Team Event - BCIL

Spent the morning with the newly appointed Peer Support Brokers working for Barnet Centre for Independent Living. They are into their second week, and settling into the BILS building in Colindale.

The aim was to fast track the group into effective team working, through exercises covering values, feedback and disclosure. Lots of discussions on the practicalities alongside some theoretical models for those who find this approach helpful.

Also touched on change management and culminated in some reflection on individual support needs.

Are you a newly formed team, in need of some independent facilitation, or a group who are stuck and unable to move forward. Contact Flourishing for advice and information.

Come Unity

Come Unity are working on the Northumberland Park Estate in Harringey. Over the last few years their founder - Kim - has delivered events and fundraised for a local child in need. She has a real heart for the local community and can see many ways that Come Unity could bless them and make a real difference. But where to start...

We are working alongside a funder, who recognises that giving money to a project is not always enough - a few days of advice could make all the difference. It is a bit of an experiment all round. Karen and Kim will work alongside one another to develop a plan, and use one anothers expertise and knowledge to build new services for Northumberland Park.

A morning spent on the estate last week has lead to a raft of possibilities and the next step is to narrow these down and work out how to take the project forward, and in what direction.

A similar approach is being taken to a Barnet project - Re:Store.

If you have an idea, and need help to turn it into reality - then contact karen@flourishing.me.uk

Pan London Faith and Culture Safeguarding Project

A quick, and long overdue update on this project.

Now that the 80 page interim report has been submitted, time for a summary of where we have got to.

The story so far...

The Pan London faith and culture project brings together representatives across all the London boroughs. In practice about 12 of us meet monthly at the London Councils building to steer the project. Eight boroughs are delivering specific activities funded by the project - and I am managing the Barnet contribution - with a team of people from the local CVS (CommUNITY Barnet) and reporting to the Barnet Safeguarding Children Board.

The Barnet contribution covers a number of strands - testing materials with BME and faith groups in the borough, drawing in young people's views and working with supplementary schools. Alongside this we have delivered focus groups across professional and voluntary groups to determine the kinds of support and information that each need to engage with families of different cultures.

A few highlights so far (though as an 18 month project it is difficult to capture it all in a nutshell)...

Taking the safeguarding surgery on the road - Barnet has a local voluntary sector safeguarding adviser. Each month he holds a surgery so that groups and individuals can bring their issues to him for advice. This could be around policies or how to handle a possible safeguarding case, signposting for new information - or processing of CRBs at a much reduced rate. Under the umbrella of this project, the surgery has been "on the road" to faith hosts. So far Ayesha Community Education (school for Muslim girls) and the London Jewish Family Centre have hosted. In May the Redeemed Christian Church of God will host in Edgware.

Safeguarding awareness sessions have been delivered for Barnet's supplementary schools - with an amazing turnout. This is now moving on to create new safeguarding lead positions within each supplementary school - and we will start working with them from May. The focus will be on healthchecking current safeguarding practices, and developing new resources relevant to supplementary schools.

There have been some unusual experiences - delivery of a safeguarding awareness event in a room with a screen down the middle to separate men and women - so that the staff from Ayesha could all participate in the same event.

Some fabulous experiences - delivering a presentation on the project to the Victoria Climbe Foundation conference. Being part of the safeguarding month in Barnet.

Some disappointing experiences - the planned youth faith conference run by SACRE, but supported by the project, did not take place - due to poor numbers booking.

Overall the project has been designed in such a way that we are all learning from one another - across boroughs - with childrens safety right at the centre of everything we do. Projects covering witchcraft, spirit possession, FGM are also featured.

A lot more to say - so look out for more updates.

Please contact me for more information.

Noah's Ark Children's Hospice

This takes me back to my training days, and has a connection with more recent work with Community Action Southwark - providing development for trustees.

Noah's Ark Children's Hospice work through a team of volunteers to support families with a life limited child. Volunteers will work in the home and at organised activities. There is also a siblings project.

Families will come from a range of cultural backgrounds and so we have designed a workshop to explore the different faiths prevalent in the area - and the practical considerations for volunteers.

A panel of people from different faiths will be available for questions - and we will particularly explore ways of showing proper respect for different cultures - as well as different views of health, healing, the physical body, and end of life.

A second workshop is to cover effective social communication - ways of engaging with families in crisis, and developing trusting and supportive relationships. Key to volunteers working in the home.

If you would like a similar workshop for your organisation contact us at karen@flourishing.me.uk

Barnet LINk - interim management

This assignment comes to an end in the next couple of weeks - and it has been a whirlwind.

Barnet LINk had struggled to get going under the previous hosting arrangements - I think that is fair to say. CommUNITY Barnet took on the hosting in December 2010 and I was contracted to manage the team until the funding situation for 2011/12 became clearer.

We have had some fantastic feedback from members new and old. The local authority seem pleased to have an energetic and engaged LINk, poised to make a real contribution to the shape of health and social care in the borough.

The initial focus was on membership. We inherited a mailing list of 99 people and organisations. By the end of January 2011 this had grown to over 300.

Welcome events encouraged newcomers to sign up - and demonstrated engagement with current issues - the health and social care bill, care homes and one of the local hospitals becoming a foundation trust.

The steering group met monthly - and we brought in expert speakers to help develop the action plan so that the LINk can prepare to become a local HealthWatch in 2012. One action was to engage with GP consortia development. The LINk will be part of the management group, and will also sit on the Health and Wellbeing board. We endorsed proposals for Barnet to become a pathfinder for GP consortia and wrote a supportive letter to accompany the submission. Every GP in the borough was written to, and telephoned, to promote LINk member events - and also to establish whether patients groups were in existence. The LINk offers support to surgeries wanting to set these up - and can now provide a toolkit.

LINk outreach activities included briefings for networks of voluntary and community groups, development and delivery of publicity materials - including postcards, through which any resident can raise an issue and post it for free to the LINk office. LINk ambassador training creates a new route into local communities. Ambassadors will attend community events and gatherings with 2 roles - to promote LINk membership and also to establish what residents views are of the local health and social care services. We are specifically recruiting ambassadors with community language skills - and will provide supporting documentation in these languages.

A formal LINk workplan process was established so that a mandate from the members could be secured before resources are committed to project work, investigations or formal requests for information.

There was a hit and miss approach to meeting representation - and a summary of the roles and responsibilities of meeting reps was agreed and embedded through training.

Regular communication - through weekly e-newsletters and a bi-monthly newsletter - engaged the members and provided context for some of the changes taking place. After a couple of editions these were seen as important communication vehicles that others wanted to use to get their information across to members. A special edition of the newsletter was produced to cover a members event looking at social care in the borough.

Top all this off with an analysis of the best practice from other LINks and we have left Barnet LINk in a good place for developing and contributing in the future. The local authority have made positive statements about working more closely with the LINk, and the LINk are playing a key role in the development of the Barnet JSNA.

A very satisfying assignment - contact me to find out more.

Recruitment support for BCIL Peer Support Brokers

Barnet Centre for Independent Living goes live on 1st April - providing a one stop shop for vulnerable adults in the borough.

I have been working with Caroline Collier, the BCIL manager, to develop the job description, competency framework and selection tools for the recruitment of peer support brokers. These brokers (equivalent of 4 full time posts - mostly working on a part-time basis) will provide one to one advice, information and advocacy so that a holistic plan of support is developed for each individual. Brokers will have first hand experience of disability or mental health issues.

Caroline was overwhelmed with applications - a good sign! I provided shortlisting support and designed a competency based interview - and also assisted with the appointment decisions.

AKAMAS - Victoria Climbie Conference feb 2011

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AKAMAS - Victoria Climbie Conference feb 2011

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