Expand the sections below to find links to useful information about the issues we support
NB Look for the exclamation mark icon for sections that have recently been updated.
Presentation given by Jess Southgate from Agenda Alliance at the TT Board meeting on 19 October 2023.
An escaped suspect is far from the only crisis for the prison system by Helen Pidd.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/08/first-edition-prison-system-daniel-khalife
Grant Advisor UK is a platform that allows grantees (and also applicants) to leave reviews about a funder’s grant making processes. It is both a useful tool for applicants to better understand the requirements and approach of funders and an effective way of applicants and grantees to feedback to funders to enable deeper understanding of what works.
A short film made by Professor Green about kinship care that features the work that Kinship does shown on The One Show: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001krq7/the-one-show-04042023
Watch from 01.08 and runs until 06.00
This will be available on BBC iPlayer until May 2023.
An interview by Redbull with Mick Crofts, the founder of 3Pillars Project, a current Triangle Trust Young Offenders grantee: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/mike-crofts-3pillars-project
A 5-part BBC documentary series about Britain’s parole board
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001jfsn/parole
A BBC documentarty about the hidden world of girls in gangs
| Next week is Trustees’ Week Get ready for this year’s Trustees’ Week from 7-11 November! This is the week when we say a big ‘thank you’ to the nearly one million trustees like you across the UK who give so much time to ensure charities thrive and make society better. This year’s theme is ‘Making a difference in changing times’ recognising how hard trustees work to overcome challenges and embrace new opportunities to keep their charity’s on-track. Take a look at https://trusteesweek.org/ which details a range of events, training and support to help you to network, learn and refresh your knowledge. You can also follow us on Twitter @TrusteesWeek. Changes in the Charities Act 2022 The first set of changes being introduced by the Charities Act 2022 have come into force. Amongst other new powers, trustees can now be paid for providing goods to a charity in certain circumstances, and there are simpler rules when fundraising appeals do not raise enough – or raise too much. Since the charities act gained Royal Assent earlier this year, the Commission has been making the necessary changes to support the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s implementation plan, which is gradually introducing the provisions of the act during this year and next. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charities-act-2022-guidance-for-charities My Charity Commission Account We are introducing a new, improved sign-in process for charities and their trustees to access our online services. This new way of signing in will be through individual Charity Commission Accounts. Later this month, we will start inviting contacts at charities to set up their new accounts. From Spring 2023, they will be able to use this account to access services such as making changes to their governing documents or filing their annual returns. To prepare for this, please check your charity details are up to date, including who your charity contact is so we contact the right person. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/online-services-for-charities New 5-Minute guide on campaigning We have produced a new 5-minute guide to help trustees follow the rules on political activity and campaigning. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/political-activity-and-campaigning-by-charities Catch up on our Annual Public Meeting Watch the recorded broadcast and catch up with all the news from the Commission. You can also find text versions of speeches on GOV.UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfh235H1sPM |
WIP has released a report called “The value of Women’s Centres.” You can access it here: Women in Prison — Report launch: the value of Women’s Centres
The report shows that Women’s Centres generate a nearly triple return on public investment, by keeping women out of prison and easing demand for other services, but that nearly half of Women’s Centres are concerned about their survival.
The new modelling shows that an example Women’s Centre receiving £1m in a given year can support over 650 women and generate £2.75m in public sector savings, while providing a lifeline for vital services and significantly improving wellbeing for women and their children.
Prior to our discussion around the future focus of the new grants strategy a selection of useful links have been uploaded below. These will take you to reports, papers and websites with further information about each of the 3 issues below and provide more detail than the paper. Most have been referenced in the paper. So please take some time before the meeting to do some further reading to help our discussion.
Young Carers
- https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/the-big-answer/
- https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2022/03/16/the-big-ask-voices-shining-a-light-on-young-carers/
- https://stateofchildhealth.rcpch.ac.uk/evidence/family-and-social-environment/young-carers/
- https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-10/young-carers-wellbeing.pdf
Young people in touch with the criminal justice system
- https://clinks.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/clinks_state-of-the-sector-2021.pdf
- https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Prison-the-facts-2022.pdf
- https://weareagenda.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/YWJP-Final-Report.pdf
- https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Why-women-2022-briefing.pdf
- https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/youth-justice-statistics-2020-to-2021/youth-justice-statistics-2020-to-2021-accessible-version
- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956621/youth-justice-statistics-2019-2020.pdf
- https://www.triangletrust.org.uk/data/uploads/Reviews-of-interventions-table.pdf
Care Experienced Young People
- https://childrenssocialcare.independent-review.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Paying-the-Price.pdf
- https://homeforgood.org.uk/statistics/care-leavers
- https://www.stchris.org.uk/about-us/our-approach-to-care/care-leavers/
- https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/1622/statistics-briefing-looked-after-children.pdf
‘Back to the future: investment challenges and opportunities’ webinar:
‘Inception: changing perceptions of the charitable sector’ webinar:
‘Great Expectations – what does the next generation think?’ webinar:
‘Pitch perfect: can the charity sector compete for talent?’ webinar:
The Prison Reform Trust maintains a high public profile for prison reform. They work with press and broadcast media to advocate on behalf of people in prison and improve public understanding.
Find their latest news here: https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/news
You can find the updated slides on the Characteristics of Foundations exercise here.
You may remember that we made a strategic grant to Kinship in December 2020 to support their kinship carer led campaigning work in the north east. This linked into their ongoing goal of kinship care featuring heavily in The Care Act Review. The recommendations of this review have now been published and kinship care features strongly as a named issue that needs support. Please click on the link below to find out more about the recommendations and hear some of the interviews that Lucy and her team have been doing.
https://kinship.org.uk/care-review/
Following on from the grant that was awarded to Kinship at the last Trustee meeting, they have secured some great coverage on the BBC in recent weeks about the Care Act Review. As well as this article Lucy, the CEO, appeared on BBC Breakfast with a kinship carer last week.
In my Director’s report at Trustee Meetings I have shared key stats from the monthly barometer that NCVO has published. This temperature check has tracked the impact that the pandemic has had on the voluntary sector across a number of different areas. The final barometer – Respond, Recover, Reset: Two years on – pulls together the data they collected over the past two years. It’s an interesting read and provides and interesting context for how organisations have navigated their way through an incredibly challenging time and what life looks like on the other side. The link below will take you to the report.
A recent high court case linked to trustees prioritising considerations of impact over financial returns (in this case climate change mitigation in their investments) has highlighted some interesting issues. And clarified some grey areas around investments that don’t align with an organisation’s charitable purpose. For more information on the Butler-Sloss v Charity Commission case please follow the link to a really interesting article.
https://bateswells.co.uk/updates/butler-sloss-v-charity-commission/
The State of the sector 2021, published on 13 April 2022, outlines how voluntary organisations have faced new and incredibly difficult challenges over the last year. These have been on top of, not instead of, the wider challenges that have long faced the sector.
To truly understand the impacts of this year, we must recognise that a global pandemic was the last thing the sector needed after years of austerity, public service reform and punitive criminal justice policy. Covid-19 has only accelerated and intensified these pressures – making the voluntary sector’s ongoing resilience and creativity even more extraordinary.
Many of the findings of this report – increasing complexity and urgency of need amongst service users, limited access to prisons, and fear for future grant funding streams – mirror the findings of our Covid-19 impact report from December 2020. However, this current report provides a broader lens and a unique perspective to allow us to build on those findings and think more practically about the impact of the year on the sector moving forward.
Clinks and Recoop have come together to publish a report providing valuable evidence on the needs and experiences of older people in prison, with key recommendations for policymakers to influence the development of the Older offender strategy.
A prison is a particularly difficult place for older people. Many have complex needs and some are coping with long-term or terminal illness. Older people in prison (50 or over) need different health and social care support than their younger counterparts – so appropriate meaningful activity and social connections are particularly important for them. Some face the stark reality of spending their final days in prison and questioning what a good death looks like.
Older people are also the fastest growing cohort in prison. This report illustrates that prisons are ill-equipped to meet their needs. Together with Recoop, we suggest that the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) should develop a delivery plan to sit underneath the long awaited national Older offender strategy alongside developing a local strategy for meeting the needs of older prisoners informed by the HMPPS Model of Operational Delivery: Older prisoners.
The report, commissioned by Clinks through our work as a member of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Alliance, was informed by Recoop’s engagement with older people in prison. Recoop created forums in three prisons and questionnaires in a further four establishments. Special thanks goes to all of the older people in prison who took the time to speak so openly and honestly, sharing their thoughts, experiences and emotions to shape this report.
Swansea Carers Centre have shared a fantastic film they’ve created about their work with Young Adult Carers.
The situation in Ukraine is changing rapidly. We recognise the complex challenge this poses for charities responding to the crisis at home or abroad. We have set out our guidance on the most commonly asked questions and will be reviewing this guidance regularly.
Our campaign aimed at helping trustees refresh their knowledge on their essential duties showcases the Commission’s suite of 5-minute guides designed to provide trustees with easy-to-understand information on all the governance basics. This suite was expanded in November, with the introduction of a guide on Safeguarding.
This year, as part of our continued commitment to help trustees run their charities effectively, we’re also launching a set of animated videos explaining the key points from each of our guides.
Watch the first in the new series now.
Late last month, the Charities Act 2022 received Royal Assent, and passed into law.
We welcome the provisions of the legislation, which aims to make life easier for trustees, helping them maximise the benefits their charity delivers. Discover what it means for your charity and how the changes are likely to be implemented.
The government is warning institutions, including charities, to be on the lookout for potential cyber-attacks. The National Cyber Security Centre is not aware of any specific cyber threats to UK charities in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, while the situation in Ukraine remains volatile, charities are strongly encouraged to follow the actionable steps in the National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack.
The Annual Return for 2022 is expected to be launched at the end of April. Charities that can file early are recommended to do so.
After feedback from trustees, we have updated our guidance for charities working outside England and Wales.
The text now clarifies area of operation as the place where a charity delivers its purpose.
For example, if a London-based charity runs an orphanage in Romania, its area of operation should be recorded as Romania.
The same applies for charities providing funds or grants to other organisations based outside England and Wales.
So, if a charity based in Cardiff gives a grant to a local NGO based in Yemen to build a school, its area of operation would be recorded as Yemen.
However, a charity making a general donation or grant to another registered charity that may operate abroad, does not count as operating abroad.
HMRC is reminding charities that engage with many different types of workers to know when a worker is entitled to the National Minimum Wage. This will depend on whether an individual is classed as either a worker, a volunteer or a voluntary worker.
Particular attention should be given to any volunteers paid a nominal amount over and above genuine out of pocket expenses. Any payment, whether cash, benefits in kind or promise of future payment is likely to mean they are a worker for minimum wage purposes and so should be paid for all hours worked.
A webinar is available to give you more information about the national minimum wage and unpaid workers or those paid on an ‘expenses only’ basis.
Our Personal Information Charter tells you when we process your personal data, why, and what happens with it. We have recently updated it with more detail about what happens to your personal data when you call our contact centre.
View the updated charter, please visit our website at Personal information charter – The Charity Commission – GOV.UK
This link contains 4 short films that summarize discussions from a recent Youth Justice Legal Centre Summit – if you want to watch the full sessions it looks like you need to make a donation to the Youth Justice Legal Centre – but hopefully the tasters will give you a feel for the kinds of issues we need to be thinking about. Many thanks to Sarah for sharing with me in the first instance.
Presentation given by Jess Southgate from Agenda Alliance at the TT Board meeting on 19 October 2023.
An escaped suspect is far from the only crisis for the prison system by Helen Pidd.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/08/first-edition-prison-system-daniel-khalife
Grant Advisor UK is a platform that allows grantees (and also applicants) to leave reviews about a funder’s grant making processes. It is both a useful tool for applicants to better understand the requirements and approach of funders and an effective way of applicants and grantees to feedback to funders to enable deeper understanding of what works.
A short film made by Professor Green about kinship care that features the work that Kinship does shown on The One Show: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001krq7/the-one-show-04042023
Watch from 01.08 and runs until 06.00
This will be available on BBC iPlayer until May 2023.
An interview by Redbull with Mick Crofts, the founder of 3Pillars Project, a current Triangle Trust Young Offenders grantee: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/mike-crofts-3pillars-project
A 5-part BBC documentary series about Britain’s parole board
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001jfsn/parole
A BBC documentarty about the hidden world of girls in gangs
| Next week is Trustees’ Week Get ready for this year’s Trustees’ Week from 7-11 November! This is the week when we say a big ‘thank you’ to the nearly one million trustees like you across the UK who give so much time to ensure charities thrive and make society better. This year’s theme is ‘Making a difference in changing times’ recognising how hard trustees work to overcome challenges and embrace new opportunities to keep their charity’s on-track. Take a look at https://trusteesweek.org/ which details a range of events, training and support to help you to network, learn and refresh your knowledge. You can also follow us on Twitter @TrusteesWeek. Changes in the Charities Act 2022 The first set of changes being introduced by the Charities Act 2022 have come into force. Amongst other new powers, trustees can now be paid for providing goods to a charity in certain circumstances, and there are simpler rules when fundraising appeals do not raise enough – or raise too much. Since the charities act gained Royal Assent earlier this year, the Commission has been making the necessary changes to support the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s implementation plan, which is gradually introducing the provisions of the act during this year and next. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charities-act-2022-guidance-for-charities My Charity Commission Account We are introducing a new, improved sign-in process for charities and their trustees to access our online services. This new way of signing in will be through individual Charity Commission Accounts. Later this month, we will start inviting contacts at charities to set up their new accounts. From Spring 2023, they will be able to use this account to access services such as making changes to their governing documents or filing their annual returns. To prepare for this, please check your charity details are up to date, including who your charity contact is so we contact the right person. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/online-services-for-charities New 5-Minute guide on campaigning We have produced a new 5-minute guide to help trustees follow the rules on political activity and campaigning. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/political-activity-and-campaigning-by-charities Catch up on our Annual Public Meeting Watch the recorded broadcast and catch up with all the news from the Commission. You can also find text versions of speeches on GOV.UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfh235H1sPM |
WIP has released a report called “The value of Women’s Centres.” You can access it here: Women in Prison — Report launch: the value of Women’s Centres
The report shows that Women’s Centres generate a nearly triple return on public investment, by keeping women out of prison and easing demand for other services, but that nearly half of Women’s Centres are concerned about their survival.
The new modelling shows that an example Women’s Centre receiving £1m in a given year can support over 650 women and generate £2.75m in public sector savings, while providing a lifeline for vital services and significantly improving wellbeing for women and their children.
Prior to our discussion around the future focus of the new grants strategy a selection of useful links have been uploaded below. These will take you to reports, papers and websites with further information about each of the 3 issues below and provide more detail than the paper. Most have been referenced in the paper. So please take some time before the meeting to do some further reading to help our discussion.
Young Carers
- https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/the-big-answer/
- https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2022/03/16/the-big-ask-voices-shining-a-light-on-young-carers/
- https://stateofchildhealth.rcpch.ac.uk/evidence/family-and-social-environment/young-carers/
- https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-10/young-carers-wellbeing.pdf
Young people in touch with the criminal justice system
- https://clinks.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/clinks_state-of-the-sector-2021.pdf
- https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Prison-the-facts-2022.pdf
- https://weareagenda.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/YWJP-Final-Report.pdf
- https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Why-women-2022-briefing.pdf
- https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/youth-justice-statistics-2020-to-2021/youth-justice-statistics-2020-to-2021-accessible-version
- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956621/youth-justice-statistics-2019-2020.pdf
- https://www.triangletrust.org.uk/data/uploads/Reviews-of-interventions-table.pdf
Care Experienced Young People
- https://childrenssocialcare.independent-review.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Paying-the-Price.pdf
- https://homeforgood.org.uk/statistics/care-leavers
- https://www.stchris.org.uk/about-us/our-approach-to-care/care-leavers/
- https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/media/1622/statistics-briefing-looked-after-children.pdf
‘Back to the future: investment challenges and opportunities’ webinar:
‘Inception: changing perceptions of the charitable sector’ webinar:
‘Great Expectations – what does the next generation think?’ webinar:
‘Pitch perfect: can the charity sector compete for talent?’ webinar:
The Prison Reform Trust maintains a high public profile for prison reform. They work with press and broadcast media to advocate on behalf of people in prison and improve public understanding.
Find their latest news here: https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/news
You can find the updated slides on the Characteristics of Foundations exercise here.
You may remember that we made a strategic grant to Kinship in December 2020 to support their kinship carer led campaigning work in the north east. This linked into their ongoing goal of kinship care featuring heavily in The Care Act Review. The recommendations of this review have now been published and kinship care features strongly as a named issue that needs support. Please click on the link below to find out more about the recommendations and hear some of the interviews that Lucy and her team have been doing.
https://kinship.org.uk/care-review/
Following on from the grant that was awarded to Kinship at the last Trustee meeting, they have secured some great coverage on the BBC in recent weeks about the Care Act Review. As well as this article Lucy, the CEO, appeared on BBC Breakfast with a kinship carer last week.
In my Director’s report at Trustee Meetings I have shared key stats from the monthly barometer that NCVO has published. This temperature check has tracked the impact that the pandemic has had on the voluntary sector across a number of different areas. The final barometer – Respond, Recover, Reset: Two years on – pulls together the data they collected over the past two years. It’s an interesting read and provides and interesting context for how organisations have navigated their way through an incredibly challenging time and what life looks like on the other side. The link below will take you to the report.
A recent high court case linked to trustees prioritising considerations of impact over financial returns (in this case climate change mitigation in their investments) has highlighted some interesting issues. And clarified some grey areas around investments that don’t align with an organisation’s charitable purpose. For more information on the Butler-Sloss v Charity Commission case please follow the link to a really interesting article.
https://bateswells.co.uk/updates/butler-sloss-v-charity-commission/
The State of the sector 2021, published on 13 April 2022, outlines how voluntary organisations have faced new and incredibly difficult challenges over the last year. These have been on top of, not instead of, the wider challenges that have long faced the sector.
To truly understand the impacts of this year, we must recognise that a global pandemic was the last thing the sector needed after years of austerity, public service reform and punitive criminal justice policy. Covid-19 has only accelerated and intensified these pressures – making the voluntary sector’s ongoing resilience and creativity even more extraordinary.
Many of the findings of this report – increasing complexity and urgency of need amongst service users, limited access to prisons, and fear for future grant funding streams – mirror the findings of our Covid-19 impact report from December 2020. However, this current report provides a broader lens and a unique perspective to allow us to build on those findings and think more practically about the impact of the year on the sector moving forward.
Clinks and Recoop have come together to publish a report providing valuable evidence on the needs and experiences of older people in prison, with key recommendations for policymakers to influence the development of the Older offender strategy.
A prison is a particularly difficult place for older people. Many have complex needs and some are coping with long-term or terminal illness. Older people in prison (50 or over) need different health and social care support than their younger counterparts – so appropriate meaningful activity and social connections are particularly important for them. Some face the stark reality of spending their final days in prison and questioning what a good death looks like.
Older people are also the fastest growing cohort in prison. This report illustrates that prisons are ill-equipped to meet their needs. Together with Recoop, we suggest that the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) should develop a delivery plan to sit underneath the long awaited national Older offender strategy alongside developing a local strategy for meeting the needs of older prisoners informed by the HMPPS Model of Operational Delivery: Older prisoners.
The report, commissioned by Clinks through our work as a member of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Health and Wellbeing Alliance, was informed by Recoop’s engagement with older people in prison. Recoop created forums in three prisons and questionnaires in a further four establishments. Special thanks goes to all of the older people in prison who took the time to speak so openly and honestly, sharing their thoughts, experiences and emotions to shape this report.
Swansea Carers Centre have shared a fantastic film they’ve created about their work with Young Adult Carers.
The situation in Ukraine is changing rapidly. We recognise the complex challenge this poses for charities responding to the crisis at home or abroad. We have set out our guidance on the most commonly asked questions and will be reviewing this guidance regularly.
Our campaign aimed at helping trustees refresh their knowledge on their essential duties showcases the Commission’s suite of 5-minute guides designed to provide trustees with easy-to-understand information on all the governance basics. This suite was expanded in November, with the introduction of a guide on Safeguarding.
This year, as part of our continued commitment to help trustees run their charities effectively, we’re also launching a set of animated videos explaining the key points from each of our guides.
Watch the first in the new series now.
Late last month, the Charities Act 2022 received Royal Assent, and passed into law.
We welcome the provisions of the legislation, which aims to make life easier for trustees, helping them maximise the benefits their charity delivers. Discover what it means for your charity and how the changes are likely to be implemented.
The government is warning institutions, including charities, to be on the lookout for potential cyber-attacks. The National Cyber Security Centre is not aware of any specific cyber threats to UK charities in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, while the situation in Ukraine remains volatile, charities are strongly encouraged to follow the actionable steps in the National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack.
The Annual Return for 2022 is expected to be launched at the end of April. Charities that can file early are recommended to do so.
After feedback from trustees, we have updated our guidance for charities working outside England and Wales.
The text now clarifies area of operation as the place where a charity delivers its purpose.
For example, if a London-based charity runs an orphanage in Romania, its area of operation should be recorded as Romania.
The same applies for charities providing funds or grants to other organisations based outside England and Wales.
So, if a charity based in Cardiff gives a grant to a local NGO based in Yemen to build a school, its area of operation would be recorded as Yemen.
However, a charity making a general donation or grant to another registered charity that may operate abroad, does not count as operating abroad.
HMRC is reminding charities that engage with many different types of workers to know when a worker is entitled to the National Minimum Wage. This will depend on whether an individual is classed as either a worker, a volunteer or a voluntary worker.
Particular attention should be given to any volunteers paid a nominal amount over and above genuine out of pocket expenses. Any payment, whether cash, benefits in kind or promise of future payment is likely to mean they are a worker for minimum wage purposes and so should be paid for all hours worked.
A webinar is available to give you more information about the national minimum wage and unpaid workers or those paid on an ‘expenses only’ basis.
Our Personal Information Charter tells you when we process your personal data, why, and what happens with it. We have recently updated it with more detail about what happens to your personal data when you call our contact centre.
View the updated charter, please visit our website at Personal information charter – The Charity Commission – GOV.UK
This link contains 4 short films that summarize discussions from a recent Youth Justice Legal Centre Summit – if you want to watch the full sessions it looks like you need to make a donation to the Youth Justice Legal Centre – but hopefully the tasters will give you a feel for the kinds of issues we need to be thinking about. Many thanks to Sarah for sharing with me in the first instance.