Building on strong founda�onsBuilding on strong founda�onsBuilding on strong founda�ons

Annual Report

2014 - 2015

RCVYS Chairman’s Comments

2014-15 has seen young people lose out dispropor�onally in the government’s

con�nued austerity measures, yet we have seen a con�nued rise in the levels of

childhood obesity, and young people suffering with Mental Health issues. At the same

�me, more and more cuts are being made to local council services. Ul�mately, I think

we are entering a new and unprecedented period of transi�on into adulthood for

young people, with very li(le access to preventa�ve services. This might just be the

beginning of a perfect storm, with some possible long term implica�ons.

In response to this, RCVYS has con�nued to deliver, nego�ate and establish services to

support organisa�ons working with children and young people, in order to provide

greater opportuni�es for some of Reading’s most vulnerable groups. These include:

• Delivering an accredited training course in youth work prac�se.

• Con�nuing to provide a youth work training bursary.

• Securing investment to improve children's safeguarding training for the

Voluntary Sector, by providing an integra�ng training programme.

• Securing funding for another worker to increase our support for youth and

families groups in Reading.

• Facilita�ng focus groups for Voluntary Sector groups to have their voice heard

about Au�sm, the Child Sexual Exploita�on Strategy, and Early Help Hubs.

RCVYS has also spent �me during the year to reinvest in an updated website and

improve our electronic communica�ons to enable easier access to informa�on and

opportuni�es. We have con�nued to advocate the value of working with the Voluntary

and Community Sector suppor�ng Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

(CAMHS) and with Special Educa�onal Needs (SEN) Services. RCVYS also invested in an

external evalua�on of our services, which demonstrated an overall excellent level of

support for the work we are delivering.

Finally, our own RCVYS Development Worker won a Pride of Reading Award. So against

a backdrop of doubt, RCVYS is working hard to provide real opportuni�es to support

those working with Reading’s Children and Young People.

David Seward - RCVYS Chairman

• Following our work to enable the Voluntary Sector to have their voice

heard in the Berkshire CAMHS Review, the RCVYS Development Worker

was asked to bring the Voluntary Sector voice to the Berkshire CAMHS

Commissioning Group. Working on this group, the RCVYS Development

Worker has championed the importance of youth counselling in

Berkshire, and the accessibility of mental health awareness training for

the Voluntary Sector.

• RCVYS was successful in a bid to the University of Reading for a Graduate

Intern to redevelop all our electronic communica�ons, including our

website and mailing list. Through gathering input and feedback from

RCVYS Members, we now have an integrated electronic communica�ons

pla=orm which has enabled us to work more efficiently, and to serve our

Members much be(er into the future. As a result of these changes,

comparing our website sta�s�cs for Q1+2 2014 to Q1+2 2015, we have

increased our unique visitors by over 50%, and increased our returning

visitors by over 42%.

As an addi�onal

posi�ve outcome

from the programme,

the day aAer he

finished working for

RCVYS, our intern

Isaac was offered a

freelance job

working for our web-

hos�ng company.

Sharing informa�on and support from the RCVYS

Development Worker

• The RCVYS Development Worker has provided bespoke support for

Voluntary Sector organisa�ons bidding for funding through Partnership

Development Fund, Children in Need, Big Lo(ery, Health Lo(ery,

government opportuni�es to tackle homophobic bullying and Female

Genital Mu�la�on (FGM), and Building Be(er Opportuni�es.

• Through the Local Strategic Partnership, the RCVYS Development Worker

led a partnership group to encourage a greater collabora�on between

front-line prac��oners who work with families in Reading. 57 a(endees

from 30 different organisa�ons a(ended a partnership workshop, which

has resulted in a number of collabora�ve working

opportuni�es. The workshop also iden�fied some

specific barriers to collabora�ve working, which are

being addressed in partnership.

• Since September 2014, the RCVYS

Development Worker has been a member of the SEN

Panel in Reading, with a specific mandate to suggest

and encourage the greater involvement of

Voluntary Sector organisa�ons in providing services

for children and families with Special Educa�onal

Needs or Disabili�es. Since then, services from 48

Voluntary Sector organisa�ons have been suggested

to support 30 different families.

“What I like is the way you promote of a different way of thinking. For

example, picking out elements of the parental representa�ons regarding

school or home, or of the needs iden�fied by the educa�onal se!ng, and

considering alterna�ve solu�ons that as a Panel we may not have

previously done because of skill bases that are more educa�onally

focussed. I think that’s really useful in terms of a shi% towards crea�ve

outcomes.”

Paul Stephens - SEN Senior Case Officer - Reading Borough Council

“As SEN Strategy Lead, I think that having the RCVYS Development

Worker at the SEN Panel has proved invaluable being at the panel. for the

reasons Paul gives. Paul and I have really valued your gentle but insigh1ul

challenge to the panel, your challenge to the LA about process issues

around EHCPs, and your crea�vity in terms of sugges�ons for providers

who can help families deal with difficult issues

that conven�onal providers such at Berkshire

Health. Thank you.”

Chris Stevens - Service Manager, SEN -

Reading Borough Council

• RCVYS has con�nued to deliver Youth Work training to Voluntary Sector

organisa�ons in Reading. Through this programme:

° RCVYS worked with Basingstoke

CVS to deliver a Level 2 Award in

Youth Work Prac�ce. 4 youth

workers from Reading

undertook this accredited

training.

° RCVYS hosted 3 accredited

Paediatric Emergency First Aid

courses, which helped 35 people

achieved their accredita�on

cer�ficates.

° RCVYS was able to open the RCVYS Training Bursary for a further year.

13 applica�ons receiving funding with 68 people a(ended training

specific to their role. Of these 17 people achieved accredited

qualifica�ons, such as Arts Award Bronze and Silver Adviser Training,

Basic Expedi�on Leader's Award (BELA), Level 3 Cer�ficate in Youth Work

Prac�ce, Sleep Prac��oner Training, and Minibus Driving Training to

achieve the D1 status.

° In response to demand from

front-line organisa�ons, RCVYS

hosted a Youth Mental Health First

Aid course to increase the

awareness of emo�onal wellbeing in

young people for 20 youth workers

from 12 different organisa�ons.

° RCVYS delivered six informal youth work training workshops, looking at

subjects such as working with young people with emo�onal and

behavioural difficul�es, and working with young people misusing drugs

and alcohol. The programme welcomed more than 74 a(endees from at

least 37 different organisa�ons. As a result of this training, 81% of

a(endees reported an increase in their confidence around the respec�ve

topics, with the number of a(endees repor�ng that they felt confident or

Training Opportuni�es

• RCVYS secured funding from

Thames Valley Police

(Reading) to deliver a 12

month cohesive programme

of safeguarding children

training, specifically aimed at

increasing the awareness and understanding of Reading’s Voluntary

Sector. This programme will be run in conjunc�on with Reading Local

Safeguarding Children Board, and will deliver 17 different courses.

• So far, we’ve received the following feedback:

° 10 people from 7 different organisa�ons have a(ended Designated

Persons Training. Before the course, 40% said that they did not feel they

understood about being a Designated Person, and how to manage a

disclosure in their organisa�on. AAer the course, that figure is now 100%.

In addi�on, 100% said that they felt confident to fulfil the role in their

organisa�on.

° 20 people from 9 different

organisa�ons a(ended the first Universal

Safeguarding Children Training we delivered.

Before the course, 40% rated their knowledge

and confidence less than 8 (on a scale of 1-10)

AAer the course, this had risen to 95%.

° 6 people from 5 different organisa�ons a(ended the first DBS

Workshop. Before the course, 33% said that they did not feel that they

understood about the DBS system, and how to manage DBS disclosures

in their organisa�on. AAer the course, this had risen to 67%, with 77%

saying that they felt confident to manage DBS Disclosures in their

organisa�on.

very confident as a result

of the training rising by

nearly a quarter to 87%.

° In recogni�on of the

quality and impact of this

training, the RCVYS

Development Worker was

awarded a Pride of

Reading Award for 2014.

• RCVYS Representa�ves have served

on 18 different commi(ees, groups,

mee�ngs and forums, and ensured

that the views and voice of the

Voluntary Sector were heard at the

very highest levels in Reading and

across Berkshire.

• During 2014/15, RCVYS has enabled Reading’s Voluntary Sector to have

their say in the following official consulta�ons:

• Children and Young People’s Plan Priori�es for 2015-18 for

Reading Children’s Trust.

• Au�sm Strategy for Reading Borough Council.

• Child Sexual Exploita�on (CSE) Strategy for Reading Borough

Council.

• Early Help Hubs consulta�on and development for Reading

Borough Council.

• Transi�on of Health Visitors into Children’s Centres consulta�on

for Reading Public Health.

• CSE and Missing Young People Return Interviews commissioning

process.

• Troubled Families Phase 2 consulta�on for Reading Borough

Council.

• RCVYS and Reading Voluntary Ac�on (RVA) have worked together to help

integrate the Voluntary Sector into Reading’s Troubled Families project,

both in the Management Group, and in front-line delivery.

• RCVYS has been a part of Reading’s Health and Social Value Workshops.

This work will help local Voluntary Sector organisa�ons to emphasise the

added Social Value which they can bring to contracts and services for

children, young people and families in Reading.

Represen�ng collec�ve views

• As a result of RCVYS Representa�on:

� A Community Outreach Fund was established for Voluntary Sector

groups, as part of the Elevate Reading Project.

� Young People with Special Educa�on Needs received an increased level

of support to access further educa�on and employment.

� RCVYS Members’ priori�es were included in Reading’s Priori�es for the

Children and Young People’s Plan for 2015-18.

� The number of Voluntary Sector groups being invited to Ini�al Child

Protec�on Conferences and Review Conferences is now being

monitored to ensure that this is more reflec�ve of Voluntary Sector

involvement with families in Reading.

� Reading’s Voluntary Sector now has a commitment from the Lead

Councillor that they can be involved in the delivery of the Troubled

Families Programme in Reading. RCVYS and RVA are ac�vely nego�a�ng

the prac�cali�es of this.

� The revised Thresholds for Early Help and Social Care included input

from the Voluntary Sector.

� Statutory collected data on local need will be more readily available to

Voluntary Sector groups, helping them to make a be(er case in funding

applica�ons.

� The vulnerability of boys as poten�al vic�ms of Child Sexual

Exploita�on (CSE) was highlighted for inclusion in the new CSE Strategy.

� Access to specialist training was extended to the Voluntary Sector,

including in CSE, Female Genital Mu�la�on (FGM), and Young People’s

Mental Health.

� Parent and Toddler Groups in Reading had the opportunity to access

specialist training to support their families. Health Visitors provided a

workshop around healthy ea�ng,

and a Music specialist shared

about different ways to use music

and rhyme to improve early

language and communica�on.

� The Au�sm Strategy included a

strong emphasis around the

importance of awareness training

for all staff and volunteers who

work with children and young

people.

RCVYS would like to thank the staff, Officers and

Councillors at Reading Borough Council for their

con�nued financial support.

We would also like to thank our project funders:

Thames Valley Police (Reading)

Springboard Reading

RCVYS 34 Parkside Road, Reading, Berkshire. RG30 2DD

Tel: 07872 958501

E-mail: info@rcvys.org.uk

Twi(er: @RCVYS

www.rcvys.org.uk

RCVYS would also like to acknowledge its apprecia�on

and thanks to the following people for their service to

the Voluntary, Community and Faith sector this last year,

as members of staff, and volunteering as

RCVYS Exec Members and RCVYS Representa�ves.

Bernade(e Adams

Alyson Brickley

Rebekah Cavanagh

Ben Cross

Ali Dent

Mike Edwards

Isaac Fennell

Rachel Green

Mary Jacobs

Jill Lake

Leslie Macdonald

Karen Ross

David Seward

Sarah Smith

Alison Steedman

Helen Taylor

Natausha Van Vliet