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Main Content
The following content is the main page content.
Sector News
Trial of single government website
The 'beta' (trial) version of the proposed single government website (which would eventually replace Directgov) is now live at https://www.gov.uk and feedback is welcomed at http://getsatisfaction.com/govuk.
News release at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/beta-government-single-domain-released.
Evidence review of sector delivering employment services
The author of a Third Sector Research Centre review says that "There is a tremendous lack of evidence about the third sector in (delivering employment services)." It questions whether the current Work Programme's framework will allow them to fulfil their potential in this area.
Volunteering and Citizen Involvement in Wales
'Volunteering and Citizen Involvement in Wales - Looking to the Future' is a paper written by Wales Council for Voluntary Action in consultation with volunteer centres, county voluntary councils and others.
In Word format, 233KB, via http://www.wcva.org.uk/news/dsp_news.cfm?newsid=1788.
Good practice in working with young people
The Big Lottery Fund has produced seven good practice guides for organisations working with young people, based on projects it has supported.
Titles include Encouraging active citizenship, Actively involving young people and Working with young carers. http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/er_yp_gp.htm.
Charity training on a budget, online
Martin Baker from Charity Learning Consortium discusses the role of e-learning, including via social media, in ensuring that charity staff get adequate continuing professional development (CPD) every year.
On The Guardian's Voluntary Sector Network.
Data protection advisory visits
Charities as well as small businesses are being encouraged to invite an 'advisory visit' from the Information Commissioner's Office to provide advice on issues relating to data protection. This is an alternative to a full-blown audit, and involves a one day visit from a member of ICO's good practice team to see what they do with data and how they do it.
Work accident reporting change
From 6th April, subject to parliamentary approval, the requirement under RIDDOR to report any accident which results in incapacitation of over three days will change to only reporting if the incident results in over seven days' incapacity.
Employers and others with responsibilities under RIDDOR must still keep a record of all over-three-day injuries (if the employer has to keep an accident book, then this record will be enough). RIDDOR = Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
Collating social media and charity news
Our Storify trial continues over on CharityBlog - start at the home page http://charityblog.org.uk/wp/. It features material thrown up by your editor's regular trawl of social media networks, charity news and other web links which might not quite make the grade for the newsletter, but is still of interest.
Produced roughly daily, with a funding round-up on Friday and all the previous week brought together on Monday, although that may change. Suggestions for, and opinions on, this resource welcome.
Improving business/voluntary sector connections in NI
Business in the Community in Northern Ireland is running a survey to inform its work in brokering the professional and business skills of Northern Ireland companies to assist the social and economic regeneration of communities.
It should take community and voluntary organisations a maximum of 15 minutes. At http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LCTVPCH, complete by 10th February.
How the economy is affecting your organisation
Charity Bank and Charity Technology Trust are running an anonymous survey to gather insights into the effects of the economic crisis on the sector, changes in charity relationships with suppliers and contract terms. T
here is a Marks and Spencers voucher draw for those completing the survey, http://ctt-news.org/O-AOL-F5IONRNFF-974UZ-O255-1/s2.aspx.
Bringing Empty Homes back into use
Community and voluntary organisations have been invited by the government to apply for funding that will help bring empty homes blighting their areas back into use. It is hoped that such schemes will provide extra opportunities for local jobs and training too.
Communities Department news release at http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/2072874
Tax incentives for social investment
Umbrella body NCVO has published the recommendations of its Commission on Tax Incentives for Social Investment. The report suggests specific technical tax changes to help increase the level of investment in social ventures.
Carers charities to join forces
Crossroads Care and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers are to merge their efforts to provide support, information and advice to unpaid carers, with a new charity possibly ready by 1st April.
However, the charities' networks will continue to provide support to carers under their local brands, and are not expected to merge locally as a result of the national merger.
Community Newswire, http://www.mediatrust.org/newswirefeed/charity-carer-2001-charity-carer/.
Proposals for a register of government lobbyists
The government has launched a consultation on its proposals for a Statutory Register of Lobbyists.
Charity campaign on newspaper copyright licensing
A campaign to exempt charities from media licensing fees has been launched by CharityComms. The current system of copyright licences, to allow circulation of colleagues with copies of news coverage received, is run by the Newspaper Licensing Agency and sees payment of about £1.3 million from charities.
More details and a research report are available from http://www.charitycomms.org.uk/medialicensing.
Profile of Scotland's charities, 2011
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, OSCR, has produced 'Scottish Charities 2011' to illustrate the scale and activity of the sector, and tracks how the profile of charities has changed compared to 2008 and 2005.
Civil Society Media starts its news item: Larger charities in Scotland that are in receipt of government funding get 57 per cent of their total income from public sector sources, while smaller charities in the same boat get just 18 per cent.
Creating and sharing video training material
People Management magazine has an article on a collaborative video learning project being run by the Charity Learning Consortium, with more than 100 organisations being provided with flip video cameras to create their own pieces of training content to be shared online.
Using graphics to communicate
New on NCVO's discussion pages, 'Infographics: What are they and how can I use them in charity communications?', which has attracted a few useful comments already.
Social Enterprise Dictionary
Social Enterprise UK has created a Social Enterprise Dictionary, structured in four categories: General, Legal, Public sector, Finance and investment.
Review of rural community enterprise
The first systematic review of the various forms of community-led social enterprise across rural England and their impact has been produced by the Plunkett Foundation. The report states that social enterprises are increasingly being developed by rural communities to take control of the issues affecting them.
