Rosie Rutherford FRSA

Insightful report that clearly articulates the current challenges

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Good governance is the essential foundation to running your charity successfully. 👍 Take time this #TrusteesWeek to brush up on core topics with our recently updated guides: https://lnkd.in/esCe7z-e ✅ Charity finances ✅ Decision-making ✅ Charity meetings

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How much money have Local Authorities wasted on preparing for funding reform that never happens. It doesn't bear thinking about. And the impact on people who need care? No one seems to be thinking about them either. No doubt the Royal Commission on Social Care will come up with a cap on lifetime care costs, equalisation between public and privately funded people and a vain hope that insurance products will be developed to cover care costs, and we can go round the whole merry-go-round again. https://lnkd.in/eGBRNkBa.

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Lincolnshire employers can now benefit from innovative packages of free training and guidance to help them support staff experiencing domestic abuse. Approximately 30,200 people aged 16 to 74 experience domestic abuse each year in Lincolnshire. This can create significant challenges for businesses, with 1 in 5 employees saying they would stop going into work or take days off due to the impact of the abuse they were experiencing, with 1 in 10 quitting their job. To better support businesses, the Lincolnshire Domestic Abuse Partnership now offers various training and advice packages to help employers to identify domestic abuse, assess risk and ensure positive, effective action is taken to support staff when they need it. Lincolnshire is believed to be one of the first places in the country to offer such in-depth support free of charge. To find out more, visit: https://lnkd.in/eTtNhXe8 https://lnkd.in/e7JhBzZF

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Pleased to be quoted in People Management magazine today on Over half of business leaders report staff absence due to problems accessing public services, TUC reveals. More than half (59 per cent) of business leaders say staff have had to take time off in the last year because they struggled to access public services, a poll by the trade union congress (TUC) revealed. The survey of more than 500 business leaders further explored the specific challenges faced by employees, finding that more than a third (35 per cent) had staff absent from work due to delays in receiving hospital treatment. To read article in full click 🔽 https://lnkd.in/ejJjwUcg 10Eighty #socialcare #business #economy #privatehealthinsurance #staffabsences #affordablechildcare #workingparents #privatehealthcare #flexibleworking CIPD

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One of the greatest pressures facing Hampshire County Council is the increase in the number of children confirmed to have special educational needs. Great news therefore that the County Council is doing more to help support those children with special educational needs and disabilities to access specialist support – with more school places being created at three Hampshire schools. A total of 31 extra places are now available across Heathfield Special School in Fareham, Pennington Church of England Junior School in the New Forest, and Haven Nursery School in Gosport. Our forecasts show that by the end of the decade the number of children with Education, Health and Care Plans in Hampshire is expected to increase by more than 11,000 to around 28,000 – each Plan sets out a pupil’s special needs and how these can be addressed and supported at school. We’re acting now to ensure we can support as many children as possible with specialist places at schools closer to where they live – investing in high-quality provision in both special and mainstream schools to meet the needs of children and young people. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/e7ZcBY9Z

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We only went and won!! Bursting with pride that the incredible work and commitment of our #KirkleesBetterOutcomesPartnership partnership has been recognised. #Innovation underpins everything we do in the face of ongoing and brutal funding cuts, increasing systemic barriers and the heart-breaking challenges our participants overcome each day. People are not a collection of problems, they are wonderful and unique. They are not "hard to reach" they are easy to forget. The creativity of our amazing provider teams and flexibility our #outcomespartnership model gives us, means we can consistently rise to the these challenges and find a new way to break the cycle. Change is possible, we just need to stop doing what we've always done. #innovation #awards #systemschange #people #socialoutcomes

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Pleased to be quoted in HR magazine on new safeguarding guidance launched by standards body. The British Standards Institution Training Academy (BSI) has released a new standard to help employers safeguard employees. Launched on 1 July, the standard provides guidance to help organisations “keep individuals safe from harm and respond effectively to safeguarding concerns”. Read full article 🔽 https://lnkd.in/e_kwPZgs Honey Jane Wyatt 10Eighty #safeguarding #vulnerablepeople #culture #whistleblowing #guidance #BSI #safeguardingpolicy

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Neighbourhood Care is the future! An important step for Citizen Network as we beging to converge to emerge solutions for resilient and sustainable societies. Bringing together all the work done in the network for more than 50 years offers an alternative way to approach social and health care, democracy, business and sustainability with citizen and community approach. The systems in place do not serve their purpose any more and there needs to be a transformation to ways to live together not only for us people but for the whole living environment. We need to care more about ourselves, our families and friends, neighbours and neighbourhoods. Resources, actions and economy should support freedom and responsibilities. We need to build a world of diversity, equality and community. A world where everyone matters. Things locally are linked with people and communities worldwide. It is getting easier and easier to collaborate and create together without boundaries of place and language. We are not starting from scratch. Neighbourhood care developments are happening in various places around the world just now. Citizen Network brings together several important innovations. Have you come across examples of emergent signs of change? What is inhibiting the change? What should we transform to make the neighbourhood care possible? #neighbourhoodcare #citizennetwork

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Are you a Trustee / Director / Governor in #Pembrokeshire? We would like to hear from you. We all know it can be difficult to get new Trustees to join a board (or find volunteer Directors / Governors). Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS) plans to create some new publicity materials to help with Trustee recruitment and we would like you to be involved. We have heard some amazing success stories over the years, about why people get involved and what works – and just as important what doesn’t – in Trustee recruitment. What we would really like to do is hear directly from local (Pembrokeshire) Trustees about why you got involved, what you like about it, what makes it a great thing to do… and of course any tips you would like to share with others about how you got more people involved. Below is a link to a short survey, we would be really grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete it (it can be completed anonymously). We are also looking for a small number of Trustees/ Directors to interview (quotes and/or your voice may be used in the materials and/ or video – but would be anonymous). The deadline to complete the survey is 14th October. https://lnkd.in/euSC5cdB

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It’s encouraging to know that more providers in our sector are opening themselves up to the scrutiny of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Employment Data Lab, which is all about knowing what interventions really work. Congratulations to our friends at Street League, who are proven to be effective at getting young people into work!   Back in 2022, Resurgo were the first charity in the UK to take part in the Data Lab, which benchmarked The Spear Programme against a comparable group of young people who didn’t do the programme, and proved Spear reduces the likelihood of being not in employment, education or training by 17% after a year. We are so proud of this outcome, and I hope reassures those who partner with us that your support is well placed! More importantly, it’s good news for our young people, who deserve interventions that really work.

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Critical report outlining the challenges but also the opportunities for government and the care sector to work with employers to support young disabled people reach their potential in the economy

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An open letter to common sense: The Chancellor has confirmed that charities will not be exempt from the upcoming National Insurance increases. Let me break that down: As a sector, we deliver life-saving services that empower the public sector to do its job. We pick people up when systems fail them. Yet, this decision feels like a penalty for doing the right thing. For our organisation, this increase isn’t just a line in the budget—it’s the cost of running an entire project. A project that supports families escaping abuse, helps rebuild lives, and keeps people safe. The reality is, this isn’t just a financial hit to us; it’s a hit to every person relying on the services we provide. And as if we don’t already face enough challenges: • Constant funding cycles that barely cover inflation. • Contracts with minimal or zero uplifts despite rising costs. • Trusts and foundations tightening their belts or closing their doors. Now let’s add this to the mix: businesses, also hit by NI increases, will likely reduce the support they provide through fundraising and corporate donations. This decision has forced us to have really difficult conversations as a Board about our future sustainability. Conversations that weigh heavily on all of us, knowing the very real impact on our staff, services and the people who need them. I am, however, incredibly grateful for the scrutiny and support of our Board, who continue to push us to find ways forward in such an uncertain environment. It’s hard not to feel that the charity sector is being asked to give more with less….again…while the safety net we provide to society is being stretched to breaking point. We need urgent action and recognition from policymakers to ensure that we can continue delivering the essential work we do. Because without charities, who picks up the pieces? Let’s talk about this. Let’s push back. Let’s make sure our voice is heard. #CharitySector #MakeItMakeSense

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#pureinsight #catch22 #nlcbf Our Mentoring and Psychological Wellbeing Services are both cited as a best practice example’s in the recent Independent Review of Childrens Social Care Independent review of children's social care: final report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) on pages 194 as a best practice organisation ‘helping care leavers build a network’ and p221 “Achieving better mental health outcomes for care leavers will form part of the National Children’s Social Care Framework, and best practice should build upon existing work done by organisations such as Pure Insight, which provide a psychological wellbeing service and counselling service to young people and care leavers.” https://lnkd.in/eUA6x3nf

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For National Safeguarding Adults Week 2024 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with support from Department of Health and Social Care delivered two webinars on "Working across housing, social care and safeguarding for people experiencing long term rough sleeping". The webinars reached close to 1,000 people from a range of organisations. We were joined by our excellent speakers Gemma Finn from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Michelle Kaye from Barnsley Council, Ellie Atkins from Manchester City Council, Gill Taylor from Pathway - Homeless and Inclusion Health Museum of Homelessness, and Jess Harris from King's College London. The equally excellent Robert Lewis Mental Health Social Work Lead at DHSC helped to set the scene for this important issue which followed an opening and welcoming by Rushanara Ali, MP for Homelessness and Democracy. We looked at how to realise the Care Act for its intended purpose as to bridge the equity gap for those furthest removed from care, support, health and housing. We explored use of section 11 and section 19 Care Act 2014 as an opportunity to overcome challenges around assessment refusal and non-engagement and the powers that exist to 'act now, assess later'. Harnessing 'legislative creativity' to support partnership working together with compassion and professional curiosity, reflective practice and peer support. We heard about:- - Findings from a national study on Self-neglect and Multiple Exclusion Homelessness. Bringing varied perspectives, including the voice of lived experience, to highlight challenges facing housing and social care practitioners. Alongside examples of local authorities who are using these research recommendations to help shape the design and delivery of service interventions. - 'Richard's' story and the use of Mental Capacity Act to support understand decisions linked to residency, treatment and finances. How embedding the 'executive functioning wheel' in assessments and processes to optimise people's engagement and decision-making. - Developing homelessness mortality reviews panels and processes. How as a system we can learn from tragedies and the importance of working alongside existing Safeguarding Adult Board structures to ensure learning is shared across specialisms and placed on a statutory footing. - We heard from Barnsley Council's Vulnerable Adults Panel (VAP) and Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Multi-agency Resolution Group (MaRG) about how developing purposeful multi-agency meetings with a focus on actions. The importance of dynamic chairing and a willingness to share and hold risk across multiple departments. Ensuring meetings have the right representation with decision-makers, and access to relevant expertise, including legal support. Thank you all for bringing renewed enthusiasm and hope to remind us that it is possible to work with, and find solutions for, those furthest away from having their accommodation, care, support and safety needs met.

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Lovely to see this article being shared, memories are such a vital element of keeping ourselves emotionally well. #memories ##familyaction #makehappymemories #neuroscience

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Tough budget announcements this week but the Programme for Government presents some encouraging commitments. Moving forward the #DemocracyMatters, #LandReform, introducing the #CommunityWealthBuildingBill and improvements in #thirdsector investment/grant making. Development Trusts Association Scotland is committed to working closely with Scottish Government and partners to ensure progress in these crucial areas and more! Strengthening Communities and local economies and giving communities more powers and decision making, can create a more resilient and equitable future for all! #DevelopmentTrusts #LocalGovernance

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This looks great. But another conference on children not in school without direct lived experience voices at the table. I feel a frustrating absence (oh the irony) on the Asks our families are requesting via Square Peg to the Government. After 5 years in the space, raising absence as a significant unseen issue since 2019, developing traction for Government to make it a Cabinet priority, formulating pragmatic, effective solutions on what to do to make meaningful change for families (spoiler - it doesn’t involve sending parents on a training course to improve their parenting), and gaining support from sector players behind us, we’re still not included. How will the right solutions be developed if discussions about us aren’t actively listening and collaborating? We’ve gained support from hundreds of orgs via our membership policy work for our #3Asks and #12Recommendations, working across the third sector and education landscape. Find out more via our website Campaign Strand. Support for Calls to Action #3Asks: https://lnkd.in/edEeHqHU Changemaking here: https://lnkd.in/eQQPzzSc Sign up to support what we do and collaborate if you’d like to: www.teamsquarepeg.org Square Peg

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