VSI Support Services

These are just a small sample of some of the questions that the team get asked on a regular basis and that we can provide support with.

• I want to set up a group in my community but don’t know how.
• I need to generate income and find funding for our charity’s services but don’t know where to look.
• I’ve been asked to update my social enterprise’s policy but how do I know what is the right update?
• Our community group has grown over recent years and our income has substantially increased. What do I need to do next?
• I’m applying for some funding but don’t know how to set the budget
• I’ve set up a new Community Interest Company and would like to connect with similar organisations but I don’t know where to find them

If you are based in Calderdale and a voluntary/community group, registered charity, community social enterprise, or just thinking about setting one up, then we can help you.

VAC and partners can provide a range of tailored support services, training and advice to set up, develop and grow your voluntary sector organisation including:

• Timely support/guidance regarding the development and governance of your organisation
• Support with tailored income generation and funding specific to your organisation
• Specialised support in key areas including governance, income generation, organisation development, finance, asset transfer, engagement, safeguarding, volunteering and quality standards
• Opportunities to develop your organisations standards
• Working collaboratively with you to feed into local, regional and national consultations/surveys and have your collective voice heard

For further help and support, please click the ‘request support’ button below.

Not a Voluntary Group or Charity?

We are contracted to provide support to the VCSE sector only, so we will not be able to assist you. However, if you are a private business or sole trader you can get support from:

Calderdale Business Advice who offer a service to all types of businesses, from start-ups to large established enterprises. The team can help with issues such as funding, advice, research and premises, trading standards and how to do business with the Council.

Visit Calderdale Business Advice

Looking after your people!

Managing volunteers does not necessarily require any specialist knowledge. Mostly, all you need is a bit of common sense and the ability to put yourself in the position of a volunteer and ask yourself how you would like to be treated.

• Remind yourself what motivates people to volunteer.
• Have clear descriptions for each of your volunteer roles – and review them from time to time to make sure they’re still right.
• Have a clearly defined induction process that each of your volunteers has to complete.
• Involving your volunteers in planning – and review their involvement.
• Make sure you know the laws which apply to volunteers and how they might affect your group.

Keeping volunteers motivated

Volunteers are more likely to stick around and be helpful when they…

• Feel appreciated and recognised.
• Are used effectively.
• Feel that they are doing something worthwhile.
• Can see that they make a difference.
• Have opportunities to learn, develop skills and grow.
• Can see that their work is needed.
• Are supported to be able to change or develop their role or commitment.
• Feel confident that they can do what they are asked to do.
• Are asked about their role and are given opportunities to contribute.
• Are well supported and supervised.
• Are accepted and respected by paid staff.
• Have opportunities to socialise with others.
• Feel that their needs and motivations are being met.
• Have a sense of belonging and being part of a team.

For further help and support, please click the ‘request support’ button below.

Safeguarding in the voluntary sector

Safeguarding is about looking out for the people you come into contact – whether that’s people who use your service, your volunteers, staff or trustees.

Everyone in your organisation needs to understand how they should respond to concerns – not knowing what to do risks leaving people more vulnerable.

Because we all have responsibility for safeguarding, whatever your role, you need to understand how you can help keep people safe.

For Trustees of registered charities (including CIOs) the Charity Commission fully expects you to manage safeguarding in your organisation in an informed, safe and consistent way.

A Safeguarding Policy

Your organisation should have a Safeguarding Policy. It shouldn’t be huge, overly-wordy or difficult to understand – rather, it should be clear, straightforward, and obvious about who has which responsibilities in keeping people safe.

The policy should include an easy-to-follow procedure for someone who has concerns.

We have templates that you are welcome to use, and we can even help you tailor them to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

Safer Recruitment

Safer Recruitment is a process your organisation has in place to help make sure your volunteers, staff and Trustees are suitable to be involved with the people who use your service… It means that the right people are involved with the organisation for the right reasons

And it’s not all about DBS checks… It’s about ID checks, references, interviews and more. It can include induction & training, supervision (of some kind) and probationary periods, it might mean having a Code of Conduct and ongoing training – whatever it looks like, the process doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated but the better your recruitment process, the safer your organisation.

How We Can Support

We can help your organisation with:

• Policy drafting/tailoring (Safeguarding Children, Safeguarding Adults, Safer Recruitment)
• Safeguarding Training (for Volunteers, Trustees, Designated Safeguarding Leads, Safer Recruitment)
• 1-2-1 advice and guidance around protocols, procedures and challenges

For further help and support, please click the ‘request support’ button below.

Calderdale Safeguarding Learning & Development

There are a wide range of training opportunities delivered by Calderdale’s Safeguarding Adults Board and Safeguarding Children’s Partnership. These courses are free and mostly online (so can be done from the comfort of your own home!)

Topics include courses such as Domestic Abuse, Mental Capacity, Self Neglect and Modern Slavery.
Please click here to view more details.

Other Resources and Factsheets

NCVO Safeguarding 

NSPCC: Keeping Children Safe

Ann Craft Trust: A Guide to Safeguarding Adults

Calderdale Community Anchor Network (Calderdale CAN)

What is a Community Anchor?

Community anchors are independent community-led organisations operating in a local area. We are firmly rooted in a sense of place and committed to positive economic, social or environmental change.

Calderdale Council is the first Council to have adopted a community anchor policy, to state their commitment to working in partnership with us.

Our Role

• Playing a community leadership role, empowering and enabling local residents to get involved in their community to drive change
• Being a local provider of services – services delivered by the community for the community
• Maximising community assets (buildings and land) to bring long term resilience and sustainability – and with a particular emphasis on re-investing income in a local town or neighbourhood
• Being multi-purpose –doing a range of different things – to support their community and working holistically with their community to come up with solution to local problems

The Calderdale Community Anchors network aims:

• To provide peer learning / sharing / benchmarking opportunities
• To test a model of community hub consortium for delivery of local public services
• To shape local public services and attitudes towards local economic development
• To attract inward investment into local communities
• To use our local influence, knowledge and assets to effect local positive social change

Network members meet quarterly and also provide representation on strategic groups in Calderdale.
Members include:

• North Halifax Partnership
• Halifax Opportunities Trust
• Calder Valley Community Land Trust
• Hebden Bridge Town Hall
• Todmorden College
• Sowerby Bridge Fire and Water
• Space @ Field Lane

If you’d like to know more about the Community Anchor Network, please contact Lucy Darragh: lucy.darragh@locality.org.uk