Ethnic Health Foundation (EHF) is a community based voluntary organisation working across Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham. The organisation is primarily a health promotion and education foundation working with the black and minority ethnic groups in South London to raise awareness about risks and risks factor that impact on health and mental wellbeing.
We are seeking experienced staff to join an existing team based in Southwark.
The purpose of the job is to support the organisation in carrying out its key projects in the community.
£23,000 inc pro rata
(Hours to start at 22.5 hours per week part time and may increase to full time post)
All applicants must have proven experience working with the isolated elderly people providing culturally appropriate intervention and support service to clients, and recruiting volunteers to work within teams.
The successful candidate will be responsible for recruiting a team of volunteers to support the organisation’s projects that involve activities with isolated and house bound older people, faith based and other activities. He/She must be well motivated, caring and understanding with excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
He/she will have a clear understanding of the health issues within the African and Afro-Caribbean communities engage older people in solution focused health improvement activities in their own setting and provide information and advice on health and fitness, exercise, falls prevention and healthy eating.
Experience of working in the community providing services with social services, other public sector or voluntary/community sector is essential together with the ability to supervise volunteers. A relevant qualification would be preferred. The post may involve some evening and weekend work.
To obtain an application form, visit www.ehfl.org
For enquiries: email:
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Closing date: Friday 17th September 2010
We are committed to equal opportunities in employment and service delivery and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
(Registered charity number)
Southwark Forum – Thursday 16 September 2010
With Cllr Peter John and Lord Ouseley confirmed to speak at the forthcoming Southwark Forum, it is destined to be a landmark event for Southwark’s voluntary and community sector. The meeting will address Southwark Council's budget setting process, improving local community premises and funding cuts.
It will be held 2pm-4pm on Thursday 16 September at the Ability Media Centre, 56 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0AS.
Places are limited so booking is essential. For more information or to reserve a place, email Andyor call 020 7358 4834.
Please also note the details of the following meetings:
Celebrate the best of Southwark at the Active Citizens Awards
The nomination period for one of the most prominent awards in Southwark is closing soon. This is your chance to highlight those people who deserve to be recognised for their great efforts in the community.
The Active Citizen Awards 2010 recognise commitment and excellence in different areas of Active Citizenship. Does your friend, family member, neighbour or colleague deserve recognition for making a difference in Southwark in one of these six categories:
Keib Thomas Community Activist Award (for making a difference in Southwark)
Community Group Member of the Year
Rising Star
Citizen Governor
Good Neighbour of the year
Citizen View-Giver of the year
This celebratory event will also be commemorating Black History month, highlighting the borough's rich, vibrant cultural diversity and honouring the contributions made by black and minority ethnic groups. We hope that this year's event will be our biggest and your participation can help that happen!
The Active Citizens Awards will take place at the Amigo Hall next to St George’s Cathedral, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7HY on Friday 29th October 2010.
Be part of something special - The Active Citizen Awards 2010.
Events for the voluntary and community sector, and patients, service user and carers groups, September 2010
Date: Friday 10 September
Time: 10.30am-3.30pm
Venue: Town Hall, Catford, Lewisham SE6 4RU
A series of consultation events organised by Regional Voices, a Strategic Partner to the Department of Health, to discuss the implications and impact of the changes proposed in the Health White Paper.
The White Paper on Health has the potential to create one of the biggest changes to the structure and function of the NHS since its creation in 1948. Within the White Paper there are 5 consultations which are all open until early October. Although the ‘what’ in the White Paper has largely been decided, the ‘how’ is very much still being shaped.
During September, Regional Voices will be hosting events in 9 locations across the country for the third sector. These will give you the opportunity to learn more about the proposed changes through the White Paper as well as having the chance to attend three interactive consultation workshops during the day to discuss issues in depth and to provide feedback directly to those leading on the consultations from the Department of Health.
Further details can be found on the Regional Voices website at www.regionalvoices.net or by calling 0113 394 2304 (textphone users add prefix 18001 to access BT Typetalk).
The events will:
Raise awareness of the proposed changes and stimulate informed response to the consultations
Help third sector, patient, service user, carers and community organisations understand how the White Paper will impact on their work and the opportunities it presents
Identify some of the cross cutting issues of particular relevance to the sector
Provide a forum to develop understanding of the role of the Third Sector in emerging health structures
Provide direct feedback to the Department of Health on the consultation areas
Recruitment of Lay Members to Southwark Safeguarding Children Board
The Safeguarding Children Board is seeking to appoint two Lay Members to the Board to represent the local community. We are keen to recruit local residents with proven experience of leadership through community involvement in roles such as school governing bodies, parent/teachers associations, faith communities, residents associations or tenants' management organisations, trust boards, voluntary sector leadership or management committees, community groups, partnership groups, consultative groups, etc.
The role requirements are that applicants:
• must be over 18 and resident in Southwark
• should be able to show that they are or have recently been involved in community leadership in this way,
• have an understanding of issues facing children and families and the need for safeguarding.
• should not be employed now or in the last two years by the Council or an agency funded by the Council or one of the member agencies of the Safeguarding Children Board (health, police, probation, schools, etc). A spouse/partner should not be employed by such an agency now.
More details about the roles, requirements and application process are provided in the recruitment pack attached.
The role is non-paid; reasonable expenses can be claimed.
It will require attendance at approximately 8 half day Board Meetings, preparation and reading time.
Thank you in anticipation of your help in sending this out and encouraging suitable applicants.
Safe: new LGBT support service at BEDE House Association
Bede House have just launched SAFE, a new service to make it easier for members of Southwark’s LGBT community to get help if they are experiencing hate crime or domestic violence.
Many LGBT victims are fearful of speaking about their experience and asking for help. SAFE is an internet link that enables victims who do not feel they can make a phone call to access live support through a secure chatroom link to Bede’s trained staff. The anonymity of the internet link will hopefully make taking that first step in seeking help much easier. Our records show that, once they receive our in-depth support, 4 out of 5 clients tell us that the violence and abuse stops.
Backed by the Metropolitan Police in Southwark, and welcomed by local LGBT community leaders and Southwark Council we believe that this is a “first” in the UK in offering this type of response to LGBT Hate Crime. The aim now is to promote the SAFE link on as many Southwark websites as possible.
Roger Moore is leading the SAFE project – contact details on the website.
2011 Census
Census day is 27 March 2011
Why is a census needed?
Government, local authorities, healthcare, education, academics, commercial business, professional organisations need to know and understand the make-up of the population so that they can plan services that reflect the needs of local communities. Many of the services we take for granted every day depend on the census it is therefore crucial to make sure everyone’s needs are accounted for. And we mean everyone: whoever we are and wherever we live.
A lot has changed over the last ten years since the 2001 census; but what, exactly?
The best way to find out is to count people and ask them directly how their lives and needs have changed, so that government and local authorities can plan, fund and deliver the services that are mostly needed.
What are the census questions?
There are 56 questions for you to answer: 14 about your household and its accommodation and 42 for each member of your household. Questions are about work, health, national identity, citizenship, ethnic background, education, second homes, language, religion, whether you are married and so on. All these things are important in capturing a true snapshot of the population as it stands on census day.
What do you need to do?
It’s easy. Just answer the questions. For most of them, all you have to do is tick the box that applies to you or write your answer in the box provided.
Funding for local services is all about numbers, and if the count is wrong, some communities could lose out. So it’s important to include everyone. That’s why every household must, by law, fill in a 2011 Census questionnaire.
Data protection
The answers provided on the census questionnaire are only ever used to produce population statistics and will not be passed on to any other government department or marketing company.
To ensure the confidentiality of your personal information, the Office for National Statistics’ systems, processes, staff and contractors are bound by the Data Protection Act, 1920 Census Act, and by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA).
The Prime Minister has announced new plans to hand power to the public with every department publishing a plan that sets clear priorities and measureable milestones.
These Structural Reform Plans (SRPs) mean anyone can check that departments meet their commitments.
They are the key tool of the Coalition Government for ensuring that departments are accountable for the implementation of the reforms set out in the Coalition Agreement. They replace the old, top-down systems of targets and central micromanagement.
The SRPs are published in draft until the results of the Spending Review are known. When finalised, they will become part of each department’s business plan and will be updated annually.
As part of the NatWest bank's Customer Charter they have created the NatWest Community Fund. The fund will be available to support hundreds of local charities and projects across Britain each year. The NatWest want your help in deciding who will receive the money.
So, if you know of a local charity or project doing great things for your community then why not nominate them to receive a share of the £5,000 NatWest Community Fund award for your area. For more information visit: https://communityfund.natwest.com/Nominate
Royal Bank of Scotland Community Fund
As part of the Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) Customer Charter they have created the RBS Community Fund. The fund will be available to support hundreds of local charities and projects across Scotland and the rest of Britain each year. RBS want your help in deciding who will receive the money.
So, if you know of a local charity or project doing great things for your community then why not nominate them to receive a share of the £5,000 RBS Community Fund award for your area. For more information visit: https://communityfund.rbs.co.uk/nominate?DCMP=OTC-CommFundFURL
Professional Mentoring for African Communities
The Organisational Development Programme at Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) provides much needed support to small African-led organisations that deliver sexual health services to African communities across London. The THT is looking for individuals with specific professional skills who are interested in volunteering to deliver support to staff that work in these organisations.
As a Professional Mentor you will be responsible for delivering mentoring support for a minimum of 3.5 hours per month. If you are interested and possess skills in any of the areas listed below then please get in contact with us:
Fundraising
Project Management
Business Planning
Organisational development
In the current climate fundraising is an area of expertise that is especially in demand. We are therefore actively looking for individuals with fundraising skills that have an interest in developing small organisations. This is an exciting opportunity which will allow you to ‘give back’ to your profession, and to improve your own skills in fostering the development of others. You’ll be providing input that will help front-line service providers working to reduce transmission of HIV in London’s African communities. Experience in health matters in
not essential, a willingness to learn and share knowledge is.
Your role will involve delivering peer support to a manager of an African community organisation for at least 3.5 hours per month (i.e. 1 half day session a month). Mentoring sessions take place at mutually convenient times, which on agreement with your mentee could include evenings and weekends.
If interested please send your C.V to Marcy Madzikanda at
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. If you want any further info. About the OD Programme then please just give us a call on 0207 812 1691.
The Southwark Safeguarding Children Board (SSCB) is renowned for the training that it provides, which are aimed at all staff, volunteers and community leaders who work directly with children, or with their parents or carers.
Recent national and local reviews of child protection have shown that it is essential that all those who work to protect children keep up to date with the latest lessons and knowledge; but what is more important is that those lessons transform our personal safeguarding practice.
The Safeguarding Children Board and the Southwark’s Children and Families’ Trust have agreed that every member of staff who works directly with children or parents, must have basic training in safeguarding children and keep this up to date. Current research also shows how vital it is that supervisors, managers and advisors are aware of the latest lessons and research in order to support front-line practitioners.
The seminars and courses in this programme promote inter-agency and multi-disciplinary working. Lessons show that when agencies work closely together and understand each others’ roles and duties there are better outcomes for children.
Each agency continues to be responsible for ensuring that every member of staff is aware of how to recognise and respond to child abuse and when to use child protection procedures.
At the Annual Meeting of the Council Assembly on 19 May, Councillor Peter John was elected Leader of Southwark Council. A number of other councillors were also appointed to the new Cabinet, which has replaced the executive. To view the full list of cabinet members and portfolios click here.
Employment advice for Southwark organisations – a new service
Developed by the seven Boroughs in the Central London CVS Sub-Region, one of which is Southwark, and led by Voluntary Action Camden, Target HR aims to provide support to a limited number of organisations each year to improve their human resource policies, procedures, skills and knowledge.
Services offered by the project include:
• One-to-one support, from a Human Resource Advisor
• Work through; an audit of your HR practices; an Action Plan; a Sustainability Plan
• Training and volunteering opportunities
• Signposting to resource materials tailor-made for the voluntary sector
• Access to a dedicated website and electronic network in order to develop mutual support with other participating organisations
To be eligible to receive support your organisation must providing services for one or more of the following groups: Black and Minority Ethnic; LBGT; Older People; People with Disabilities; People on Low Income; Refugee or Asylum Seekers; Younger People; and other groups considered marginalised.
This is a great opportunity to make your HR policy and practice state of the art. The project is about to start. Be among the first to receive services by completing the expression of interest form.
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is the Southwark HR Advisor (tel 020 7284 6550).
