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BAN Network

A strong social policy voice supported by the work of subgroups


How did it come about?


The BME Advice Network (BAN) was created in 2006. It currently has 42 advice agencies with a focus on Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) clients. Most members are AdviceUK members bar 2.

The network membership base is very varied and comprises single ethnicity groups, gender based groups, migrant and refugee community organisations, and specialist advice centres.

When the network was set up, AdviceUK contacted all its London members with a BME focus who were London Councils funded at the time to see if they would be interested in joining a partnership aimed at defending their funding. At the beginning the network only comprised 20 members but it quickly grew to reach the current membership level of 42.

The network has a partnership agreement and is coordinated centrally by Wesley Harcourt at AdviceUK, who facilitates the network as part of his role at AdviceUK.  There is no funding for the infrastructure of BAN. There are 2 co-chairs elected by members. The network has developed strong governance systems with a code of conduct, terms of reference, service delivery plans, etc

What is the network doing?

BAN fulfils two main functions at the moment for its members: finding funding for projects and giving them a social policy voice.
In particular, BAN is…

  • successfully bidding for funding. For example, the network has obtained £680,000 per year from the London Councils to deliver frontline services as a network for four years from November 2008, with a core group of 19 organisations. A sub-group of BAN members also successfully bid as the Women Together Against Abuse partner, a partnership of 6 women’s organisations funded by London Councils to deliver domestic violence advice services
  • a well-known policy voice. Policy makers and other organisations want to engage with the network and actively want to work with BAN members. The network facilities additional policy work amongst its members who have a very strong and up to date policy knowledge in specific areas such as asylum law
  • conducting social policy research, through a specialised subgroup. Bigger members with research capacity have got together to research the value for money of the new asylum model versus the legacy model
  • getting ready for a unified reporting system. All members funded by London Councils will get AdvicePro in October 2008;
    organising joint recruitment for members
  • doing joint publicity for members
  • keeping links with other BME organisations like the British Refugee Council.

 

How well has BAN done so far?


The network is doing very well, it has successfully bid for significant funding from the London Councils and has achieved renown in London in the BME social policy field. The two co-chairs have been very dedicated and have helped to drive the network forward. However the network has also encountered its share of difficulties.


At the beginning it was difficult to get advice agencies to commit and it took a while to build up numbers. Network meetings sometimes featured very opinionated debates. To ensure that all opinions were heard and respected, a code of conduct was drawn up and agreed on.

Getting information from members is proving tricky at times, deadlines are missed. We recommend building in time for slip-outs, and also choosing partners carefully to avoid this pitfall altogether.

The network received less money than planned from the London Councils (£680,000 instead of £1.1 million). Bidding members had to agree on who would take the cuts but most of them could not come to a decision so AdviceUK had to do it.

BAN responded to the UK Border Agency consultation paper Oversight of Immigration Advice Sector in August 2009. To view the BAN response, click here.

What happens next for BAN?


BAN is looking for new funding opportunities for members, and wants to extend its membership base. The network is also thinking about setting up a social enterprise.


The network wants to set up one webpage on the AdviceUK webpage where members can update their work on the London Councils projects, with the possibility to print off all the records centrally.

Attached documents