Friday 19 December 2014

Government Statement on Local Council Spending .. Local welfare provision

It looks like there will be some continuration possible of Care and Urgent Needs moneys.... (which is not as bad as it might have been!)
 
from

Oral statement to Parliament

Provisional local government finance settlement 2015 to 2016

 

With colleagues in Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions, we have been analysing responses to the government consultation on how local welfare assistance should be funded in 2015 to 2016. We have been looking at these alongside the Department of Work and Pensions review.

Local authorities will continue to be able to offer local welfare assistance from within existing budgets, alongside a range of other services for 2015 to 2016 if they judge it a priority in their area. It would be helpful to many areas to see how much of their existing funding relates to this. So today I can confirm that we have separately identified an amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier authority's general grant, totalling £129.6 million nationally.

The government has always been clear councils should choose how best to support local welfare needs – because what is right for Croydon will not be for Cumbria. Therefore this allocation will not be ring-fenced and we will not be placing any new duties, expectations or monitoring requirements on its use.

The government will carefully consider all responses to the consultation on this settlement, including those which relate to provision for local welfare over and above existing budgets, and will take these into consideration when announcing the final settlement in February.

 

for more




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Wednesday 17 December 2014

Monday 15 December 2014

Feeding Britain and flourishing communities

Tim Thornton, the Bishop of Truro, co-chaired the Inquiry Into Food Poverty and Hunger which produced last week's Feeding Britain  report. In this guest blog, Bishop Tim shares his own reflections on the factors driving food poverty – and the best response.



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JRF Weekly publications and blogs: w/b 1st December to 12th December 2014

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Sent: Monday, December 15, 2014 9:00 AM
Subject: Weekly publications and blogs: w/b 1st December to 12th December 2014

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Joseph Rowntree Foundation | Search Demonstrate Influence
Weekly publications and blogs: December 2014

Publication: The benefits of tackling worklessness and low pay

This research shows how increasing employment and wages can boost the economy, both locally and nationally. It uses Leeds and Leeds City Region as examples.

Publication: Achieving climate justice: the agenda for action

This publication looks at the agenda for action on climate justice.

It summarises the last of three 'dialogues' on the subject, which was hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University and JRF with the participation of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice.

Blog: By ducking the childcare challenge, the Smith Commission falls short on poverty reduction

Will further devolution help to reduce poverty in Scotland? Jim McCormick examines the Smith report to find out.

Blog: Hunger inquiry shows why we urgently need a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy

Rising living costs and poorly-paid jobs are at the heart of poverty in the UK, says Helen Barnard.

Blog: Loneliness affects us all and we need to act

The BBC's #take10 campaign is not the first attempt to highlight the issue of loneliness, and - says Tracey Robbins - we need to make sure we all act to prevent it.

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The Joseph Rowntree Foundation seeks to understand the root causes of social problems, identify ways of overcoming them, and show how social needs can be met in practice.




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Sunday 14 December 2014

Support to food banks from Lidl's

 
 
Please retweet this statement from . EVERY store manager can give end of day goods to .
 
 



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Friday 12 December 2014

Merry Christmas one and all

Some provocative toughts on how we do Christmas from the Church of Scotland blog



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Homeless Sunday January 18th

Please share in your networks
 
Check the website
 
 



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Thursday 11 December 2014

Job opportunity in Blackpool

 

Are you an enthusiastic Christian, interested in an opportunity to work with the marginalised in the centre of Blackpool?

 

Then the attached job advertisement may be just what you are looking for.

 

 

For an application form please contact
David Leach

 

Preferably by e mail: davidleach2@tiscali.co.uk

(Tel 01253 392385)

 

 

Applications must be received by

Wed 31st December 2014

Applicants selected for interview will be notified.

Interviews are expected to take place on

Wed 14th January 2015

at North Shore Methodist Church
JOB DESCRIPTION

 

Job Title:                                 Comfort Zone Manager (p/t 16 hours/week)

 

Lay Employee in the              Blackpool Methodist Circuit

 

Location:                                North Shore Methodist Church, Dickson Road, Blackpool. FY1 2AP

 

Responsible to:                      The Comfort Zone Manager will be employed by the Blackpool Circuit and will be under the supervision of the Minister in pastoral charge of North Shore Methodist Church (the Minister). 

 

Responsible for:                     Leading and managing a volunteer workforce to support and sustain the smooth running of the Comfort Zone activities and help develop it's vision

 

Purpose and Objectives:       the Comfort Zone's vision encompasses building up a group of people on the margins of today's society to have a relationship with Jesus at their centre and by which they will regain wholeness and self-respect, becoming valued for who they are  through a self-supporting structure that will help to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs

 

 Main Responsibilities

·        to provide leadership and management of the Comfort Zone Project, working in collaboration with the Minister, the church community and the Circuit and taking the Chair of the Comfort Zone Management Committee;

·        to be a visible presence and support when Comfort Zone activities take place wherever practicable and ensuring sufficient numbers of volunteer helpers are available for the weekly activities;

·        to recognise skills and requirements of the volunteers, sourcing suitable training opportunities;

·        carry out appropriate risk assessments and participate in risk management ensuring statutory Health and Safety and Food Hygiene policies are followed;

·        to keep appropriate records of volunteers, especially those required relating to Safeguarding Young People and Vulnerable Adults, fully supporting (and adhering to the processes of) the Methodist Church in its commitment to Safeguarding;

·        to support the overall vision of an open and inclusive Christian centre and apply Equal Opportunities policies and procedures at all time;

·        to communicate and champion the Comfort Zone across the Circuit, ecumenical and lay organisations to draw people into the vision gaining tangible support for its aims and objectives;

·        to source and access suitable resources/funding opportunities to help develop the project;

·        to attend Circuit's Social Responsibility Board (the designated oversight group) meetings up to 6 times a year to keep them appraised of the project's progress, raise appropriate issues for discussion and advice and agreement to any future developments;

·        to undertake at least 1 week's personal training/development a year

 

 

 

Terms and conditions

·        Terms of appointment:           Fixed Term until 31st Aug 2017

·        The salary will be £8,500 per annum for this part-time appointment.

·        Normal working pattern: 16 hours per week with 3 hours specifically on both Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings at Dickson Road Methodist Church.

·        Opportunities for study and for training.

·        All reasonable expenses will be reimbursed including towards approved  training.  (Note you will not be expected to use a car for this job).

·        28 days(5.6 weeks) statutory annual leave entitlement per year (pro-rata for part-time Workers).

·        Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Enhanced  Disclosure & Debarring Service (DBS) disclosure, satisfactory references and satisfactory completion of a three-month probationary period.

Management

·        The Lay Employee will have a line manager (the Minister) whose responsibilities will be to:

Ø      Become familiar with the work of the Lay Employee.

Ø      Work with the Lay Employee to determine priorities for the work.

Ø      Prepare a personal development plan with the lay employee.

Ø      Ensure good communications between all people and networks involved.

Ø      Monitor and evaluate progress with the Lay Employee on a regular basis (formal meetings will take place at least monthly during the probationary period and quarterly thereafter).

Ø      Act as a "sounding board" to the Lay Employee.

Ø      Encourage  the Lay Employee to arrange pastoral support, through the formation of a separate support group.

 

 


 

Person specification

 

 

 

                             Criteria                                                       Essential/Desirable                                       

            Experience

 

Christian faith and values with active involvement in a church and/or community

E

Experience of working with vulnerable adults

E

Working in a paid or voluntary community development setting

E

 

 

 

Skills

 

Excellent communication across a wide variety of people

E

Able to develop effective working relationships

E

Able to motivate a team of volunteers

E

 

 

 

Knowledge

 

Issues around homelessness, drug and alcohol misuse and appropriate support services

E

Methodist structure and organisation

D

Social action conscience

D

Legislation relevant to the post

D

 

 

 

 




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Benefits Street and lifestyle choices

 

Our new Poverty Media Unit has exciting plans to challenge the stigmatisation and exclusion attached to poverty. The Unit Coordinator, Jackie Cox, explains.




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Wednesday 10 December 2014

No one turned away.... Crisis research.....Please consider signing this petition...

 
Please circulate around homeless forums and projects
 
 

To investigate the scale of the problem, Crisis recently sent undercover researchers to 16 councils across England to test the support that is offered to homeless people. In 50 out of 87 council visits, they received little or no help at all. Across the country, this is likely to mean thousands of homeless people are asking for help and getting nothing.

In response, Crisis has launched No One Turned Away, a campaign calling for politicians to review the help single homeless people in England get under the law, so no one is forced to sleep rough.

To support the campaign, please sign the petition on the right of this page.

Read our Turned Away research

Turned Away

Eight undercover researchers visited 16 local authorities across England to examine the quality of assistance single homeless people receive from Housing Options and homelessness services. The report reveals that at the majority of visits the undercover researchers

 
Shalom

Greg Smith

Development Co-ordinator Together Lancashire / Preston Christian Action Network




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Monday 8 December 2014

THE MYTH OF THE UNDESERVING POOR ... Book review


 
If you are stuck for a Christmas present for your Christian friends, vicar or minister I can recommend this book I've just been reading.
 
It's an excellent account by two charismatic evangelicals of poverty in Britain today and attitudes towards the poor. It grounds the study in real life experience which emerges when churches and community projects set out to meet local needs, in the history of Welfare provision in the UK, in analysis of popular media portrayals of poverty and in a survey of Christians' perceptions and attitudes towards  the poor. Sadly but perhaps unsurprisingly these seem to correlate more closely with the newspaper people read than with the Biblical narratives. The authors set out a "biblical case for radical mercy" dips into the extensive Biblical material (concentrating on the gospel accounts of Jesus) and ends with a call to action involving simplicity, generosity, proximity, community, strategy and expectancy in prayer and faith for the miraculous.  It's a short book of just over 100 pages and if there is a weakness it is that it does not grasp the nettle of engaging in political action and whether or how poor communities can get organised to struggle for their voices to be heard and to establish justice for their communities. Nonetheless it's really good to see this level of understanding and engagement with the people and the issues from this section of the church and should be on every Christian's reading list.
 
 
 

If you would rather or also hear a podcast of a seminar by one of the authors (Natalie Williams)  follow this link
 
 
 

A Christian response to poverty in Britain today 


When you think of poverty in Britain today, do you picture innocent children going without food or scroungers lounging on the sofa all day watching TV and cheating on benefits claims?

For Christians, what we think about the poor in our nation needs to be shaped by biblical values, but can so often be framed by the dominant narratives of the day, which affect our attitudes and actions.

Have we fallen for the myth of the undeserving poor?

Book Facts:  
TITLE: The Myth Of The Undeserving Poor
AUTHORS: Martin Charlesworth & Natalie Williams
PUBLISHER: Jubilee+ Ltd
TYPESET & PRINTED: Grosvenor House Publishing Limited
PUBLICATION DATE: October 2014
RETAIL PRICE: £7 for book. £5 for e-book
ISBN: 978-1-78148-875-1
e-ISBN: 978-1-78148-320-6
PAGES: 113
 
 



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What are the rules about serving food at events? Guidance here

Lots of folks who run community events worry about whether or not they're allowed to serve food at community events. Do you need a license? Are there health and safety issues you need to be aware of?

Turns out, the rules aren't as complicated as you might think. This guide has advice for providing food in a village hall or other community setting for volunteers and charity groups and should separate the fact from the fiction.

You are leaving Just ActCatering advice for charity and community groups providing food
- See more at: http://www.justact.org.uk/2014/10/24/what-are-the-rules-about-serving-food-at-events/#sthash.F8o1n2LS.dpuf

Lots of folks who run community events worry about whether or not they're allowed to serve food at community events. Do you need a license? Are there health and safety issues you need to be aware of?

Turns out, the rules aren't as complicated as you might think. This guide has advice for providing food in a village hall or other community setting for volunteers and charity groups and should separate the fact from the fiction.

- See more at: http://www.justact.org.uk/2014/10/24/what-are-the-rules-about-serving-food-at-events/#sthash.F8o1n2LS.dpuf
Catering advice for charity and community groups providing food - See more at: http://www.justact.org.uk/2014/10/24/what-are-the-rules-about-serving-food-at-events/#sthash.F8o1n2LS.dpuf
 

Lots of folks who run community events worry about whether or not they're allowed to serve food at community events. Do you need a license? Are there health and safety issues you need to be aware of?

Turns out, the rules aren't as complicated as you might think. This guide has advice for providing food in a village hall or other community setting for volunteers and charity groups and should separate the fact from the fiction.

- See more at: http://www.justact.org.uk/2014/10/24/what-are-the-rules-about-serving-food-at-events/#sthash.F8o1n2LS.dpuf

Lots of folks who run community events worry about whether or not they're allowed to serve food at community events. Do you need a license? Are there health and safety issues you need to be aware of?

Turns out, the rules aren't as complicated as you might think. This guide has advice for providing food in a village hall or other community setting for volunteers and charity groups and should separate the fact from the fiction.




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Coverage and response to the the publication of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Food Poverty and Hunger

 
A digest (or prehaps given the topic an indigest ;-) ) of some early reaction to the Food poverty report.
 
Keith Hebden... a detailed critical response here
 
 

Guardian coverage www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/08/tories-avert-rift-church-food-bank-report

++ Justin in the Mail   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2863784/State-food-banks-says-Welby-Archbishop-Canterbury-steps-austerity-row-radical-report.htm

Niall Cooper... Church action on poverty http://niallcooper.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/feeding-britain/

 

Retweeted Chris Baker (@DrChrisRBaker):

We must ensure Hungry Britain report focuses on structural and political issues & not simply recycling unwanted food http://t.co/b5lHO9vaG0

Andy Turner

"A clear moral case to address the shortcomings that exist in our ‪#‎welfare‬ system."

Martin Johnstone

If we really want to deal with the issue of ‪#‎foodpoverty‬ we actually need to deal with the issue of ‪#‎corporategreed‬. ‪#‎FeedingBritain‬

and published earlier http://cos.churchofscotland.org.uk/blogs/priority_areas/2014/08/14/food-poverty-its-time-to-get-angry/

Retweeted Ben Phillips (@benphillips76):

When the Sun & the Guardian front pages both highlight the new all-party church-backed report on hunger in Britain... http://t.co/nNoSQzz6eB

 

 




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