VolResource Newsletter 352

11. Considering job evaluation
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Employment relations service Acas has launched a guide to job evaluation, looking at the benefits and risks of using this process which determines the relative importance of different jobs whilst avoiding prejudice or discrimination. This can be complex, and the guide aims to help managers and employee reps decide whether introducing a job evaluation structure is feasible and appropriate. News item at http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2096 or download the advisory booklet 'Job evaluation: considerations and risks' (A5 pdf, 1.85MB) from http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=682.

12. Working with children and vulnerable adults
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Sandy Adirondack continues to provide useful information on legal subjects of concern to those in the voluntary sector, doing her best to strike the difficult balance between detail and readability. Recently updated is information about the Independent Safeguarding Authority (vetting and barring) scheme in operation from October 2009, http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#safeguarding-scheme, and the current arrangements on criminal record checks, http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#criminalrecordchecks. Both are of most concern to organisations working with children and vulnerable adults.

13. Factsheets on VAT and fundraising
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The Charity VAT Team at accountants Saffery Champness has been publishing factsheets on VAT and fundraising activities with Professional Fundraising magazine. You need to give some contact details to gain access, http://www.professionalfundraising.co.uk/VAT.

14. Excepted charities registration timetable
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The Charity Commission is preparing for the next commencement order of the Charities Act 2006 (the fifth) with a timetable for registering the four to five thousand "excepted charities", which previously didn't have to register with them. The exception would have been given either by legislation or by a Charity Commission order - most are connected with churches, chapels or the armed forces. They will start to register excepted charities with an annual income of more than £100,000 from 1st October 2008, and most are expected to be able to use an online service. See http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/registration/regreq.asp.

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21. Public Benefit and the Advancement of Moral or Ethical Belief Systems
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The Charity Commission is consulting on draft supplementary guidance on 'Public Benefit and the Advancement of Moral or Ethical Belief Systems', which explains how the principles of public benefit apply specifically to charities advancing a moral or ethical belief system (e.g. Humanist and Rationalist charities). News release at http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/prmoral.asp, or go direct to http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publicbenefit/pbmor.asp (pdf version, 130KB, at http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Library/publicbenefit/pdfs/pbmor.pdf). Responses by 5th January 2009.

31. Improving monitoring and evaluation across the third sector
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A new report 'Accountability and Learning: Developing Monitoring and Evaluation in the Third Sector' is, according to Charities Evaluation Services, the first comprehensive research on the subject since Mog Ball's overview 20 years ago highlighted how little was carried out in the voluntary sector. It has a total of 23 recommendations, across funders, voluntary organisations, support agencies and all stakeholders. These include the need for proportionality in requirements from funders, and third sector organisations working more closely with funders and commissioners to match information needs for internal learning and development with those required for compliance and accountability.

The report (pdf, 1.57MB) and a briefing summarising the learning points (1.08MB) can both be downloaded via http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/index.cfm?pg=424, or see Plaza Publishing news item at
http://www.professionalfundraising.co.uk/home/content.php?id=1435.

32. Volunteering can be good for your health
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A study for Volunteering England carried out by the University of Wales Lampeter finds qualified evidence that volunteering can deliver health benefits both to volunteers and to health service users, based on a systematic review of published research. Read the press release. 'Volunteering and Health: what impact does it really have?' has a one page summary at the front - download (pdf 559KB).

33. Financial threshold for registered charities
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Unfortunately, the Office of the Third Sector went and changed (slightly) the web page we quoted last week on the changes to the trigger levels requiring particular accounts to be produced by charities. The news item is now here (or http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/otsthreshold.asp). The key threshold changes are:
- for submission of annual accounts and Trustees Annual Report (TAR) to be raised from £10,000 to £25,000.
- for requiring accounts to be externally examined to be raised from £10,000 to £25,000
- for preparation of accruals accounts to be raised from £100,000 to £250,000

The recommendations are to be introduced in secondary legislation by the end of the 2008/9 financial year.

34. Reporting on government progress on three year funding
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Government departments have until the end of October to report on progress towards the government's commitment to three year funding for the third sector. They will have to report further over the next three years, with government agencies and non-departmental public bodies also having to report next year, when information on contract funding will be included. More details of the reporting guidance from the Office of the Third Sector. Third Sector magazine news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/842999/ (registration required).

35. Support for community interest companies
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Two founders of community interest companies (CICs) are in the first stages of setting up a CIC association, reports Social Enterprise magazine. It would provide support, resources, increase awareness and lobby on issues such as tax. News item at http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/news/detail/index.asp?id=601, also see Charity Finance news item at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2197.

36. Sector finance bodies merge
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The Charities Consortium, a grouping of senior finance staff at major charities, is to become the Large Charities Special Interest Group of Charity Finance Directors' Group, http://www.cfdg.org.uk/cfdg/prdetail.asp?presscode=CFDG010908.

PDF note: to be able to read pdf files, download Adobe Reader from http://www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/readstep2.html, for accessibility matters see http://access.adobe.com. Or for an alternative, try Foxit Reader.

51. Reducing your community's Carbon Footprint
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The Welsh Assembly Government has produced a Community Action Pack to help communities take action to tackle climate change, with information on suggested activities, successful projects and where to get help. The thirteen booklets cover areas such as transport and travel, being energy efficient and conserving water. (Source: WCVA)

52. Inspiring young people to be involved in community projects
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Readers may be interested in an online toolkit that supports teachers to encourage pupils to play an active role in community projects. Developed by the Academy for Sustainable Communities and CSV, the Play your Part web site aims to inspire young people to play a part in improving their communities and develop the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to devise and run successful citizen projects. http://citizenship.ascskills.org.uk

53. Community media and promoting social cohesion
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'Promoting social cohesion. The role of community media' has been published by the Council of Europe. Probably only for those with a particular interest in the subject, particularly as we had fun getting the first few pages of the pdf format report to display correctly. Download, 1.45MB, at http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/media/MC-S-MD/H-Inf(2008)013_en.pdf. (Source: CMA list)

54. Communicating clearly
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A new Nonprofit Tools You Can Use item, produced by American publishers Fieldstone Alliance, is 'Communicating Clearly: It's Not What You Say, It's How Others Hear You'. A usable web primer.

55. Maintaining Dissent in the NGO Sector
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Third Sector magazine has pointed out an Australian discussion paper which examines what advocacy NGOs stand to gain from entering into a compact as well as what they may lose. The paper looks at home-grown and English Compacts (agreements between government and the third sector) and says that they cannot be relied upon to ensure an effective relationship. See news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/841978/ (registration required) or download 'Agreeing to Disagree: Maintaining Dissent in the NGO Sector' (pdf, 339KB) from http://www.tai.org.au/file.php?file=DP100.pdf.

56. The Global Justice Game
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Recently highlighted by Nonprofit Online News: a political role-playing framework the Global Justice Game, intended as a training tool for global justice activists and for undergraduate courses on globalisation issues. There are seven scenarios, with complete material for both coordinators and participants available online at http://www.globaljusticegame.mrap.info.

57. New and updated on VolResource
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-- Membership software. PowerDev's Circle software, for the smaller organisation (10,000 members is the suggested maximum) now has a simpler version downloadable for no charge, http://www.powerdev.co.uk.

-- Functional support: Charity Sector Procurement Group is a Special Interest Group affiliated to the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supplies, http://www.cips.org/membership/groups/page.asp?group=64&record=1.

We accept limited 'paid for' job ads: a guaranteed web site spot and trailing, plus basic details here. See http://www.volresource.org.uk/jobs/1.htm for opportunities/details.

** Recently listed: UK Youth Parliament, London Region Co-ordinator; Kids VIP, Training and Development Co-ordinator.