FAQ FAQsRSS FeedAtom Feed Provide opportunities for building the knowledge and skills of VCS and council officers by providing training and development opportunities Answer:We will deliver/commission training sessions to address priority areas for the VCS identified through: engagement annual needs assessment Strengthen social value by developing a new strategy and toolkit, plus increasing staff resources so that the VCS can access benefits based on their needs Answer:We will refresh our approach to social value to make sure that the benefits secured by the programme meet the needs of smaller VCS organisations Support tenants and leaseholders in social housing to set up and manage tenant residents' associations (TRAs) and provide support to residents to set up community food gardens to grow food and socialise Answer:Our Housing Community Partnership Service will provide ongoing support in these areas. It will deliver an annual capacity building programme to empower tenants in social housing to actively participate in TRAs. The council should involve a diverse range of groups in community engagement activities and not always engage the same organisations and people Answer:There will be a review of VCS membership of Tower Hamlets Partnership to ensure membership of thematic partnerships fully reflects the local VCS and communities, including faith communities. The council should provide regular updates on the work that it has funded or commissioned the VCS to deliver Answer:We will, where appropriate, produce annual reports highlighting the impact VCS organisations have made. Performance reports are published on the Mayor’s Community Grants Programme every 3 months. Work with partners and the VCS to develop a premises strategy to ensure the VCS has access to affordable premises to deliver services from, and that council owned community spaces are well used Answer:We will do a full review of council-owned Community Premises. Including a review of the Community Premises Policy in along with the VCS. Making sure those currently leasing and hiring premises, and those who would like to, are able to take part. The council should allow VCS organisations to access its apprenticeship levy to pay for qualifications for the apprentices that VCS organisations take on Answer:We will not be allowed to use our apprenticeship levy for VCS organisations. However, this will be continued to be explored if future changes are made. The council should organise a VCS recruitment fair twice a year, where people could have on the spot interviews Answer:There would not be a enough high level of vacancies within the VCS in Tower Hamlets at any given time to hold a recruitment fair for this sector. It would be more productive for us to work with VCS organisations to enable them to participate in general recruitment fairs we organises. The council should provide funding and support for VCS organisations to gain for accreditations such as quality marks to give funders confidence they are delivering a quality service Answer:Council grant funding focuses on supporting VCS projects to address local needs. Project funding may include quality assurance (QA) accreditation costs that can be used for a project. However, we would not expect to be providing stand-alone funding for VCS organisations to secure QA accreditation. Smal VCS organisations can apply for the Capacity Building theme of the Mayor’s Small Grants Programme to support them to work towards QA accreditation. The council should provide funding to the VCS for core costs such as premises and management Answer:Our grant funding programmes for the VCS focus on supporting VCS projects to address local needs. This project funding may support core costs that can be used for different parts of a project, to support full cost recovery. However, like other statutory sector funding organisations, we have no plans to directly fund any of the specific core costs of VCS organisations as stand-alone funding. Displaying 311 to 320 of 888 Previous … 30 31 32 33 34 … Next