Voluntary and Community
Capacity Building Plus
The Capacity Building Plus initiative is a Section 64 funded programme which will be delivered to Voluntary & Community Organisations in Merseyside in partnership with the Merseyside Development Foundation (MDF).
The aim is to build the capacity of, and to promote, well managed voluntary sector organisations with improved safety and health for employees/volunteers. MDF will provide management and governance support and H@W will cover the safety and health aspects, to include lifestyle issues - alcohol, diet, exercise etc.
This intensive package of support will provide 'capacity building plus', covering all management and health requirements in one complimentary package. The result being better managed, well governed, health literate organisations. The initiative from H@W and MDF will help build capacity of teams to encourage retention, job satisfaction, confidence, well-being and performance, and reduce sickness absence. This will enable voluntary sector organisations to provide 'good work' for their employees/volunteers and thus improving the client services provided, and guaranteeing sustainability
If you would like further information on this new initiative please contact Health@Work on 0151 236 6608 or Merseyside Development Foundation on 0151 448 0204
In the past, Health@Work have conducted positive work in the Voluntary and Community Sector. A ‘Stress Reduction Service’ was put into place; as research had shown that stress in the workplace was, and still is, a major problem within this sector.
We have helped 189 organisations since 2005 and gave individual advice and assistance on workplace health issues to 67 people.
Experience has shown that some minor adjustments to the organisation within a workplace can have stress prevention and education affects for all.
This funded service is unfortunately no longer in operation but Health@Work will continue to support the Voluntary and Community Sector on various issues such as;
- Using Health@Work’s research methods – Workplace Health Information Service Questionnaire (WHISQ) to identify stress and wider workplace health issues. A questionnaire is conducted with staff on workplace health, a report is then produced for employers on staff outcomes and suggested modifications.
- Individual advice and support and individual action plans.
- Advice and orgainisational support.
- Training (with V&C discount)
- Developing a stress policy
- Advice and advocacy on rehabilitation, mediation, bullying, sickness absence , problems in organization cultures or management systems.
- Support on any Workplace Health Policies including H&S Policy, Sickness Absence Policy, Risk Assessments, alcohol Policies etc.
- Telephone support line.
Our ethos is to strive toward making voluntary work and service a positive and rewarding experience. We do not envisage a confrontational attitude from any of the parties involved but would wish to work together with all interested parties in order to negotiate the dangers of our modern pace of life. Prevention is better and less costly than cure. It can often be a case of simple, good management, which can sometimes easily be overlooked when striving to hit targets. “Most things are obvious when you know how to do it.”
