Welcome to the Borders Voluntary Community Care Forum

WELCOME TO THE BORDERS VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY CARE FORUM’S WEBSITE. We hope you enjoy finding out more about the work of the Forum and find the information, contained on this website, helpful.

WHAT IS THE BORDERS VOLUNTARY
COMMUNITY CARE FORUM (BVCCF)?

  • INDEPENDENT VOICE…The BVCCF is an independent voluntary organisation that aims to represent the interests of local people in the planning and provision of community care. The Forum acts as a collective voice raising and addressing issues of local and national concern.
    INCLUSIVE…The Forum’s membership is open to anyone with an interest in community care and includes interested individuals, service users and carers and local voluntary organisations.
    INFORMED…The BVCCF acts as a focal point for consultation by gathering local feedback about services and by setting up special groups to address specific areas of interest.
    INVOLVED…The Forum supports services users and carers and representatives from local voluntary organisations to take part in a wide range of joint community care planning and working groups within the Scottish Borders Community Health and Care Partnership.
    INNOVATIVE…The Forum helps to set up new initiatives in community care and gives on-going support to a wide range of voluntary sector projects eg:
    • Princess Royal Trust Borders Carers Centre
    • Borders Disability Forum
    • People First Borders
    • Borders Independent Advocacy Service
    • Borders Direct Payments Agency
    • Borderline

    • INFORMATION FROM THE FORUM…

  • The BVCCF provides information about community care:
    • ‘COMMUNICARE’ newsletter
    • ‘HERE TO HELP YOU’ - useful contacts in the Scottish Borders
    • ‘SIGNPOST’ to local voluntary organisations

    • INFORMATION FROM YOU…

  • We would like to hear from you if you have any concerns about community care that you wish to raise or feedback to us.
    If you are interested in the work of the Forum and would like to get involved in any of our activities, please get in touch with us.


    • Forum News

    BVCCF key issues for 2008

  • The Key Issues include the following areas of concern:

  • ~ National and Local Government Concordat and Single Outcome Agreement
    ~ Rural Poverty and how to feed into the local commission
    ~ Voluntary sector funding and capacity issues
    ~ Funding for the wider role of community and preventative services
    ~ Pressure on Social Work Services, higher eligibility criteria and lack of capacity to support carers
    ~ Lack of statutory services for young people to be referred on to
    ~ Difficulties facing parent carers of children with disabilities and access to Direct Payments
    ~ Need to implement the Dementia Strategy to provide adequate care at home, or in care homes with appropriate levels of staff and carer training

    • Joint Review of Day Services: Consultation Paper

  • The BVCCF has been involved in assisting in the Day Services for Older People consultation events by independently facilitating discussion groups with service users and carers in nine Day Care Centres across the Borders. This consultation exercise involves looking at existing day support and a range of options for future provision. Reports available from Calum Morrison, Project Manager, SWS, SBC HQ. Tel: 01895 824000 ext 5645 or Email: cnmorrison@scotborders.gsx.gov.uk.

    • Meeting

  • IN MARCH, staff from the BVCCF and The Bridge (CVSs) took the opportunity to meet with SBC officials to discuss the Single Outcome Agreement and the contribution of the voluntary Sector to this Agreement before its submission to the Scottish Government. The BVCCF has representation on the LOcal Poverty Commission, which is currently gathering evidence through a wide range of voluntary organisations.

    • Review of Older People’s Services

  • The Forum’s Service User and Carer Working Group is currently being consulted about major Joint Review of Older People’s Services.
    This Review has a very wide remit looking at Accommodation with Care, including Care Homes and Sheltered Accommodation, Intermediate Care, Home Care, Day Support Services and Access to Services through the Social Work Services Duty System.


    • Aims & Objectives

    Aims and Objectives

  • II To act as a focal point for consultation and representation about community care issues
    II To enable users and carers to have a voice in the planning and provision of community care
    II To promote the provision of accessible information and to raise public awareness
    II To assist in the provision of training to improve the quality of community care services
    II To support the development of new initiatives in the field of community care
    II To work in partnership with all agencies both locally and nationally to improve community care services

    • MEMBERSHIP OF THE FORUM

  • Membership of the Forum is open to all voluntary organisations and individuals with an interest in the planning and provision of community care services in the Borders. From the membership, 15 representatives are nominated to serve for a period of 3 years on the Executive Committee of the Forum. The local Councils of Voluntary Service are represented by Liz Walthew, New Ways Voluntary Sector Liaison Officer, The Bridge, as an ex-officio member.

    • FUNDING AND STAFFING

  • The funding and staffing arrangements are overseen by a Management Committee of office bearers and other members from the Executive Committee. The BVCCF (Forum) is jointly funded by the Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and the NHS Borders. Annette Scobie, Co-ordinator, Dawn Roche, Development Worker and Helen Rogerson, Administrative Assistant work as part-time members of staff and are based in the BVCCF office. Also Joan Lawson, temporary Development Worker has been assisting with business planning, funding applications and a Training Audit.
    The Forum currently manages and provides development support to the Borders Direct Payments Agency (BDPA), which is funded by SBC Social Work Services.
    The staff at BDPA are:
  • Project Manager - Niccy Kershaw
    Community Care Project Workers - Brian Stewart and Lucy Morrice
    Children’s Services Project Worker - Louise Salvesen
    Administrative Assistant - Quentin Grant
    Payroll Assistants - Sheila Cochrane and Hazel Jack.
    The Agency is based in Galashiels.
    The accounts are circulated at the Annual General Meeting and are audited by Rennie Welch, Chartered Accountants. Copies are available from the BVCCF office.

    • MISSION STATEMENT

  • ‘To represent the views of all those with
    an interest in community care to the
    agencies responsible for the planning
    and provision of community care
    services in the Scottish Borders.’