Covid-19 & 3rd Sector Update 07/10/2022
LOCAL & NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
VOLUNTEERING
SERVICE UPDATES
FUNDING
TRAINING & EVENT
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
LOCAL & NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
UK Government: The Chancellor has unveiled a new growth plan. Here are some of the most relevant items for the third sector:
Corporation tax rise cancelled, keeping it at 19%;
Basic rate of income tax cut to 19% in April 2023 – one year earlier than planned.
1.25 percentage point rise in National Insurance contributions has been reversed;
Universal Credit Claimants who earn less than the equivalent of 15 hours a week at National Living Wage will be required to meet regularly with their Work Coach and take active steps to increase their earnings or face having their benefits reduced. This change is expected to bring an additional 120,000 people into the more intensive work search regime.
Jobseekers over the age of 50 will also be given extra time with jobcentre work coaches, to help them return to the jobs market. GOVERNMENT STATEMENT
Covid: Health and social care workers will no longer be required to test for COVID-19 every week as asymptomatic testing is paused by 28 September. Testing will remain in place for admissions into care homes and to support appropriate clinical diagnosis and treatment for hospital patients and care home residents. MORE INFO
National Care Service: Adults with first-hand experience of social care services in Scotland are being invited to help design the new National Care Service (NCS). Applications are now open for both the Lived Experience Experts Panel (LEEP) and Stakeholder Register, which will bring together people from across the country to help develop a care system that puts people first, in one of the biggest co-design exercises the Scottish Government has ever undertaken. Organisations in Scotland with an interest in health and social care can note their interest in specific themes by joining the Stakeholder Register. In the future, there will be additional targeted ways for people get involved – for example children and young people under 18, care experienced people, and young carers. MORE INFO
Let’s Talk Education: Every child and young person in Scotland is being encouraged to get involved in a National Discussion on education. Let’s Talk Scottish Education invites those aged three to 18 to share their ideas, views and experiences. Feedback from young people, as well as from parents, carers, teachers and others working in education and beyond, will play a vital part in shaping the future of education. This will include the reform programme that will see the creation of three new education bodies and a review of qualifications and assessment. MORE INFO
Real Living Wage: Some 400,000 workers at businesses that have volunteered to pay the Real Living Wage are set to get a record pay boost. The hourly rates are rising by £1 to £10.90 across the UK and by 90p to £11.95 in London.
The 10.1% rise, which was brought forward from November, is the biggest in the scheme's 10-year history and meant to reflect soaring living costs. This is a voluntary scheme which employers can opt into. The compulsory National Living Wage is £9.50 an hour for anyone over the age of 23. BBC WEBSITE
VOLUNTEERING
VCEL Monthly Volunteering Hot List: Organisations keen to hear from new volunteers. Volunteering Hot List
SERVICE UPDATES
CAPS Vacancy: Finance, Personnel and Administration Manager
36.25 hours a week (full time)
Salary: Pt 31 – 34, £28,550 – £31,096 per annum FTE. Starting salary £28,550
Location: Based in CAPS office, Old Stables, Musselburgh.
A unique opportunity has arisen to join CAPS Independent Advocacy in a key role which has responsibility for the important functions of Finance, Personnel and Administration of a growing mental health charity.
Closing date: 13 October 2022, 12 noon
https://capsadvocacy.org/news/finance-personnel-and-administration-manager/
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Vacancy: Community Support Coordinator Lothian
32.5 hours per week
Salary: £21,836 (pro rata)
Location: Home Based
We are looking for a Community Support Coordinator to join our amazing team in the Lothian area. This role is focused on making sure that people affected by chest, heart and stroke conditions get the help they need and get back to doing the things that matter to them.
Closing date: 19 October 2022
ADVERT
BBC One Scotland are currently seeking nominations for ‘Scotland’s People 2022’ with Jackie Bird. ‘Over the past two years, Jackie has travelled Scotland meeting many of the nation’s unsung heroes and learned of the care and kindness they’ve given others - and we need your help to nominate those you believe deserve to be recognised as one of Scotland’s People 2022. Do you know somebody special who has gone above and beyond to help those around them? Someone who has been an inspiration and deserves a thank you from the nation? If you have an unsung hero, or heroes, you’d like to nominate, all you have to do is go to www.bbc.co.uk/scotlandspeople and tell us all about them. It’s as easy as that. We can’t wait for you to tell us your inspiring stories, and hear about all the remarkable people who’ve gone above and beyond in your lives. Help us celebrate your Scotland’s People 2022. Thank you.’
FUNDING
Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline
Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline fund offers one-year grants of between £500 and £7,000 to women’s and girls’ organisations to support campaigning and influencing work that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change. With the rising cost of living and global pandemic worsening inequalities and threatening to push back women’s and girls’ rights, we need collective action …Continue reading“Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline”
https://funding.scot/news/2022/09/22/rosas-voices-from-the-frontline?utm_source=fundingscotland&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert
TRAINING & EVENTS
Activate Mentoring
Sustrans Scotland communities team are pleased to announce training dates for organisations interested in becoming mentors as part of our Activate Mentoring programme:
9th November, 2pm to 3.30pm – Introduction to Mentoring Online short course (approximately 1.5-2 hours in total, and can be completed in short sections in your own time)
29th November, 10.30am to 12pm – Follow-up session.
Further training opportunities will be available in Jan/Feb – dates to be confirmed.
Activate Mentoring is a new programme where staff or volunteers from groups or organisations running successful projects that contain an element of walking, wheeling or cycling in a community setting can become mentors for people and organisations who are looking to set up similar activities.
Further information, and to apply:
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/projects/2022/uk-wide/sustrans-launches-activate-mentoring/
Cargo bikes: delivering for businesses and communities in Scotland
Energy Saving Trust and Sustrans are pleased to invite you and members of any local community groups to a free virtual event ‘Cargo bikes: delivering for businesses and communities in Scotland’, taking place on Wednesday 26 October, 9.30am-1.00pm.
The event will highlight and explore the scenarios and opportunities where cargo bikes can help to deliver a healthier, inclusive, and more prosperous Scotland.Throughout the event, you will be taken on a journey of inspiring projects in Scotland that showcase a wide range of cargo bike uses across sectors, industries, and demographics.
Register and find out more, including confirmed speakers:
Cargo bikes: delivering for businesses and communities in Scotland (energysavingtrust.org.uk)
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
The Wear-It Study, part of the PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study, aims to measure and understand how people interact in the workplace. HSE's team of dedicated researchers has been joining forces with workplaces to generate detailed data on workers’ interactions and support national efforts to:
better understand and control the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes COVID-19) as we adapt to living with the disease
develop our understanding of how we could better respond to future respiratory infectious disease outbreaks or pandemics if they occur
How is the data collected? Small, wearable devices will be provided to willing workers at participating workplaces during an agreed period. These devices are used in combination with static beacons, which label the interactions collected by the wearables with location information. Your help is needed: Workplaces of interest include those with indoor operational areas, such as large offices, food and drink manufacturing, engineering, warehouses and fulfilment centres, and others – ideally with 50+ workers on site. If your organisation is willing to take part, we would invite workers to wear small devices while at work for up to two weeks. Find out more by reading the Wear-It Study invitation letter and express your interest by contacting our research team:
