Responding to the Big Society: flexible curriculum development for the
community sector
Sari Sirkia-Weaver (Canterbury District Community Alliance)
Sharon Perera(Kent & Medway Lifelong Learning Network)
Philip Moore (Avante Partnership)
Sofia Vougioukalou (Canterbury Christ Church University)
Nichola Van DerVilt(Canterbury Sure Start & Family Action)
The problem ‘Big Society’: new role for charities, community and voluntary
groups; social cohesion Financial crisis, disruption of social institutions Service delivery for the needs of health and social care sector Lack of frameworks, benchmarks and infrastructure in
voluntary sector
A solution: Co-development of new degreeVoluntary Sector Impact Analysis Foundation Degree in Volunteering
Bridging the gap between employers, volunteers and educators
Promotion of work based learning Measuring impact of voluntary sector
• Civil society orgs.• Public/private
sector
Skills Need/Demand
Skills Need/Demand
•Learners•Volunteers•Employees
Accredited courses/C
PD
Accredited courses/C
PD• Higher/
Further education institutions Knowledge/
ExpertiseKnowledge/ Expertise
Knowledge exchange
Community engagement
Student recruitment;Partnerships
EmployabilityAccess
Workforce development;Productivity
Benefits
Canterbury District Community Alliance the mission :“To represent, enable and strengthen the Civil Society Organisations so that we can work more effectively in partnership and achieve our shared
aims “
Promoting social action
Empowering local communities
Opening up public sector contracts
“Government wants to invest in a new programme of strategic interventions which help Civil Society organisations to modernise and become more efficient & more entrepreneurial in order to take advantage of the opportunities ahead “
“The Government wants to encourage better connections both among civil society organisations and with public and private sectors –THE POTENTIAL TRANSFER OF SKILLS HAS HARDLY BEEN TAPPED “
171,071 organisations Total income £35,5 billion Paid workforce 668,000 Number of people formally volunteering 20,4 million
Numbers of:CSO organisation Paid staffVolunteersLevels of funding Number of services usersThe impact on the service users
Gives CSO added credibility in the increasingly competitive world
Staff and volunteers will acquire higher level of skills sustainability
Group of trained research volunteers can carry out research for organisations giving CSO an additional local resource
Volunteering as a stepping stone into employment
On going relationships with Christ Church University
To deliver the “Big Society” CSO will need to supportto recruit, train and support increasing numbers of volunteers.
Increased demand on CSO services owing to the cuts in public sector and changes in benefits systems?
Can the CSO compete with private sector providers? Vital the CSO is able to measure impact and outcomes
New organisational models: social enterprise and community interest companies (co-operatives and mutual societies?)
Health: GP based commissioning
CSO role: to supplement -not replace - public sector services!
Philip MooreVolunteering and Community Engagement Manager
Project: A work project to scope the feasibility of developing the use of volunteers within the Avante Partnership
With Supervisor, building a set of questions for an initial interview survey of Care Home Managers
Aims:
to find out current level of volunteering in 10 out of 17 care homes
to ascertain future needs and opportunities. to gauge the level of interest and support in volunteer
development
Results were informative and encouraging....
Based on Stage 1, survey questionnaire (21 Qs) created to provide quantitative data with opportunity for qualitative comment
Sent to all 17 care homes for completion Guided to break-down questionnaire information into more
detailed data Data, current and future, on gender, individual and group
volunteering, range of roles and opportunities Data, current and future, on safeguarding, selection, training,
placement, supervision, policies and procedures
.Collection and analysis of the data
Collection and data placed on Excel worksheets in numerical and graphic form
Linkages and correlations made for as much information as possible
Information used to present evidence to Senior Management and Board of Trustees
Information was of great value in agreement to invest in Volunteer development for the future
Volunteering and Community Engagement become an important part of company strategy and a new full-time post created
Work-based Learning in Higher Education
Sharon PereraWorkforce Development Manager
Kent and Medway Lifelong Learning Network
Priorities for 2009/10: Focus on Progression of work-based learners Embedding of projects and achieving
impact Sustainability
The F.D. in Volunteering project presented the opportunity to achieve our objectives
Developing Developing Work-basedWork-based Learning Routes into Higher Learning Routes into Higher EducationEducation
Dr Sofia VougioukalouSenior Lecturer, Knowledge TransferService Evaluation and Development
Programme evaluation Audits Community engagement Organisational development Social enterprise, new business model Curriculum development
The review and development of the regional voluntary sector with staff from CCCU and the CDCA
Eventual production of a local almanac
Training volunteers in research methodology for health and social care
Volunteers develop research projects within their organisations in partnership with supervisors from CCCU
Out-reach events Evening lectures Research methods workshops Mentoring schemes Monthly steering committee meetings with members of
CDCA, CCC and CCCU An end-of-year project award competition Conference participation Dissemination plan
Volunteers as evaluators of their organisation F.D.V. modules
Work-based learning & academic taught modules CCCU sites: Canterbury, Broadstairs, Medway 240 HL credits (Certificate: 120 HL credits)
Core modules: Social Context of Health and Illness
Personal, academic and workplace developmentLaw and ethics in health practiceCritiquing research methods, research project
Specialist modules: Volunteering 1 & 2Person-centred approaches for people with a learning disability
Working with long term mental health problems Enabling well-being in dementia careThe challenge of adolescence
New model for flexible curriculum development Co-development of evaluative practice Benefits for CSOs, volunteers, HEIs
Culture of critical reflection in public bodies and charities Shared learning and shared growth Knowledge enfranchisement
Developing a sense of responsibility and a sense of shared ownership and connected citizenship
Nichola Van DerVilt Voluntary Post Natal Depression Peer Supporter
2010
Your personal Post-Natal
Depression
Experiences
PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR GROUP AGREEMENT TO CONFI DENTI ATELY
WHEN COMPLETI NG THI S QUESTI ONNAI RE. THANK YOU
Any-one who answers this questionnaire must complete it anonymously, please
do not write your name or any other persons names.
Answer the following questions by ticking any boxes that apply to your own
personal experience of post-natal depression:
Who made you aware that help is available?
Not at all A little
A great deal
Considerably
1. Midwife 2. Health Visitor 3. G.P. 4. Friends/ Family 5. Leaflets 6. I nternet 7. Word of mouth
Anything you would like to add?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Vy.S.I.A.Interviewing members of the general public
Interviewing members of multidisciplinary teams
Researching around subject
Planning& implementing a questionnaire
Securing Funding
Dissemination
The Future
Scattering the Seeds
Area of Work
Objective/Outcome to be Achieved
Pre Natal Developing pre natal support Identifying when to provide support To research further and develop project plans
Sign-posting Creating a unique sign post Directing women to the correct care pathway Securing an appointment for that pathway
Training Implementing further training programmes Ensuring adequate amount of trained volunteers To develop quality standards for training
Groups To establish a network of PND groups Create specialist PND community and out-reach teams Develop a weekend group for working mums
Plus the lives of countless women
&their families
Thank you Vy.S.I.A.
Acknowledgements
Canterbury Christ Church UniversityCore team: Adrian Adams, Antonio Sama, Katy RussResearch assistants: Manuela Thomae, Maria SummersonSupervisors: Mary McDonald, Agnes Gulyas, Nancy Clark, Judith Nabb
Canterbury District Community AllianceSimone Field, Alex Krutnik
Canterbury City CouncilHelen Carter
Volunteers
Thank you for listening,any further questions?