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23rd June 2021
E-Zine
Welcome to Supporting Communities 169th Edition of E-Zine, bringing you Best Practice
from the Community Sector; Funding and Training Updates and Policy Developments in
Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Republic of Ireland
Minister Hargey announces improvements to the
Affordable Warmth eligibility criteria
Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced The Minister concluded:
changes to the Affordable Warmth Scheme eligibility “I am committed to helping homes
criteria in order to help more households who are in most in need of energy efficiency
fuel poverty. improvements and I hope these
changes to the Scheme criteria will help more low
The changes are:- income households, particularly those homes
• Increasing the income threshold from £20,000 to occupied by people with disabilities.”
£23,000 and;
• Dis-applying of certain benefits from the calculation The Affordable Warmth Scheme is the Executive’s
of income; namely Disability Living Allowance main Scheme to target and assist low income owner-
(DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), occupiers and householders who rent their home from
Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance. a private landlord who are most at risk of fuel poverty.
The Scheme offers a range of energy efficiency
Minister Hargey said: improvement measures including loft, cavity and solid
“Since the inception of the Affordable Warmth wall insulation, new and replacement heating systems
Scheme in September 2014, over £85m has been and replacement windows where appropriate. It is a
invested to improve energy efficiency for more than targeted scheme where local councils actively identify
19,500 low income households. I have approved the most vulnerable households who can then benefit
changes to the eligibility criteria for the Affordable from improvements.
Warmth Scheme so that more households in need
can access the support available through this The Department has laid a Statutory Rule in the
innovative scheme. The changes will increase the Assembly, meaning the changes should be effective
income threshold and importantly will exclude some from 1 July 2021.
benefits from that income calculation.”
What a Year! Supporting Communities' Annual Report
As Lorraine Campbell, our chairperson, wrote in the forward to our 2020-2021
Annual report, this was ”a year like no other, one which challenged communities
around the globe to support one another through the Covid crisis.”
In Northern Ireland, we saw the strength and agility of the community sector rise to
meet the challenge head-on, and Supporting Communities was proud to play our
part. You'll see from this annual report that we have outperformed in many areas -
not despite the pandemic - but by adapting to it quickly and persevering in the face
of so much uncertainty.
Digital inclusion played a major role as we quickly adapted to providing all our services online while also
supporting our groups to come with us. In fact, we all learned some new tricks that have been very beneficial to
members and staff alike, which we think will be here to stay.
Thank you to our many members, partners, and especially our key stakeholders; the Housing Executive,
Department of Finance, National Trust, and SEUPB, all of whom have been very accommodating this past
year, ensuring the continued delivery of our vital support and services to the communities we serve.
Read our online Annual Report here
Invisible and Unsupported - A Statement by the Coalition
of Carers Organisations NI for Carers Week 2021
Kathy Maguire of NICVA writes
To mark Carers Week 2021 the Coalition of Carers Our organisations are finding
Organisations have released this statement calling for more and more carers are
urgent support for carers across NI many of whom are at continuing to come forward or are being identified with
breaking point due to a lack of essential services and greater levels of stress and increased needs, including
supports. carers who have never needed support before.
Introduction For young carers and young adult carers, caring for a
Established in 2016, the Coalition of Carers Organisations relative has often come at the expense of their education,
(CoCo) is an alliance of community and voluntary work opportunities and time for themselves. Many report
organisations collaborating to advance the rights of unpaid that their caring role has resulted in a major increase in lost-
carers in Northern Ireland and to ensure carers issues learning and that without support to re-establish themselves
remain on the policy agenda. Before the outbreak of COVID within the educational curriculum, they may be permanently
-19, the unpaid carers we represent already experienced penalised in terms of life-chances and choices. They also
difficulties in accessing enough practical support and short consistently highlight that the cumulative impact of little
breaks / respite, juggling work and care and accessing respite has taken its toll on their mental health and
financial support. These challenges have been further wellbeing and are calling for schools and supporting
compounded by the pandemic, with many coping with services to be enabled to offer tailored services for Young
additional caring responsibilities and limited or no external Carers and their families as a priority. Despite the inclusion
support. of carers in the JCVI priority groups, the carer vaccination
roll-out and the announcement of the (as yet not delivered
A year on from the initial lockdown and we’re disappointed upon) carers Covid-19 payment, over a year on from the
that carers here continue to struggle without sufficient beginning of the pandemic, the situation of carers hasn’t
support or a meaningful break. improved much. In fact, the impact of caring during the
pandemic has gotten worse. As the rest of Northern Ireland
The Impact of Caring during Covid opens up, day centres, short break and respite services still
Unpaid carers across Northern Ireland are providing remain either closed or operating at a reduced capacity,
support every day to family and friends affected by poor meaning carers are unable to access the meaningful breaks
health, chronic illness and other physical and mental health they need in order to continue their caring role.
conditions. Many do this round-the-clock while others have
to juggle their caring role with other responsibilities such as Without the right intervention, the stress and challenges
work and family. during this time could lead to carer breakdown, with
negative impacts on the carer, the people needing care and
A recent survey and report for Carers Week 2021 showed the health and social care system as a whole, lasting long
that: beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 79% of carers here were not able to take a break during
the pandemic. (An additional 11% were not able to take Our Call For Action
enough or sufficient breaks during the pandemic). The Coalition of Carers Organisations is calling for:
• 72% of carers here said their mental health was worse 1. The Department of Health and the Trusts to co-produce
as a result of not being able to take a break. an Action Plan with carers to fully and safely restore
essential services such as day centres, respite services
• 78% of carers here said they were exhausted and worn
and short break provisions
out as a result of caring during the pandemic. 2. Immediate access to breaks and replacement care and
• 69% of carers worry about continuing to care without a more government funding ringfenced for both.
break. 3. Health and Social Care Trusts and GPs to identify
carers and have a clear carer support pathway. Carers
Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 crisis has had a must be included as a priority group requiring emotional
disproportionate impact on carers, with the majority support services and interventions such as
providing many more hours of care at home with limited psychological talking therapies.
practical support. Caring through the pandemic has taken a 4. Greater promotion and awareness of Carers
significant toll on the physical, mental and emotional health Assessments amongst health and social care
of carers and young carers as they have struggled to professionals and carers themselves with the aim of
access services and take the meaningful breaks from increasing the uptake of Carers Assessments and
caring they need. We estimate that the value of the unpaid delivering on the agreed action plans.
care provided by carers in Northern Ireland during this 5. Extra support and special consideration within
pandemic is around £8.3bn [1], which is: educational settings for young carers with special
• Over £1.5bn more than the total DoH budget for 2021-22 consideration of young carers’ emotional wellbeing.
(£6.7bn) 6. Carers to be at the heart of social care reform and to
• More than half of the value of the total NI Executive see detailed plans for reform (which should include care
budget for 2021-22 (£14.7bn) in their own home or in residential/nursing care) that
• 47 times more than the Department for Communities ensure unpaid carers get the practical and financial
spent on Carers Allowance in 2019/20. support they need to care beyond the pandemic.
7. The introduction and roll out of the Carers Covid-19
Despite the huge contribution carers have made during this payment as announced by the Minister in February
pandemic they remain largely invisible, and unsupported. 2021.
Without the support of families and friends caring, the
response to the COVID-19 pandemic could have been very For further information on this statement or on the work of
different, with health and social care services becoming the Coalition, please contact the Chair, Clare-Anne
quickly overwhelmed. Magee clareanne.magee@carersni.org
2
Double whammy win for Moneydig Rural Network in
Housing Executive Awards
Patricia said it was humbling for the group to receive
the title and she thanked the Housing Executive for
her Community Champion Award.
She added; “It is lovely for Moneydig Rural Network to
be recognised for all of our efforts, especially during
the last year and managing the Covid-19 crisis. We
have been especially busy with our foodbank and a
number of other community initiatives that we had
running during this time. Thank you to the Housing
Executive for the funding which enabled us to push
Pictured sitting down from left - right is Patricia forward with our volunteering work and helping those
McQuillan MBE (secretary) and Mary Gibson (chair) in need and who were socially isolated.
from Moneydig Rural Network. Also in the picture is
Roisin Hamilton, local Housing Executive Patch We managed to reach out and help so many people in
Manager (and formerly Supporting Communities the community when they needed it the most. I have
Funding Officer) and Eoin McKinney from the Housing been volunteering now for 21 years and this is the first
Executive’s Rural Unit. Patricia recently received the time I have ever been called a Community Champion,
Housing Executive’s Rural Community Champion which is just lovely recognition.”
Award 2020.
Patricia is also a member of several stakeholder
Moneydig Rural Network has clinched two prestigious groups, which provide and encourage the regeneration
titles in the Housing Executive’s 2020 Rural of rural areas.
Community Awards.
Mark Alexander, Causeway Area Manager for the
Picking up the Rural Community Spirit Award 2020 for Housing Executive, congratulated Moneydig Rural
North Region in the Small Village category, the local Network and Patricia on their achievements.
group was delighted to win. He said; “Well done to Moneydig Rural Network who
have scooped this award after reaching out to
Patricia McQuillan MBE, Secretary of Moneydig Rural organise activities and events that have helped people
Network also scooped the Rural Community within the local community. This award is a clear
Champion Award 2020 for her long-standing reflection of the group about how much they care for
community efforts. the well-being of local residents and support they have
offered them at a time when it has been greatly
During the Covid-19 crisis, Moneydig Rural Network needed.
went to great lengths to ensure the local community
was well cared for such as providing a befriending A big congratulations to Patricia who took home the
service to check on residents. Community Champion Award which is our first ever
individual award.It was introduced in recognition that
Volunteers also organised a live band and dancers to very often, one extraordinary community member has
entertain vulnerable groups in the village, as well as a vision and determination to greatly help local
running sunflower growing competitions and delivering communities – and Patricia is a true example of that
essential goods to vulnerable people. person.”
Join The Amp
Sign up to be part of our survey community!
The more voices we have the louder we can speak out on
issues of importance to communities in Northern Ireland.
Amplify your voice and register now to take part in the next survey.
Read more about The Amp and sign up here.
3
LIVING ALONE – YOUR FIRE SAFETY
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS)
acknowledges that People at Risk in Northern Ireland
will come from all walks of life and will be spread
geographically across the Province. • Never overload electrical sockets; remember one
plug per socket.
Some of the factors which make people more • Make a fire escape plan - know where you keep
vulnerable to fire include living with the effects of old door keys at night and keep your escape routes
age (eg, dementia), being a smoker and increased clear.
use of alcohol. More people are also living alone and • Have a bedtime routine - close inside doors at night
an increased number of people are being cared for in to stop a fire from spreading, turn off and unplug
their own homes. electrical appliances unless they are designed to
be left on and put out candles and cigarettes
As the population lives longer, there will be more properly.
emphasis on providing support and care in the
community to allow people to remain as independent Useful Contacts
for as long as possible. As a result, the number of • Age NI https://www.ageuk.org.uk/northern-ireland/
people falling within NIFRS’ People at Risk categories information-advice/
will increase. • Public Health Agency https://
www.publichealth.hscni.net/news/alcohol-
NIFRS carries out Home Fire Safety Checks for awareness-week-%E2%80%93-do-you-know-your
People at Risk and we work in partnership with care -units
agencies to help those most vulnerable. People living • NIdirect https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/taxonomy/
alone or in rural areas have a higher risk of fires in term/708
their home. During a home fire safety check,
• Drugs and Alcohol NI https://
firefighters will fit smoke alarms, if required, and
drugsandalcoholni.info/
provide fire safety advice. We also urge families and
neighbours to keep an eye out for those living alone, • Inspire Wellbeing https://www.inspire.com/
not just during seasonal holidays but all year around • Samaritans www.samaritans.org or Freephone
to ensure they are safe from the risks of fire. Helpline number 116 123
5 ways to improve fire safety for those living alone: Other Community Information Bulletins can be
• Install a smoke alarm on all levels of your accessed from the NIFRS website.
property. A working smoke alarm will give you vital
time needed to escape a fire. NEVER remove the Remember, if a fire starts, get everyone out of the
battery or take your alarm off its back plate unless property and close all doors behind you. Dial 999 and
it’s to replace the battery or install a new alarm. ask for the Fire & Rescue Service.
• Take care when cooking, especially if you have
For further information phone NIFRS HQ 028 9266
been drinking alcohol. It’s better to install a heat
alarm in your kitchen rather than a smoke alarm.
4221or visit www.nifrs.org #STOPfire
NI ASSEMBLY UPDATE
Assembly Business
The most recent plenary sessions of the Assembly considered a range of matters including Local Government
(Meetings and Performance) Bill: First Stage, Budget (No. 2) Bill: Consideration Stage, Financial Reporting
(Departments and Public Bodies) Bill: Second and Ministerial Statement Intergovernmental Agreement on
Criminal Justice Cooperation
The report of the plenary sessions of the Assembly are available at;
http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/officialreport/officialreport.aspx
Committee for Communities
The minutes of meetings of the Communities Committee are available at;
Session 2020 - 2021 (niassembly.gov.uk)
4
Consultations
Pre-School Education Review of the Statutory Admissions Criteria
Department of Education
https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/de-early-years-group/pre-school-education-review-of-the-statutory-admis
Closing date; 16th July 2021
Duty of Candour & Being Open
Department of Health
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations/duty-of-candour
Closing date; 2nd August 2021
Local Government Boundaries Review in NI
Local Government Boundaries Commissioner
The Review | Local Government Boundaries Commissioner for Northern Ireland (lgbc-ni.org.uk)
Closing date; none stated
Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland
Department for the Economy
Consultation on policy options for the new Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland | Department for the Economy
(economy-ni.gov.uk)
Closing date; 30th June 2021
Legal Aid for Mediation in Non-Family Civil Cases
Department of Justice
Consultation on Legal Aid for Mediation in Non-Family Civil Cases | Department of Justice (justice-ni.gov.uk)
Closing date; 29th June 2021
Take your opportunity to help shape the future of housing supply
The Department for Communities is developing a new This Call for Evidence
Housing Supply Strategy, as part of the Minister’s consultation period will run
comprehensive and ambitious programme of work to until 16 July 2021. A further
increase housing supply and address housing stress. public consultation will take
place on the draft Strategy
The strategy is intended to provide a long term later in the year.
framework for the development of policy, interventions
and action plans to deliver the right homes in the right The documents are available on the Department’s
locations, to help meet current and foreseeable housing website at
needs and demands. As such, it is anticipated that the https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/new-housing-
strategy will make a major contribution to the supply-strategy
achievement of strategic outcomes as described in the
draft Programme for Government outcomes framework, And the Survey Link can be found at
New Decade New Approach and the Department’s https://consultations.nidirect.gov.uk/dfc-psu/housing-
strategic plan, ‘Building Inclusive Communities’. supply-strategy-call-for-evidence
Consultation: Draft Policy on Legal Advice
and Assistance The Commission has reviewed and updated the current
The Equality Commission is seeking your views on its policy, particularly in relation to the discretionary criteria
draft revised Policy for the Provision of Legal Advice and against which the Commission will assess applications
Assistance. This Policy is important as it sets out the for assistance.
policy that the Commission will follow whilst fulfilling our
statutory responsibilities in respect of complainant Download the consultation documents (MS Word format
assistance. Revised Consultation draft Policy for the Provision of
Legal Advice and Assistance (Word.docx, 32kb)
Consultation information (Word.docx, 334kb)
5
Special Focus
Building for the future
This article first appeared in Agenda NI magazine June 2021 edition.
Grainia Long, Chief Executive, Housing Executive.
New Housing Executive Chief Executive Grainia Long Where we see issues we can act quickly, such as
discusses the role of the organisation in planned investing in the health and wellbeing of our staff.
transformation of the housing sector and how the ability
to borrow will have positive outcomes for exiting and However, we also have to identify what improvements
future tenants. and innovations have been made and ensure that we
retain them going forward,” explains Long.
Long, a housing professional for over 20 years, officially
took up post in April 2021 and quickly set to work getting Embedding those improvements will be a critical part of
to grips with an organisation she knows is at its best the future of the organisation. The year 2021 marks 50
when focused on people. years since the organisation’s formation, introduced as a
strategic housing authority to bring equality and fairness
As someone who has previously worked in partnership to the allocation of housing in Northern Ireland. Since
with the Housing Executive, Long is well aware that then, the organisation has evolved.
decisions taken by the largest public sector landlord in
western Europe, and owner of some 85,000 homes, are Housing benefit administration of some £600 million,
massively impactful on a range of individuals and so responsibility for assisting the homeless in Northern
must be made with “empathy, sincerity and Ireland, tackling anti-social behaviour and promoting
professionalism”. social enterprise are examples of services delivered by
the Housing Executive beyond its original remit, as it
My vision for the organisation is one that is very people- sought and succeeded to deliver for changing demands.
centred,” she explains. “Everything we do should be
done for positive outcomes for the communities that we Long is well aware that she has taken up post at a
serve and the people in our homes. That 70,000 children critical juncture of the Housing Executive’s future, with
and young people go to sleep in Housing Executive the groundwork being laid to how the next 50 years of
homes every night highlights the responsibilities that we the organisation might look. Central to that vision are
have. ministerial plans to reform Northern Ireland’s housing
system and revitalise the Housing Executive.
“What has really pleased me is that there is a strong,
existing understanding of that responsibility. Culturally,
as an organisation, we know we are there, primarily, to The Chief Executive welcomes the ambition of the
keep people safe, warm and dry in their homes.” Minister’s vision, identifying intractable problems in
housing supply and identifying the need for
The importance of this understanding has never been transformative measures.
more evident than in the context of the transformative
“Revitalisation of this organisation and the ability to
events of the past year. As well as dealing with the wide-
borrow is critical to our ambitions to reinvest in our stock
ranging impacts of the pandemic, in November, the
and decrease the gap between the level of social
organisation learned of the Housing Minister’s vision for
housing supply and those waiting for homes.”
transformation of the housing sector and, in particular,
revitalisation of the Housing Executive.
While the scale of reform is wide-ranging, one of the
most significant ambitions is to equip the Housing
Long takes little credit for the agility shown by the
Executive with the power to borrow. What is really
Housing Executive in response to the pandemic,
exciting about the ministerial statement is that it sets out
something that was already well underway by the time
a plan to enable this organisation to have the freedom
she joined but describes the impacts of the move to
and autonomy to do things it can’t currently do,” says
ensure staff safety and redesign services as both
Long.
“profound” and “long-lasting”.
For the past two decades, housing demand in Northern
The Chief Executive says that as a services-orientated
Ireland has outstripped supply. As a result, Northern
organisation, the primary focus was on ensuring
Ireland faces a social housing shortage, and some
connection with tenants and wider communities was not
40,000 people are currently on the social housing
undermined. Although assessing the organisation’s
waiting list.
response as largely successful, Long recognises an
opportunity to learn from the pandemic response for
Much emphasis has been put on how the Housing
future improvement.
Executive’s ability to build again will help reduce the gap
between supply and demand, however, Long
“The first step we must take is to fully assess the impact
emphasises the importance of borrowing power also
of this year on our staff, our systems and our services,
enabling greater investment in existing stock.
and any long-term impact.
Cont’d over
6
“Our ability to set out what our borrowing is for is very being felt by social housing providers including issues
important,” she states. “Any landlord with the capacity to like land availability and the speed at which planning
borrow will use that capacity, not just to build, but to decisions are taken.
invest in their existing stock and to maintain the quality
and standards of their homes. “We need to look in strategic terms, not just as
organisations, but as a housing sector, at those
It is really important that we treat with equal importance challenges which have been limiting supply.”
our future tenants and our existing tenants.”
Long is quick to point out the wider benefits of housing
Long is complimentary of the role housing associations sector transformation on Northern Ireland’s economy,
have played as social housing providers, particularly something which is vitally important as the economy
over the previous years. Figures from the Department for seeks to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Communities show that in 2020/21, 2,403 new social
homes were started, 30 per cent more than the target. On the role of the Housing Executive, she says: “The
sheer scale of the economic impact of this organisation
However, she recognises a long-term “structural can not be overstated. We plan to invest £217 million
inability” to close the social housing supply and demand towards stock improvements this calendar year and that
gap. investment will not only be beneficial for tenants but will
have a positive impact on jobs and supply chains,
“We have seen that incrementalism is not closing the locally.
gap at a quick enough pace and so we need to try new
methods. “There are very few organisations in Northern Ireland
investing at that level in physical infrastructure, which we
One of those methods is enabling this organisation to know has a large multiplier effect in relation to the
borrow and to build. We plan to do that alongside our economy. The Housing Executive’s maintenance
delivery partners and alongside housing associations programme over the next seven years spans to several
who have proven their ability to build at scale and to hundred million pounds, included in which is at least 50
invest in communities. apprenticeship places annually.
Output for the previous year was really positive and is Long adds: “Market cycles come and go but housing has
evidence that we have an eco-system of housing the potential to be a constant and sustainable growth
deliverers who work well together. It is in everyone’s lever. That places us as a key organisation
interest that we continue with that, but we also need to economically.”
increase the numbers and that is why revitalisation is so
exciting,” states Long. The Chief Executive is aware of her organisation’s
central role in not just the economic but also the
The Chief Executive does not have a preferred model for environmental future of Northern Ireland. The region is
the future of the organisation. Instead, she says, set to target net-zero carbon by 2050. While progress
attempts to pursue a specific model at this stage would has been made in relation to electricity decarbonisation,
“miss the opportunity” to sufficiently focus on the little progress has been made in relation to heat,
organisation’s mission and purpose for the future. transport and agriculture.
Tenants have to be at the core of this,” stresses Long.
“We will not get to net-zero emissions without
“If we spend too much time focused on the legal transformation of the housing system and without
structures now then I think we will miss the opportunity retrofitting the existing stock across housing,” states
to engage with current and future tenants on their Long. “Central to that is our 85,000 existing homes and
strategic interests. If we spend too much time focused any new ones that we build. We understand our
on the legal structures now then I think we will miss the responsibility and it is one that we take on with relish.
opportunity to engage with current and future tenants on
their strategic interests. “On joining the organisation, I found teams of people
with expertise and focus on the transition to net-zero
The Housing Executive is currently working with the carbon who were already well advanced in their thinking
Department for Communities to deliver a business case and that puts us in a really good place.”
by March 2022, which is set to include a range of options
on how borrowing may be raised and an outline of what One practical example of the positive impact of this work
that borrowing will then be spent on. Previous attempts offered by Long is matched funding by the Housing
to think differently about this organisation and restructure Executive of the European Regional Development Fund,
the organisation have, in my view, felt like they were which will see €38 million in total spent on energy
being done to the Housing Executive. efficiency upgrades of some 2,000 homes.
One of the first questions I asked on entering the “We’re central to the decarbonisation agenda and
Housing Executive was whether this was being done conscious of the forthcoming Energy Strategy from the
with or to the organisation. I think it is very important that Department for the Economy and we’re working
we are working alongside the Department to deliver a alongside officials in relation to energy efficiency. We’re
transformational process.” also engaged with the Department of Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs on the Green Growth
Another reason this collaboration is important, explains Strategy. These aspirations will be challenging but I’m
Long, is that even with the capacity to build, the Housing excited about our role because of the scale of the
Executive will still face many of the challenges currently potential benefits.”
Cont’d over
7
Homelessness
An increase in supply and reinvestment in stock will also the pandemic, the Chief Executive hopes that the
go some way to helping address Northern Ireland’s collaboration which saw an effective response to the
growing homelessness problem. The Housing Executive pandemic can now be carried over to deliver long-term
is legally responsible for helping those who are solutions.
homeless and preventing homelessness in Northern
Ireland. “The solutions that were delivered were only ever
designed to be temporary, so, the next set of challenges
In 2019, almost 20,000 people and families asked the are different, and the solutions will need to be different.
Housing Executive for help dealing with homelessness. The Reset Plan is about recognising this and about
Recently, the Housing Executive launched their deliberately doing things differently than was the case
Homelessness Reset Plan, a response to the impacts of during the pandemic but retaining the collaboration and
Covid-19 on homelessness. Outlining, the reasoning problem-solving in the same focused way.”
behind the plan, Long says: “The actions taken since
early March 2020 have mirrored much of our existing The approach to the Reset Plan will also largely inform
strategic commitments, but the pandemic has forced the Housing Executive’s future Homelessness Strategy,
faster progress on key fronts. which is currently in development to be delivered for
2022. Long adds: “Now is the perfect time to step back
In May the Minister confirmed that she would fully fund and assess where we have succeeded in the past two
the £9 million investment of the Housing Executive’s decades and what are the learnings we can take from
Reset Plan for this year. the things that haven’t worked.
The response from the Housing Executive, the “We are a strategy-heavy organisation and sector and
community and voluntary sector and the private sector to while strategies are important, the critical factor is in
rough sleeping at the outbreak of the pandemic was delivery. Our strategy will be delivery-focused because
highly commended but also recognised as an homeless people deserve a delivery-focused plan.”
emergency response to a crisis situation.
Concluding with her short, medium, and long-term goals
“I don’t think anyone around the table would say that of her tenure, the Chief Executive says that the
what we came up with was a sustainable solution, immediate focus must be on recovery from Covid.
because what we were doing was placing people in Further out, she believes the impact of investment in
accommodation that was temporary,” says Long, who existing stock will be felt by residents through planned
explains that the plan also goes beyond rough sleeping maintenance in the coming years, with a multiplier effect
and to those individuals and families in unsuitable on the local economy.
accommodation.
Finally, she says: “This organisation has capacity to do
“Any landlord with the capacity to borrow will use that so much more than it is doing. I look forward to releasing
capacity, not just to build, but to invest in their existing and realising that capacity with a focus on social
stock and to maintain the quality and standards of their outcomes in the years ahead. Revitalisation of this
homes.” organisation and the ability to borrow is critical to our
ambitions to reinvest in our stock and decrease the gap
Highlighting a recognition that the profile of between the level of social housing supply and those
homelessness has changed over recent years and that waiting for homes.”
many of the complex underlying issues often identified in
relation to homelessness are set to be compounded by
Member’s Stories
Share Your Success Stories
You asked, and we heard you!
Our members want to see more good news stories from community groups showcasing their work, best
practices, and achievements all over Northern Ireland. We have created a new section of our website
dedicated to our
Member’s Stories. Here you can submit your own story for publication and read the news that community
groups have shared.
We will help you craft your story and feature it in our Ezine to get the word out! You will also get a link to your
group’s story so you can share it with your followers on your social media channels.
8
Publications
Fair Employment Monitoring Report No.30 published
The 30th Fair Employment Monitoring Report has been Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission,
published by the Equality Commission. Mrs Geraldine McGahey, said:
The report is drawn from data provided to the “For three decades the monitoring process has made an
Commission by employers, based on their workforces in important contribution to ensuring fair participation in
the year 2019. The total monitored workforce was workplaces across Northern Ireland. Today we are
564,826 an increase of 1597 (0.3%) over the previous publishing the 30th Fair Employment Monitoring Report,
year. The breakdown of the monitored workforce by in which the Commission continues to shine a light on
community background was [50.5%] Protestant and the progress made across Northern Ireland. The
[49.5%] Roman Catholic, an increase in the Catholic monitoring process continues to remain relevant today. It
share of [0.2 percentage points] from the year before. provides individual employers with information to help
them address issues within their own workforce and
Women account for 52.3% of the monitored workforce, allows the Commission to work with both private sector
an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the previous employers and public bodies to address the imbalances
year. Women make up 45.7% of the private sector highlighted from their monitoring.
workforce, an increase of 0.5 percentage points, while in
the public sector, they account for 65.8% of employees, “It is our longstanding recommendation that monitoring
the same as the previous year. requirements should be extended to include nationality
and ethnic origin, to allow employers to make a more
In 2019, members of the Roman Catholic community accurate and meaningful assessment of fair participation
represented [53.1%] of all job applicants and Protestants in their organisation. Indeed, The Executive has
[46.9%]. In 2019, the gradual decrease observed in committed, in its Racial Equality Strategy, to examining
2017 and 2018 in the share of applicants from members where ethnic monitoring should be introduced and
of the Roman Catholic community ceased. Those from consulting on proposals for implementation.
the Roman Catholic community accounted for [53.3%] of
all appointees, and those from a Protestant community We look forward to this being progressed. Fair
[46.7%], both the same as the year before. This year, participation in our workplaces ultimately benefits us all
those whose community background was not and provides a sound foundation for our businesses,
determined represented 11% of the overall monitored economy and society to thrive and succeed.”
workforce, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from
last year.
Please click the link below to access the latest edition Signpost- Age Sector News June 2021
of Inpartnership which includes a roundup of PCSP https://ageni.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?
events and initiatives. u=e16b07cbe0ecffe1f33384875&id=dfc94fb2d1&e=d
PCSP Inpartnership June/July 2021 | Policing and 02668d741
Community Safety Partnerships (pcsps.org)
NI Environment Link
The Environment News, Research and Analysis newsletter is available at ENRA-April-
2021.pdf (nienvironmentlink.org) and the Assembly News round-up Assembly-News-
May-2021.pdf (nienvironmentlink.org)
For other NIEL publications and events, go to; www.nienvironmentlink.org
Available online, includes a series of important articles
on a range of matters including early years education,
Co-housing and children’s play. Catch up on what’s been happening at the Board in
Scope can be accessed at; http://scopeni.nicva.org/ Policing Matters at Policing Matters June 2021.pdf.pdf
9
Events
LGBT+ Foster Carer Information Session
Next date: Tuesday 27 July 2021 1:00pm
This is a free event All of our foster carers are different and each brings a
unique set of strengths and skills to the role. As we head
Join us for this informal chat with one of our LGBT+ into Pride week, we would like to focus on and celebrate
foster carers where we discuss what fostering with our LGBT+ foster carers.
Barnardo's has been like for them.
If you are a member of the LGBT+ community and
We welcome foster carers from all walks of life. Our would like to hear more about fostering with us, register
carers come from a variety of backgrounds and have and join either our lunch time or evening conversation.
different life experiences, skills and qualities which helps https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/barnardos-fostering-
meet the needs of children and young people needing a northern-ireland-30954836613
foster home.
National Energy Action (NEA) NI - Energy Efficiency In The Home Webinar
This is a free event Webinars are delivered via Zoom and delegates will
National Energy Action (NEA) NI, supported by the NI require a device with a camera and sound to participate.
Housing Executive (NIHE) and Public Health Authority
(PHA) are offering FREE Energy Efficiency webinars, for Participants will have the opportunity to interact with the
community groups and organisation throughout Northern trainer. Full instructions on how to join the webinar will
Ireland. be provided.
The following topics are included: For further information and booking please
• Overview of the health impacts of living in a cold contact Nichola.MacDougall@nea.org.uk or
home telephone 07921465237
• Energy and where we use it
• Energy efficient heating, lighting, and appliances These Workshops Are Focused On Making Energy
Efficiency Come Alive For Those Who Attend!!
• Taking control - understanding your heating
system
• Keeping the heat where it is needed – reducing
heat loss
• Comparing and switching energy suppliers
• Grant, schemes, and advice
‘Shaping Ourselves and
Our Children’
Would you like to know how to be a better
parent and learn the most effective ways
of raising children to maximise their
potential?
Then you will want to know about SOOC –
‘Shaping Ourselves and Our Children’
10Training
Advice NI Training Course
Supporting Clients with Addictions
Advice NI is please to introduce a new Wiseradviser You can access and find out more by logging onto
E-Learning Course recently launched called your Wiseradviser Account as normal at
Supporting Clients with Addictions. This is a great http://www.wiseradviser.org/northern-ireland
course and is about clients with gambling, alcohol, or
drug problems. After this you select;
The overall objective of this course is to enable front- • Course Search Tab
line staff to recognise when clients may have an • Enter course name i.e Supporting Clients with
addiction problem and to be able to handle such Addictions NI
situations with sensitivity, offering appropriate support • Enter Course & select Here
and signposting to external sources of help.
Any queries please email wiseradviser@adviceni.net
This course is worth 1 CPD Point under the NIAQS
(Northern Ireland Advice Quality Standard) and will The Adviser NI courses are Blended Learning
take up to 1 hour to complete. consisting of pre-recorded content available for
Anytime Online access on our Learning Management
If you have already completed the Addictions e System. Here learners have access to video lessons,
learning course there are lots of other e learning resources and learning activities. Throughout the
courses available including two recently launched course there are also scheduled Live Online group
courses on Basic Banking Rights & Debt & Pensions. tutorial sessions on Zoom.
All of our Wiseradviser e-learning courses are FREE
to organisations providing free and impartial debt and Click here to find out more
money advice.
Check the Courses Scheduled page here for the next available dates.
Keeping Children Safe: Designated
• Exploration of issues and concerns around
Officer Training referrals and sharing information.
Thursday 1st July 2021 all day event All participants must have completed a safeguarding
children awareness raising course prior to attending.
This one day certificated training is suitable for
Designated and Deputy Designated Officers. Keeping Children Safe: Training for Staff and
Volunteers is a suitable foundation course.
It will cover:
• Knowledge of the legal context of safeguarding Places are allocated on a first come, first served
children; basis and are limited to a maximum of 3 per
• An understanding of the role and organisation.
responsibilities of a Designated Officer;
• Knowledge of Health and Social Care Trust Joining information will be sent out the day before the
structures and processes; and session.
11Training cont’d
Disclosure and Barring Service This FREE session will help you understand the
benefits of working with the DBS; the different
(DBS): Barring Workshop referral routes; when a referral should be made; how
to make a good quality referral; what regulated
Tuesday 5th July in the morning activity is; and the consequences of not making
appropriate barring referrals.
The DBS has recently launched a new Regional
Safeguarding Outreach programme to focus on Places are allocated on a first come, first served
working collaboratively with safeguarding and basis and are limited to a maximum of 2 per
recruiting organisations. organisation.
The aim is to work closer with organisations in the Joining information will be sent 24 hours in advance
region to develop relationships and raise awareness of the session.
of DBS as a safeguarding organisation.
For more information and to open an account go to;
Click here for instructions on how to create a Training Account.
NEW Managing & Motivating
Volunteers On Demand Course
To celebrate the end of Volunteers’ Week in 2021
and in time for ‘Thank You Day’, Volunteer Now
Enterprises Ltd has some exciting news as we
continue to embrace the NEW ENVIRONMENT of
Volunteers. We bring you another new online method
of building your volunteer management skills.
We are delighted to announce the release of our new
online training course, Managing and Motivating
Volunteers. This is a new addition to our online The course offers a comprehensive overview of good
Volunteer Management Training offer, following the practice, and is tremendous value for money at
launch of Attracting and Selecting Volunteers in £45+VAT per person, with a certificate on completion.
January. We have also brought all our On Demand
Courses together on one page so you can see all we It is not time-consuming – an average 4 hours of
have to offer here. learning. It is user-friendly and is suitable for those
organisations, volunteer managers, co-ordinators or
During the last difficult year, we have been tirelessly anyone who manages and involves volunteers on a
working to improve our product offering and service, regular basis.
and we believe that this course will help you enjoy
your experience with online training even more. Organisations continue to look for flexibility and
affordability when it comes to Volunteer Management
So what is it all about? training, and we are positive that we continue to
This unique training will support you and your produce just that.
organisation to follow innovative, creative, and good
practice ideas when planning how best to manage Our thanks go to the Department for Communities for
and offer that continued motivation to your financially supporting our organisation in the
volunteers. development of this forward thinking, innovative and
user-friendly training course.
It will help your organisation to meet your mission,
vision, aims and objectives for your volunteer Enjoy you learning! In our own small way Volunteer
involvement, programme, and projects. Now and Volunteer Now Enterprises Ltd want to play
our part in connecting, building, and changing
With visuals, innovative features, and practical volunteering now and into the future.
exercises to enable in-depth learning, this course will
offer personal development in a flexible way, Register for your place here.
whenever and on whatever device.
12Funding
Poundland Foundation: Kits-for-Kids
The Poundland Foundation supports organisations • You understand that successful applications will
working to transform communities and change lives receive a grant of up to £750
across the UK. The first round of funding is focused • If successful, you’ll use the grant to purchase kit or
on grants to support sport kits for children. equipment to be used by your team
Community groups can apply for one of 250 grants of • Your organisation has a child protection and
up to £750 each to provide kits or equipment for local safeguarding policies that you can share as part of
kids' sports teams. If you’re a local sports club or the application
organisation looking for support for your team, then • You're happy that Poundland are likely to request
they’d love to hear from you. that their logo and branding is included on any
sports kit purchased with the grant
Applications are not eligible from profit-making
organisations. How to Apply
For an online application please visit https://
Checklist: poundlandfoundation.org.uk/apply-for-support/apply/
• You are applying on behalf of a kids’ sports club
looking for support Deadline for applications is 30th June 2021
Hope for Youth NI - Grants for cross community projects
Grants are available for cross-community projects
that give disadvantaged young people (aged 11-18)
in Northern Ireland the opportunity to work together
on practical projects that foster teamwork, creativity
and personal development, especially within the arts
or in the great outdoors.
Eligible Expenditure Longer-term projects, ie those held over a number of
To be eligible, projects must: months, where ongoing community development and
• Engage with young people in Northern Ireland, improved community relationships can be realised.
normally aged between 11 and 18 years. • Projects that are small/locally based and those
• Foster community integration. that are 'start-ups'.
• Focus on outdoor activities, sport, music, • Projects that can match fund from other
dance, drama and the arts. sources.
• Promote personal or team development.
How To Apply
Priority will be given to: An online application form and further guidance can
• Projects based in recognised areas of be found at http://hopeforyouthni.com/grants
socioeconomic deprivation.
• Projects where the benefits or effects on the Applications can be submitted throughout the year
communities and individuals can be measured. but the cut-off date for applications for grants to be
• Projects that can demonstrate sustainable awarded in the following calendar year is 31st July
benefit. each year though early applications are encouraged.
13Funding cont’d
Asda Foundation: Bringing Communities Back Together
The Asda Foundation has launched a new grant to Groups may apply for one grant only.
reunite communities, celebrate togetherness, and
support groups as Coronavirus restrictions begin to How to apply
ease across the UK during July, August and The application forms are only available from your
September. local Asda store - ask for your local Community
Champion, and ensure you fully complete the correct
Through the Bringing Communities Back Together form.
fund, grants of between £250 and £1,000 are
available to either get activities back on track such as They cannot accept applications made on the wrong
gardening clubs, lunch clubs and recreational forms.
activities; hold a get-together event such as a
welcome back party or community celebration; or a Please read the step-by-step guide available at
combination of the two. https://www.asdafoundation.org/ which takes you
through the application questions one by one.
Groups who cannot physically be back together, but
whose activities are still open and available to the Applications can be submitted to the Asda
community, may also be included in this award. Foundation until 20th August 2021, however early
applications are recommended as after the allocated
There are three options within this grant. Groups budget is reached, the grant will close.
must be clear from the outset which option they
intend to apply for:
• Celebration Event,
• Getting Activities Back on Track,
• or a Combination of both.
Moy Park Community Support Fund
The local communities in which our workers and their The core purpose of the application should relate to
families live are the bedrock of our society, and the one or more of the following:
work done by our voluntary and community groups
and charities in those communities make key • Health & well-being (to include the prevention
differences within our communities and enhance or relief of sickness, disease or human suffering
people’s lives and wellbeing. • Social welfare (for those in need by reason of
youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial
Their contribution to the social and civil fabric of our hardship or other disadvantage)
communities may often go unrecognised, but it is • Education
never under-appreciated by those people whose lives • Community development
they positively touch and impact. • Community relations
• Arts, culture
Moy Park is mindful of the constant financial
• Amateur sport
pressures on voluntary and community groups and
charities, particularly on their voluntary and total • Animal welfare
income, their capacity to start or continue with • Environmental protection or improvement
important projects and on their sustainability
generally. To Apply
For further information on scheme rules, examples of
Moy Park is pledging £1 million to its Community previously funded projects and for access to the
Support Fund to support on-the-ground projects of application form, please visit https://moypark.com/
voluntary and community groups and charities in community-support/community-support-overview
those local communities where our sites are based
across Europe. The Fund opened in July 2020 and is expected to
remain open until July 2022.
Priorities:
Projects must be run in local communities in which
Moy Park (including its affiliate companies) has a
presence. Project-based funding applications from
not for profit local voluntary and community groups
and charities with community-based objectives
14Funding cont’d
Housing and Homelessness Innovation and Voice Fund
Grants are available to voluntary, community and • Projects that seek to support the most
social enterprise organisations for projects to support vulnerable groups, including those that are
new or improved solutions to root causes of housing destitute, such as asylum seekers or other
issues and homelessness in Northern Ireland. migrants.
• Projects that seek to address how women's
The Fund is administered by the Community experiences of violence contribute to their
Foundation for Northern with funding provided by the housing deprivation, potential or actual
Oak Foundation. homelessness.
Funding is intended for not-for-profit organisations How To Apply
that are ambitious in their strategies to address The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 1pm on
structural inequalities, from testing new approaches to 23 July 2021.
scaling up what works.
Following the Expression of Interest stage, selected
Who Can Apply organisations will be invited to submit a full
Applications will be accepted from constituted application.
voluntary, community or social enterprise
organisations based in Northern Ireland with an The online application form and guidance notes can
annual turnover of less than £1 million. be accessed at https://communityfoundationni.org/
grants/oak-foundation-housing-homelessness-
Priority will be given to: programme/
• Projects based in rural areas or towns and cities
beyond Belfast.
• Projects and organisations that can
demonstrate a strong track record of
participation and involvement of people with
lived experience of housing issues and
homelessness in their work.
Police Property Fund Grant Scheme
The Police Property Fund Small Grants Scheme is
now open and offers eligible projects grants of
between £1,000 and £10,000.
What is the Fund? Contributes to building community safety and/or
The Police Property Fund is made up of assets confidence in the police in your area; and
recovered by the PSNI as a result of criminal Is aligned to a charitable purpose.
investigations and administered by the Board in line
with the Police (Property) Regulations NI 1997. How to Apply
All the documentation regarding this competition and
Funding available will be administered in both Small links to the application form are available to
Grants and Large Grants calls. The first call will download from https://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/
administer £100,000 total in funding for Small police-property-fund
Grants.
Closing Date
Is my project eligible? Applications must be received by: 12:00 noon on
Applications for funding will need to demonstrate that Thursday 8 July 2021. Late applications will not be
the project: accepted.
Engages with local police;
15PHA - Making Life Better Funding
The Public Health Agency (PHA) has identified
funding to address Health and Wellbeing in Northern
Ireland.
Two types of awards are available under this
The short term funding will support a range of scheme.
strategic themes and priorities including:
• ‘Making Life Better’ (Public health framework) 1. Award one funding of up to £1,000 that non-
priorities constituted and constituted non-profit taking
• Protect Life 2 Suicide Prevention Strategy Community / Voluntary Sector groups can
• Mental Health, Emotional Well-being, Suicide apply for.
Prevention, and Self-Harm 2. Award two funding of between £1,001 and to a
maximum of £5,000 for constituted, non-profit
The PHA are inviting community and voluntary sector making Community / Voluntary sector groups.
organisations, through the Community Networks in
the Northern Trust Area, to apply for non-recurring To Apply
short-term funding to address the outlined themes. If you are interested in applying for the short-term
funding go to https://HealthAllianceNI.com/funding/
The four Community Networks have been where you’ll find:
commissioned to facilitate this process in the
Northern Locality. This short-term funding will be • Guidance notes
allocated via Causeway Rural & Urban Network, • Application form
Cookstown & Western Shores Area Network, • Contact details for each Area Network
Northern Area Community Network, and Impact
Network NI. Closing date – Monday 5th July 2021 12 NOON
DFC - Small Capital Grants
Scheme 2020/21
Co-operation Ireland has been appointed by the
Department for Communities (DfC) as the
Intermediary Funding Body for the 2021/22 Small
Capital Grants Programme for Northern Ireland. The Applicant groups need to have been established for
purpose of this fund is to promote Partnership and at least one year and submit annual accounts with
Collaboration within the voluntary and community application form.
sector.
To Apply
Applications must include a minimum of 2 Applications will be assessed once they are received
organisations. Those applying must nominate a lead and it is recommended that applications are
partner to whom the whole of the grant will be paid. submitted as soon as the necessary documents are
The Lead Partner should complete the application available. Applicants must deliver the project, pay
form. supplier(s) and submit a grant claim by 31st March
2022.
The amount of grant available will be dependent on
the number of partners within the application: For further information and to apply visit https://
• 2 partner groups = can apply for up to £1,500 cooperationireland.org/projects/small-capital-grants-
• 3 – 4 partner groups = can apply for up to programme/
£3,500
• 5+ partner groups = can apply for up to The closing date for receipt of applications is
maximum £5,000 12 noon Friday 25th June 2021.
16You can also read
