Trans;ating the language of Government Norwich November 2009

Welcome Thank you for coming Translating the language of government Paul Whitnall

Some housekeeping
Toilets
Fire Exit
Timings

Something about me
Not an apologist for this or any other Government
I’m interested in the place where social issues and my Christian faith meet
I advise Churches and other Charities on how to be stronger
Usually that’s about money and funding

What I do
I work with YMCA Norfolk, and other YMCAs
I am active in supporting charities tackling youth violence, anti-social behaviour and so on
I am a retained adviser to the Bishop of Barking, and with various Churches of all traditions
I am involved in redevelopments of church buildings and land to create community service centres – at no cost to the Church!
I was until recently chair of the East London Community Foundation
I do work for the East of England Faiths Council
I have served on PCCs for over 25 years
I work with Time for God, who place international gap-year volunteers

Format
Really heavy on input –
I’m going to do about 90 minutes, in 3 bits
We’ll do some workshop work, about 30 minutes
20- 30 minutes for questions and framing any follow-up approaches
My 3 bits:
Introductory stuff
Some things Government is formally saying
Some opportunities
Workshop bits
What we can or should do

Move from known to unknown
From what Scripture says to what Government says
Or even what a potential government is saying

Start with the end in mind

Not real until its local
So how are we going to bring this down to earth
So there are some tangible takeaways
This presentation is already on www.slideshare.com
Search “Whitnall”

Tangible takeaways
Hand-outs
NB: Spoon-fed is not as effective as
Self-help

You should leave later with
Understanding of trends of thinking
Places to find out how to keep up with that
Specific funding opportunities
Where to look
How to find out more
Who to contact
What to say
An idea of who can or could help
Supporters
Consultants
Potential partners and collaborators
Look around

All wasted if you don’t make time to follow up
Book 3 or 4 half-days in your diary to do some stuff
It is work
Research
Read
Browse the web
Ring someone up
Arrange to meet someone

Some Scripture: source of our agenda
Isaiah 51
Luke 4
Acts 10:38

God is love
Loves everyone
Wants you, me and all of them to be in His family
He and we want people to have fulfilled lives
His word is full of compassion and care

That’s the spring that drives God’s people into:
Health Care
Education
Youth work
Community development
Support for broken families
Justice and mercy for offenders
Welcome and care for ‘aliens and strangers’

Government is concerned for
Each and all of these
We have hugely congruent agendas
We want the same things
In many cases, driven by the same motivation

Gordon Brown interview with Premier Radio, august 2009
stressed that the “role of religion and faith in the public square is incredibly important”.
“ I think it is impossible for Christians to be expected to detach themselves from their faith as they work, because when we talk about faith we are talking about what people believe in. We are talking about the values that underpin what they do. We are talking about the convictions that they have about how you can make for a better society.”

Prime Minister also confirmed that
the Government would still prioritise foreign aid for those in poverty despite the current worldwide recession.
Mr Brown said, “We have responsibilities to those in need and in difficulty and we cannot walk by on the other side.”
He added, “Our responsibilities to the poor are even more acute and obvious at a time when people are facing difficulty.”

David Cameron talking to Songs of Praise
David Cameron has said he is a Christian who believes in God and goes to church, although “not as regularly as I should”.
The Conservative leader said Sunday School was one of his earliest memories, but said he did not “drop to my knees” and ask for help in a crisis.
However Mr Cameron added his Christian faith was a “part of who I am”.
His comments on the BBC’s Songs of Praise diverge from other party leaders who have not discussed their beliefs.
Mr Cameron was brought up in an old rectory and told BBC One’s Songs of Praise, which was filmed in his Oxfordshire constituency of Witney, that his family were “relatively regular churchgoers”.
He said: “I believe in God and I’m a Christian and I worship – not as regularly as I should – but I go to church.

Tory policy on 3 rd Sector

Politicians now do “do God”
Stephen Timms in Cambridge
Contact Graham Dale
“ We want the churches involved and active in community life”
This government
heard the criticisms of the Report of Von Hugel on the Church of England
Black churches are heavily and naturally engaged in social action
We are natural allies
We should work together

They realise we cannot abandon our faith basis
They have to have us as we are
We do not need to - we must not - sell out
We do have to articulate how our faith impacts our social action
So look at, and if you can, sign up to the FaithWorks Charter

SOURCES about Government
Huge amount
Getting it
Filtering it
Using it
Perhaps there’s an opportunity for an information pool?

Ways to access Government Thinking
Publications
Parliamentary Bookshop
Websites
Department by department
Directgov.uk
Regional and Local Agencies
intermediaries
But we may still need a translator!

Explore reasons for not accessing information
Time
Knowing the way around
Knowing what we’re looking for
Even when we find it, what do we do next?

Daily updates... Wired.gov

Government funding

directgov

Number 10.gov

Departmental websites

The need for translation
Government has much to communicate
Much of interest and relevance to faith groups
Often a common purpose
Improve society
Improve life for the people
But often faith groups are unaware
Unresponsive
Disconnected
To the detriment of all parties

Benefits of engagement
People get the advantage that Government is designing
Trust us (The Third Sector) more than ‘the system’
Your faith group is engaged in the social fabric
Connection
Voice
Influence
Respect
Government intentions have greater hope of being realised

Government
Organised by theme
Complex shape to reflect the complexity of our 21st Century world
Which departments are we familiar with: (there are 27 in all)
Some have greater resonance with us
In which department is the Faith Community Support Unit?

Departments of State [27]
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Foreign and Commonwealth Office Government Equalities Office Department of Health Home Office Department for International Development Ministry of Justice Leader of the House of Commons House of Lords Northern Ireland Office Privy Council Office Scotland Office Department for Transport HM Treasury Wales Office Department for Work and Pensions HM Household Regional Affairs
Attorney General's Office Office of the Advocate General for Scotland Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Cabinet Office Department for Children, Schools and Families Department for Communities and Local Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport Ministry of Defence Department of Energy and Climate Change

Here are Six
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Cabinet Office (includes the Office for the Third Sector)
Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Ministry of Defence

Here are further Six
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department of Health
Home Office
Ministry of Justice
HM Treasury (the origin of Futurebuilders funding)
Department for Work and Pensions

Examples
Local Involvement Networks (Health)
Face to face and side by side (DCLG)
Real people, real power (DCLG)
Future Jobs (DWP)
National Offender Management Services (MOJ)
Community Asset Transfer
Real help for communities (Office of the Third Sector)
Capacitybuilders
Social Investment Business

REAL PEOPLE, REAL POWER (DCLG)

Local Involvement Networks (Health) Help build a better health service... Sometimes the people who use services don’t feel they have a strong enough voice to change aspects of their health or social care. The introductions of LINks is part of a wider process to help the community have a stronger local voice

The opportunities
Local Involvement Networks (LINks)
Will give citizens a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered.
Run by local individuals and groups and independently supported –
the role of LINks is to:
find out what people want,
monitor local services and
to use their powers to hold them to account.

LINKs presentation (DoH)

LINk contacts

Here he is:

FACE TO FACE AND SIDE BY SIDE (DCLG)

FUTURE JOBS (DWP)

If you didn’t get it first time...

Mini Media Box
Mini Mediabox accepts applications for grants of anywhere between £1,000 and £5,000.
To enable the voices of young people to be heard in ways which bring positive changes to their lives and to the lives of their peers and communities.
To achieve this by supporting innovative and high-quality community-based media projects that target disadvantaged young people and empower them to shape the nature of their activities.

Key Criteria:
Organisations should have a turnover of less than £100,000 to be eligible and be one of the following:
a registered charity;
not-for-profit organisation;
trusts and incorporated association;
non-statutory youth and community based organisation.

If you can answer ‘yes’ to the following questions, your organisation will be eligible for Mini Mediabox:
Does your organisation have a Child Protection Policy?
Are you a not-for-profit community based organisation?
Does your organisation have a written constitution?
Does your organisation have a dedicated bank account in the name of the organisation with two signatories?
Do you or any of your partners have a track record of working with 13-19 year olds?
Do you or any of your partners have experience of participatory media projects?

National Offender Management Services (MOJ)

Real help for communities (Office of the Third Sector)

Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises
an action plan outlining £42.5 million support for the third sector
in the difficult economic climate.
third sector groups can access the funds via the Social Investment Business.

Background
In Nov 2008 the Office of the Third Sector formulated a number of guiding principles. They aim to ensure continued and strengthened delivery to deprived communities.
The Principles:
Helps achieve economic growth, equality and social mobility
Delivers real help now and in the future for individuals, families and communities
Ensures as many resources as possible are directed into frontline services
Encourages third sector organisations to work together to provide help now and in the future
Provides a rapid response to current and emerging needs

How does the funding in the plan break down?
Meeting Demand for Services and Tackling Unemployment
Up to £10 million investment in a volunteer brokerage scheme for unemployed people.
This will create over 40,000 opportunities for people to learn new skills and give back to communities through volunteering.
From April 2009
A £15.5 million Real Help for Communities: Targeted Support Fund will provide grant funding to small and medium providers in communities most at risk of increased deprivation due to the recession - meaning more small grants to more community groups – Available from April 2009

Strengthening the Sector now and in the future
A £16.5 million Real Help for Communities: Modernisation Fund:
Will support viable third sector organisations
to access specialist services
in order to restructure and
become more resilient and efficient in the recession.
Funding for organisations available from summer 2009

Community Asset Transfer
This is potentially very exciting
Local government owns lots of community assets – land, buildings, community centres
The belief is that the community would use these assets more imaginatively and efectively
Improving communities
Releasing local government from operational concerns

The Road to Asset Transfer

Especially interested in these 2
Action 16
Transfer more assets to communities
supporting partnerships ... to demonstrate what works in asset transfer and the creation of sustainable community enterprises which strengthen communities and create local jobs.
Action 18
Invest in local community anchor organisations as resources to support local community activity
Over the next three years, we will invest, with the Office of the Third Sector, in the long-term sustainability of the third sector through supporting community anchors to develop their role in stimulating opportunities, attracting resources and supporting community sector organisations at a neighbourhood level.

Deeper in the document: page 25
1.5 What needs to change?
It means local agencies, such as neighbourhood policing teams, mobilising the positive will of the many to counter the anti-social destructive actions of the minority. Local people of all ages, coming together to participate in and shape local services to ensure they address the things people care about in their community;
crime and anti-social behaviour, safe and clean streets and high quality and welcoming public spaces, schools, leisure and health services.

Deeper still... p40
Action 16:
Transfer more assets to Communities
In many areas local authorities have
already transferred assets such as disused buildings or old swimming pools.
The government is implementing fully recommendations on how to boost the transfer of public assets, such as land, buildings or facilities, into the control of communities – see case study 10.
A consortium led by the Development
Trusts Association is supporting
partnerships in 20 areas to demonstrate
what works and find the best practice to
help others.

Making Assets Work:
The Quirk Review of Community Management and Ownership of Public Assets [Quirk, 2007]
said
optimise the community benefit of publicly owned assets,
transfer of asset ownership and management to community groups.

transfer of public assets to community ownership
needs to realise social or community benefits
The benefits of community management and ownership of assets can outweigh the risks
There are risks but they can be minimised and managed.

The secret is all parties working together.
This needs
political will,
managerial imagination and
a more business focused approach from the public and community sectors.
More information from the Asset Transfer Unit
Also offer free business plan and viability assessment

Communitybuilders

Social Investment Business Contact Tom Young, Business Development 0207 842 7715

If We Had Their Ear:
What would we want Government to hear from us...
Constructive
Beneficial
Credible
Pro-people

Paul Whitnall
[email_address]
075 1525 4040

Thank you for coming

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Trans;ating the language of Government Norwich November 2009

by Paul Whitnall on Nov 26, 2009

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Trans;ating the language of Government Norwich November 2009 — Presentation Transcript