Organisation

Project Title

Project Description

Funding Awarded

Resource efficiency, including conservation of energy, benefits the profitability of businesses and improves their long term viability. It can also have an impact upon the stakeholders of these businesses (e.g. customers, suppliers and their competitors) by sending an important message that can often lead to stakeholders adopting a similar approach and mind set (the ‘ripple out’ effect). The timing of the project, during an economic downturn, means that businesses that choose to benefit from the project will be in stronger position when economic activity increases.

The aim of this project is to help small businesses which currently do not receive direct financial support from organisations such as the Carbon Trust to cut energy and carbon and save money by providing support funding to invest in simple energy and resource cutting measures.

The objectives of Business Carbon Cutters Grant are to:

 - reduce the business carbon footprint;

 - strengthen local business by reducing business energy and fuel bills;

 - increase business profile through recognition for their carbon-cutting activities.

This pilot will test a mechanism to cost-effectively fill gaps in service provision. Currently no identified Tier 1, 2, or 3 Primary Care service exists for people with Personality Disorder (PD) in the county, which means people bounce between the health, social and criminal justice systems with no real amelioration of their distress. The cost of PD on Primary Care is estimated at nearly twice that of individuals without personality disorder (Rendu et al, 2002). PD is increasingly known as ‘Complex Cases’ or ‘Complex Condition’, which better reflects the complexity in diagnosis, treatment and management of this distressing suite of conditions, and is considered less stigmatising and judgemental, but for this document the term PD will be retained for clarity.

People with PD can be judged ‘difficult’ or ‘anti-social’ and there is a prevailing myth that nothing can be done to ameliorate the condition and their resultant behaviour. However, much can be done in terms of considered response, boundary setting and cognitive behavioural therapies. These management techniques could be easily disseminated through a wide variety of health, housing, social and judicial organisations across West Suffolk through a ‘viral’ model. This is what this pilot wants to evaluate.

A core team of people who are expert in providing talking-therapies to people over 18yrs with PD will be seconded in from a variety of sources. They will come together with people working in Housing providers, CMHTs, and other organisations operating in West Suffolk identified through VASP. The experts will train the workers from these organisations to understand key elements of PD and the best practice methods of supporting and ameliorating the unhelpful behaviours and inappropriate reactions often displayed. The experts will review referrals, provide advice, supervision, training and support to the workers to aid them to effectively support and manage the people with PD. Keeping the workers as the principal support for those with PD is a best practice method of effectively supporting the sufferer, as disruption of supportive relationships often exacerbates key elements of PD because sufferers often both fear and anticipate rejection. The organisational workers will learn to support the particular client, but will also be able disseminate their newly acquired expertise throughout their organisation, acting as coach, internal expert and mentor to staff and a bridge to the expert therapist group.

This project will help small local voluntary and community organisations (including social enterprises) to develop the skills, knowledge and processes needed to ensure that they are efficient and effective in developing their work within their local communities and to stimulate and entrench efficiency, effectiveness and innovation within their groups. It will upskill staff, volunteers and management committee members, many of whom may be vulnerable and/or low skilled, with a set of transferable skills to develop their confidence and ability, thus improving people’s employability skills. A series of ten sessions (approx 3 hours each) will be run in 4 locations: Haverhill, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Sudbury with a further five sessions in both Brandon and Haverhill. These sessions will cover:

• roles and responsibilities of committee members
• committee skills (running meetings, secretarial duties, how to be a good chair and treasurer)
• Business planning and planning of projects and events
• risk management, assessment and health and safety
• staff, volunteer and organisational management
• finance, funding and fundraising skills
• marketing and publicity skills
• working in partnership, understanding the broader community and sustaining the environment
• user involvement, monitoring and evaluating work
• personal skills eg time management, presentation skills.

We will create a team of debt advisers who will specialise in new technological advances in money advice, in order to enable bureau to help the growing numbers of clients presenting with debt problems.

The current money advice staff will continue to focus on emergency/complex casework working with existing partners (LA council tax recovery, county court judges, mortgage companies, creditors).

We shall recruit a Money Advice Coordinator (MAC) who will recruit and develop the skills of 5 volunteer advisers in the use of CASHflow and then take on clients for Debt Relief Order (DRO)/Bankruptcy Petitions (BP).

Generation West is based on an idea from Runnymede Trust which has the inspirational aim of eradicating racism within a generation by encouraging young people – who are our leaders of tomorrow – to learn from the experiences of those who are 3 generations on from the major wave of post-war migration to this country. It is intended to support and improve community cohesion by developing relationships across generations. We aim to understand young people’s conceptualisation of race and racism and chart how that differs from that of older generations.

The worker will invite young people (primarily but not exclusively BAME – Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) from schools within Forest Heath, St Edmunds Haverhill and Sudbury who are currently engaged in work with the Youth Service, to become ‘Inclusion Champions’. Identifying appropriate partners with a range of skills, the support worker will create a training programme for the young people to enable them to be more aware of issues around diversity, racism, community development, civil rights, local history, intergenerational activities and to improve their communication and media skills. Elements of the training will provide young people with the opportunity to explore and discuss their views on identity and multi-cultural societies. If it is possible, the support worker will identify mentors from local businesses to support and encourage the young people which may also impact on the views of prospective employers.

Once trained, the Inclusion Champions will each identify adults over the age of 60 within their local community who are willing to talk about their views and experience of different cultures and attitudes over the span of their lives. They will be supported to record the stories on film and then work with ISCRE and the Youth Service to produce a DVD which encapsulates the range and change of attitudes towards racism and race equality.

The DVD will be showcased at a Community Event which the support worker will assist the Inclusion Champions to organise.

The aim of the community event will be to bring together a broad range of people in the communities to join the debate about racism and challenging racist attitudes. We will be running community events in each of the areas, which will be supported by a range of organisations and inputs to create a stimulating and enjoyable experience for all. The events will provide young people with an opportunity to develop their organisational and presentation skills, whilst celebrating diversity.

Little Flexi is a capital project that would enable Bury St Edmunds Volunteer Centre (BSEVC) to purchase a new community transport vehicle to facilitate the delivery of a more effective, efficient, safe, reliable, flexible and fully accessible community transport service throughout West Suffolk.

The new vehicle would be used throughout West Suffolk and have the capacity to transport up to four passengers plus one wheelchair-user per journey.

To whom?

• Provide more flexible community transport opportunities for vulnerable and ‘hard to reach’ individuals; meeting the specific needs of individuals who experience multiple disadvantage in accessing local services, e.g. those with physical disabilities and the elderly.
• The project would greatly assist our existing client base (see Question B2 for details) and also enable us to widen participation to assist more eligible individuals across West Suffolk.
• Act as a significant catalyst in engaging with and assisting disadvantaged individuals and Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations in improving accessibility to services, healthcare and leisure.
• Provide equality, choice and integration for elderly and/or physically disabled individuals to become self-fulfilled and participate more fully in society.

How?

• The new vehicle would enable us to provide a door-to-door ‘sit and wait’ service from service user’s homes, taken to chosen destinations in the knowledge that the service ensures a guaranteed and safe journey home.
• Proactively encourage individuals to undertake ‘distance’ journeys and excursions; enjoy social interaction; access out-of-county respite care and medical appointments (currently 10 mile radius restriction imposed by Suffolk County Council).
• Help vulnerable individuals feel more valued within their community and encourage a sense of ownership by introducing a more easy to use and transparent booking process for all clients.
• Recruit additional voluntary drivers, passenger assistants and wheelchair-pushers to increase capacity and longer-term sustainability of service.
• Deliver comprehensive training to all volunteer drivers, passenger assistants and wheelchair pushers to improve their skills.
• All volunteer drivers undertake MiDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme), organised by Community Transport Association U.K. promoting a nationally recognised standard for assessment and training of minibus drivers designed to enhance wheelchair accessible minibus driving standards and promote the safer operation of minibuses.
• Softer skills will also be enhanced for all volunteers e.g. increased levels of confidence, self-esteem, motivation, feelings of responsibility and enhanced personal skills such as improved timekeeping, communication, greater levels of self-awareness and engagement.
• The new vehicle purchased would be as environmentally friendly and ‘green’ as is practicable. Advice and expertise would be sought on this matter prior to purchasing a new vehicle. This should also deliver benefits for society at the broadest level by playing an integral part in reducing carbon dioxide emissions related to transport which is fuelling global climate change.
• Work collaboratively and hire the vehicle out to other VCS organisations across West Suffolk. The organisations will be encouraged to hire and promote Little Flexi to their group members to facilitate greater accessibility to activities and excursions that are not presently available.

The project will contribute to the skills development of any employees, small business owners and individuals starting up in business across the WSLSP area including social enterprises and third sector organisations. It is informed by the previously funded Improving Suffolk Skills project.

Initially training offered will be a programme of 40 one-day workshops/training sessions on topics of value to local businesses to help them address issues such as improving customer service, marketing and lean processes. Environmental topics will be included and in some cases this will provide a link with other existing college project work. (Total estimate 250 participants) The project will offer IT related workshops to improve the effective use of IT in businesses and help companies tackle new requirements for training being introduced in some industries, eg goods driver training. Skills for Life (literacy and numeracy) have previously been well-funded nationally and English language for migrant workers (ESOL) has been funded through European projects. This is no longer the case – with regard to ESF funding, projects cease in the autumn this year. This means that it will no longer be possible to offer skills development in the flexible way and with small groups which is essential to addressing the issues, particularly in a rural area such as ours. Therefore Skills for Life and ESOL will be included in the project for up to 40 participants. There will also be the opportunity for participants to access discounted places on full-cost short courses offered by the college if that is appropriate for them but this will be a small minority.

In addition to the training listed above, during the project the co-ordinator will meet with and take feedback from the partners, who will promote the project to companies they work with and seeking their views on any training that they feel is required but not currently available. This will be incorporated into the programme wherever possible. MENTA will use the training programme to supplement their own offer to assist people starting up in business. There will also be the opportunity additionally and free of charge to the project for individuals identified through the project to access training courses run by MENTA which are funded from elsewhere. Although this is expected to be a small number it will add to the offer for people identified through the project

Training will be delivered mainly by staff of West Suffolk College, which will lead and co-ordinate the project, supported by MENTA trainers, using some of the training courses developed by them. Training will be delivered at various venues across the WSLSP area to make it easy for participants to travel to venues and reduce travel time and cost. These will include WSC local centres, the main college site in Bury St Edmunds, MENTA’s centres at BSE and Haverhill and on company premises. All businesses in the area will be eligible but there will be a focus on small companies. A contribution to the training will be required by all except for start-up businesses.

West Suffolk Warmer Greener Homes comprises of an income-banded grant open to residents in the LSP area that will help them cut carbon, keep warm, save money and increase the household income.

The project aims are:

 - To target communities across West Suffolk to reduce household fuel poverty: and

 -  Improve domestic energy efficiency.

These aims will be achieved by providing residents with support and advice to enable them to improve the thermal efficiency of their homes by accessing income-banded grant assistance, thus reducing CO₂ emissions and increasing the take up of eligible benefits.
The project will be delivered through organising up to seven events in areas identified as being most at need and having poor home thermal efficiency.
The project will be delivered by identifying and working with local community organisations (e.g. parish councils and GPs) to promote and deliver a one day tailored event to local households. The event will help residents obtain energy and water saving advice who will then be able to apply for suitable products that can be installed on a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) basis. These products will be showcased at the event and householders will be able to obtain them through an income-banded eligibility grant scheme (with a maximum grant of £350 per household).

The Householder DIY package shall be aimed at, but not exclusive to, lower income households. Grants will be banded and linked to income to ensure that lower income households gain most benefit. Interest free loans will be available allowing households to buy additional products over and above the grant. Interest free loans will also be available for installing a micro renewable system.

Other services available on the day will include:

 - Advice and support regarding the measures and materials available
 - Personalised home energy efficiency checks from the Energy Saving Trust

 - Benefit health checks to help maximise household income

 - Access to suppliers of products to ensure their suitability

 - Local insulation installers able to access funding for free loft and cavity wall insulation for those in receipt of benefits or  over the age of 70

 - Representatives from other relevant organisations will attend, for example Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Age Concern.

Each householder will need to complete a DIY wish list form, which will be assessed for eligibility. A bulk order of products will be made which will be delivered to the community venue for collection by the applicants. Assistance will be available on the day to ensure that all householders receive their goods.

Each event will be promoted in a variety of ways, working closely with the local community and partner organisations.
Five per cent of all participants will be contacted as part of a monitoring and feedback process. Home visits will be made to check the installations and gain project and energy saving feedback.
All these events will take place during the WSLSP funding period.