Enhancing Frontline Advice

The WTfA project has launched its website.
www.wtfatraining.org.uk
It will be a resource for all workforce development tools and resources.

 
New briefing for advice agencies on: Personalisation and support brokerage in adult social care
(29th January2010)
 
New Skills for Justice report on changes in workforce demographics in the sector, for further details go to www.wtfatraining.org.uk/training-resources
(11th January 2010)
 
Training to advise young people
As part of the Working Together for Advice project, Youth Access has developed a programme of training aimed at mainstream advice agencies. Alongside courses focussed on younng people's rights in specific legal areas (e.g. education, homelessness and welfare benefits), there are sessions on conducting research with young people and a free course on monitoring the outcomes of advice work with young people. For further information, go to www.youthaccess.org.uk/events or email: Helen@youthaccess.org.uk
advice flyer Nov 09
(18th December 2009)
 
Free equality and diversity mini-conferences
These nine events are being run as part of the Discrimination Advice workstream and are aimed at advisers who work with clients affected by discrimination in employment, housing, goods and services or when dealing with public bodies.
More information: Invite to free equality & diversity mini-conference
16th November 2009
 
New toolkit on how to influence Local Area Agreements
 
In collaboration with the BOLD project, www.adviceuk.org.uk/project-and-resources/projects/bold, the Enhancing Frontline Advice workstream has produced this guide from advice agencies on how to influence and inform Local Area Agreements and the services that are commissioned as a result.
Toolkit - Enhancing Frontline Advice
13th November 2009
 
New briefings from Youth Access
Youth Access have produced the following briefings as part of the Working Together for Advice project:

• Getting Your Advice Service Ready for Commissioning, September 2008 (good practice briefing)
• The Impact of the Recession on Young People - and on their needs for advice and counselling services, July 2009 (policy briefing)
• The Advice Needs of Young People - The Evidence, July 2009 (long report + research briefing)
• The Youth Advice Workforce: Now and In The Future, September 2009 (policy briefing)
• Young People's Access to Advice - The Evidence, October 2009 (long report + research briefing)

They can be downloaded at www.youthaccess.org.uk/resources/publications
12th November 2009
 

Who's doing it?
This workstream is co-ordinated by Advice UK, but also involves other members of the Working Together for Advice project. Age Concern Help the Aged, Citizens Advice and the Law Centres Federation are funded service providers for the workstream while ASA contribute as a non-funded service provider.
 
Why was this workstream developed?
This workstream was developed in response to the need for more co-ordinated, streamlined and joined up advice services as well as the requirement for partnership working and consortium bids by charitable trusts and national and local Government policies for funding and procurement.
 
What is its aim?
The overall aim of this workstream is to improve the development, performance and co-ordination of front-line advice services.
 
What are the expected outcomes of the workstream?

• Increased capacity amongst frontline advice agencies and Law Centres to engage and participate in partnership and collaborative working that enhances their services
• The existence of new advice partnerships and collaborative forums
• A significant increase in the effectiveness and performance of consortium members to provide partnership and collaboration support services to their members
• Improved sustainability of advice agencies and Law Centres
• Improved efficiency of advice services through the development of referral networks and partnership working in at least 20 areas of England

What has been achieved so far?

• The project has supported the development of advice forums across the country helping to facilitate collaborative working between advice agencies.
• The National Advice Sector Development Forum has been developed. Meeting quarterly, at various locations around the country, the Forum brings together development staff from advice networks and provides the opportunity to share learning and best practice.
• An extensive body of toolkits, resources and case studies on various elements of partnership and collaborative working has been developed.
• One-to-one consultancy support has been provided to agencies looking to engage in collaborative working.
• Training on the costing of advice services has been delivered to the advice networks and a guide developed.

What more will be achieved before the end of the project?

• A series of training session on legal structures for collaborative working will be delivered across the country.
• Project staff will support the development of referral networks.
• Ongoing one-to-one support to advice agencies thinking about engaging in partnership and collaborative working.
• Sharing of learning from the project with a wide range of stakeholder
• Foster collaborative working between advice networks at a local, regional and national level

Links to resources produced by the workstream
 
A range of resources and toolkits on partnership and collaborative working can be found on the AdviceUK website
 
For further information, please contact Diarmaid O'Sullivan -Workstream Manager at or 020 7469 5705