Jan
21
2014
A perfect partnership: what Coram Voice thought of being the Centre’s Charity of the Year
Guest blog from Margaret McCulloch, Interim Head of Fundraising at Coram.
Coram Voice is the leading national advocacy charity, established in 1975 because a seven year old child, Maria Caldwell, was murdered by her stepfather. Maria’s voice wasn’t heard and the most poignant fact about her early death was she was scared to return home and had pleaded with the professionals in her life to stay in care.
...So Coram Voice was born... and today, we empower children like Maria, those who are reliant on the state for their care and wellbeing. We listen to them, tell them about their rights and entitlements and make sure they are involved in decisions being made about them.
We hold the system to account to make sure it does the job it’s supposed to do and we try to fix the problem by campaigning for changes in care legislation so children can have a better care journey. Our recent proposed amendment to the Children Act ensures that children living in foster homes can stay there until they are 21 instead of 18, which will, in turn, reduce homelessness for this group, a problem that has increased as evidenced by a call rate increase of 103% to Coram Voice. We are very proud of our charity’s work and that we NEVER turn away a child who asks for our help.
Charity of the Year 2013
Everyone at Coram Voice was very excited about being selected as the Centre’s Charity of the Year. This was the first real endorsement of our work and the prize of free training was very gratefully received. Struggling charities rarely have the means for external training so everyone at Coram Voice clambered to attend courses. In fact, the number of requests overtook the training available, so we completed learning plans with our line managers, as this was seen as the best and fairest way to decide on courses.
Not only was the training excellent, our staff developed good relationships with the Centre staff and regularly supported each other on social networking, even to congratulate Natalia on her birthday. We wanted everyone to know how good the training was. Unlike other training organisations, the Centre has a bank of training freelancers who each have their own area of specialism. This meant that every course was conducted by an expert and after the course was over the support wasn’t... as trainers offer support for a whole year afterwards.
The other bonus about the training was the mix of people we each met on our courses; people from all different sectors of work, all coming together for one common aim... to learn. I think another marked difference is the bright, strategically planned rooms, which create a sense of space and relaxation, conducive to learning. Plus the lunches, the best I’ve ever had in training... and there is a surprise element too, which I won’t mention, as it will spoil it for new people.
Outcomes
I put my project management training into practice straight away, and am delighted to say this process has increased our outputs and won us more tenders, raising the success rate to 50%, but more importantly it has decreased the stress of the tender team, who are now very clear about their responsibilities and timescales. The biggest plus is that all tenders are submitted with days to spare. No more last minute rushes. No threats of tender portals crashing. Our amalgamation into Coram in October went very smoothly and I am now setting up these processes for the whole of the Coram Group of Charities.
We will continue to take up training at the Centre and we will endeavour to keep this valuable working relationship high on our agenda. We’d like to say thank you to the Centre, we are very, very grateful for all that you have given us. Yours was such a perfect partnership for Coram Voice.
Rachel Levy, one of our advocates said;
“I did the presentations skills course and it was great – the course content was relevant, well structured and very well delivered by the trainer, Gill.
It was challenging in that we each had a video made of us giving a presentation, but the challenge was handled in a supportive way by the trainer making it a very positive experience. I was really impressed by the offer of follow up help – I took up this offer and contacted Gill prior to a presentation I had to give. She responded very quickly and gave me a lot of time on the phone – all for free and in her own time.”
Project Manager Jenny McMaster said;
"Working for a charity, a budget for training - especially of back office staff - is often scarce. Our partnership with The Centre has meant I've been able to access some really valuable training as I move into a more senior role. The atmosphere at The Centre is so vibrant, and the staff so friendly and welcoming. The call back service - to access ongoing support & advice for a year after each course - is a brilliant offering and one which I'm sure I'll be making the most of. And of course the lunches to-order and ice-creams in the afternoon break were a real bonus too!"
And Mel, our Comms manager said;
“I attended a one-day proofreading course at the Centre last year. I found the tutor really helpful and engaging, there were a number of thought-provoking exercises to get my brain working. It was reassuring to meet other trainees doing similar roles who were grappling with the same problems as me. In addition to this, we were very well looked after and the lunch and refreshments were great! I would definitely recommend the Centre to others for future training.”
Coram Voice is a charity that works with and for children and young people who are potentially vulnerable to harm or exclusion from society, including children and young people in care or in need, care leavers, young offenders and young people who have severe and complex mental health issues. They equip children and young people to hold to account the services that are responsible for their care, and to uphold their right to be consulted and actively participate in shaping their own lives.
