The VYS Executive is asking member organizations for their support during an important time of transition as VYS has lost its local authority funding but has reserve funds and opportunities to bid for new funding. To ensure VYS can attract new funds and meet member needs, VYS is asking members to complete a questionnaire about their needs and desired services so VYS can plan effectively for the future. Briefing meetings will also be held in May for members to further discuss their needs.

1. FUTURE SUPPORT FOR YOUR
ORGANISATION
On behalf of the VYS Executive I am asking
member organisations for their help and support
during what is going to be an important time for
VYS and the voluntary youth sector generally.
As you may know VYS has had its funding
withdrawn by the Local Authority Youth Service.
However, we have reserve funds and will have
new opportunities to make bids for funding from
other sources in the future. We are also now
totally independent of the local authority and free
to determine our own future. With this in mind,
the VYS Executive wants to ensure that its
services are focused upon the wishes and the
needs of its members (and of the voluntary
youth sector generally).
To give VYS the best chance to attract new
funds and to provide its members with a service
that is relevant to their needs, we need you to
tell us what those needs are and what services
from VYS will be the most valuable to your
organisation in the future.
THIS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO US AND I
SUGGEST TO YOU AND YOUR
ORGANISATION.
CONTENTS
Devon/Regional News
Events
Training Courses
Publications and Resources
Grants / Awards / Competitions
National News & Information
I know that many of you may not like
completing questionnaires but please do
complete the one we have recently sent to
some of you as it will be invaluable to us in
our planning for the future. We have tried to
make it as simple as possible and it should
not take long to complete.
This is REALLY IMPORTANT TO US, so
please help us so that we can help and
support you, your organisation and the
work that you do with young people more
effectively in the future. If you would like a
copy of the questionnaire, please contact
Juliet or Anthea at the VYS office.
The information we receive from your
questionnaire will also inform the briefing
meetings we are organising in May and at
which you will be able to discuss more fully
the needs of your organisation and the sort
of services you require to support your
important work with young people.
The meetings will be held at the YFC Centre, Exeter and the dates are as follows:
THE NEWSLETTER FOR ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN YOUTH WORK IN
DEVON AND PRODUCED BY VOLUNTARY YOUTH SERVICES
Issue 4 – APRIL 2011
VYS, YFC Centre, Retail Park Close, Marsh Barton Road, Exeter EX2 8LG
Tel / Fax: 01392 250976 E-mail: admin@vysdevon.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 1054442
www.vysdevon.org.uk

2. 2
Monday 9th May 3.30 – 5.00
Monday 9th May 6.00 – 7.30
Tuesday 10th May 3.30 – 5.00
Tuesday 10th May 6.00 – 7.30
Thanking you in anticipation for your support in completing the questionnaires and I look
forward to seeing you, or a representative from your organisation, at one of the briefing
meetings in May.
Paul Allan, VYS Chair
DEVON NEWS
JOB VACANCIES - Visit the VYS website which is updated with new vacancies on a
regular basis – see http://www.vysdevon.org.uk/page/jobs
Balloons Pre and Post Bereavement Support Service - balloons is a charity providing
support for children, young people and families before or following the death of someone
significant in their lives and it is looking for people who will be dedicated in supporting
grieving children and young people, sharing their experiences as they move through the
healing process. Free training is provided to those committed to providing this service. If
this area of work interests you, then please take a look at www.balloons-devon.org.uk and
then contact Deborah Butler, Family Worker/Trainer on 01392 826064, or email
familyworker@balloons-devon.org.uk.
Wren Music is looking to appoint a Chair of Fundraising to maximise its income
generation. This person will be an ex-officio member of the board of Trustees.
The role of this voluntary post is to stimulate fund raising activities based on individual
giving. For details contact Kevin Buckland at info@wrenmusic.co.uk
Devon’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) - This now covers the whole of
Devon and will receive all contacts and referrals to children's social care (new language
MASH enquiries). MASH will provide information sharing across all organisations involved
in safeguarding – encompassing statutory, non-statutory and third sector sources.
Essentially the hub will analyse information that is already known within separate
organisations in a coherent format to inform all safeguarding decisions. All partners will
work together to provide the highest level of knowledge and analysis to make sure that all
safeguarding activity and intervention is timely, proportionate and necessary. MASH
focuses on three key functions:
Victim identification and early intervention - working with the Early Response
Service to support children and young people whose needs do not meet the
threshold for Children and Young Peoples services.
Harm identification and reduction - this will be done by identifying children and
young people experiencing the highest levels of harm and making sure partners
work together to support them with harm reduction strategies and services.
Co-ordinating partner agencies - working with vulnerable adults and vulnerable
children.

3. 3
There will now be one central number for the MASH 0345 155 1071. The MASH will run a
consultation service for professionals to discuss cases where they are unsure whether to
make a MASH enquiry. It is also promoting the use of written MASH enquiries, and there
is an enquiry form on the DCC website
http://www.devon.gov.uk/text/index/childrenfamilies/childrenfamiliescontacts/multiagencyr
eferralform.htm and www.vysdevon.org.uk/resource/cat/safeguarding/1019
Extreme Coasteering are North and South Devon's Coasteering specialists. Coasteering
is the perfect outdoor activity for groups and their fully qualified team will take you along
an adventurous coastal route where you will climb, scramble, traverse, swim, go through
caves & crevasses, get washed around in the swell, jump and freefall your way to an
adrenaline pumping time. They operate from Croyde bay in North Devon and from
Ansteys Cove in Torquay in South Devon. It costs from £25 per person with a minimum
group booking of 6. For details ring 07816169011, email info@extremecoasteering.co.uk
or see www.extremecoasteering.co.uk
Free Exmoor Activities - Ashcombe Big Adventure on 31st May (half Term holidays).
Visit the heart of Exmoor on this free, all-day family event. For details of this and other
activities contact David Rolls on 01398 322164 or email DRolls@exmoor-
nationalpark.gov.uk
North Devon All Starz will this year be presenting the regional premiere of Peter Pan the
Musical as part of their 5th
Anniversary celebrations. If you know of any young people
aged 8 to 23 who would like to be part of this exciting production the auditions at The Park
Community School, Barnstaple are on Friday 27th May from 6.30pm to 9pm. If you would
like to know more about the auditions, the show or the group then please contact the
chairman on tolleyangell@yahoo.co.uk. The ethos within the group has never changed
and the main aims are for the children to have fun and to raise money for children’s
charities through the profits of the show. Many thousands of pounds have been raised for
different children’s charities.
EVENTS
10th May Tendering through Partnerships and Consortia is a one day workshop being
held in Exeter to help Voluntary and Community Sector organisations adapt to the shift
towards being commissioned to deliver services through partnerships and consortia.
This event will give you and your organisation:
A clear understanding of the types of tendering and delivery consortia, including
benefits and risks and the types of legal structure/contracting and sub-contracting
arrangements that underpin consortia.
Key challenges and how to manage them e.g. managing relationships with larger
organisations and between peers
An overview of procurement, including best practice, advice, and what
commissioners and procurement officers are looking for
Practical recommendations around issues such as risk management, liability,
performance management, financial management and governance.
A chance to meet with similar organisations to share your experience, good
practice and ideas for partnership working
Limited places are available and a deposit cheque of £10 is required with the booking
form – returned on attendance. This workshop is open to any voluntary and community

4. 4
sector organisations actively interested in tendering as part of a consortium or partnership.
For details ring 01392 202055 or email info@devonconsortium.net
11th May Introduction to Youth Challenges and Youth Achievement Awards is a
training day from UK Youth to be held in Bristol. This training is aimed at anyone who is
new to or currently considering delivering the Youth Challenges and Youth Achievement
Awards with young people. For details contact Charmaine Simpson on 0203 137 3827 or
07702 958544 or charmaine@ukyouth.org or see
http://www.ukyouth.org/whatwedo/Training+Calendar/yaatraining
17th May Social Enterprise Demystified (morning) Legal Structures & Governance
(afternoon) are workshops from Cascasde Training. The morning session will introduce
the concepts and reality of social enterprise, using examples and interactive exercises.
The afternoon workshop will guide you in exploring different organisational structures. See
www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk or email lauren@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk
18th May Preparing effective funding applications is a training event from ETN being
held in Bristol. This popular event will cover the principles of preparing and writing
effective funding bids and applications. Ring 0121 359 2113 or see
http://shop.btcv.org.uk/shop/level3/562/stock/8158
20th and 25th May Equality Act 2010 – Equality South West are running events that will
give a thorough outline of the implications of the new Equality Act and the Single Equality
Duty, drawing on the latest Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance. They run in
Exeter and Plymouth respectively from 10.00 to 1.00 with a networking lunch. See
http://www.equalitysouthwest.org.uk/about-us/promoting-equality-for/legislation/the-
equality-bill/equality-act-tour-2011.html
23rd May Invitation to Tender Process training to be held in Exeter. It is being run as
part of the VCS Commissioning Project and will be a practical workshop aimed at helping
organisations work through the various questions in the ITT process. The training will be
run by Tamara Essex. Full details and a booking form will be available shortly. A booking
deposit will be required but the training will be free, funded by the VCS commissioning
project. To register your interest email Sarah Prior at info@devonconsortium.net or ring
her on 01392 202055.
24th May Introduction to monitoring and evaluation is a training event from ETN being
held in Bristol. This very down-to-earth event will answer questions such as: what is the
difference between monitoring and evaluation? why do it? who should do it? who is it for?
how does it fit into the learning cycle of a project or organisation; how does M&E relate to
planning? what does a funder want to know in an evaluation? how to use it for
fundraising? Ring 0121 359 2113 or http://shop.btcv.org.uk/shop/level3/562/stock/8160
24th May Strategic Planning for Social Enterprises (in a nutshell) – this workshop
from Cascade Training is being held in Taunton and will provide an ideal introduction to
the business planning process for not-for-private-profit organisations. It will look at why
strategy is critical to your success, identify the basic principles involved, explore what
makes a good business plan and help you to decide what to put in and, more importantly,
what not to put in your plan. You will learn how to develop clear and compelling vision and
mission statements, how to ‘tell your story’ in a format that will meet the needs of your

5. 5
different stakeholders and gain an understanding of how to implement the plan across
your organisation and get ‘buy in’. See www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk
1st June Practical Tools for Community Engagement - This workshop being held in
Plymouth considers the principles of participation and presents a range of lively and
accessible ways to involve and empower people. It is delivered in a participatory way that
will have participants talking, laughing and actively learning. This course is suitable for
anyone who wants to engage community members or people who use services in
decision-making. For more information contact the Zebra Collective on 01752 395 131 or
see the website for full training programme details www.zebra.coop
2nd June Working together to safeguard children in Devon – this is the NEW DATE
for this FREE event. It aims to be a stimulating event bringing colleagues together from
the community and voluntary sector who work across early years and young people's
provision. Responding to the safeguarding audit, this interactive event will build
knowledge and confidence, share best national and local practice and engage participants
in interactive workshops, demonstrating tools and techniques to improve the safeguarding
of children and young people. See www.saferdevonchild.org for details and to book.
7th June Working in Partnership in the Youth, Arts and Cultural Sectors is a course
from Artswork in partnership with Gathering Voices at SoundWorks in Bristol. This
workshop shares practical techniques and approaches to working in partnerships with
other organisations and individuals in order to achieve a successful youth arts project or
event. Looking at the benefits of where, when and how to find the right partner, this
session will offer a simple structure for both working in and developing your partnerships.
The training will use an interactive approach to explore issues such as defining roles and
setting realistic targets, this course will also cover troubleshooting for problem areas,
including when and how to bow out gracefully if partnerships aren’t working! Prices for the
courses usually range from £110 to £150, however if you book before the 5th May you
can benefit from a special rate fee of £75 per person. For more information contact the
Programme Manager - Artsplan via: artsplan@artswork.org.uk or call 02380 682535.
16th June Managing Change – restructuring for success! Is a new course from
Cascade Training taking place in Bristol that is designed to support managers at all levels
in an organisation who are confronting the challenge of planning and implementing
change in the workplace. This is a very lively, practical workshop which encourages
delegates to bring a ‘live’ change issue for discussion and work collectively with
colleagues to identify good solutions. What is the argument for change in your team or
organisation? How will you consult? Who do you need to influence? During the day, you
will learn how to lead and manage a change process, and explore the essential skills
needed to persuade staff in your organisation to follow your lead.For more information
visit www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk or contact Lauren Evans on 07854 208369 or
lauren@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk.
17th July Devon RFU Young Leaders Development day is being run as part of the
RFU’s people and places programme at Plymouth Albion RFC for anybody who is
actively volunteering within Rugby Union between the ages of 14 and 20. This may
include; referees, coaches, assistants, administrators, fund raisers, first aiders and many
more. Bookings need to be made by 30th May. For details contact Rob Masters on
01548 854222 or email RobMasters@RFU.com

6. 6
TRAINING
DACVS Learning Programme:
Planning and Running Events - North Devon on 11 May
Supporting Volunteers with Support Needs - Exeter on 18 May
Marketing your Group/Organisation - Torridge on 17 May and South Hams on 14
June
Emergency First Aid at Work - Teignbridge 15 June
Volunteers and the Law - Mid Devon on 22 June
Volunteer Management and Support - West Devon on 29 June
.
For further information on all courses see www.dacvs.org.uk or contact your local CVS.
Devon Welfare Rights Unit (DWRU) provides a programme of training courses on
benefits and tax credits. For further information contact Llinos Davies on 01392 223827 or
email Llinos.davies@citizensadvice.org.uk. Details of the full programme are available at
http://www.dwru.org/training.html
Domestic Violence and Abuse Training - ADVA now partners with DSCB as Working
Together to Safeguard Children training providers. For details of courses running in May
and June contact Claire Birch on 01392 382567 e-mail: claire.birch@devon.gov.uk or see
http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/childrenfamilies/domestic_violence/adva-
professionals/adva-training.htm
Ethical Ventures: a different way of doing business is a social enterprise start-up
training programme that offers a choice of 10 workshops over 6 days in Taunton during
May, June & July. The 'Ethical Ventures' programme is designed to support those in
emerging or fledgling social enterprises – and those considering starting one up – by
offering workshops that provide new learning opportunities in affordable bite-sized chunks.
For further information see www.cascadetrainingplus.co.uk or contact Lauren Evans on
07854208369 or email lauren@cascadetrainingplus.co.uk
Qualifications to work with young people – NCVYS has a section on its website giving
information. See http://www.ncvys.org.uk/index.php?alias=qualyp.
Safeguarding Training - DSCB Inter Agency courses – there are a number of dates
available to book from May for the various inter-agency courses. Please go to
www.devon.gov.uk/onlinebookings for further information and follow the drop down menus
as follows:
Course Category: Working with Children and Young People
Sub Category: Multi-agency
Course title: DSCB (whichever course is applicable).
Group 3 Inter-agency Child Protection Training (formerly Child Protection Level 3 two day
course) is now a new inter-agency Child Protection programme for Group 3 which is a
combined 'e' learning module plus a one day taught course. Please visit
www.dscb.info/training-index for details and look at the Downloadable documents and the
Quick Links to access both dates and the 'e' learning module, which can be accessed at
anytime and should be completed 4 weeks before the taught course. If you have any
questions please ring Anita Davidson 01392 383366.

7. 7
Solution-focused Communication Training to be run in Plymouth 6th & 13th June.
This two-day training course will leave you thinking and working in a powerful new way. It
may change your life. The ideas, values and skills of solution-focused communication are
helpful to anyone who works with people: the focus moves away from the problem
towards preferred futures, progress already made, strengths and possibilities. The power
of this approach has long been evidenced in helping services, community work and
schools, but is becoming recognised also in staff / human resource management,
coaching and supervision, and organisational development. For details go to
www.zebra.coop, or contact Jan Horrocks on 01752 395131 email jan@zebra.coop
PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
An Equal Place at the Table for Children and Young People is a resource pack that
highlights the benefits to organisations and young people of involving the younger
generation in decision-making.
http://www.participationworks.org.uk/files/webfm/files/npf~/npf_publications/An%20Equal
%20Place%20at%20the%20Table_jun10.pdf
Charitable Status: A Practical Handbook - This handbook provides straightforward
explanations of what a charity is and how it should operate. It covers charity categories,
registration, liabilities, requirements, trade and many more basics needed for running a
charity. This is must for charities and would-be charities, and their trustees, staff and
advisors http://www.dsc.org.uk/Publications/Law/@7808?dm_i=6S7,4UEU,N89OL,F1Y6,1
Charity Commission CIO Guidance and Constitutions has been published to enable
charities, advisers and anyone else interested in setting up a Charitable Incorporated
Organisation (CIO) to decide if the CIO structure is the right one for them, and to
familiarise themselves with the guidance and constitutions ahead of the expected
implementation in the summer. A CIO, brought in by the 2006 Charities Act, is an
incorporated form of charity which is not a company. It only has to register with the Charity
Commission and not Companies House and is only created once it is registered by the
Commission. A CIO can enter into contracts in its own right and its trustees will normally
have limited or no liability for the debts of the CIO. See www.charitycommission.gov.uk
Charity Commission News - The Spring 2011 edition has been published and it
introduces a new piece of guidance to help you manage your charity's assets and
resources. It also suggests tips for protecting your charity against fraud, and includes an
update on the Commission's strategic review. See
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/About_us/About_the_Commission/newslist.aspx.
Developing Skills for the Future is a new resource produced by NIACE that is designed
to offer guidance to practitioners across the youth sector, to support them in working
together to develop young adults' literacy, language and numeracy skills. Free to
download from http://shop.niace.org.uk/developing-skills-future.html
Health and safety made simple is a new section to the Health and Safety Executive's
website - http://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/index.htm. It gives the necessary
basics and links for more resources and key issues.

8. 8
HRBank - 112 new policies have recently been added to this. HRBank contains an
extensive collection of human resources policies and job descriptions which have been
donated by voluntary and community organisations. These are available for organisations
to amend and tailor to their own needs. It is FREE to access – see http://www.ncvo-
vol.org.uk/advice-support/people-hr-employment/hrbank/hrbank
Media Matching is a FREE Media Trust service that aims to bring media and
communications professionals together as volunteers with charities and voluntary
organisations looking for help with specific media and comms needs. For example, a
charity might need some assistance in writing a communications strategy, advice on
producing a press release, designing an annual report, re-branding their organisation,
suggestions of how to pitch stories to journalists etc, and they try and find them a
professional who could help them with this for free. There is an online service where any
charity can upload their request for help, and where media advisers can register, then
view all the charity requests. If the adviser feels they can help, they respond direct to the
charity via the site and the 'match' goes from there. A match might consist of a one off
phone call, or a longer term relationship - it's totally up to the adviser and charity involved
and depends on what the charity is looking for and the adviser can offer. If you are
interested visit www.mediatrust.org/media-matching and click on 'voluntary organisations'
and you can download a guide about how it works, and register if you are interested.
Snippets, NCVYS’s workforce development e-bulletin, is available to download from
http://www.ncvys.org.uk/Workforce.html.
Too safe for their own good? Is a new edition of a book from NCB that was originally
produced more than 10 years ago. It is aimed at anyone who works towards enabling
children to become competent and capable adults and includes examples of how
thoughtful practice can create a genuinely interesting learning environment in which
children can be safe enough to take on manageable risks. It looks at the role of the media
in influencing adult fears and then discussing our increasingly risk-averse society. See
www.ncb.org.uk/books/toosafe for details.
GRANTS/AWARDS/COMPETITIONS
Claude and Margaret Pike Charity makes grants almost exclusively to organisations and
individuals in Devon. Almost half of its funds are given to ‘overseas’ ventures of students
at or between school and university and the other half of their funds goes to voluntary
organisations. Whilst the beneficial area is Devon, the current policy of the Trustees is to
focus on organisations and causes within the ‘travel to work areas’ of the WBB ball clay
and china clay operations (ergo Newton Abbot). Applications in writing to John D Pike,
Correspondent and Trustee, The Claude and Margaret Pike Charity, Dunderdale Lawn,
Penshurst Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 1EN.
Live UnLtd provides young people with the opportunity to create positive change in their
communities by offering awards of up to £5,000. Live UnLtd awards can help them with
the costs of running their project – for example venue hire, equipment costs, marketing
materials, travel and volunteering expenses. For details go to http://www.liveunltd.com/
Prince’s Trust Community Cash Awards – grants of up to £3,000 are available for
young people to help set up a project that will benefit their community. Projects must: be

9. 9
run and managed by people between the ages of 14 and 25; clearly benefit the local
community; benefit the people running the project; and be a new or developing project.
See www.princes-trust.org.uk/communitycash
Sport for You - The Daily Telegraph, in partnership with the Royal Bank of Scotland have
launched a new grants programme to support community and amateur sports clubs
across the country. Five grants of up to £1,000 will be awarded on a monthly basis.
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/amateur/8281316/A-1000-amateur-sports-club-
grant-could-be-yours.html
NATIONAL NEWS AND VIEWS
2011 European Year of Volunteering - The Office for Civil Society has announced the
names of the charities that will receive funds under this £580,000 programme to
encourage volunteering. The umbrella body Volunteering England will receive a £78,000
grant from the fund and will be responsible for overseeing UK-based activities carried out
as part of the project, which has been set up by the European Commission to raise
awareness of volunteering. A partnership between the volunteering charity v and the
youth charity Catch22 will receive £37,000 from the fund.
A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and
Transforming Families’ Lives sets out the Government’s approach to tackling poverty
for this Parliament and up to 2020. At its heart are strengthening families, encouraging
responsibility, promoting work, guaranteeing fairness and providing support to the most
vulnerable. This strategy meets the requirements set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010,
focuses on improving the life chances of the most disadvantaged children, and sits
alongside the Government’s broader strategy to improve social mobility.
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childpoverty/a0076385/chil
d-poverty-strategy
Are you a faith-based youth worker? Nigel Pimlott from the Frontier Youth Trust is
asking for a few minutes of any faith-based youth workers’ time to complete a
questionnaire as he is looking to discover the scope, impact and understanding of faith-
based youth work. Specifically, he is hoping to explore the relationship between faith-
based work, community cohesion and the Big Society.
http://www.kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=IJIJGK_4ef1e494 .
Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) has announced its programme of
work with the Department for Education (DfE) during 2011/12, with £113.4m being
invested in workforce development. By next March much of its work will be transferred to
either DfE, a new executive agency or be led by employers. Most of the funding will be for
social work (£79.9m) and early years (£16.85m), and there is nothing for the voluntary
sector specifically. Activities include completing work to develop and deliver the
framework for the development of apprenticeships for working with young people at levels
2 & 3 that was started under the Young People’s Workforce Reform Programme. Direct
funding will not continue for the Young People's Workforce Reform Programme,
Integrated Working and Safeguarding, but £11m of administration funding is expected to
be used "to ensure that products such as training materials and other resources are kept
up to date". See
http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/assets/0001/1784/Remit_letter_28_March_2011.pdf

10. 10
Consultation on Best Value – the Department for Communities and Local Government
DCLG have launched a consultation on new guidance “setting out clear expectations
when councils consider cutting funding to local voluntary and community organisations”.
This draft guidance builds on a recent speech given by Eric Pickles, in which he outlined
three reasonable expectations when changing funding. These include:
• giving 3 months notice when changing or ending funding relationships;
• assessing the impact of changing funding to voluntary and community sector
organisations; and
• consulting with affected organisations and communities.
These replicate undertakings established in the Compact, and the draft guidance also
recognises the vital role of local Compacts. The consultation ends 14th June. The
government expects to publish new Best Value guidance as early as possible before the
summer. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/bestvalueconsult
Consultation on Cultural education - Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has launched an
independent review of cultural education, to be led Classic FM Managing Director Darren
Henley. The review will look at how children can experience a wide variety of high quality
cultural experiences, both inside and outside of school. Henley has issued an open
invitation to anyone who wants to contribute to the consultation and feed into his
review. He will aim to create a definition of what a solid cultural education should comprise
of and how to make sure that all young people benefit from it. Deadline is 20th May.
http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8039.aspx
Consultation on EMA Replacement - The government has announced it is to replace
the education maintenance allowance with a £180m bursary scheme to help
disadvantaged 16- to 19-year-olds continue in full-time education. The bursary will be
made up of a guaranteed payment of £1,200 a year to 12,000 of the most vulnerable
young people, including children in care and teenagers living away from their parents. The
rest will be given to schools and colleges to distribute as a discretionary fund to students
who face financial barriers to participation such as transport or equipment costs. They will
have the freedom to decide the scale of the bursaries; to pay weekly, monthly, or
annually; and link it to behaviour or attendance. Even after the guaranteed bursaries have
been paid to the most vulnerable 12,000, colleges will still have £165M for the
discretionary pot. There will also be additional transitional arrangements to help those who
are part-way through their studies and are currently receiving the EMA. The Government
is carrying out a consultation on the scheme so the detailed arrangements can be
finalised in time for allocations to be made to learning providers for the 2011/12 academic
year. The consultation seeks the views of young people, parents, learning providers and
other stakeholders and the deadline is 20th May. For details of the proposed scheme see
http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/DNWA-8FEKDX and for the consultation
http://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consulta
tionId=1754&external=no&menu=1. Meanwhile, the OECD has called on the government
to encourage participation in further education and reinstate the EMA to improve
achievement among young people. It also said the government should continue its focus
on core literacy and numeracy skills.
Dormant Bank Account Funds - Co-operative Financial Services (which runs the Co-
operative Bank) has been approved by the Financial Services Authority to establish the
facility to receive monies from dormant bank accounts which have not been used for 15
years or more. The Reclaim Fund will then go to the Big Lottery Fund and eventually out

11. 11
to good causes. Based on the current industry view that the amount of money that the
Reclaim Fund will receive is around £400 million, it is estimated that the first distribution to
Big Lottery Fund will be in the region of £60-100 million and will be transferred in phases
over the next twelve months.
Education Endowment Fund - The Department for Education has announced that the
Impetus Trust and Sutton Trust will co-manage this fund. The fund, which is worth £125m,
will be used to provide grants to underperforming schools to boost the attainment
disadvantaged pupils. The trusts will be responsible for making sure that grants go to a
variety of different projects. These projects will use bold and innovative methods to boost
the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in underperforming schools. The fund will invite
applications from teachers, charities, local authorities, social enterprises, public sector
bodies and co-operatives, and is expected to launch in the early summer with the first
awards expected in the autumn. For the first two years the scheme will only accept
applications from, or in partnership with, underperforming primary and secondary schools
in England. http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/pressnotices/a0076339/social-
mobility-charities-put-in-charge-of-fund-for-the-poorest-children
Evidence Base - Children's minister Tim Loughton delivered a stark message to
children's and youth organisations at the Funding the Future conference in London last
month. He told delegates that government support will focus more on "quality of
outcomes," adding, "it is, in other words, about producing more evidence-based projects".
His warning came less than two months after Labour MP Graham Allen's report Early
Intervention: The Next Steps urged the government to end the culture where "billions of
pounds are paid out year after year; indeed decade after decade, often without the faintest
acquaintance with an evidence base".
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/cypnow_daily/article/1065973/home-evidence/
Improving Services for Young People - an economic perspective is a report from
Catch22 that reveals that if a more coordinated approach to services for vulnerable young
people were adopted the cost benefits to the state, and improved outcomes for young
people, would be to the value of £3.2 billion. It shows that adopting a more joined-up
approach to services for young people would see a return of £5.65 for every £1.00
invested. It says that at the ages of 16, 17 and 18 many of the better targeted and
coordinated services for children fall away, often leaving young people who lack support
from their families both vulnerable and struggling. http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-
1.nsf/0/6E5DFD74851839E78025786F003A921F?OpenDocument
Inquiry into the Future of cheques - The Treasury Select Committee is to reopen its
inquiry on the future of cheques given continuing public concern about possible moves to
phase out this method of payment by 2018. Written evidence should be sent to the
committee by 6th May. http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-
z/commons-select/treasury-committee/news/new-inquiry-the-future-of-cheques/
Institute for Youth Work - Catalyst is a consortium of four organisations (led by NCVYS
in partnership with the National Youth Agency, the Young Foundation and the Social
Enterprise Coalition), working with the Department for Education as the strategic partner
for young people. Workforce development is one strand of the consortium’s work and a
work plan for this activity is still in development, but as part of this there will be an
opportunity to explore the possibilities for developing an Institute for Youth Work. This
opportunity has been discussed in the sector for a number of years and would be intended

12. 12
to provide a strong voice for the sector and those individuals within it. Early discussions
between the Catalyst consortium and the sector have concluded that the plan for an
Institute would require it to work in harmony with existing structures and bodies, and serve
to secure a coherent framework for a wide range of practitioners, enabling them to
contribute to the setting of standards for the sector.
Into the Future: Young People’s and Teachers’ Views on Career Advice is a survey
by the National Youth Agency and Local Government Association that showed that 8 out
of 10 young people find the careers advice they receive in school useful. The study
surveyed the views of 900 pupils aged 14 to 18 and 500 teachers. Young people rated
parents and carers as the most useful sources of advice on career choices (26 per cent),
followed by teachers talking to the whole class (20 per cent). Only 10 per cent stated that
a one-off meeting with a Connexions adviser was the most useful source of careers
advice. A classroom setting was the favoured way to find out basic careers advice, the
study found, but young people also felt there should be more personalised support offered
in small groups or one to one.
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/cypnow_daily/article/1063582/majority-young-people-
rate-schools-careers-advice-useful-survey-reveals/. Meanwhile an Ofsted report, Girls’
career aspirations has found that some girls are receiving weak careers education,
which is making it difficult for them to make properly informed choices about courses and
careers. In most of the schools visited, not enough was being done to promote the
confidence, drive and ambition of girls to take risks in challenging vocational stereotypes.
Of the 1,725 examples of work placements for young women collected from school
records, only 164 represented non-stereotypical experiences.
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News/Press-and-media/2011/April/Girls-making-
uninformed-choices-about-careers
Ofsted should be split into two new organisations covering education and children's care,
according to a report by the education select committee on the role and performance of
Ofsted. It says that a single children’s inspectorate is too big to function effectively and
needs greater elements of specialism to give people increased confidence in inspections.
The split would raise confidence that inspections in any setting are carried out by
inspectors with relevant training and experience, the report claims. The recommendations
have been criticised by children's services union Aspect and the Association of Directors
of Children's Services (ADCS). See http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-
1.nsf/0/09EBB50F6CBB72FA80257877003029E0?OpenDocument and
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/cypnow_daily/article/1066072/sector-declares-
opposition-ofsted-split/ The chief inspector of Ofsted, Christine Gilbert, has resigned and
will leave the position at the end of June. Miriam Rosen, a former executive director at
Ofsted, will be the interim chief inspector until a permanent appointment is made.
Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers – this is the new strategy published by the
government that aims to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to fulfil their potential,
regardless of the circumstances of their birth. The strategy, focuses on inter-generational
social mobility: ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to do better than their parents. It
aims to tackle unfairness at every stage of life with specific measures to improve social
mobility from the Foundation Years to school and adulthood.
http://www.dpm.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-determined-open-doors-
opportunity

13. 13
Safe Network - Following the announcement of a further two years of funding from the
Department for Education it is putting together a detailed business plan that reflects the
needs and priorities of the community and voluntary sector. The partnership of NSPCC
and Children England is being strengthened by the addition of the Child Accident
Prevention Trust to enable it to provide even greater support and advice to the sector.
http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/news_and_events/news_articles/Pages/the_safe_network_
secures_funding.aspx
Scouts - More girls than boys joined the Scout Association in the UK in the past year for
the first time in the movement's history. Annual membership figures reveal that 4,330 girls
joined the movement compared to 3,796 boys in the 12 months up to 31 January 2011.
Waiting lists to join the Scouts remain at an all-time high, with the group still in need of a
significant rise in the number of adult leaders to cope with demand. The current waiting list
stands at nearly 33,500.
UK Youth Parliament - The British Youth Council (BYC) is to take over the running of the
UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) for an interim period of six months after receiving a
£335,000 government transition grant. The charity Democracy for Young People currently
oversees the management of UKYP, but it will be wound down and its responsibilities
transferred to BYC and has been awarded a £65,000 grant to help with the transfer.
Volunteering charity v will receive £1.25m in core funding from the Office for Civil
Society in 2011/12. The charity was given £37m from the OCS last year. The £37m was
given to v to run a set of programmes that implemented the recommendations of the
Russell Commission, which aimed to encourage more young people to volunteer. Jayne
Colquhoun, corporate affairs director at v, said the £1.25m would go towards the charity's
running costs. It would aim to raise other funding through donations from the private
sector and by bidding for government contracts.
Volunteering England is calling on volunteer-involving organisations to sign up to raise
the standards of volunteer management. By signing the promise, organisations are
making a commitment to work towards criteria set below the following headings:
• We will endeavour to get it right from the beginning
• We will offer means to achieve reconciliation if things go wrong
• We accept our responsibility
See http://www.volunteering.org.uk/WhatWeDo/Policy/Volunteer+Rights+Inquiry
Volunteer Infrastructure Programme - The government has delayed giving more details
of this fund that it announced in its Giving Green Paper in December. The green paper
said the Office for Civil Society would set up a fund worth £42.5m over four years that
would "provide brokerage as well as front-line support to volunteers and the organisations
that manage them" and that it would begin in March this year. A spokesman for the OCS
said more details of the programme would be in the white paper on giving, which was due
to be published in May, saying that "The process has been delayed because we had far
more responses to the green paper on giving than we expected. It’s important to look
through these properly, and get things right rather than rush into them."
Work Programme - The Prince's Trust is among 289 voluntary sector organisations that
will be charged with helping young unemployed people find jobs through the new Work
Programme. The £5bn initiative is the largest payment-by-results scheme ever run by
government. For the first time all welfare-to-work providers will be paid through the benefit

14. 14
savings made from the people they help find employment. Providers will have the freedom
to design tailored support for individual clients and extra money will be paid to those who
get the "hardest to help" people off benefits and into work. In total, 16 private and two
voluntary sector organisations have been appointed as "prime contractors" and they will
then subcontract welfare-to-work activities to the 289 voluntary sector groups.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2011/apr-2011/dwp037-11.shtml
Young people and the justice system - Moves to divert young people with mental health
and substance misuse problems away from the criminal justice system towards support
services have received a boost following government investment of £2m. The money is
part of a larger £5m pot that includes provision for adults, with the aim of establishing a
national liaison and diversion service by 2014. The scheme supports the early
assessment of young people on first contact with the police, by providing suitably-trained
staff who are able to undertake a rapid assessment of health needs.
http://www.yjb.gov.uk/en-
gb/News/%C2%A32m+to+help+divert+vulnerable+young+people+from+crime.htm
Youth inter faith guide: call for information - In 2004 the Inter Faith Network for the UK
published Connect: Different Faiths, Shared Values, an inter faith guide for young people
– see http://www.interfaith.org.uk/connect/index.htm. The guide has proven popular and
successful with schools, youth groups and local government, however it is now needs
updating to reflect the range of exciting new projects involving young people in inter faith
activity. In the context of updating the guide, they would like to receive from organisations
that work with young people:
• Information about what you would like to see in a new edition of Connect.
• Information relating to any recent projects which you (or your member groups) have
been undertaking in the area of inter faith work – ie, work bringing young people of
different faiths backgrounds (or ‘religion and belief’ backgrounds) together better to
understand each other’s traditions or to cooperate on projects.
If you would like to send information, contact Augustine Booth-Clibborn
ifnet@interfaith.org.uk
Youth Strategy - The government is being urged to use its forthcoming youth strategy to
support formal partnerships between providers and guarantee young people a minimum
entitlement to services. Children's minister Tim Loughton promised earlier this month that
the youth policy document, due to be published later this year, will be developed with
significant input from the sector over the summer. Consultation on the plans is yet to
begin, but key youth organisations are preparing their proposals for government.
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/youth_work_news/article/1060958/sector-bids-shape-
coalition-youth-policy/
DISCLAIMER – VYS (Devon) accepts no responsibility for any errors or omissions.
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure details are correct, VYS (Devon)
cannot endorse events or items mentioned in this newsletter.