Month: June 2021

Moneywise Begin Year of Celebrations

Posted on by Julie

Moneywise Begin Year of Celebrations

Moneywise, the largest credit union in the Northeast of England, is celebrating its 30th year in 2021 with new outreach initiatives and events in its network of branches.

Helping the Community Since 1991

Credit unions like Moneywise are financial institutions similar to banks – the difference being that a credit union is a member-owned, not-for-profit organisation aimed at helping the local community rather than seeking to earn a profit for shareholders.

From humble beginnings in 1991, the Moneywise we know now grew from the Newcastle City Council Credit Union. Originally only permanent employees of the City Council were eligible to join, but today Moneywise offer savings accounts, affordable ethical loans and payroll savings schemes to over 11,000 members from as far afield as Northumberland to the Redcar & Cleveland area, and partner with nearly 50 local and regional employers including Newcastle, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland Councils, Thirteen Housing Group and Beyond Housing.

Also operating under trading names of Tees Credit Union in Stockton and South Tees Community Bank in Middlesbrough and Redcar, from the very beginning Moneywise have been keen to be seen as part of the community it works with and has always had a commitment to outreach and improving the financial wellbeing of its community. As an extension of this and as part of its 30th-year celebrations, it is launching a new “financial health” initiative; driven by its community partnership team, each branch will be working with community, faith and voluntary organisations to promote financial education and improve the financial health of the North East. As well as the financial health project, Moneywise are promoting savings through offering incentives and opportunities to win shopping vouchers, including a draw for all new members who join between July and September! For your chance to win, all you need to do to become a member is visit one of our websites at www.moneywise.org.uk, www.teescreditunion.co.uk or www.southteescommunitybank.org.uk

Phil Goad, Chairperson of Moneywise, said: “We’re extremely proud of our beginnings from an employee credit union to being able to expand out to offer valuable credit union services to the Newcastle and Teesside communities and beyond. We can see in the last ten years alone; the growth has been tremendous and there are many more members of our communities to reach yet. We are excited for what the next 30 years will bring”

 

Useful Safeguarding links and contacts

Posted on by Julie

Keeping people safe is important. All organisations need to do safeguarding well. Everyone needs to be involved. These resources will help you make plans and carry them out.

NCVO Safeguarding — NCVO Knowhow

NSPCC – Voluntary and community groups Keeping children safe in the voluntary and community sector | NSPCC Learning

NSPCC – Safeguarding examples: issues and concerns | NSPCC Learning

Ann Craft Trust Safeguarding guidance for disabled children and adults at risk  Safeguarding Resources & Guides – ACT (anncrafttrust.org)

National Youth Agency – Safeguarding and Risk Management Hub | NYA

Guidance on handling safeguarding allegations in a charity

Posted on by Julie

Every organisation that delivers charitable activities has a responsibility to safeguard people from harm or abuse, whether they are staff members, volunteers, or other people who come into contact with your charity through its work. This tool will help charities in England to handle the reporting of safeguarding allegations about the behaviour or actions of a person in their charity.

An allegation or concern means that a person has or may have behaved in a way that has harmed a child or adult, has possibly committed a criminal offence against a child or adult, or behaved towards a child(ren) or adult(s) in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to others.

Guidance on handling safeguarding allegations in a charity | Office for Civil Society (culture.gov.uk)

Safeguarding and protecting people for charities and trustees – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

Darlington Safeguarding Partnership Protecting Children and Adults

Posted on by Julie

What is Darlington Safeguarding Partnership?

Darlington Safeguarding Partnership (DSP) was established in accordance with the Children Act 2004 (as amended by Children and Social Work Act 2017) and Chapter 3 Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018.

Safeguarding responsibilities are placed on police, health and local authorities to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  The three organisations have equal responsibility for setting out the safeguarding arrangements in Darlington.

Although the statutory guidance is applicable for child safeguarding, the Statutory Safeguarding Partners in Darlington agreed the arrangements will cover Child and Adult Safeguarding arrangements.

The new arrangements provide a greater opportunity of strengthening partnership working across adults and children, ensuring everyone in Darlington can live their lives, safely.

Within the following website you will discover information for reporting a concern for both adults and children, training opportunities and advice and guidance

Darlington Safeguarding Board – Home (darlington-safeguarding-partnership.co.uk)

Training opportunities for Registered Charities and Voluntary Community Groups.  There are no charges for registered charities or Voluntary Community groups within the Borough of Darlington. Unless they book a place and do not attend without prior cancellation.

For more information please click on this link Darlington Safeguarding Board – Training Programme (darlington-safeguarding-partnership.co.uk)

Teeswide Safeguarding Adults

Posted on by Julie

Tees Safeguarding Adults Board

The Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB) is the statutory body that sets the strategic direction for safeguarding adults.

The Board is responsible for protecting and promoting an adult’s right to live an independent life, in safety, free from abuse and neglect in the Boroughs of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton-On-Tees.

The Board is made up of six statutory partners:

  1. Cleveland Police
  2. Hartlepool Borough Council
  3. Middlesbrough Borough Council
  4. Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council
  5. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
  6. Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

There are a number of other member organisations across the statutory, voluntary and community sectors involved in safeguarding adults across Tees. The Board also has strong links with local strategic partners including the Tees Safeguarding Children Partnerships.

The statutory requirements of the TSAB are to:

  • Produce an Annual Report
  • Produce a Strategic Plan
  • Conduct Safeguarding Adults Reviews

Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (tsab.org.uk)

You will find a range of free resources including posters and leaflets for your village hall or community buildings

Leaflets & Posters | Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (tsab.org.uk)

Where to find support in your local area

Find Support in Your Area | Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (tsab.org.uk)

You can access free training within the Tees Area for statutory, voluntary or not for profit organisations – through the E-Learning portal or the training Course & Events Section

Safeguarding All (Adults & Children) E-Learning | Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (tsab.org.uk)

The Board hosts its own Social Media and You Tube Channels, here you will find important updates on legislation, awareness days and the multi-agency training courses available to book.

For more information please visit / follow:- @TeeswideSAB

Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships Stockton, Hartlepool and South Tees

Posted on by Julie

Tees Safeguarding Children’s Partnership

Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility and the Tees Safeguarding Children Partnerships bring together people who work with children and their families to ensure that the safety and welfare of children is at the heart of their work.  We lead the work to safeguard children across our regions.

The aim of the Tees Safeguarding Children Partnerships is to make sure those who work with children and their families do it well and keep children safe. The Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership meetings are attended by professionals from the local authority, health services, the police, and relevant partners.

The Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership’s Procedures Group is attended by representatives from both the Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSSCP) and South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (STSCP).  The group meets six weekly to review and develop Tees-wide Safeguarding Children procedures which are held on this website.  (The Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership’s Procedures Group Terms of Reference can be found here)

Their website gives children and young people, their families and communities and professionals useful information about how organisations work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. 

Home (teescpp.org.uk)

Hartlepool & Stockton-On-Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership

The Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSSCP) is attended by professionals from the Local Authority, Health Services, Police, Probation, Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), Schools, the Voluntary Sector, Lay Members and many others. HSSCP brings together people who work with children and their families to ensure that the safety and welfare of children is at the heart of their work. HSSCP leads the work to safeguard children in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees.

HSSCP has a range of roles and statutory functions including:

  • Developing local safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Scrutinising local arrangements

The aim of HSSCP is to make sure those who work with children and their families do it well and keep children safe.  Their website has information for children & young people, parents & carers and information for professionals

Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSSCP) 

South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership

The STSCP supports and enables local organisations and agencies in Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland to work together in a system which places the child at the heart of the process and aims to ensure that:

  • children are safeguarded and their welfare promoted;
  • partner organisations and agencies collaborate, share and co-own the vision for how to achieve improved outcomes for vulnerable children;
  • organisations and agencies challenge appropriately and hold one another to account effectively;
  • there is early identification and analysis of new safeguarding issues and emerging threats;
  • learning is promoted and embedded in a way that local services for children and families can become more reflective and implement changes to practice;
  • information is shared effectively to facilitate more accurate and timely decision making for children and families.

Professionals/practitioners from the council, health services, police, probation, schools, voluntary sector, Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), and many others are represented on the STSCP.

STSCP has a range of roles and statutory functions including developing local safeguarding policies and procedures, and scrutinising local arrangements.

Website also has space for children, parents and professionals.

Homepage | South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (STSCP)

 

Covid 19 –—– Safer Community Centres

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Helping Community Centres and Village Halls Re-open Safely

Community centres and village halls are places that help to support and sustain public life across the country.  They are hugely valued by their communities for playing a multi-purpose role, serving as a social centre, arts centre, sports centre and in some cases providing education, health, or retail services.

The Covid-19 Safer Spaces guide has been published to assist staff and volunteers to ensure their centres are safe to re-open as the different phases of lockdown come to an end.

Developed by Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) in partnership with architects IF_DO, and Clarion Futures, this free-to-use guide sets out clear stages of how to safely re-open community centres and village halls across the UK.  Visual diagrams illustrate the spatial adaptations required for hiring and other essential services to recommence as safely as possible.

covid-19-safer-community-centres

ACRE also produce timely updated information sheets on their website along with example risk assessments and other useful information.  Please keep checking these as theses are updated as and when required

New information to help village halls reopen – ACRE | Action with Communities in Rural England

Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust – Mental Health Resilience Funding Opportunity

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TEWV- Mental Health Resilience Funding Opportunity

The impact of the COVID pandemic on our mental health and emotional well-being is becoming increasingly evident.  Across the lifespan, we are seeing heightened rates of anxiety and low mood amongst the population.  Many people have been living in fear of contracting the virus; and feelings of anxiety surrounding re-engaging with community life are understandable and very normal.  For those who have been significantly unwell as a result of contracting COVID themselves or have lost a loved one to the virus, we may see specific trauma responses.  Loneliness, social isolation and the lack of freedom and meaningful activity that the lockdowns have caused has posed challenges to our emotional well-being.  Those amongst us who experienced pre-existing mental or physical health difficulties may have found that these have been exacerbated due to the pandemic; with those who have significant vulnerability, multiple disadvantage or living in abusive environments perhaps most at risk.

The pandemic has caused many of us to reflect on our own emotional well-being and what helps us to maintain this.  Services have, as a result of the restrictions, had to become more creative and flexible in how they operate and meet the needs of the local population.  There is a recognition that it is now crucial we learn from these experiences and put into place robust support for people as they navigate their own journey to a place of greater well-being.  ‘Resilience’ funding has become available through Tees Esk and Wear Valley, (TEWV) in order to enhance existing VCSE service provision in the Tees Valley to meet this need.  We would therefore like to invite bids for grants which will have a specific focus on recovery from the pandemic and which are designed to meet the particular needs of the local population; considering any gaps in existing services.

This fund is now open for applications, see below.  It is a simple application process and our Darlington groups can apply for a minimum of £2,000 up to a maximum of £10,000.  (Please note if you are an organisation operating in one of the other local authority areas of the Tees Valley this minimum and maximum level may be different or not exist at all.  Contact details for the other areas are at the end of this brief.)

Applicants must consider the criteria outlined in the attached pdf document, ‘Resilience Funding Tees Valley Overview’. Resilience Funding Tees Valley overview FINAL 10062021

The deadline for receiving applications is by using the application form attached and returning via email to info@teesvalleyruralaction.co.uk or by post to TVRA’s office address by Wednesday 21st July 2021 at 5pm

Darlington TEWV Application Form

It is anticipated that the decision panel will meet on 26th July 2021 to consider applications received.

Please circulate to your networks If you have any queries please contact our office on (01642) 213852 where you will go straight to voicemail but please leave a message and either myself or Janice McColm will get back to you.

For further information on other areas the contacts are the following:
Stockton Catalyst: Karen.grundy@catalyststockton.org
Redcar RCVDA: mike@rcvda.org.uk
Middlesbrough VDA: mark.davis@mvdauk.org.uk
Hartlepool: Leigh.Keeble@hartlepool.gov.uk
Darlington: info@teesvalleyruralaction.co.uk