Consultations

No deadline | August deadlines | September deadlines | October deadlines | November deadlines | Results of Consultations

 

 

No Deadline

Word from Hurd
'Word from Hurd' is a new column for the Directory of Social Change (DSC) e-news, where Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd shares his thinking on key issues. An email address for response is included.

View the first 'Word from Hurd' here.

 

Update on Government Office for the South West
Following the announcement that Government Office for London is being abolished, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has announced the Government's intention in principle to abolish the remaining eight Government Offices, subject to using the spending review to resolve consequential issues. The final decision will be made at the end of the spending review in autumn. Where functions are expected to continue through transfer to successor organisations, work will carry on as normal.

The Government Office for the South West would appreciate your feedback on the format, content and timing of this update as well as suggestions on issues you would like it to cover so please feel free to respond anytime to contest@gosw.gsi.gov.uk

 

Survey about access to leisure facilities for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities
Sporting Equals is carrying out a short survey to find out about access to leisure facilities for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities.  All the regional umbrella bodies will shortly be sending out a questionnaire to BME groups for completion and return to Sporting Equals.

If you are BME organisation and have not been contacted about this survey, please contact Shaheen Bi shbi@sportingequals.org.uk or 0121 7771375.

 

Survey on disability
The National Disabled People’s Poll is the first comprehensive poll of disabled people’s views on politics, the political parties and voting. It aims to amplify the voices of disabled people and their families and ensure that your experiences and opinions are heard by politicians and the media, as well as companies and other decision-makers.

Visit the Scope website for more information.

 

September Deadlines

A Prospectus for Employment, Jobs and Skills in Gloucestershire - deadline 1 September
The document has been developed by the Gloucestershire Employment & Skills Board in partnership with stakeholders, employers, training organisations and business groups. With a new Government and a changing policy landscape in relation to employment, skills and economic development the Board feels it is vital that Gloucestershire can put forward to Ministers and Departments a clear and coherent case for investment in the County.

The Board is keen that your voice is reflected in this process and would welcome your comments on this draft document. Please consider the questions raised in the prospectus and send your comments by email to elizabeth.crowley@sharedintelligence.net by 1 September 2010.

Download the consultation document and covering letter here.

 

Mental Health Consultation – deadline 3 September
The Bradley Report highlighted the existing and future contribution of the Third Sector to “increasing capacity, patient choice and service innovation” in the delivery of Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion (CJLD) services. In response, the National Mental Health Development Unit is delivering two online surveys to identify the scope of current CJLD provision and how increased Third Sector delivery can be achieved in the future and TSOs are encouraged to support this project.

Existing CJLD providers should complete the survey here, and potential suppliers should complete the survey here.

 

NHS White Paper Consultation event
Tuesday 14 September
Exeter

The recently published NHS White Paper proposes enormous changes to the way health services are structured. 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' was published on 12th July and sets out the Government's vision for the NHS. The proposals represent some of the biggest changes to the NHS in the last 60 years and provide both opportunities and challenges for voluntary and community organisations.

Whether you currently deliver, or plan to deliver, health and care services, you should be aware of the proposals contained within the White Paper and how they will affect you.

As part of Regional Voices (the network of nine English regional voluntary and community sector networks) South West Forum is running a workshop in partnership with the Department of Health.

Participants will have the opportunity to develop a better understanding of the proposals by hearing directly from Senior Department of Health officials leading in these areas, and to feedback directly on the 5 consultation topics that will be released shortly in relation to the White Paper. Regional Voices will use feedback from these events to help inform our response to each of the 5 consultation areas.

This event is free, however a charge will be made if you book a place but do not attend; full details in the booking form.

Click here to find out more information and click here to download the booking form

You can find the White Paper along with related documents on the Department of Health website: www.dh.gov.uk/liberatingthenhs.

 

Consultation on Closure of Court Buildings – deadline 15 September
In Avon & Somerset, Devon & Cornwall and Gloucestershire, there are 25 magistrates’ and 14 county courts. However, the number and location of these does not reflect changes in population, workload or transport and communication links over the many years since they were opened.  Many courts are considerably underused because there is insufficient workload for the number of courts in this area.  Many others lack appropriate facilities for victims and witnesses, do not have secure facilities for prisoners, or are not accessible to disabled court users.  These deficiencies limit the type of case that the judiciary can hear, and brings the standard of facilities below that expected in a modern justice system. 

The Ministry of Justice is therefore inviting comment on the proposal to close Cirencester Magistrates’ Court, Coleford Magistrates’ Court, Stroud Magistrates’ Court; and Cheltenham County Court.

To take part in the consultation, visit the Ministry of Justice website.

The full consultation paper for the South West is available here.

 

Policing in the 21st Century: Reconnecting Police and the People – deadline 20 September
The Government intends to put in place a new deal for the public and a new deal for the police service, whereby the public are in control and the police can focus on cutting crime and making people feel safe. This is in line with wider Government policy to swap bureaucratic accountability for democratic accountability.

This consultation represents an opportunity to shape the future of policing. Over the next eight weeks, the Government would welcome your views about how the reforms set out in the document should be taken forward. The responses to this consultation will inform legislation that will be contained in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill that will be introduced in the Autumn.

The document is available on the Home Office website.

 

Poverty Impact Fund Consultation – deadline 22 September
The UK Government aims to establish a new Poverty Impact Fund at some point in 2010, with the objective of supporting poverty-fighting groups and delivery services.

A fund is being developed with Innovation Grants; for small UK-based VCS organisations with an annual average turnover of £500,000, encouraging innovative approaches to poverty reduction. Up to £250,000 is anticipated to be available for projects that focus on poverty reduction and service delivery. The Government is seeking views on the design, size and number of grants as well as the levels of match funding.

For more information, visit the website of the Department of International Development.

 

October Deadlines

Gloucestershire Supporting People Five Year Strategy Review – deadline October
Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) is holding a consultation on its draft Supporting People strategy.  The draft document sets out the Supporting People Partnership Board's priorities for the next 5 years, set in the context of diminishing resources.

The consultation period will run during August, September and October. For further details, including documents to download, please visit the GCC website.

 

Voluntary and Community Organisations: do you think our transport plans are right? Deadline 14 October

Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) has used the feedback from the voluntary and community sector and others shared as part of the ‘Talking Transport’ consultation, to create Gloucestershire’s draft Local Transport Plan (LTP3). The plan sets out what GCC thinks the future of transport should look like in the County from 2011 to 2026. Download further information about the Local Transport Plan.

It is important to note that the LTP3 sets out the plans GCC thinks should be delivered to help improve transport. But, with huge national uncertainties over future levels of funding, GCC has to be realistic about what can be achieved and when. The County Council might not be able to deliver everything it wants to.

From Friday 23rd July until 14th October, GCC is asking Gloucestershire what it thinks of their draft plans.

Are aspirations for transport moving in the right direction?
Please tell GCC your views by completing their online questionnaire available at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ltp3 and help them engage with as many of Gloucestershire’s communities as possible by encouraging those people you represent to take part.

The Transport Planning Team will be out and about across Gloucestershire seeking residents’ feedback at a number of public exhibitions across the county through the summer. Find out where and when at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ltp3roadshows

District based briefings
To make sure you are fully engaged in our consultation, GCC is holding a series of district based briefings across the county in September (read more about these events here). The dates and venues are as follows:

  • 2nd September, Gloucester City Council Civic Suite
  • 6th September, The Bingham Gallery and Conference Suite, Cirencester
  • 8th September, Town Hall, Cheltenham
  • 9th September, Subscription Rooms, Stroud
  • 13th September, Tewkesbury Library
  • 14th September, Cinderford, Bellevue Centre
  • 15th September, Moreton in Marsh Civic Centre

All the Seminars start at 6:30pm and will end at approximately 7:30pm. Doors will be open at
6:15pm. To book a space for a representative of your voluntary or community group please email consultations@gloucestershire.gov.uk or call 01452 425690 confirming your name, organisation and the session you wish to attend.

 

NHS Reform White Paper 'Equality and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' – consultation ends 11 October
The Government has published a white paper “Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS”, which sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS.  The vision builds on the core values and principles of the NHS - a comprehensive service, available to all, free at the point of use, based on need, not ability to pay.  It sets out how the NHS will:

  • put patients at the heart of everything the NHS does;
  • focus on continuously improving those things that really matter to patients - the outcome of their healthcare; and
  • empower and liberate clinicians to innovate, with the freedom to focus on improving healthcare services

The Department of Health will be consulting on elements of the proposals and the first consultation paper calls for contributions to shape an outcomes framework for the NHS.

More information on the white paper and how to respond to the consultations can be found here on the Department of Health website.

 

November Deadlines

Equality Act 2010: The public sector Equality Duty: Promoting equality through transparency - consultation deadline 10 November 2010

The Equality Act 2010 received Royal Assent in April 2010.  An important part of the Act is the public sector Equality Duty, which has a key role in ensuring that fairness is at the heart of public bodies’ work and that public services meet the needs of different groups.  The Act also gives ministers the power to impose specific duties, which are legal requirements designed to help public bodies meet their obligations under the public sector Equality Duty.

This consultation seeks your views on our proposals for draft regulations for the specific duties and the list of public bodies that will be subject to the general and specific duties.

This consultation will be of interest to:

  • public bodies;
  • those monitoring the performance of public bodies;
  • others who perform public functions; and
  • organisations that are interested in how public services can eliminate discrimination, advance equality and foster good relations.

Comments from other interested parties are also welcome. 

Download the consultation

 

 

Your views on the refreshed Gloucestershire Compact - deadline 9am on Thursday 11th November
During 2010, the Gloucestershire Compact is undergoing a refresh to ensure it continues to be useful in supporting and improving partnership working between the county’s voluntary and community sector and public sector.

The Gloucestershire Compact is an agreement between local public sector bodies and the voluntary and community sector and its Codes contain specific undertakings for each sector, as well as a series of joint undertakings, which aim to make a positive impact on partnership working in the county.  For more information on the Compact visit our Compact pages.

What are we asking from you?
The Gloucestershire Compact Group, the county’s multi-sector steering group which oversees the implementation of the Compact, would like your views on whether the 6 redrafted Codes and the new Compact Mediation Procedure are appropriate, useful and clear.

The Codes are:

These Codes are accompanied by a Mediation procedure.

* The BME Code is also presented alongside a proposed Equalities Code.  You are asked for your view on whether there should be a BME Code and/or an Equalities Code and/or equalities be embedded in all the Codes.

Please read the Codes and then either click here to take part in the survey or download the survey questions as a Word document. Please return your completed questionnaire, or direct any questions, to 01452 522 600, .

 

VCS consultation on priorities for allocation of the Gloucestershire LAA PRG – deadline 19th November

VCS views on the priorities for the VCS allocation of the Gloucestershire Local Area Agreement Performance Reward Grant are invited. 

As a result of the VCS’s involvement in the Local Area Agreement and the achievement of some of the Local Area Agreement’s ‘stretch’ targets, the county’s VCS is due to be allocated £500,000 in March 2011.  The purpose of this consultation is to ask your views on how the money should be spent within certain constraints. 

You can download more information and the consultation questions or attend a consultation meeting on Tuesday 19th October, 12:00-1:30 at GAVCA in Gloucester (bring your lunch!).  To book your place at this event contact .

 

Results of Consultations

Results of the Place Survey Available
A spreadsheet containing the results from the 2009/10 Place survey is now available.  There were 1135 responses in total, and the spreadsheets contain detailed scores for each question in the survey.

Download the spreadsheet here (Excel file).

 

National  Survey of Third Sector Organisations – analysis now available

The detailed analysis of the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations that took place in the autumn is now available online.

A main focus of this report is to establish - at a national level - the factors that have the most impact on the degree of influence that third sector organisations perceive local statutory bodies to have on their success, and thus the score for National Indicator 7 (NI 7), which is one of the targets in Gloucestershire’s Local Area Agreement.  

An analytical report, discussing the key findings is available, along with a tool that enables you to compare and contrast Gloucestershire’s results with the national findings. Reassuringly, Gloucestershire’s scores are similar to those nationally except that it has a significantly higher percentage of organisations with no paid staff operating at neighbourhood level.

The conclusion of the survey is that the key drivers, in order of priority, that influence third sector organisations’ success  are:

  • The ability to influence local decisions, the relationship with local statutory bodies

  • The support available in the local area

  • Satisfaction with, and availability of funding / bidding arrangements

Gloucestershire scored 14%, compared to a national average of 16% on the key question: “overall, how do statutory bodies in your local area influence your organisation’s success?”  Taking into account the key drivers, the LAA delivery plan for the coming year will aim to improve organisations’ ability to engage with and influence their local authority and to improve access to, and the quality of, support available locally.

For more information go to the NSTSO website or contact Sally Pickering on 01452 332424.

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