Church Action Within Society - Publications and resources
Signposts to Help in the economic crisis
As the economic downturn continues people are likely for some time to be under pressure through redundancy and unemployment, financial difficulties and debt, mortgage and rent problems and repossession.
The Signposts to Help provides a list of the main agencies that it will be useful to know about for churches seeking to offer support to those in difficulty:-
Signposts to Help (in colour) Signposts to Help (in monochrome)
Supporting Carers
...provides information and worship resources for churches. Churches are encouraged to recognise and value the work of carers, particularly in Carers' Week (second week of June), and to consider how they might offer pastoral and spiritual support to carers. It is available here:- Supporting Carers - Information and Worship Resources
Understanding Mental Health
...is a booklet produced by the Diocesan Health and Healing Group. The Group hopes PCC and church members will find it informative and useful. It is not designed to be a comprehensive document about mental health, but a guide to help church members understand the needs of people who come to our churches and parish buildings. The booklet also includes a section "When someone comes to the door" with advice about the basic steps churches and clergy might take when thinking about personal safety:- Understanding Mental Health Booklet
Just So
Just So is a series of booklets featuring stories and critical comment on social justice themes. Click here for a full list of Just So booklets. Here's the latest issue
Just So Vol 10 - Public Theology
Ideas and Insights from Revd Dr John Reader & Revd Phillip Jones
Listening for the truth in Love
...is the Diocese of Worcester's listening process on human sexuality:- Listening for the truth in Love
You've Scored - booklet for Dads and Dads to be
CAWS has worked with Worcestershire County Council to produce a booklet for Dads and Dads to be in Worcestershire:- 'You've Scored - booklet for Dads and Dads to be.
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Checklist/Questions to ask if considering tendering for national or local government or statutory service contracts
The Government's recent proposals to create the "Big Society" may offer Parochial Church Councils or Churches Together groups the opportunity to take on work currently undertaken by the public sector. These new arrangements may be of benefit to local neighbourhoods.
PCCs may find this list of questions helpful in deciding whether to consider enetering into contracts with local authorities or other public bodies. Negative answers to some questions do not imply that a church should not go ahead, but that the points have been considered and the risk evaluated.
- Does the contract fit your own mission, aims and objectives?
- Why is the church considering this path? What will be the benefits?
- What is the nature of the partnership?
- Will the income cover all the costs ("Full cost recovery"), including relevant consultancy, core and termination costs?
- Is the bureaucracy manageable?
- Are the time limits acceptable? For tendering? For agreeing the contract terms? For setting up the project? For meeting Returns deadlines?
- Will you have to subsidise the project - over the lenghth of the project and/or for the start-up period?
- Do both parties have equal rights to vary the contract?
- Is the contract period viable to complete the work properly?
- Will you let people or the community down or have to make staff redundant when the contract ends or government policy changes?
- Is it worth making a joint bid with a sister organisation?
- Are you able to limit your risk and liability through insurance or by another arrangement?
- What is the termination notice?
- Who will own the equipment at the end of the project?
John Paxton
Social Responsibility Officer.
August 2010.
