REACH - Taking things forward!

The REACH conference that took place earlier this month included a series of workshops looking at issues, concerns and priorities to take forward. Below you will find a summary of each workshop.

Advice services and meeting community needs

Workshop Leaders: Cathy Murphy (Hackney Advice forum) and Lola Akindoyin (Community Partnerships Manager, Hackney Council)

About

This workshop looked at areas of client need, what is happening in clients groups and communities? What are they doing? What do they want us to do? The workshop wanted to hear from participants what they thought the issues were.

Issues identified:

•    Client Communities advice needs

•    What agencies can do to make advice more accessible to those with disabilities?

•    How advice will be funded in the current climate?

Workshop participants expressed the need for different types of engagement as traditional methods do not always work and there are also a lot of translation needs, delivered largely by volunteers which need their skills to be developed.

Some areas of concern for advice services are that there are a number of people who are “undocumented”, it is difficult to gather information about these people and it’s very difficult to reach these people. Also with 20% of Hackney’s population reported to have a disability it is important that advice is accessible for these individuals. There will also need to be advice provision for new communities emerging in the borough as they will have new needs.

The main funding for advice services are through grants programmes but current research and dialogue will hopefully influence current investment patterns.

• Concern: The rise in advice needs and the reduction in funding to provide for these needs 

• Priority: Where people start getting advice and how that experience can be adapted to their sector/needs (faith, arts etc)

For more information please contact Cathy Murphy cathyjm1234@aol.com

Employment, Training and Enterprise

Workshop Leaders: David Blagbrough (Inspire!) and Chair of Economic Development Network (EDN) and Andrew Munk (Performance, Policy and Delivery – Hackney Council)

About

This workshop looked at new ways of delivering services across health and employment and identifying roles for the voluntary and community sector.

Issues identified:

•    What should Hackney CVS be doing to support member organisations to tackle worklessness?

•    The role of the Council in supporting the VCS to become involved in the worklessness programme

•    How can the VCS shape the worklessness agenda?

This workshop looked at the above areas and how Hackney CVS, Jobcentre Plus (JCP), Hackney Council and EDN can contribute.

Here are some ideas:

Hackney CVS – Need to pick up on job sheets and publish them via e-mail and web services,

JCP – Workshops clinics and flexible support fund

EDN – Promoting the sector, showcasing expertise within the sector

Council – To talk to Registered Social Landlords (RSL) via Better Homes Partnership regarding housing & worklessness

•    Concern: What should Hackney CVS be doing to support member organisations to tackle worklessness and the role of the council to support the VCS to become involved in worklessness programmes?

•    Priority: Councils to talk to Registered Social Landlords through email and online systems

For more information please e-mail Judy Harris judy@hcvs.org.uk

Environmental Sustainability

Workshop Leaders: Anna O’Brien (CEN rep for the SustainableEnvironment Partnership Board) and James Palmer (Head of Programmes and Projects - Hackney Council)

About

This workshop looked at how we can prioritise environmental sustainability in Hackney as a whole and in our organisations.

Issues Identified:

•    Alternative energy

•    Green Agenda

•    Cost effective ways to help the community

The workshop explored how to ensure and increase the way sustainability is embedded into wider policy formation and practice. Rather than the council forcing the green agenda on the community, participants would like environmental change to come from community involvement.Alternative energy and cost effective ways to help the community were also explored as fuel poverty is affecting many people with social housing bills going up by 25%, one of the ideas was to adopt a communal heating system.

Access to environmental information is another area of concern. It has to be a priority for this type of information to be more widely accessible for organisations, so they have the right knowledge to work on their organisation being more environmental friendly.

Next Steps

Starting green teams, Reduce costs for people,Talking and working together

•    Concern: The impact of fuel poverty and the cost of people's energy bills due to this

•    Priority: To look at how information is created for local community groups and how to help them be aware of the support and where it is available

For any other infomation please contact Anna O'Brien info@hackney-enviroment-network.org.uk

Essential risk assessment tools for child and family wellbeing in Hackney

Workshop Leaders: Nathan Singleton (Lifeline) and Jeanne King (The Learning Trust)

About

This workshop explored key tools and processes used in risk assessment for children and young people and responsibilities or organisation working with families.

Issues identified:

•    Hackney child well-being model

•    Common support framework

•    Voluntary sector to share their work with public sector

The key outcomes for participants in this workshop were, a better understanding of the Hackney Child Well-Being Model, voluntary groups, identifying concerns for families who have no recourse to public funds, the need for early intervention, the need for voluntary groups to share with the first response team how they respond to a child at risk and more.

•    Concern: Knowing where the gaps are and agree with agencies on this

•    Priority: Making sure as a voluntary sector we know where our services and the gaps are and then meeting with the statutory sector to see there response

For more information please e-mail Kristine Wellington kristine@hcvs.org.uk