The Council on Social Action, created and chaired by the Prime Minister, has held its first meeting.

Set up to advise the government on “new initiatives to celebrate, connect and inspire those working for social good”, Gordon Brown has asked it to start by focusing on how to expand the numbers of people having the opportunity to give and receive support on a one-to-one basis.

The idea of a social action day (”24/7″) was also discussed. See official news item.

With local councils the biggest single funder of local voluntary and community groups, and many councils reviewing such relationships, the local government improvement agency IDeA has brought together various resources “to help you scope your local review”.

Find out what they are talking about at http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=7640567 - newsletter readers might also like the linked cartoon at http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/7653678.

The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People is consulting on five priority areas for its work over the next three years.

Geared to attract a young response, parents and professionals can join in too: http://www.niccy.org/urvoice.aspx?menuId=633. Runs to 15th February.

This month’s health and safety myth being demolished by the HSE is “Every possible risk needs a safety sign”. Using too many signs just guarantees no one will read any of them, and serious risks of course should be tackled by practical steps, not just signs.

More, and links to further help, at http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/dec07.htm.

A technical information sheet for auditors and preparers of charity accounts on the Charities SORP accounting standard, as revised in February 2005, has been issued. This is part of the annual review that is required by the Accounting Standards Board.

See Charity Commission ‘Charities SORP 2005 Information Sheet - Number 1′ at http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/investigations/sorp/infosheet1.asp. (Or Charity Commission news item.)

The government is seeking views on “a wide range of policy issues that will ensure the successful implementation” of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, which includes the “most stringent vetting and barring service yet”, run by a new Independent Safeguarding Authority.

The scheme will operate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Respond by 20th February, http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conDetails.cfm?consultationId=1516.

Unity Trust Bank has launched a new Social Economy Fund to provide loan finance to support the increasing working capital requirements of charities, voluntary organisations, social enterprises. A total of fifty million pounds has been made available.

Press release at http://www.unity.uk.com/index.cfm?itemid=1915.

The Foundation for Social Improvement has been established “to overcome social exclusion and improve lives by building and sharing knowledge within the third sector”. It wants to help small charities in “cultivating new skills and building long-term efficiency and sustainability”.

Plaza Publishing news alert at http://www.plazapublishing.co.uk/fsi.html, FSI web site at http://www.thefsi.org (not the link on Plaza).

Third Sector reports that a small-scale benchmarking survey has found that charity workers in the Republic of Ireland are paid between 20 and 25 per cent more than those in Northern Ireland. Irish umbrella body The Wheel is to carry out the first full salary survey in the Republic in the new year, with completion expected in April. News item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/771057/ (registration required).

Scottish umbrella bodies SCVO and Community Care Providers Scotland, along with Scottish TUC and unions, are campaigning for local authorities to make sure voluntary sector providers give similar pay and condition as those in the public sector. Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/770982/ (registration required).

NCVO’s Compact Advocacy Programme annual report shows that more charities are using the Compact in order to resolve disputes. However, worrying practice at local level continues, in such areas as ending funding without proper notice, not consulting organisations in a meaningful way and not involving charities in designing new programmes of work.

News release at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/press/releases/?id=7324, or download the report (pdf, 53kb).

Umbrella body Volunteering England has expressed its concern that the Education and Skills Bill “leaves open the possibility that volunteering could be introduced as one of the compulsory options open to young people. This risks undermining the fundamental nature of volunteering - that it is freely entered into and unpaid, a definition that even the government has signed up to.”

News release.

The campaign to remove VAT costs on building repairs to listed buildings has moved to the Prime Minister’s ePetition site. The absence of such VAT on demolition and rebuilding work can lead to cultural destruction.

The petition, already approaching three thousand signatures at time of writing, is at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/NoVAToldBuildngs/, and runs to 31st January. Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/771071/ (registration required).