be delivered to either assist an individual, a group of people or the wider community (as long as this falls within the allocated Wards) move either in or towards work. The fund could be used to help address individual barriers to work by providing additional support not available through mainstream programmes and services, alternatively it may be aimed at purchasing a service aimed at a specific group of people whose needs are not currently being met by JCP or partners. It could be something that benefits all residents in the local area. Importantly, DAF:
Must avoid duplication of provision, support or help provided by partners and other organisations/agencies;
Encourage innovation but contentious or novel ideas, or those likely to be politically sensitive should be avoided;
Should not be used to provide services, provision of financial assistance outside of the designated deprived Wards.
For a wider view of how DAF applies to the 5 LA districts download the Jobcentre Plus Communications papers on DAF for each area here:
The Voluntaryskills.com ‘Training Database’ currently contains 1,355 training courses specifically aimed at people in the voluntary and community sectors of the North East.
Are you a Training Provider for the VCS of the North East?
Voluntaryskills.com is a website dedicated to the promotion of training and skills development for the voluntary and community sector of the North East.
The website contains a searchable database of VCS training courses and training providers from across the region, as well as up-to-date news and events, job profiles, case studies and resource downloads relevant to skills development and career progression in the sector.
If you are a training provider offering courses that are specifically aimed at the voluntary and community sector of the North East and would like to promote them through our site, free of charge, please get in touch to find out how.
Paul Lancaster
Project Manager
www.voluntaryskills.com
Project North East
7-15 Pink Lane
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 5DW
0191 261 6009
paul.lancaster@pne.org
Contribute to the debate:
Lifelong Learning UK is currently working with its lifeloneg learning employers - those who provide and promote learning – to develop a Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) that reflects the needs, issues and current status of the sector. As a reminder, LLUK is the sector skills council responsible for the professional development of those working in:
Community Learning and Development (including working with parents; youth work; community based adult learning; community development work, community education; development education)
Further Education
Higher Education
Libraries, Archives and Information services
Work Based Learning
The work that LLUK has been charged to undertake across the UK by the government will help us to shape the lifelong learning workforce to meet the demands of other sectors and society. To find out more about the work of LLUK, use this link: http://www.lifelonglearninguk.org/home/home.htm
BECON have been contracted to facilitate learning and skills uptake in black and ethnic minority groups across the North East. Their report for the period March to July 2006 may be found here: Report
Guidelines for LSCs working with the Voluntary and Community Sector
Guidelines have been produced for local LSC offices to use when working with the local VCS during 06 - 07. These guidelines are intended to enhance the thinking of the Working Together strategy particularly around working with local consortia. For more information about these, and the current work to support the national VCS organisations (a separate piece of work currently being undertaken) please contact Cheryl Turner, Senior Policy Manager, at the LSC on 02476 823520 or cheryl.turner@lsc.gov.uk .
