History and experience

• SCIPS was formed as a housing pressure group over 25 years ago

• We originally formed as a Sandwell Tenants and Residents Federation representing and supporting Tenants and Residents Groups in Sandwell

• We became a registered company in 1995 and a  registered charity in 2002

• Over the years we have changed our membership structure and our name to be able to involve and support active volunteers, community and voluntary sector groups across Sandwell

 

SCIPS has a long and proven record in Project Management and in overseeing internally and externally commissioned initiatives. Over an extended period stretching back more than a decade we have consistently delivered high quality projects both for national and local funders. Some of these initiatives have come from the germ of our own ideas, whilst others have been delivered at the direct request of strategically placed commissioning bodies. The hallmark to all of all of these projects though, irrespective of their origin has been SCIPS continual commitment to delivering a high quality product and service - always on time and to budget. Here at SCIPS though we are always looking for additional ways to ensure we maximise any funders return on their investment into the company, and pay back in full their continued faith in our organisation. Consequently, we always seek to go beyond delivering just the agreed outputs and outcomes set for any project, and wherever possible seek to add in additional value into projects at every opportunity. The consequence of this approach being that we are always committed to going that extra mile and that the end beneficiaries of any programme we oversee receive an extended range of support from any project. Here are just some of the projects we have led on over the past few years .

 

Sandwell MBC (1995 - Current Date)

SCIPS have a long and productive history of delivery services for Sandwell MBC and have been in receipt of a core grant from them since our inception as the Sandwell Tenant and Resident Federation in 1995.

Our current core Grant agreement runs to March 2023 and ensures that tenants and residents groups and individuas are supported and enriches.  Our SMBC work program includes the following delivery strands:

• Consultation on new and emerging legislation including the new Social Housing Legislation
• Co-design of policies and procedures
• Support frontline tenants' groups
• Train and support Tenant Scrutiny Panel and Tenant Auditors
• Providing the tenant sector with advice, training and support

As can be seen from these examples SCIPS is an organisation for whom the provision of Best Value is woven into every strand of its activities and who are never content simply to have done 'a good job' - going beyond the good job to achieve excellence being our single-minded goal on every occasion.

 

Digi-comm Project (2020 - Current Date)

A partnership project with St Albans Community Association in Smethwick. Delivering starter level digital instruction to local people to ensure that they are not excluded from access to services because they are not online

• Delivering digital support packages to older people in their homes giving them the tools, exerience and confidence to access the internet
• Small group Click and Chat sessions to help people discover the digital world in a familiar, friendly and safe environment 
• Access to tablets via a loan scheme while they are learning with us and
• Training community centre support staff to carry on supporting their communities in digital connectivity after we have left.

 

Hateley Cross Big Local (2015 - Current Date)

One of 150 hyper-local community led projects that was granted £1million from The National Lottery’s Big Local Trust to improve the local neighbourhood. Local residents of Hateley Heath and Stone Cross in West Bromwich formed a Big Local Partnership group to direct this project on behalf of their communities. SCIPS were chosen as their Local Trusted Organisation to help guide them through their programme of activities and have also been contracted to help them to deliver their plans in a community development role and to manage their delivery agent contracts.

Visit hateleycross.org.uk for more information.

The programme is due to end by December 2025.

 

Sandwell Financial Hub (2013 - 2018)

A partnership project that secured £1million from Big Lottery to increase financial confidence

This project provided practical and applicable support to hundreds of Sandwell residents.

 

Oldbury Community First Panel (2012 - 2014)

This is a national funding programme ained at supporting community activity and stimulating volunteering opportunism.

SCIPS managed the programme and through a panel distributed £84k to 40 projects over a 3 year period.

 

Home Protection Scheme (2006-2007) 

Originally a project initiated at the request of Greets Green Partnership, SCIPS were approached to take on the management of an existing home security initiative that  revolved around the maintenance and servicing programme for a number of security devices previously fitted into a number of private dwellings. The maintenance programme being intended to extend the working life expectancy of such equipment fitted through an earlier programme. SCIPS worked closely in partnership with the funder Greets Green Partnership, a firm of private local contractors and the local community to ensure burglar alarms fitted under the previous programme remained in useful working condition. So successful was this servicing programme that it was further extended to include the fitment of a further new batch of alarms into private dwellings within the Greets Green area. As a result of SCIPS prudent financial management of the programme we were also able to factor in more added value to the project and offer the residents who had benefitted from such alarms an extended free maintenance arrangement that went further than was originally specified by the programmes funders.

 

Gypsy and Traveller Consultation (2010 - 2012)

We were enlisted by Sandwell MBC to engage and consult with an established Gypsy and Travekller comunity about the redevelopment of their site.  

Sandwell MBC were then able to successfully complete a £1million refurbishment of the site with vastly improved facilities.

The long term benefits of this project continue to be felt across the borough as many groups continue to put to good use the skills and knowledge they gained from interaction with the project. Through this project we brought into membership a whole new category of membership groups - enabling us to establish  and develop new connections and networks - thereby strengthening our existing links with communities from right across the borough.

 

IT is Empowerment Project (2007 - 2009)

Funded by Big Local this project developed an interactive website with relevant information for the sector, the website is still in use today at www.scips.org.uk

 

Home Protection Scheme (2006 - 2007)

Funded by Greets Green New deal to fit burglar and home safety equipment to the properties of vulnerable residents.  This project installed burglar alarms and security equipment in over 140 homes in the Greet Green area of West Bromwich.  We delivered the project so efficiently that we were able to offer an additional year of warrenty to all recipients.

 

Taking I.T. Forward Project (2003 - 2006)

A Big Lottery funded project to assist community groups engage in IT including access to equipment and training and showed them how to build their own group website.

 

Home Maintenance Project (2001 - 2007)

A training project teaching practical and applicable home maintenance skills to enable homeowners to undertake home improvements safely, efficiently and economically.

Greets Green New Deal funded the project for 6 years.