East Devon Council for Voluntary Service
Review of the Year November 2003 to March 2005

INTRODUCTION to East Devon Volunteer Support Agency

East Devon Volunteer Support Agency has developed rapidly over 8 years to become recognised as a leading, representative organisation for the voluntary and community sectors in East Devon. It has expanded its role as an infrastructure organisation, participating in a range of multi-agency activities partnerships and initiatives across the district. It currently manages 16 staff across 8 projects.

Looking back over last year as part of the Devon County Council review of Councils for Voluntary Services and Volunteer Bureaux has helped us realise just how diverse is the work we have carried out.

We provide services that promote and support the effectiveness of local voluntary and community groups to carry out their work. We work in partnership with local government and other statutory agencies to shape the delivery of services. We play a key role in promoting and enabling strategic partnerships and facilitate East Devon Forum, providing opportunities for local groups to discuss wider policies and initiatives that may impact on their organisations.

As the government places increasing emphasis on the sector's role in delivering public services, we welcome the findings of the cross-cutting review and 'Change Up' report which places emphasis on quality issues and highlights the need for local infrastructure to achieve the vision. EDVSA continues to support and promote voluntary activity and volunteer using organisations and be responsive to ever changing needs and initiatives.

EDVSA are members of:

and are working towards Quality Services:

East Devon Volunteer Support Agency is a Registered Charity, governed by a Constitution. As a Council for Voluntary Services we provide:
Information and Practical Services
Advice on all aspects of strategic development and management of voluntary and community groups
Advice on constitutions, charity law, funding and fundraising, business planning
A range of services including meeting rooms, photocopying, laminating and binding, printing and administrative services

Representation
Identifying and representing voluntary sector interests, creating and sustaining opportunities for broader voluntary sector representation at strategic and policy planning level within the statutory sector
Promoting the voluntary sector as a key partner in the process of social change
Encouraging local groups and organisations to put forward their views on local and national policies and decisions that affect them
Creating and promoting forums

Liaison
Working in partnership with others; local groups, regional and national forums, statutory agencies
Promoting partnership between statutory and voluntary sectors in the delivery of welfare and other services

Development
Identifying and supporting initiatives which address social needs and challenge inequality
Developing new initiatives to address unmet needs
Supporting innovation, accountability and good practice in local services

East Devon Council for Voluntary Services - The CVS

Susan Tucker - Chief Officer	Sharon Whitfield - Administrator

INFORMATION AND PRACTICAL SERVICES
The CVS receives many varied requests for information, support and advice by phone and increasingly people are making use of our website and email facilities. Many other people prefer face to face contact and we recognise the importance of providing a range of appropriate, local services for the communities we serve including:
regular office space to voluntary and community groups and to Connexions Personal Advisors through the year
administrative support and free resources loaned to a range of voluntary and community groups
production and dissemination of 6 newsletters on sector issues to over 200 voluntary and community groups
Improved and developed our website to be more widely accessible resource for voluntary and community groups
Maintained a database of local voluntary and community action.

REPRESENTATION
We play a key role in empowering and enabling local groups to take part in partnerships, bringing together organisations at the East Devon Voluntary and Community Forum to discuss a range of policy and planning issues and be able to network and form new partnerships. We encouraged organisations to find out about and put forward their views on both local and national policies & decisions that affect them.

LIAISON
including Social Inclusion Partnership, Devon Association of Councils for Voluntary Service, East & Mid Devon Area Learning Partnership, Mid & East Devon Diversity Group and Public Health Strategy group.
We contributed to policy and planning of services through inter-agency groups such as East Devon Local Strategic Partnership and East Devon Children and Young People Local Planning and Implementation group.

DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING

The sector is a major employer and trainer, providing full or part-time employment to 49,000 people in Devon and 16,000 in Cornwall . Training is a key activity within the sector providing learning opportunities for staff, volunteers and people in the local community. Last year the sector provided training to more than 5000 .' EKOS findings for the LSC
	Marilyn Fearon Training Manager

To meet an ever growing demands for good quality, affordable and appropriate and locally delivered training in East Devon, we have designed courses to support paid staff and volunteers be more effective in their work, delivering accredited and non-accredited training. There has been a significant increase in learning - more than 300 people - by a greater range of organisations and more interest in broader training issues such as quality standards, fundraising skills and good practice. Evaluations show learners have appreciated the quality of training, style of delivery methods, costs, local delivery and tailoring of courses.

We have worked in partnership with other organisations to identify training needs and contributed to the Learning agenda through Devon Training Network, Devon & Torbay learning Partnership and the Learning and Skills Council's Strategic Area Review (StARS) Review.

Developing the provision of Basic Skills work, Carers and mental health service users have benefited from the OCN accredited 'Speaking Up ' course and we have supported volunteers through the ASDAN accredited 'Certificate in Community Volunteering' programme.

We have successfully delivered a 3-month Women's Personal Development (Springboard) and other training has included:
Assertiveness and Confidence Building
Effective Supervision
Diversity and Equality of Opportunity
Video Making
Retaining & Managing Volunteers
Monitoring and Evaluation
Fair and Legal Recruitment Procedures
Fair & Legal Recruitment
Presentation Skills Using PowerPoint
Desktop Publishing
Emergency First Aid / Health and Safety
Effective Time Management

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

At the heart of the work of the CVS, community development aims to work with local groups and communities to support and empower people to shape and manage their own communities. The focus for this short term project had two main aims:
	Jenny Read Community Development

Firstly, to work at a grass-roots level with local communities in East Devon, including providing:

Advice and support for two community groups seeking charitable status in Seaton and Exmouth.
Funding advice and support with funding applications for a range of local community groups across the district.

Secondly, to develop partnership working, strategic planning and models of best practice for the involvement of the community across East Devon through various pieces of joint working with statutory agencies including:

Continued consultation and recommendations made to the 'Walk this Way' project in East Devon regarding its development and sustainability
Developing a model of good practice to carry out a Health Impact Assessment of the proposed Seaton Regeneration Area.
Engaging the community (of all ages!) in the design of a new play area in Littleham, Exmouth.
Supporting the Littleham Pastoral Care Project in their development of a new breakfast club and other related activities for children and young people.
Production of an extended Tots to Teens directory of provision for the Axe Valley.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

This project was established fours years ago by the East Devon Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) to promote, encourage and facilitate effective and meaningful involvement for the people of East Devon. It offers people and their communities an opportunity to get involved in the planning of services to ensure that service development by the voluntary and statutory sectors is really responsive to public needs.

Lynne Robbertson Public Involvment Coordinator

People have had the opportunity to comment on the development of health care for older people, council services, council tax, public health priorities and many other issues. Children, young people and parents have taken part in consultations on issues affecting their lives and have had the chance to comment on what they need to help them to enjoy their lives.

The Speak Now Panel of 400 members of the public is used regularly by all agencies to take part in discussion days, focus groups and surveys. Membership increases year on year and the project has proved an invaluable resource for agencies' consultations.

`Access, environment, ambience, lunch – all excellent!’
`I felt involved and listened to’ (Older Person’s Discussion Day 2004)

`Please involve me again next year’ (Council Priorities Event 2004)

`It is good for children to be involved in the process of planning provision which will meet their needs’
`I would be happy to be involved in future activities as both children and adults enjoyed the visit’ (Children’s Involvement March 2005)

`I appreciate the degree of importance put on our opinions’
(Older Person’s Panel)

EAST DEVON CARER SUPPORT SCHEME

1.6 million employees in full-time work also provide unpaid care
	Trish Whitfield Carers Support Scheme Manager	Erica Moore Senior Carer Support Worker	Pamela Dale Carer Support Worker

Identification of Carers: Growing each year, 375 new carers were identified during this year with the service promoted through displays and talks, local radio interviews, displays in local hospitals and promotion at local events, including the Honiton Show.

Information for Carers: Nearly 700 current carers receive quarterly newsletters and every new carer is offered a countywide Information Pack. Information for Carers is crucial and newsletters are regularly sent out to GP surgeries and health and social care workers.

Carers Link: The maintenance of the Link Register (formerly with Social Services) has now passed to the Scheme. At March 2005 we had 669 carers registered.

Consultation and Involvement: The Scheme ensures carers’ views on issues that affect them are represented and promoted within the East Devon locality forum and County planning processes. We have supported carer involvement in various planning activities such as a review of services in Exeter Mobility Centre.

Development of Services: We aim to ensure that services for carers are developed in line with need and identified gaps in provision.

Emotional Support: Monthly carers’ groups are supported in each locality and 200 carers received home visits, while 100 carers receive regular telephone support. Carers have benefited from training and information opportunities, including the OCN accredited 'Speaking Up' course to support carers to gain confidence in communication skills. We recognise the need for nurturing and carers have enjoyed two pamper/relaxation days as well as the usual Christmas lunches.

EAST DEVON VOLUNTEER BUREAU

	Jill Loader Volunteer Bureau Coordinator

The Volunteer Centre continued to think creatively about ways of promoting volunteering across East Devon. Funding from Timebank gave us an opportunity for a promotional campaign designed to make people think twice about volunteering.
Eye catching posters on local buses caught the attention of around 90 new volunteers who decided they were interested in enriching their lives through volunteering.

'Volunteering is a fantastic way of becoming involved in the arts which could otherwise be hard to gain experience in. I'm loving it! Thank you.'

'I went on a training course in April and since I've started volunteering on a weekly basis, helping out at their social evenings and going to functions such as a summer ball. It's great fun and I get a great deal from it. Thanks for putting me in touch with them.'

We significantly increased the numbers and range of volunteers recruiting many people from the Do-it-all website, placing more than 300 people and encouraging many more to contact active organisations directly. We have supported an increasing number of volunteers who would otherwise find difficulty in maintaining individual volunteering placements.

Working closely with EDVSA's Training Project, 5 volunteers were recruited to the ASDAN accredited Certificate in Community Volunteering and are being supported to produce their portfolios. We have also delivered training around good practice in Volunteer Management, Recruitment and Retention.

Nationally, Volunteer England is being re-branded and locally Volunteer Bureaux in Devon have come together to ensure a more uniform approach and good practice across the county.

EAST DEVON MENTAL HEALTHSELF-ADVOCACY PROJECT..enables service users to have meaningful involvement in designing and shaping mental health services that serve our community. Many challenges face us in this work but the key must be that each individual is offered opportunities for involvement that match their own needs and wishes. Some people find the thought of speaking out in a meeting unbearable and need support to get their voice heard; others are at home delivering speeches to regional conferences.

Ed Coutts Coordinator

The project supports two groups, one in the Honiton area, the other covering the Exmouth side of East Devon, making meetings more accessible and connected to people’s day-to-day lives. Social events remain an essential aspect of supporting people to become involved.

'Thank you for the understanding and care you have shown me and all the many ways you have helped me which have contributed so much to transforming my life.'

Service Users are supported to participate in staff recruitment for Devon Partnership Trust. Visiting our Acute Admission Ward offers service users a chance to make a genuine contribution and enabling patient’s suggestions to be taken on board by staff is deeply satisfying for those involved. Our ward recently had a cold water machine fitted, a small matter perhaps, but proof the project makes a real difference to people’s lives and experiences.

Connecting with other projects across Devon is an important aspect of our work - Experts By Experience delivers training to a whole range of organisations, including the Peninsula Medical School and Devon & Cornwall Police. Making Connections meetings link Service Users and Carers' groups across Devon; the Local Implementation Team Service User Network and seven Local Implementation Groups meet to plan and develop a coordinated intervention into Devon-wide planning for implementing the National Service Framework for Mental Health.

SIDE BY SIDE

'supporting volunteering and encouraging mental well-being in the community of East Devon'
	Bridget Moss Coordinator

Now in its 6th year this unique project has continued its work as a well-established and respected project, providing high quality group activities for people with severe and enduring mental ill health. It works to improve the quality of life, support social interaction and reduce isolation for its volunteers.

Volunteers are offered a range of activities and can opt in and out of the activities that are all designed to develop new skills, confidence, self-determination and ensure positive experiences of volunteering activities.

Members report a sense of achievement, that they feel valued and are making a contribution to the wider community and environmental issues. Social opportunities are a key activity for volunteers to meet and interact with other individuals easily. The activities give a focus that help volunteers develop concentration and achieve a sense of order and accomplishment with positive benefits which can be lacking in other aspects of people's lives.

'clerical work in general helps me to concentrate'
The session are very well organised and we talk quite a bit'
This year we have worked with Exeter CVS to run a Basic Skills, OCN accredited 'Speaking Up' course designed to build confidence and communication skills to support participation in meetings. It was a huge personal achievement for people from both mental health projects to successfully complete the 10 week course.

A recent independent evaluation of the project makes it clear that the project

'provides a uniquely supportive, high quality, user-led service, through which its clients gain confidence and self-esteem and feel useful and valued though doing work which benefits others.'

HEATHPARK COMMUNITY PROJECT

Set up in response to identified community needs to support families and residents living on the Heathpark Estate in Honiton, especially those living in interim accommodation, the project has worked in a variety of ways this year, including:
	Penny Fildew Project Coordinator

Providing facilities for residents that include use of a telephone, washing machine & tumble dryer, all of which were used on a very regular basis.
Working closely with Police, Social Services, Adult Education, Bicton College, Health Visitors, Exeter Drugs Project, Connexions and Devon Youth Service to provide more 'joined up' services.
Offering a monthly surgery for residents to talk directly about a range of issues with East Devon District Council Estates Management, Local Councillors and Police
Promoting healthy life styles through Gym and Swim activities for residents, funded by the Primary Care Trust.
Actively supporting the application of a local, private day nursery, including a new room for use by the community.
Successfully bidding for Living Spaces money for a community garden
Provision of youth and children’s activities during term-time and holidays, including drop-ins, workshops, outings and a residential activity weekend.
Supporting residents with a wide range of issues e.g. benefits, family support, health or anti-social behaviour.
Supporting a very successful women’s support group and residential weekend.

This community project continues to make a real difference to the quality of people's lives providing 'a place to share ideas and an anchor point' for residents in that community.

PATIENT & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTH

	Kate Fenton Project Coordinator	Rebecca Keeling Forum Support Worker	Claire Andrew Forum Support Worker

EDVSA is the Forum Support Organisation for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health programme in Devon, supporting 12 Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forums in Devon.

PPI Forums comprise local volunteers, enthusiastic about helping patients and the public influence the way local healthcare is organised and delivered. From a variety of backgrounds, with a range of experiences and skills, they are keen to work with all sectors of the community to find out what people really think about health and healthcare in the local area and to take action wherever necessary.

Each PPI Forum is partnered with, but independent of, one of the local NHS Trusts and is key to ensuring a patient-led NHS. Forums have legal powers to enter and inspect NHS property and NHS Trusts are legally obliged to consult with and listen to PPI Forums. Recent successes include:
South Devon Healthcare PPI Forum has monitored cleanliness in the Torbay hospital - recommendations are being followed up by the Trust;
PPI Forum for the RD&E hospital is planning monitoring visits to monitor cleanliness in response to fears from patients about MRSA and other hospital acquired infections;
Westcountry Ambulance Services PPI Forum worked to make sure the public has been consulted about changes to the service to ensure an ambulance or rapid response vehicle can reach patients to deliver life-saving care;
East Devon PPI Forum regularly meet in public so that patients and members of the public can attend and share their concerns about local healthcare;
North Devon Primary Care PPI Forum surveyed GPs in North Devon to find out more about problems faced by patients with sight or visual impairments. As a result, the Forum is working with the Trust to overcome problems and improve staff training;
All Forums encourage members of the public and local community groups to raise any concerns by attending a meeting in public or contacting their Forum Advisor.

Funders

EDVSA would like to thank the following funders for supporting our core activities and project work from November 2003 - March 2005:

East Devon Community Safety Partnership
The Community Fund
Commission for Patient & Public Involvement in Health
Children in Need
Devon Community Foundation
Devon Early Years
Richard Marker Trust
Viscount Amory Trust
Barings Foundation
Lloyds TSB Foundation
Abbey Charitable Trust
The Co-operative Group Community Dividend Fund
Battishorn Trust
South West Foundation
Lankelly Foundation
Arts Council
Local Network Fund
Nationwide Foundation
F B Laurence Charitable Trust
Community Champions Fund
Community is Key Fund

sharon@edvsa.org.uk

www.edvsa.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1070642

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