Phase 1a of Scottish charity regulator OSCR’s Rolling Review, with 30 charities undergoing the charity (public benefit) test, has been concluded with the publication of a full report and updated guidance on Meeting the Charity Test. A majority of the charities passed the test, but of course the media focus has been on the four private schools which failed - see the Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/29/publicschools-schools for instance. These four have been given a year to put forward plans to expand bursaries to meet the test. Seven other charities are required to address issues on wording of their constitutions.

Three key lessons quoted by OSCR chief executive Jane Ryder for all (Scottish) charities to consider prior to assessment: make sure that your constitution is up to date, make sure that both this and the Trustees Annual Report accurately reflects what the charity does and “where the charity is part of a membership or group structure, to consider implementing or updating a model constitution”. OSCR’s news item, with links to the Phase 1a Report, full and summary guidance on meeting the test.

The first stage of research into the ability of individuals or households to afford fees charged by charities has also been completed - further details and link to the report. The second stage will see modelling of three ability to pay measures, examples due spring 2009.

The Charity Commission in England and Wales has been quick to point out that charity law is a devolved issue, so, as chief executive Andrew Hind says “The decisions announced today by OSCR do not set a precedent for England and Wales. OSCR’s charity test is undertaken by the Scottish regulator under Scottish law: it is entirely separate from the jurisdiction within which we work in England and Wales.” (http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/news/oscr.asp). Plaza Publishing news alert has background, including reaction from the schools, at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2336.

An article on social reporting looks at two main systems, social accounting and audit (SAA) and social return on investment (SROI), and asks whether the latter has been chosen prematurely by government.

From NS (New Sector) magazine, http://www.newsector.co.uk/articles/81_socialReturnOnInvestment.html.

(Source: Senscot bulletin)

It’s Your Community awards, from 02, provides up to £1,000 to local groups and individuals for anything that can be shown to benefit their community.

The awards are independently judged and administered by The Conservation Foundation. Find out more at http://www.itsyourcommunity.co.uk.

A consultation on the Review of the ‘No Secrets’ Guidance (on keeping adults safe, issued in 2000) has been launched by the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. The review has been prompted by changes in the government’s vision, identified weaknesses and to examine the case for legislative change.

There are questions for a wide range of stakeholders, from lawyers and social workers to the public and service users. Responses by 31st January 2009, http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_089098.

The Institute for Volunteering Research, NCVO and Involve are to work together on research into volunteering and civic action.

The Big Lottery Fund is giving three year funding to a project ‘Pathways through participation: what creates and sustains active citizenship’ which seeks to plug the gap in understanding about what makes people volunteer.

See Plaza Publishing news alert at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2312.

The third round of the government’s Parenting Fund, which gives financial support to voluntary sector projects that help vulnerable families, has 16 million pounds available for projects running from April 2009 to March 2011. Managed by the Family and Parenting Institute, applications to the fund are needed by 12th December.

CYP Now news item at http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/854870/ or go direct to http://www.familyandparenting.org/ParentingFundFunding.

In a nutshell is a ten-week online course delivered through the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) learning portal.  Participants work with other professionals and community workers across the public, private and community sectors to develop a shared understanding of the sustainable communities agenda.

The course will help develop a real understanding of the term ’sustainable community’ by exploring the national and regional policy context and perspectives.  It will also consider the roles, responsibilities and skills of the various organisations and individuals responsible for delivery and examine putting theory into practice.

The course is facilitated by an experienced tutor who provides feedback and guidance.  Participants will be expected to set aside approximately three hours per week to take part in online discussion forums and active learning modules which enable the sharing of ideas and experiences.

The course cost of £100 per participant is being fully funded by the ASC.

For information or to reserve a place call Kelly Brewell on 0113 394 4574, email k.brewell@ascskills.org.uk, or visit http://www.ascskills.org.uk/pages/learning-and-skills/nutshell

Sport England is changing the way it distributes around £45 million of National Lottery funding every year, following public consultation.

Details of the application processes and award eligibility for the new programmes, including themed funding rounds, small grants and an innovation fund for community sport, will appear in the new year. Sport England news item.

A modernisation review of England’s public library service has been launched by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham.

Led by Culture Minister Barbara Follett over the next six months, it will look at such things as innovations “to make them come alive for generations to come”, before a report is published for wider consultation. http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/5532.aspx.

Time again for the annual benchmarking exercise that is Virtual Promise, a study of the ways in which voluntary organisations are using the internet.

Results will be published online by nfpSynergy and all sizes of charities are encouraged to take 15 minutes to complete this. Closing date 14th November, http://www.nfpsynergy.net/virtualpromise08.

By law, employers must consult their employees on health and safety issues at work.

The Health and Safety Executive has two new leaflets on this - one aimed mainly at employers in workplaces with fewer than 25 employees (pdf, 109KB) at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/web35.pdf and a brief guide to the law (pdf, 136KB) at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg232.pdf.

The various regulations which set out disclosures that companies (including voluntary organisations/charities with limited status) must make to show their legal identity have been brought together and updated from 1st October in the Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008. See the official BERR (Business Department) ‘Frequently Asked Questions‘ summary of what this covers.

Disclosures for registered charities will be in addition to this, see for instance Sandy Adirondack’s legal update on Scottish requirements at http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#disclosure-scotland.

Also we haven’t previously included (probably!) this link to Charity Commission guidance on the impact of the Companies Act 2006 on charitable companies - http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/supportingcharities/compact.asp.
(Source: WCVA Trustee news)