GAVO THIRD SECTOR - PDF document

1 GAVO THIRD SECTOR REPORT Quarter 1 Ap
GAVO THIRD SECTOR REPORT Quarter 1 April – June 2017 “Cor communities, with communities” 2017 /18 Martin Featherstone Chief Executive Officer GAVO 2017/18 1 Content s Gwent Wide Activities Statistical Information Third Sector Development Manager Communities First Volunteering hfficer hver 25’s Volunteering hfficer Under 25’s Health & Social Care Facilit at o r Valley Voices - Community Voice s Project Holiday Scheme Coordinator Little Voices (Early Language Project) Community Planning Coordinator Voluntary Sector Representatives 2 3 4 6 8 10 11 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 Introduction This report forms part of the reporting process for the work of GAVO in Caerphilly County Borough through its core funding as part of Third Sector support Wales, and through its Service Level Agreement with Caerphilly County Borough Council. It should be read in conjunction with: Quarterly Key Performance Indicators (below) Six monthly Delivery Plan Report to WCVA GAVO has a Strategic Plan setting out its work under five strategic aims: GAVO will provide strong leadership to voluntary and community organisations and communities to increase their resilience and develop a thriving third sector GAVO will use the principles of co - production to build connectivity, engagement and participation , empowering people and communities GAVO will strengthen third sector voice and influence at a national, regional and local level GAVO will champion volunteering and increase quality opportunities for volunteers. GAVO will continue to operate in a cultu re of collaboration as a pathway to sustainability Following a review by Welsh Government and Wales Council for Voluntary Action of the County Voluntary Council Delivery Structure, County Voluntary Councils are operating under the new umbrella of Third S ector Support Wales. GAVO’s provides support to the third sector in Gwent (with TVA in Torfaen) organised under the following headings, reflecting the overarching TSSW Business Plan and Core Service Standards: Volunteering Good governance Sustainable funding Engagement and influencing

2 2 GAVO also reports on
2 GAVO also reports on · Learning and development Contents GAVO Gwent Wide & Strategic The Health and & Social Care Team have recently held a Gwent Regional Conference entitled “Great Expectations – delivering the vision for Health and Social Care in Wales”. Eighty delegates attended the event with key speakers including - GAVO Chair, Edward Watts, Helen Br own, Welsh Government Third Sector Unit, Adrian Roper, Chief Executive, Cartrefi Cymru, Simon James, CEO Interlink. The Volunteering team have recently held a very successful Gwent wide Volunteer Managers Network. The aim of the Network is to be a platfo rm for the Third Sector where they can share information, develop inter - organisational links, encourage partnership working and good practice in all aspects of managing or supervising volunteers for those working across Gwent. The guest speaker was Suzanne Mollison, WCVA Safeguarding Officer who gave an informative presentation and delivered a Q & A Session afterwards, assisting many organisations with their DBS and other safeguarding queries. Please let any Organisation you may be working with know about t he network and encourage them to join http://www.gavowales.org.uk/volunteer - network GAVO Chief Executive continues to represent the Sector on the Caerphilly Public Services Board , and Blaen au Gwent, Monmouthshire and Newport PSBs. GAVO Caerphilly Volunteering Awards will be held on Thursday 19th October at Blackwood Miners Institute. The One Beat Voluntary Sector S howcase Event will be held at the Vision Centre, Newbridge Tabernacle Church Contents 3 K ey Performance Indicators Caerphilly KPI REPORTING APRIL 2017 - MARCH 2018 CAERPHILLY Number of: TARGET QTR 1 QTR 2 QTR 3 QTR 4 ANNUAL TOTAL Volunteering Volunteers Placed 200 119 119 Enquiries good practice in managing volunteers 80 39 39 50 hour MV certificates claimed 20 0 0 200 hour MV certificates claimed 8 0 0 Young volunteers supported by local youth led grants 50 0 0 Good Governance Trustee Enquiries received and responded to

3 200 206 206 Trust
200 206 206 Trustee Events 2 0 0 Trustee Event participants 50 0 0 Sustainable Funding Funding advice enquiries received & responded too 200 74 74 Funding events 2 0 0 Funding Event participants 50 0 0 Amount of Funding obtained by groups advised as notified during this reporting period £200,000 £113,226 £113,226 New orgs/social enterprises or new services developed 20 15 15 Amount of funding provided through grants/loan schemes £50,000 £0 £0 Engagement & Influencing Strategic planning/working groups involved third sector membership 20 22 22 Third sector forums or networks supported 10 8 8 Magazines/newsletters published Gwentwide 1 1 Recipients of Magazine/newsletters receiving Gwentwide 288 288 Website visitor sessions Gwentwide 4307 4307 Enquiries received and responded to 579 579 Learning & Development Training Courses arranged 25 0 0 0 0 Training courses participants 200 contents 4 Third Sector Development Manager – Gina Jones Good Governance: “Work to support organisations to comply with good governance practices”  Disseminating information and advice Information given to many organisations who are enquiring about changing to or becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) or Community Interest Company (CIC). Also working with groups who have been in existence for many y ears to update their governing document and check they have all the relevant policies in place.  Promoting quality assurance systems Promoting PQASSO and Investors in Volunteers to groups to encourage them to participate and sign up.  Providing learning and development opportunities Encouraging groups to look at training to improve their way of working. This has included First Aid, Food Hygiene etc.  Raising the profile of the Sector The second One Beat event will be held at Newbridge Tabernacle Church in November to

4 promote the work of the voluntary secto
promote the work of the voluntary sector to the community and provide network ing opportunities for the groups and organisations. Other : Details of any other significant services/activities outside the core services framework Working with Groundwork to enable them to gain their Investors in Volunteering award Barriers Details of issues effecting progress Setting up CIC’s and CIO’s is more complex and requires more time with the group. This has had an impact on capacity. Many groups are now seeking advice on projects and structures including help with leases and licences which we do not have the in - depth knowledge to deal with. Sustainable Funding “Work to ensure a thriving and sustainable third sector where organisations secure and generate the resources they need to survive, thrive and remain relevant in the future”  Disseminating information and advice Funding information provided to various groups (see stats) Breakdown of amount of funding obtained by groups advised as notified during this reporting period: Name of group obtained funding Amount £ Libanus Lifestyles CIC £58,883.00 Risca OAP Group £1,000.00 Reach Out Drama Group £5,000.00 Newbridge Tabernacle Church £25,000.00 Van Guard Centre £14,334.00 5 Machen Bowls £300.00 Blackwood Methodist Church £1,000.00 Lylac Ridge £7,700.00 Other : Details of any other significant services/activities outside the core services framework Libanus Lifestyles CIC ha s now started on phase two o f their project which will see the main hall refurbished. They were also awarded funding and have set up sessions for mindfulness and reflexology. They have had several enquir i es for hall bookings and are looking forward to the completion of phase two. The Reach Out Drama group were thrilled to be awarded £5,000 towards their project. They hold drama classes for people with learning difficulties to enable them to produce shows through the year. This instils confidence in the group and helps them to learn new skill s around the production etc. Barriers Details of issues effecting progress Funding is becoming more difficult and competitive and more detailed information is required per application. The demand is

5 also increasing with many existing group
also increasing with many existing groups loosing current funding streams. The pending changes to the Community Facilities Program me also causes concern as their priority seems to be to support previous C ommunity F irst areas only . The changes to the Communities First Programme are also starting to cause c oncern as the Development Manager is being contacted by more groups from these areas requesting help and advice and capacity is becoming an issue. Amount of funding sough t this quarter was £ 935,156.00 Engagement and Influencing: “Working to ensure that organisations can effectively influence policy, scrutinise public services and act as a route to civic participation especially for disadvantaged and minority groups”  Providing policy information and advice Attend the RDP group to review funding application from projects. Executive member of Care & Repair Bla e nau Gwent & Caerphilly. Report on third sector work at the PSB Delivery group. Have taken part in the work on the well - being plan with the PSB safer group. Attended the Voluntary Sector Repre sentatives meeting and the Voluntary Sector Liaison meeting  Amplifying the voice of the third sector Attended Caerphilly Standing Conference to represent GAVO and the third sector. Held the Caerphilly Voluntary Sector Forum where 30 organisations attend ed to receive information on the Social Services & Well Being Act and the Future Generations & Well Being Act Other : 6 Details of any other significant services/activities outside the core services framework Held the first meeting of the YMLAEN network after the previous consultation event. This network consists of any third sector group/organisation that has projects dealing with children, young people and families to share information and look at collaborati ve working. The second meeting is scheduled for the Autumn . Contents Communities First – Zoe Williams Mid Valleys East This quarter has seen a great deal of changes within the Mid Valleys East Team with a number of staff leaving the wider team to take up new employment opportunities and the re allocation of staff in the wider CF programme, we have also endured an office relocation which has seen GAVO off

6 icers utilise the building at Tredom e n
icers utilise the building at Tredom e n and also utilise community venues as re quired in a more agile way of working. Argoed Baptist Church Following the completion of works at the church building the group have now moved on to their plans to develop a project named “The Water Hole” this project will see the implementation of a café facility with a dementia friendly environment alongside three wooden structures at the rear of the church to provide a bunk house style facility that will be used as a retreat for local artists, poets and walkers during summer months and additional space for night shelter guests during the winter. The group have de cided to set up a separate group to develop this and move things forward starting with taking on the legal structure of a CIO which we are currently in the process of forming, Work will continue to support this group as the CF project phases out ensuring t hat there is ongoing support post Communities First. Pantside Book project This project has seen the completion of the book “The Strange Goings on at Pantalot Farm” with excellent involvement from two families in the area, funding has now been secured fo r the printing of the book and a launch is planned for early July. Brondeg Day Centre Over the past few months we have worked closely with staff and residents at Brondeg Day Centre to develop an outdoor space that can be utilised for relaxation and gard ening using the raised beds that we have established, the project also included the erection of a summer house, painted railings, woodland walk and an additional garden area at the front of the grounds. The project seen us work with partner agencies from Keepmoat, Caerphilly H omes and Adult Services at W indy Ridge We hope to have the project completed by mid August with an official launch event planned for 17 th August 2017. Practical skills project We h ad a number of individuals attending this project on a Thursday and Friday morning to learn new skills and make projects of varying ideas from a number of different wood 7 sources, unfortunately due to an issue around health and safety we were forced to temp orarily stop the project . I t is hoped that we will be able to find a way to allow the participants to finish

7 their projects and gain the satisfactio
their projects and gain the satisfaction during the next few months Colour therapy groups We currently have three colour therapy sessions runnin g in Wattsville, Ty S ign and Yn y sd du . T hese are progressing well with attendance increasing regularly and participants feeling supported with their problems . W e will continue to support these groups through the phase out of Communities First and ensure that they have knowledge of what organisations are able to offer support post CF Mid Valleys West General cluster update Similar to other clusters, this period has been one of significant change and uncertainty. Several members of the delivery team have left their posts for employment elsewhere and there is a general sense of angst amongst community groups – particularly those who aren’t necessarily on a sound financial footing – about what the future holds in the absence of a Communities First programme or indeed support from officers in relation to governance arrangements and sourcing funding. ‘The Girl With No Voice’ book launch We were delighted at the end of May to launch the much - awaited community story - book at Derwendeg Primary School, titled ‘T he Girl With No Voice’. Penned by six parents who have children at the school, the book explored the theme of bullying – with the added bonus of pirates! All schoolchildren (and staff!) were invited to dress for the pirate theme and the launch was attended by our partner agencies such as Caerphilly Parent Network and the Learning and Work Institute. All parents reported increased confidence and their work was recognised with the presentation of a certificate to each of them. The school’s headteacher was ver y grateful to Communities First and in particular the GAVO officers for the support offered. Women’s Group, St Gwladys Church Hall We have continued to support the needs and aspirations of the long - running Women’s Group at St Gwladys Church Hall in the absence of a Mental Health Officer in the cluster area. We have been working closely with both Church Hall staff and members of the group to identify key goals going forward and to ensure the group’s on - going sustainability in the light of the Communities First programme coming

8 to an end later in the year. The group
to an end later in the year. The group continues to meet weekly and has had a number of different visitors and speakers, including walkers who popped by on their journey as part of the Big Lunch charity and ‘The Great Big Walk’. He ngoed Chapel The pastor at Hengoed Chapel has sought our support to develop her church building into a community - orientated youth facility whilst maintaining it as a place of worship. She has some exciting plans which need to be put to consultation and therefore we hav e been busy working with her and others to plan surveys and questionnaires to ensure that the church is able to put forward the strongest possible bid and to provide what the community really wants. 8 Caerphilly Basin: Mental Health Group: Development Officers have continued to support these sessions on a weekly basis. During April May and June we organised a 12 week woodwork session with our environmental officer . T his was very successful the clients got the opportunity to make their very own personal : Bird Boxes, Flower Boxes, Book Cases, and Jewellery Boxes. As the project came to an end one participant commented on how he didn’t expect to enjoy woodwork at the start, but was really pleased with his work by the end. Everyone demonstrated improved skills and confidence with the tools. Another participant took the initiative to create her own piece of work. Due to the changes in Communities First we have made links with MIND who will take the group forward. Work Club : Development Officers have continued to support the work club, which takes place every Friday. Volunteers: Two of our volunteers from Lansbury Park have gained employment in the Summer Play - Scheme which starts in July. We have supported the clients in gaining the relevant training for these positions. Food Bank: In this quarter we have referred a further two people onto the food bank. Citizens Advice Bureau: Citizens Advice Bureau have continued to attend on a weekly basis within the Lansbury Communities First office, we have referred 3 people into the services. One to One Sessions: We have continued to support local community members who have come through the front door of our office with relevant issues. Walking

9 / Running Group: We have continue
/ Running Group: We have continued to support the walking / running group in partnership with the Communities First Physical Activity Officer. We have 8 people who take part on a regular basis. Two members of the group took part in the Caerphilly 10K run. We have also register ed the group to take part in the Race for Life run. Contents Volunteering Officer – hver 25’s – Andrew Cullen Volunteering Officer – Under 25’s – Andrew Cullen (temporary) This report covers both over and under 25’s volunteering for the Caerphilly borough. Within this reporting period Bev Boulton moved on to pastures new. The GAVO Volunteering Under 25’s Officer has now been appointed – Caren White. Also during this 9 reporting period an additional officer has been appointed to w ork alongside Andy Cullen – Angela Tillcock. To date 56 over 25’s and 61 under 25’s volunteers have been placed into volunteering roles. There have been a total of 140 over 25’s and 112 under 25’s individual enquiries made to the Volunteering bureau. All enquiries have been placed within volunteeri ng opportunities across the county borough. In respect of the Over 25’s a total of 225 individual referr als have been made. The number of enquiries is consistent with the same period in 2016 - 17. A new programme of attending Job Centres across the Borou gh has been implemented. Each JCP is being visited once every calendar month, with a diary of appointments being maintained by their staff. This is proving to be very successful, with all diaries being fully populated. Such has been the demand in Bargoed that the programme has been extended to twice a month. Likewise the programme with Careers Wales continues in the same vein. The Annual Star Volunteer Achievement Awards 2017 has been launched with a nomination closing date of 28 th July. The Awards even ing is to be held on 19 th October at the Blackwood Miners Institute. Thank you again to Caerphilly County Borough Council for their continued support for this event. With the introduction of new staff and the training support, there has been a slight red uction in the number of organisations that are visited and supported. This programme continues to

10 be very successful and has an impact on
be very successful and has an impact on raising the profile of GAVO within the County borough of Caerphilly, and all of the services that GAVO can offer. No w that the additional staff are in place, this should enable GAVO to visit and support even more organisations over the coming months. Things not going so well/barriers to delivery/concerns: The beginning of the year has continued similarly to the end of last financial year, in respect of drop in and job clubs organised by partners such as Communities First. This has had a negative effect on the referral of potential volunteers to the Volunteering team and also on the availability of such opportunities t o support our partners and recruit potential volunteers. The impact on the reduction in funding to a number of organisations has also affected the availability of quality volunteering opportunities. However, hopefully this can be rebalanced by the effect ive programme of visiting the organisations in the borough to develop new opportunities and actively seek out new contacts and closer liaison with partners such as Development Officers. Evidence of Impact/case studies/best practice examples to share: The data produced above demonstrates the positive impact that are being achieved in respect of the placing and development of Volunteers across the Caerphilly borough, bearing in mind that this has been achieved primarily on a part time basis. This has be en achieved by a robust application of diary and prioritisation of work. The situation of organisations being far more receptive to GAVO visiting them, rather than 10 askin g them to come to a GAVO office, has continued. Whilst one organisation representativ e visiting a GAVO office, will probably address team members from more than one area, this could be more effective and productive by GAVO as a matter of course going to visit them. The development of the Future Generations Wellbeing Assessment by Caerphil ly Council and partners and recommendation that Volunteering be adopted as one of the primary actions by the Public Service s Board being agreed has opened up a new chapter in the development of Volunteering across the county borough. The collaborative nat ure of this development will further enhance the teams pr

11 ofile across a number of key partners w
ofile across a number of key partners which in turn should benefit all aspects of our communities. Contents Health and Social Care Facilitator – Susanne Maddax Sustainable Funding “Work to ensure a thriving and sustainable third sector where organisations secure and generate the resources they need to survive, thrive and remain relevant in the future”  Disseminating information and advice Funding Bulletin provided to Network membership Caerphilly at May/June meetings. Information circulated on primary care and Integrated Care Fund opportunities. Organised a Gwent Conference which highlighted new ways of working showcasing consortiums and cooperative models recently est ablished.  Providing learning and development opportunities The Health and Social Care Coordinator provides information to the third sector in relation to training available through; CCB/BG Workforce Development, Social Care Wales and local and regional Safeguarding Boards. Recently contributed to and engaged organisatio ns with a consultation workshop on proposals for a new induction framework for social care staff across the sectors as a response to the new Inspection and Regulation Act.  Raising the p rofile of the Sector As a member of the Caerphilly Borough Neighbourhood GP Cluster Networks the Health and Social Care Coordinator provides services and event updates form the third sector bimonthly which is circulated to the 3 clusters covering the boro ugh which includes over 85 GP practices, local authority and other NHS colleagues such as district nursing. Recently organised a Gwent Conference to highlight what the third sector has to offer. This included opportunities for third sector organisations to display information to a multi sectoral audience and speakers from the Welsh Government, Academic institutions and regional partnerships.  Supporting new initiatives and service delivery models The Health and Social Care Facilitator contributed to the r egional review of domiciliary care delivery, commissioning and coproduction developing alternative models of care. This work stream is part of the range of priorities identified as part of implementing the Social Services and Wellbeing Act. 11 Engagement and Influencin

12 g: “Working to ensure that organisat
g: “Working to ensure that organisations can effectively influence policy, scrutinise public services and act as a route to civic participation especially for disadvantaged and minority groups”  Providing policy information and advice The HS C Coordinator continues to engage the third sector with the implementation of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act through supporting the development of Dewis Cymru (at a local, regional and national level) and engaging third sector health and social care providers with the Gwent Provider Forum priorities. Also contributing to the NHS development for 111 the NHS website replacing NHS Direct Wales. This includes assisting with updating third sector information for the 111 website. The HSC Coordinator contri buted to the proposals to further develop social prescribing in the region. A planning meeting is scheduled for August to follow up regional discussions in the locality NCN’s. The third sector will have a key role to play in supporting the delivery of soci al prescribing.  Supporting campaigning Supported the planning of the Parkinson’s Taking Control Day Caerphilly Leisure Centre, Tenovus Cancer Awareness Day in Blackwood, Ovarian Cancer Awareness week and promoted Carers week.  Amplifying the voice of the third sector The HSC Coordinator was responsible for coordinating the team effort for planning the Great Expectations Conference held in June at Rodney Parade which provided opportunities for the third sector to showcase services and raise awareness o f innovations in new ways of working and alternative models. Other : Details of any other significant services/activities outside the core services framework The Health and Social Care Coordinator is an editor member of the Dewis Cymru regional partners hip group and represents the group on the National Group. The Health and Social Care Coordinator is also representing the CVC at the Gwent Provider Forum established to support the implementation of the social Services and Wellbeing Act. This has provided an opportunity to expand the range of organisations that are now engaged with the Greater Gwent implementation work streams and priorities Contents Valley Voices – Val Jackson/Kim Jones Things that are going

13 well/successes/celebration: GAVO is
well/successes/celebration: GAVO is funded by the Big Lottery to manage the Valley Voices Portfolio . The Portfolio originally consisted of 9 projects covering Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly. The aim is to provide opportunities for Welsh communities to get their voice heard by connecting them with local and national decision makers. 12 A number of projects have come to an end, these include:  Draethen, Waterloo & Rudry Road Safety & Engagement Project  Hafal  Stroke Association The other Valley Voices projects c ontinue to work with service users to inform and empower them to speak out about the services they receive. GAVO is continuing to work as a partner in the ‘Caerphilly You Want’ initiative, led by Caerphilly Borough Council. The current focus of the group is to support the consultation of citizens in order develop the new Well - being Plan following the well - being assessment. Evidence of Impact/case studies/best practice examples to share: Valley Voices Portfolio – The Speak Out for Stroke Project started December 2013 - ended May 2017, the project supported stroke survivors and carers to express their opinions about the services they need, influence the services they receive and enabled them to feel more included an d valued. Congratulations to the Stroke Association, Project Officer and volunteers who made the project such a success GAVO’s role was to support all the Project Officers across the Engage & Valley Voices Portfolio in their project delivery. Stroke Association feedback: - ‘Always received exceptional support from the GAVO staff, who were available for answering any queries, or making amendments, in an effective and efficient manner’ Contents 68 % beneficiaries are more confident expressing opinions regarding local services “The coffee morning stroke club in Blackwood has opened up new opportunities for me and I have made many new friends” Blackwood Stroke Club, Roath Park 13 Holiday Scheme Co - ordinator – Bethan Moss Sustainable Funding: “Work to ensure a thriving and sustainable third sector where organisations secure and generate the resources they need to survive, thrive

14 and remain relevant in the future”
and remain relevant in the future”  Disseminating information and advice Holiday Scheme Coordinator has met with a range of organisations and has provided funding advice and support to the Scouts for camping equipment, to Sense Cymru to run and Easter event and to local organisations planning summer holiday activities. The Holiday Scheme Coordinator has updated the Toolkit  Providing learning and development opportunities Holiday Scheme Coordinator has worked with workforce development in CCBC to provide a MAHPS (managing a holiday play scheme) training course. H oliday S cheme C oordinator has attended 2 business development group meetings (GAVO) . Contents Little V oices - Early Language Project – Lisa Williams and Nicci Davies Williams The Little Voices project has been very successful wi thin this reporting period. The project is to develop language skills for the age range 0 - 3 years. This is a new project and is funded for 2 years. The GAVO team are setting targets during quarter 2 to establish 6 referral groups and 26 Flying S tart we ekly sessions via the JAFF. Contents Community Planning Coordinator – Alison Palmer Wellbeing of F uture Generations Act: The Community Planning Coordinator continues to work as part of the CCBC Policy unit supporting the Public Services Board, SIP delivery structure and the development of the Wellbeing Plan for Caerphilly County Borough. The focus of activities this quarter has been in supporting the response analysis studies of the seven areas highlighted through the wellbeing assessment, and agreed by the PSB in March for further consideration as priorities for the Wellbeing Plan. The CPC has coordinated the research and response for GAVO which is leading on the “Volunteering” element of the focus on “apprenticeships training and volunteering opportunities for all ages”. 14 Third sector partners have taken part in a number of meetings and workshops to consider the priorities and develop the response analysis reports for the PSB to consider at their June Meeting. Standing Confer ence: The CPC organised the June PSB Standing Conference with Policy unit colleagues which enabled the wider partnership in the county boro

15 ugh to come together to receive an upda
ugh to come together to receive an update on the progress towards the development of the wellbeing plan, and hear fro m PSB partners how they are refocussing their activities to meet the wellbeing goals and seven ways of working. The opportunity was provided to talk to lead bodies and officers developing the priorities for the Wellbeing Plan as approved by the PSB in a m arketplace setting. Public Service Board: The CPC continues to support the PSB and delivery structure by providing the secretariat to PSB, Leads and Delivery Group meeting. Voluntary Sector Liaison Committee: The CPC is supporting the Voluntary Sector Li aison Committee and Voluntary Sector Representatives meetings due to the continued absence of Jackie Dix, Policy Officer, through ill health. The Committee will be looking at its terms of reference and the Compact this year to refocus its activities to me et the Wellbeing Plan objectives, goals and ways of working. The CPC continues through the GAVO element of the role to manage the Community Voices Team and Development Team. Contents Voluntary Sector Representatives Committee – Sandra Davies 26 th April 2017: Chaired by Michelle Jones The following points were raised by the Voluntary Sector Representatives at the above meeting:  Caerphilly Borough Third Sector Forum on 7 th June at Libanus Lifestyles CIC in Blackwood at 9.30 to 12.30.  On 16 th February the Forum had been held in Tir y Berth Community Centre. Presentations had been received from DEWIS Information system and McMillan Care Planning process. It was noted that the Future Generat ions Act would remain a standing item on the Agenda.  Sunflower Project had finished on 28 th February with Adventure and Inclusive Play teams finishing at the end of March.  The Early Years Language Support Team (previously Creative Play/Pop in and Play) ha d begun their new contract and had taken over in Douglas House.  The Holiday Scheme Coordinator post had been continued and was also working out of Douglas House.  Communities First Team was s till somewhat unclear, with the 30% cut in funding 15 for 2017, 42% including redundancy, leaving them to finish towards the end of the year. GAVO and CCBC continue to

16 meet on a regular basis to clarify the
meet on a regular basis to clarify the position.  Third Sector organisations reported concern on the reduction in funding available for the sector. A numbe r of organisations have had their budgets cut drastically and the reduction in funding is having a detrimental effect.  Welsh Government Community Facilities Programme had delayed the allocation of grants for over 12 months and it is likely that the program me would be realigned to priorities the Communities First areas. This would have a massive impact on n on - Communities First areas who rely on this funding .  Concern was expressed over the loss of EU funding.  GAVO Core funding from Welsh Government had been approved at the same level as last year.  Current Compact Agreement had come to an end – currently in an interim period whilst the implications of legislative changes were clarified.  Welsh Government and WCVA had been reviewing partnership agreements and the Future Generations Act also had implications for the new Compact. Working group would be set up to review the compact as soon as the process is clear.  Children, Young People and Families Forum has chosen a name for the Forum ‘YMLAEN’ (W elsh for forwa rd) and a logo was being developed . The forum is supported by organisations working with children, young people and families.  Concern was expressed that there is a lack of reporting from Key partners e.g . Gwent Police , ABUHB .  After discussions a request would be made for the administrator and chair of the Welsh Church Act and voluntary sector funding attend the next Liaison committee meeting on 28 th June to explain the process. The invitation was subsequently refused at this time with a promise to attend when the funding was reviewed.  Presentation – a request for Sian Millar to attend the next meeting to explain the ‘Care Closer to Home’.  Future Generations Act Update: The Wellbeing Assessment had been approved by the Public Service Board in early March and was now available via the PSB website. 37 emerging issues had been approved to take forward to the next step.  Local Delivery Plans – Delivery Plans and KPI’s for 2016/17 had been sent to WCVA. Co