The Graduate

Another busy day which started with a brief introduction to the invigilator who is down for the day to audit and verify the work we have commissioned to deliver the certificate in community volunteering. Things seem to be moving ahead well and the partnership with Tomorrows People and the Youth Development Services is beginning to offer accreditations to exisiting volunteers. Indeed our first graduate from the programme has completed the certificate. I then have a series of meetings with colleagues. I have a meeting with the Coordinator for the Youth Council as I have agreed to facilitate a seminar looking at the provision of a Youth Hub for the Town and try to interest service providers and key strategic partners in the concept. It has felt a little like knocking one's head against a brick wall so far but trying to keep positive and optomistic is very much part of our role!! I then support a group in an investigatory meeting which is in the form of a learning enquiry into its health and safety procedures. Thanksfully the incident did not result in an injury but the group want a robust process to learn and refine its approach which is good. I am deliberatly blogging in general terms here to respect confidentiality but give a flavour of the work I am doing. I then catch up with Fran oour Community Network Development Officer and we discuss a change of position from the County Council in folloiwng up from a big Every Child Matters Conference we ran a few months back. I don't suspect anything machiavellian here its just that the Head of Integrated Children Services who was the strategic lead for our partnership work in this field left to take another job. This left a few loose ends and new colleagues with whom we need to start from scratch. As ever a few steps backwards - or at the very least marking time - before stepping forward. Anyway a delightful evening spent completing PCT Questionnaires on the 4 projects we get a funding for. Anyway to celebrate the fact that we have a volunteer who has now got a proper qualification as a result of our LEGI project our lyric reference is from the graduate!!. And here are the Lemonheads singing it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6KLpIDbfTw