From: Fareham Action e-News [pobeirne@farehamaction.org.uk]
Sent: 16 February 2007 18:42
To: E-News Distribution
Subject: Fareham Community Action ; e-newsletter no_59 2007
Fareham Community Action
Member Organisations and Associates e-Newsletter No. 59 February 2007
Comic Relief Logo 16th March

Please forward this to members of your organisation and others who you think may find it interesting.  We have a newsletter subscribing form on our website so that individuals can receive the e-newsletter directly. Have you seen our web site at www.farehamaction.org.uk ? If you do not wish to receive this in future please reply to remove@farehamaction.org.uk   Also you can submit news item for next issue.  E-news archive to come soon.
Several links are to pdf documents if you do not have acrobat reader then either download (8mb) or call into the office for a disk.
Hyperlinks: be aware that links could be split into two; make sure you copy and paste all into your browser.
 
Support Funding Webpages Info Portal What's LAA 

 
Equality Networking Lunch  Friday 23rd Feb at Noon
in Ferneham Hall's Octagon Lounge - £2.50 for a light buffet lunch.
 
Equality - A briefing on Equality Schemes  with particular reference to Gender Equality; Government require statutory authorities to put these equality schemes into place - and to consult.  FBC has completed some and is now developing the Gender Equality Scheme. 
(Portsmouth Hospitals is developing a single Equality Scheme ) 
there are two reasons to attend this lunch
  • The requirements of authorities can be pushed through to voluntary / community organisations
  • You would probably want to have a say in how the authorities intend to determine how Equality will be promoted
  • and a third reason - it is good to meet others in vol orgs over a nice lunch!
Please book-in by email to admin@farehamaction.org.uk or via page www.farehamaction.org.uk/netlunch
Future lunches for 2007, make a note in your diary! 
23rd March;  Community Policing,    27th April; GP Commissioning,   18th May,   22nd June,   20th July,   28th September,   23rd November
Harbourside Training
 
Volunteers are our Greatest Asset   - last few places available.  A day session to enable participants to refresh or start their understanding of best practice in managing and retaining volunteers.
Weds 28th Feb at Fareham 9.30 to 3.30  .  This session is funded by the LPSA2 programme.  Booking but not attending without 5 days notice will be charged at £25.  This is the second in the series - participants really enjoyed and valued the first. - book now  admin@farehamaction.org.uk   or call 01329 231899
 
The Harbourside Training programme is available book early to ensure a place.  12th March "Outcomes" - understandin this is essential for writing successful funding applications. see list www.farehamaction.org.uk/training07
 
Fit4Funding March Newsletter crammed with latest in funding opportunnities - contact Fareham Comunity Action for a copy admin@farehamaction.org.uk
 
Children and Young people - Governement Discussion paper
With so much happening with children and young people ( ending children's fund next year, formation of Childrens Centres, development of Extended Services, development of Fareham's CYP strategy  it might be a good thing to have a thorougly comprehensive discussion paper.
 
 
Audit Commission on Child Accident Prevention
The report says ...."A lack of strategic plans, local action plans and coordination resulted in duplication of effort, and a loss of focus and drive for some local approaches. We found little evidence of systematic strategic approaches to develop, implement and monitor programmes to prevent unintentional injury in children."  in F&G we have struggled to maintain a CAP group due to other [government] pressures; we all realise that prevention is better than cure but it requires top level committment.  http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/reports/NATIONAL-REPORT.asp?CategoryID=&ProdID=B0354AA7-E411-45f0-8227-B5FDA6EB35A1&SectionID=sect1#sect3
 
 
Gender Equality
The GED requires public authorities to promote equality of opportunity for men and women, and to eliminate sex discrimination and harassment.  It is not about providing identical services to men and women but about meeting the differing needs of men and women.
There are ways that the GED may affect vol orgs; those that are providing public services, under LA funding, will also need to comply.  Secondly, the GED provides a useful lobbying tool if public services are not meeting the needs of women or men. www.farehamaction.org.uk/ged.pdf
 
PCT Gender Equality
Hampshire PCT launch discussion paper on Gender Equality - this, as required by law, covers both service provision and employment.  Users of NHS services are inveted to comment before 26th February.   See discussion paper www.farehamaction.org.uk/HantsPCTGenderEqualitySchemeDiscussion.pdf
 
Engaging Communities
Hampshire Overview and Scrutiny is holding a conference with the Health Care Commission on March 1st about "Engaging Communities in Responsive Services" ie Health and Social Care.  I will be attending as a representative of the Voluntary Sector; so I seek your comments, concerns, anecdoatal evidence
The chair of the board aspires to deal with the following areas.....
· Build effective engagement with our communities and the role of the elected member in this work
· Streamline existing arrangements to deliver improved services to local people
· Use local intelligence to inform scrutiny activities and national regulation
· Strengthen accountability to, and involvement of, communities in decision making
· Build partnerships to improve effectiveness in targeting resources.
 
please send notes to pobeirne@farehamaction.org.uk before 1st March!
 
What stops you getting involved?
A Commission lead by Dame Jane Roberts, a prominent local government figure, will look at what barriers are preventing every day people from becoming councillors http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2352 
 
 
Changes to Residential Care Charging
Proposed changes to the system for residential care charges are to be made on 9 April 2007, government seeks views before 28 February 2007.  http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/14/22/80/04142280.pdf 
 
Disabled Facilites Grant Consultation
Covers spending of £121M last year; government wishes to consult on proposed changes - open until 13th April.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/650/DisabledFacilitiesGrantProgrammeTheGovernmentsproposalstoimproveprogrammedelivey_id1505650.pdf 
 
Hampshire Trading Standards undertake survey about selling of Mobility Goods
Trading Standards are concerned about heavy weight tactics used to sell mobility goods.  Survey forms are available at Shopmobility.  or see http://www.hants.gov.uk/regulatory/tradesta/index.html#qrt 
 
Respect Zones
Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth, with 37 other cities to get share of £6M to fight anti-social behaviour by providing, for example, parenting classes, meetings between police and the public and "intervention projects", to tackle so-called "neighbours from hell". No areas in Hampshire are included.
 
What's on Next Month
For the list and details of campaigns, events, celebrations and observations see the Count Me In Calendar from www.farehamaction.org.uk/cal  
Comic Relief 16th March http://www.comicrelief.com/
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Paul O'Beirne
Chief Executive
Fareham Community Action
01329 231899
www.farehamaction.org.uk
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