Review of 2012

Finally there is a small break in the busyness of life to pause and review 2012!

Business Planning and Sustainability continued to be a strong theme through different assignments.  Including:

• Drafting business plans for three voluntary and community groups...
• ... Which then formed the backbone for successful funding applications.
• Working for a funder to ensure that organisations receiving grants used the money prudently and effectively.

Research and Mapping assignments covered:

• Identifying organisations delivering arts projects and/or working with vulnerable adults - in two specific geographical regions.  This work enabled the client to explore expansion, through partnerships, into new areas.
• Researching and marketing a quality scheme for voluntary sector providers of after school activities.  This included training as an advocate for QiSS and QES - to support providers through the schemes.

Participation and Engagement covering:

• Including users in the shaping of services designed for them.
• Particularly where there are communication issues, mental health or disability.
• Researching perceptions of the psychological contract that exists between a corporate and their employees across a number of functions.
• Editing the newsletter for national disability organisation, including commissioning articles from medical professionals and profiling personal stories.

Recruitment and Development activities included:

• Design and delivery of a consultancy skills workshop for special needs advisors working in schools.  With a strong emphasis on personal skills and change management models.  To be repeated in 2013.
• Design and delivery of recruitment processes for clients.
• Provision of advice on a range of HR issues relating to the employment of sessional staff.
• Sourcing speakers for development workshops eg raising awareness of local FGM issues for health professionals

Interesting Events and Conferences always prompt new and creative responses to real needs, and also provide an opportunity to share best practice and talk about Flourishing Consulting's work.  There were an abundance of such activities during 2012.

• ENORB in Brussels - meeting at the European Parliament for the inaugural meeting to discuss faith responses to conflict across Europe.
• Babcock and TES SEN exhibitions offering the latest innovations in special needs education.
• Children England conference offering examples of effective models for mergers and partnerships for voluntary sector groups.
• Youth into employment - presenting a variety of practical models operating at a local level.
• Reclaiming London - developing faith based community responses to the London disturbances in the summer of 2011.
• Division of Occupational Psychology Conference - in January 2013 - where I spoke, albeit briefly, on self employment options.

On top of that - my first Published Article in SEN Magazine - looking at faith perspectives on disability.

So far, Trends for 2013 continue to be:

• Survival of third sector organisations through mergers, partnerships and consortia.
• Building capacity to bid for local authority tenders.
• Diversifying income streams through creative and socially enterprising activities.
• Smart ways to maximise staff potential - through flexible work patterns, clarity on core competencies, investment in tailored development.   

If you like the kind of work I do - and the concept of Flourishing - please get in touch at karen@flourishing.me.uk