Social Inclusion Through Partnership

• Influence the development of social inclusion on Merseyside.

• Multi-agency and cross sector networking and partnership development.

• Strategic involvement, particularly at a sub-regional level, with key agencies on Merseyside to promote inclusion.

• Encourage best practice.

• Develop projects which target the most excluded groups and individuals and access appropriate funding.  For example,

We continue to manage and develop a large, established cross-sector and multi-agency partnership around Employment and Exclusion, which works with people who are homeless or potentially vulnerable to homelessness through mental health or substance misuse.

We secured development for a project which works with people with Autism and Aspergers syndrome.

• Act as Accountable Body for SRB, and the Merseyside Social Enterprise Initiative (MSEI).

• Administer small grant awards (Social Capital) to help strengthen social infrastructure.  The success of this programme was acknowledged by name in the Governments 2003 UK Action Plan for Employment.

• Support small community and voluntary sector groups in their development (a Community Fund Project).

• Gather and disseminate information on social inclusion through Network News, reports, events and seminars (a Community Fund Project).

• Support the development of the Merseyside Social Enterprise Initiative (MSEI) www.msei.org.uk.

• Manage and develop the MSEI Money with Management grants programme on behalf of the Funding Forum.

• Joint lead partner, with Liverpool University, in the development of the Merseyside Social Inclusion Observatory www.msio.co.uk.