The Community Sector Partnership for Children and Young People has published ‘Talking Trusts’, to help children’s trusts work better with voluntary and community organisations, especially smaller local groups.

Recommendations are divided across six areas of active engagement; representation; effective funding; operational coordination; and infrastructure development. Can be downloaded from bassac at http://www.bassac.org.uk/news.builder/00041.html.

Tailored resources for homelessness agencies interested in taking an outcomes approach to their work, including an ‘outcomes star tool’ for measuring the results of work with homeless people is provided on a new web site at http://www.homelessoutcomes.org.uk.

(Source: Performance Hub newsletter)

In response to the government’s recent commitment to involve the third sector more closely in the design and delivery of public services, Acevo (the chief execs’ body) and NAVCA (the umbrella body for local sector support) have issued a joint statement on the issue.

Download the Word document, 127kb, via  http://www.navca.org.uk/news/publicservicedelivery.htm.

The Performance Hub reports that organisations with an annual income of under £500,000 can apply for a bursary to join the BoardsCount benchmarking club. By taking part “you will get a clear picture of how the governance practices in your organisation compare with those in other third sector organisations.”

For more details, contact Anne Barrett, email: anne@trans4mgt.com, phone 020 8469 8665. (News item from http://www.performancehub.org.uk/news.asp?id=642)

More details about BoardsCount at http://www.agendaconsulting.co.uk/boards_count.php.

A Councillors Commission, to look at how local democracy can be revitalised and made both more representative and more responsive to local people, has been set up by the government. Dame Jane Roberts will lead a 9 month process looking at what barriers are preventing people from becoming councillors and what steps can be taken to get more involved. It will report by November. News item at http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2352. No information on how to provide input yet.

The Commission for Rural Communities is holding its own (connected?) inquiry “to explore the opportunities and challenges for rural councillors and what stands in the way of them doing more to help rural people have greater influence over local decisions.” There is a call for evidence, by 19th May at the latest, at http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk//projects/participationinquiry/overview.

The Carnegie UK Trust has launched an inquiry to explore possible future threats to and opportunities for the development of a healthy civil society in the UK and Ireland, with a timeframe up to 2025. It also aims to identify how policy and practice can be enhanced to help strengthen civil society and enhance the ability of civil society associations to prepare for the challenges of the future.

For how your organisation can contribute see http://democracy.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/civil_society.

Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford, from Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Consortium of Infrastructure Organisations.

The Charity Commission is consulting on a review of its policy on charities with vulnerable beneficiaries carrying out Criminal Records Bureau checks on their trustees. The consultation also covers particular issues relating to trustees of organisations seeking charitable status.

Responses by 11th May. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/enhancingcharities/crbindex.asp.

Northern Ireland umbrella body NICVA has produced its briefing paper for the consultation on EU (funding) Programme for Peace and Reconciliation 2007 - 2013 (PEACE III) for Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland.

The consultation runs to 4th April. http://www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/peaceiii_consult_0107.

The Scottish Consumer Council has commissioned research to find out to what extent Scotland’s rural voice is being heard by policy makers. Information, including link to a survey (on Survey Monkey), at http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=1583&d=11&h=24&f=46.

(Source: Third Force eNews)

New advice on how to deal with cancer and cancer-related issues in the workplace has been produced in a collaboration between Cancerbackup, personnel body CIPD and the Working with Cancer group.

‘Cancer and working: guidelines for employers, HR and line managers’ has guidance on best practice for employers dealing with employees suffering from cancer, together with information on adjustments that can be made. Note that cancer is now deemed to be a disability under the 1995 Act. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/health/general/_cncrwrkg.htm?IsSrchRes=1. Highly recommended by Daniel Barnett’s Employment Law List.

HM Revenue and Customs are warning of a ‘phishing’ email scam asking charities to provide banking details so that a tax repayment can be issued. HMRC Charities will never contact your charity or Community Amateur Sports Club by email for this type of information.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/scam.htm.