Many organisations are concerned, quite rightly, about the potential
costs of legal action arising from employment situations. There are many offerings from legal companies, insurance providers and solicitors to provide organisations with an integrated legal package. Unfortunately many of these are not affordable to voluntary organisations either through the high costs or because they tie an organisation into several years commitment.
Following concerns from clients, the Employment Advice Service has been working with Hiscox, a leading insurance provider to develop a very flexible and cost effective range of employment insurance packages that can be tailored to the needs and resources of the organisation.
Organisations can also include other insurances such as public
liability, building insurance etc. Hiscox are a major sponsor of the Northern Employment Conference and participants can meet with them at the Employment Conference in York on
the 5th March.
Further details can be found by contacting Paul Buckle on 01482 388597 or email nyyf@insurance-partnership.com.
Joe Irvin takes over the reins at NAVCA - Joe Irvin has taken up his post as NAVCA’s new Chief Executive. He takes over from Kevin Curley who has retired after 9 years in the post. Joe has quickly set out his priorities and has already met with Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society and with Gareth Thomas MP, the Labour Shadow Minister for Civil Society. http://www.navca.org.uk/news
Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations and the Police
and Crime Commissioners - what this will mean to you
In 2012 major changes will come into force that will have a profound
effect on voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
involved in community safety.
In November 2012 elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will
replace police authorities in England and Wales. The PCCs'
responsibilities will include setting local community safety priorities
and funding community safety activity to meet those priorities. There
will be changes to existing funding and commissioning structures such
that funding avenues for Voluntary, Community and Safety Enterprise
(VCSE) organisations working in community safety will change
significantly. (Further information on these changes can be found in
the Safer Future Communities policy briefing).
If you work in this area you need to know how these changes will affect
you and be well prepared to influence PCCs' local community safety
priorities and to access funding, service delivery and partnership
opportunities.
Regional briefing events for voluntary, community and social enterprise
organisations (VCSE) working on community safety. These events will explore the opportunities and challenges presented by this new landscape and provide further information about the support available through the Safer Future Communities project.
The project aims to engage with as diverse a range of partners as
possible to ensure that the breadth of Home Office community safety
issues are properly represented in the new local commissioning landscape
If your organisation has an interest in or works to address issues such
as crime & reoffending, antisocial behaviour, equalities and diversity,
substance misuse, violence against women and girls or youth crime,you
should consider attending.These events are open to all VCSE organisations working on community safety and statutory stakeholders. The event for our region is in York on 15 March.
Further information: Jessica Mullen, Safer Future Communities Project Co-ordinator, Jessica.mullen@clinks.org www.clinks.org/service/sfc
Bookings: http://clinks.eventbrite.com <http://clinks.eventbrite.com/>
Drop-In advice for older people at Ripon Library - Advice sessions every Friday 9.00 - 10.30am.
Macmillan Cancer Support: Financial Guidance Service - North Yorkshire sees the launch of new free financial guidance service for people affected by cancer
A new free financial guidance service has been launched in North Yorkshire to help people affected by cancer in the area who are not getting the vital financial support and guidance they need. Currently 4,300 new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year in North Yorkshire.
The service, being piloted in North Yorkshire and Glasgow, has been developed by Macmillan Cancer Support, with support from the RBS Group and will provide free, independent guidance and support to help people make good money choices for the future. We know that living with cancer can be the toughest fight of people's life, and to make it worse 43% people living with cancer see a significant change in their money situation and so would benefit from financial guidance and support to help them manage this change in circumstances.
Macmillan’s team of financial guides can help with matters such as:
· Pensions
· Insurance
· Mortgages
· Savings & Investments
· Borrowing
· Banking
· Explaining financial jargon
The service is independent- we will not promote or recommend specific products or companies. We will provide guidance and support to help people affected by cancer make the decisions that are right for them and their families.
This service will complement Macmillan’s existing benefits advice services which help people affected by cancer maximise their income through claiming the correct benefits or through the Macmillan grant scheme.
The pilot will last for twelve months and we hope to roll out the service UK-wide later in 2012. North Yorkshire and Glasgow were chosen as the pilot sites so Macmillan can test the service in two contrasting settings and demographics.
People in North Yorkshire can access the service by calling 0808 808 22 32 free on Monday-Thursday, 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4.30pm. It is initially a telephone service with face-to-face advice being developed in early 2012.
www.macmillan.org.uk/HowWeCanHelp/FinancialSupport/Financialguidance
For further information please contact: Alasdair Watt, Financial Guidance Development Manager, Macmillan Cancer Support - Tel: 0141 223 7677, Mob: 07894 936 354, Email: wlmailhtml:{FD7AB201-DB0F-48E9-B893-2702F7DF111B}mid://00000411/!x-usc:mailto:awatt@macmillan.org.uk
Free services from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
- Home risk assessment and escape plan advice
- Smoke alarms
- Continental/ UK electrical adapters
- Advice on the fitting of child car seats
Call Harrogate Fire Station on 01423 504082 - http://www.northyorksfire.gov.uk/communitysafety
Singing raises £4,000 for Disability Action Yorkshire accessible holiday lodge.
The 2011 annual Nidderdale Messiah singing event on 20 November raised £4,000 for Disability Action Yorkshire. This year’s funds will support D-A-Y’s latest development, an accessible Holiday Lodge for disabled people based in beautiful mature woodland in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
The lodge will feature such benefits as ceiling hoists, master bedroom with wet room facilities and fully accessible features. It is the perfect base for a holiday or short break for disabled adults or children and their families. The lodge will open at Easter 2012, to find out more or to book contact Disability Action Yorkshire 01423 855412 or have a look at the website www.disabilityactionyorkshire.org.uk
The Charity Awards 2012 - The awards celebrate the effects that charities have on a wide spectrum of social needs. Entry is free and open to all charities of any size, based anywhere in the UK. Deadline for entries is Friday 9 March 2012. Full details online at www.civilsociety.co.uk/charityawards/
An Enterprising Future - Social Enterprise UK have produced a free guide to social enterprise for voluntary sector organisations providing children and young people's services. Download your copy from: www.socialenterprise.org.uk/advice-support/resources/enterprising-future
101 non-emergency police number goes live - The new national non-emergency police number - 101 – is now live for North Yorkshire and the City of York (and has replaced the local 0845 60 60 24 7 number).
Local residents can now call 101 for non-emergency issues such as minor traffic collisions, criminal damage or if they want to speak to a local neighbourhood officer or PCSO about an issue affecting their community.
101is being introduced in North Yorkshire, Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham and Northumbria force areas as part of a national roll-out designed to make it easier for people to contact the police.
Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "101 is a memorable number which will make it easier for people to report non-emergency crime and anti-social behaviour, as well as contacting the local Safer Neighbourhood Team. It is designed to make the police even more accessible to our communities while at the same time reducing pressure on the 999 system, meaning every caller receives the best possible service." The new number will replace current non-emergency numbers – in North Yorkshire Police’s case 0845 60 60 24 7 - but calls will still be answered in the same Force Control Room in York by the same police personnel.
When calling 101, the system will determine the caller’s location and play a recorded message announcing the police force they’re being connected to. If they are on a boundary between two or more forces, the recorded message will give them a choice of which force to be connected to.
101also offers improved value, with each call costing 15p no matter what time of day it is or how long the call lasts. This means everyone calling the police will know exactly how much a call will cost them, whether they’re calling from a landline or a mobile phone. People should continue to call 999 in an emergency - when a crime is in progress, there is danger to life or violence is being used or threatened. Local councils should still be contacted on their existing phone numbers for issues such as dog fouling or litter. For more information about 101, please go to www.police.uk/101 North Yorkshire Police www.northyorkshire.police.uk/
Anyone living or working in North Yorkshire or York will be able to join the Credit Union. The proposed launch date is 16 May 2009. The latest Newsletter about the Project is attached and includes volunteer opportunities. Further launch details will be included in the next issue later in the month. For more information contact Nicholas Marshall, Project Development Manager on 01904 676664 or email - project@ycu.org.uk
RADAR KEYS If you are disabled or are the carer for a disabled person, on completion of a signed declaration, you can purchase a key for £3 which will enable you to use some 4,000 accessible toilets throughout the UK. Contact Jill Lawson, Ripon CVS on 01765 603631 or call in to Community House, Sharow View, Allhallowgate, Ripon.
Rural Arts - Exhibitions, Arts, Performances & Training. For information about what's on in your area visit or telephone the office in Thirsk on 01845 526536.
NIDDERDALE AONB If you enjoy nature walks, Nidderdale AONB have a selection to suit all ages and abilities. For further details telephone 01423 712950 or visit www.nidderdaleaonb.org.UK/nidderdale-287.
VCS Directory - Do you need to find out what community groups are in your area? Do you want information about a particular organisation? Log on to the new VCS Directory, an A - Z of voluntary and community organisations supporting individuals and running activities throughout York and North Yorkshire.
The place to find local help, advice and support - http://www.vcsdirectory.org.uk/
North Yorkshire Welcome Pack - The North Yorkshire Welcome Pack is a new web-based service information guide for those who are new to the area, both for UK residents and new arrivals into the country. The pack has been developed and sponsored by the North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership (NYSP) Equalities Task Group.
The guide is split into two sections, national and District information. It contains details of national and local services for example, leisure and training opportunities, how to register for work, a doctor, a bank, details on transport as well as more general information on advice services and community groups.
Information is currently available in English, Polish, Czech, Latvian and Lithuanian- the most frequently spoken languages within the county, with another 16 languages to follow soon.
The information can be accessed on-line and will be updated monthly to ensure contact details are up to-date. I will be the contact for any changes or additions. Please note that these have to be paid for due to the translation costs so need to be kept to a minimum.
Partners are encouraged to promote the pack to front-line staff to ensure that all members of the public who would benefit from the guide have access to it. If you have any ideas as to how this could be marketed further or any material required to do so please let me know so that I can feed this back to the group. Where possible could I ask that partners ensure links are made to the site from the home websites.
The Welcome Pack can be found at: www.nysp.org.uk/welcomepack
For any other information on the pack or the work of the NYSP please contact:
Ann Byrne
Corporate Partnership Development Officer
Department of Corporate Policy and Improvement
Harrogate Borough Council
Council Offices, Crescent Gardens
Harrogate, HG1 2SG
Tel: (01423) 556067
Fax: (01423) 556180
e-mail: ann.byrne@harrogate.gov.uk
Are you looking for an NHS Dentist? Register your details on the NHS Dental Waiting List - www.nyypct.nhs.uk
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The Primary Care Trust is working with dentists to increase NHS dental places in the North Yorkshire & York PCT area
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Please contact the Dental Waiting list and leave your name, address, postcode, date of birth and contact number
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Your contact details will be collated and you will be informed by the dental practice when an NHS dental place is available
Alternatively write to NHS Dental Waiting List, FREEPOST, NEA 13107, YORK, YO31 7ZX. Telephone 01904 724107 or email nyy-pct.DentalRegistration@nhs.net.