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Birmingham
Partnership Winter 2001. Volume 1, Issue 6 Releasing
Change!
Contents Inside this issue:
Briefing By Doreen Foster, Chief Executive In the Autumn Newsletter, we promised an update on the SRB6 North West Corridors programme. The programme is approaching its second year and most of the projects funded during the year I are nearing completion. Birmingham Partnership for Change has been involved in four of these projects, commissioned through the Addressing Social Exclusion Topic Group. The Community Indicators programme is intended to develop a set of community generated and led indicators for change over the life of the programme. Community Indicators are widely acknowledged to be an effective means of engaging local people and increasing local ownership of change processes. The Community Indicators project being implemented by ENVIRON, is based on Participatory Appraisal and involves training people to gather the views, perceptions and aspirations of a cross section of people living and working in the North West Corridor. From these contributions a series of Indicators for change will be identified which can be used to inform the development of future Delivery Plans. Community Ownership is critical to the success of any regeneration programme, we have commissioned the development of a training programme which will provide residents with the skills and knowledge to effectively participate and contribute to the programme in formal ways, as Board members or informally sharing the knowledge with the wider community through their networks. Linking diverse groups of people together is a key challenge, the Community Network and ICT Grid (PREVISTA have been appointed to develop the ICT Grid) are intended to provide one way of addressing this by enhancing existing networks, and developing new ones where desirable. If you would like further information on these projects, please contact: ICT Grid, Cathy and Bill Murray, small-world@compuserve.com. Indicators, Ownership and Network, Sarah Higginson 0116 222 0259. The Topic Groups have recently been restructured, and the Addressing Social Exclusion Topic Group merged with the Health and Community Participation Topic Groups. If you would like to know more about the programme, you should contact the Community Participation Network through Jenny Brown 0121 331 4421 or Ben Davies 0121 241 1919. Both Jenny and Ben a re members of the restructured Topic Groups. Many of you submitted Expressions of Interest to BPC, you should by now have received a letter from the Area Regeneration Manager setting out the next stage. Please refer all future enquiries about the programme to the Regeneration Team, or new Topic Group Chairs. Over the next two months, BPC is planning the following events: 9.00 am-2.00 pm 16 March 2001-Year 10 African and Caribbean pupils to attend the Second Professional Services Conference. 7.30 pm-9.00 pm 16 March 2001- workshop for Parents informing them about developments in Educational policy and the impact on their children. 21 March 2001-Governors Fair. Please contact the Education and Employment Development Officers 0121 200 3983 for further information on these events. Year
10 African Caribbean Pupils Heloise Shervington, Employment Development Officer 16 March 2001 is the date of the second Professional Services Conference for Year 10 pupils. Black accountants, lawyers, architects, quantity surveyors, bankers and financiers will participate in a conference to encourage 14 and 15 year olds to consider careers within the professions by sharing their experiences of entering and working within their chosen careers. During 1998, a series of consultation meetings took place between the LEA and representatives from African and Caribbean community. Discussions centred around the lack of access to training and employment opportunities and the under-representation of African and Caribbean people in the professional services. As a consequence, Birmingham Forward, Careers and Education Business Partnership, the Economic Development Department; 3bs and Birmingham Partnership for Change came together to form a Steering Group. The aim of the Steering Group was to organise a conference to raise awareness of African and Caribbean Year 10 pupils to career opportunities within the professional services. The conference was a success with over 250 Year 10 pupils attending the event at The Drum. Based on the success of last years conference, a second event will take place at The Drum. Black professionals who participated in last years conference have all expressed great enthusiasm to be involved in this one. This indicates their commitment to encourage African and Caribbean pupils to follow in their footsteps into the professions. But also and more importantly it indicates their understanding of the work that needs to be done to increase substantially the number of African and Caribbean people in the professions. The Steering Group recognises the importance of follow-up activities to the conference and are implementing strategies and an Action Plan that will enable pupils to participate in work placement, work experience, job shadowing and mentoring opportunities. Companies within Birmingham Forward (the umbrella company for over 280 professional services companies) will play a vital role in the follow-up activities by opening up opportunities within their companies. If you require further information on any of the events on this page, please contact Heloise Shervington, Employment Development Officer on 0121 200 3983 or email heloise@bpc1.demon.co.uk Race Equality - Still a long way to go! Heloise Shervington, Employment Development Officer
In Valuing Diversity, a report published by the Industrial Society, their survey of over 300 companies revealed that firms are paying lip service to equal opportunities and diversity issues. Employers say that tackling racism is a priority yet fewer than half of the firms (45%) surveyed had strategies for Race Equality, Equal Opportunities and Diversity. The early part of the New Year saw evidence of the above: Greg Dyke, head of the BBC admitted that a failure of the corporations equal opportunities policies was most noticeable at the highest levels - noticeably management level. The lack of commitment to race equality and the recruitment of African and Caribbean and Asian people by the Metropolitan Police was revealed when only four of 218 new recruits were from black and minority ethnic groups, therefore highlighting the fact that the Metropolitan Police is not making any progress in achieving its sensitive race equality targets.
There has to be genuine commitment to Race Equality in order to influence and change the way in which African and Caribbean people are recruited and selected into employment. These changes would also impact positively on the development, promotion and retention of black staff. Far too often, Human Resources and Personnel departments are given the responsibility for Race Equality and as a consequence Race Equality issues take second place to other human resource concerns. Appointing staff with a specific brief for Race Equality issues would ensure that this does not happen thus allowing the full development and implementation of Race Equality strategies. Realistic and achievable solutions at local, regional and national levels have to be put in place if a substantial increase in the employment of African and Caribbean people is to take place. The Stephen Lawrence Report has raised awareness to Race Equality. There is still a long way to go until Race Equality is regarded as a given and not an optional extra. African Caribbean Governors - Recruitment Fairs Sandra Oliver, Education Officer As part of BPCs strategic Plan for 2000-2001, one of the Education Officers key objectives is to organise training and awareness sessions for parents interested in becoming school governors. Two Governors Fairs were organised and held on 27th November 2000 at Holyhead School, Handsworth and on 29th November 2000 at Camp Lane Training Centre and Development Centre, Handsworth. Approximately 40 prospective governors attended the two events. BPC worked in partnership with Birmingham City Councils Governor Recruitment Section on this initiative. I addressed both events and interviewed 4 school governors. We explored questions ranging from why they became school governors to how they felt they had contributed to the management of their schools, specifically to raising achievement in schools. These governors came from different backgrounds but all exuded a passion for education, particularly the improvement of educational standards and raising the achievement of African Caribbean pupils. Ms Pam Bowen-Smith, Ms Heloise Shervington, Mr George Gordon and Mr Lawrence Telfer serve on governing bodies in secondary and primary schools in Birmingham. Governor interviews provided the opportunity for questions to be raised and clarified immediately by governors. The issue of governor training was a recurring feature and governors felt there could be improvements in pre- and post governor training. Birmingham City Council and BPC acknowledged the need for training to support the management of schools and this issue would be raised at future Governors Recruitment Strategy Group meetings. In terms of advertising for prospective governors evaluation of both events revealed that word of mouth was the most popular strategy. Leaflets were the second most popular and poster campaigns came in third place. No one in attendance found out about the event via the newspaper. All those who attended unanimously agreed that they would all be interested in attending similar events in the future and it is important to continue our partnership with the community. Mr Karl Thompson, a Board Member of BPC, attended the Camp Lane event and invited me to address a meeting with a view to increasing African Caribbean governors in Birmingham schools. In terms of the appointment of governors and as a result of these events, Birmingham City Councils Governor Recruitment Section have appointed 5 African Caribbean school governor and is in the process of finalising another 2 appointments. BPC will continue working in collaboration with Birmingham City Council to increase the numbers of African Caribbean governors in Birmingham schools with the intention of raising standards. Karl
Thompson, BPC Board Member who |
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EXAMINATION RESULTS 2000 African Caribbean pupils perform well during the early years of their education. However, during their secondary school years they under-perform. By the age of 16, they do not achieve as well as their peers. The most recent LEAs 2000 results show that 19% of African Caribbean boys and 31% of girls gain 5 or more GCSE A*-C grades. African Caribbean boys are the poorest performers. Pakistani boys follow in second place with 27% A*-C grades. The highest achieving group, Indian girls, gain 61% A*-C grades. A recent OFSTED report acknowledged this marked decline at secondary level. Initiatives must be put in place to stop this decline in achievement and I am currently working with key partners to initiate programmes to unlock potential and raise standards. |
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Mike Parsley In October 2000 Chief Executive of the Birmingham Partnership for Change, Doreen Foster, was the first external guest to propose the Toast to the Lord Mayor at the annual Birmingham Rathbone Lunch in honour of the Lord Mayor. The lunch is a tradition of many years standing. There was widespread local press coverage of the occasion. Birmingham Rathbone receives considerable Media coverage of its services. One of its successful services is Target Supported Employment, an Employment Agency for people with Learning Difficulties. Target was the subject of an article, by David Whinyates, in the Evening Mail, in early January 2001. Team Leader Sandra Osbourne, one of the new emerging Managers: Young, Black and female oversees it. We re-print the Article here. Any one wishing to make contact with Sandra should phone her on her office number: 0121 693 1585. Special Report: David Whinyates TARGET Supported Employment, part of the Birmingham Rathbone Society, aims to enable people with learning difficulties to achieve their full potential and become valued members of the community. While dedicated to securing paid employment for jobseekers, the initiative builds on other services offered by Birmingham Rathbone, one of the citys largest local charities. They include education, training, employment, residential care supported housing and leisure services at eleven locations in Birmingham. Prospective employers also have a number of advantages. Target Supported Employment has secured funding from the European Social Fund and a range of local funding bodies, which means that the comprehensive range of services offered need not cost companies anything. Target aims to ensure that job vacancies are filled with a person who can achieve the levels of quality and productivity required by employers. This is achieved partially through careful job matching, gathering as much information about the job as possible and finding a candidate whose skills, abilities, experience and preferences most accurately match the requirements for the vacancy. Given the nature of the jobseekers disability, some will take a little longer to learn tasks or establish routines. In such cases, Target can provide a job coach, qualified in systematic instruction - a training technique specifically designed to teach people with learning difficulties all aspects of the job, by analysing a task and teaching it step-by-step. Further support form a job coach is available if required, for example when job roles change or there is a new supervisor or management. In these cases, Target can respond quickly to ensure that an employees work does not suffer. There is also a project in which colleagues or interested member of the community are encouraged to take on the role of a mentor. The aim is to offer additional support for the employee and help his or her development, both in and out of the workplace. Assistance to jobseekers with their search for employment includes a wide range of practical help, such as interview skills training and interview support.
There is also help with work-related welfare benefits, free postage
and telephone use and assistance, with dependent care costs while job
seeking. Carlton Duncan Carlton Duncan was born in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies and immigrated to the United Kingdom in January 1961. The system compelled the repeat of his General Education. This he did at what was then Kilburn Polytechnic In North West London between the years 1961 and 1965 whilst seeking out his funds as a professional dancer in Europe, Scandinavia and London. Dancing professionally was to continue for a total period of 10 years, 1961 to 1971 - along side all other things at the time. In 1965, Carlton took up a place at the University of Wales (Swansea) where he read for and obtained a joint honors degree in Economics and Sociology (BSc (Econ)(Hons)). At University, he obtained colors for boxing twice - a rare honor and was University Athletic Union (UALJ) Light Welter Weight Champion for the year 1966/7. In 1968 Carlton took his Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), also at Swansea, and that same year began his teaching career in London - Inner London Education Authority (ILEA). A few years later, whilst working as a teacher in the London Borough of Brent and later in the City of Coventry, he successfully read for an honors degree in Law (LLB lions) via Wolsey Hall, Oxford and the University of London. He holds two Honorary degrees, the first In 1968 - Hon Med the first honorary Masters in Education to be granted by the then College of St Paula and St Mary, Cheltenham (now, the Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Further Education). Again, in 1990, the University of Birmingham conferred a further Honorary Masters of Education on Carlton - Hon Med Both these honorary degrees sought to recognize Carltons national work and publications in the field of education. He was Honorary Fellow and Lecturer in the School of Education, Birmingham University, 1991/1993. He also had the advantage of a Teacher Fellowship at Oxford University - the College of St Annes in 1993. Between September 1976 and April 1982 he was Deputy Head teacher and Director of Personal Development at Sidney Stringer School and Community College In Coventry. For the last two years of this period, he served on the Coventry Bench as one of Her Majestys Justice of the Peace. His first Headship came in 1982 when he became the first black man to be appointed to the Headship of a secondary school (Wyke Manor Upper School, West Yorkshire) in Britain. This happened in the same year that his then wife gave birth to the worlds first Test tube twins Nathan and Natasha. Carlton has two other children, Yvette and James, both of whom preceded the twins. Carlton ended his teaching career (early retirement - after 30 years teaching, 17 as Head teacher) on the 31 of March 1999. At that stage he had been Head teacher of George Dixon Grant Maintained School in Edgbaston, Birmingham for Just over 13 years. Formerly. Carlton was a Director of the Birmingham Training and Enterprise Council; a Non-Executive Director of the former North Birmingham Area Health Authority; a member of the Education Advisory Committee of the Independent Television Company and the first Chairman of Birmingham Partnership for Change. Currently he is a Non-Executive Director (Deputy Chairman) of Ashworth Hospital Authority, Liverpool a member of the Independent Complaints Panel of the Portman Group, London; a County Court Assessor under the Race Relations Act 1976; a Director of Birmingham Partnership for Change and, the Home Secretarys appointed representative on the West Midlands Police Authoritys selection Panel. Carlton was a prominent member of both the Rampton and the Swann Government Committees which enquired into the education of all children in a multiracial/multicultural society both the Rampton and Swann Reports are well known throughout the education world. Carlton still finds time to involve himself in supplementary schoolwork since 1976 to present day. He is the author and sometimes co-editor of over 40 publications mainly in education. These include several books, chapters and artic |