HOW WE WORK

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1. DASBF Information Sheet :

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Aims and Objectives:

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On the 1st January 1990 the Devon Ambulance Staff Benevolent Fund (DASBF) was established with a view to creating, sustaining and developing a fund of monies from which staff currently employed in the Devon sector or who reside in Devon can benefit in times of:

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•  Genuine financial hardship

•  Retirement

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In addition, in the case of bereavement the DASBF aims to offer financial support to the family.

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The aim of the DASBF is to develop this fund into a substantial safety net providing a measure of security for its members. However, the DASBF must make the best and most prudent use of the resources currently available.

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The DASBF continually reviews and examines ways of aiding those staff who suffer genuine financial hardship and each application for a donation from the Fund will be treated on individual merit at the absolute discretion of the Executive Committee Members.

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How we work:

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The fund sits in a ring fenced account which receives income generated from:

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•  DASBF Membership: money generated from the Membership Scheme

•  Direct contributions: staff may, if they wish, make further voluntary contributions to the fund

•  Donations from members of the public, funeral collections, public events e.g. Torbay Carnival etc.

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Administration:

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Executive Committee Members are appointed from time to time by the DASBF members at the AGM and will form the Board to administer the Fund. One of the Executive Committee Members will be appointed Chairman of the by the Board.

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At least four Executive Committee Members must participate in any meeting to constitute a quorum.

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The Executive Committee Members will meet at least twice per calendar year, but they may meet as is deemed necessary by the Chairman. If it is necessary to convene a meeting at short notice, a teleconference will be deemed acceptable and email is used for day to day communication.

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To support the DASBF the Executive Committee Members appoint local / regional representatives from time to time. Local Representatives assist with scheme administration, including visiting those requesting assistance from the Fund, helping to prepare their case and assisting with questions raised over donations. If you are interested in being a local/regional representative please contact your local committee member.

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Accounting:

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Funds raised through members subscriptions and donations received for the fund will be held by the Executive Committee Members in a ring fenced account. The Fund may not be used for purposes other than those described in this Application Pack.

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Donations made to the Executive Committee Members of the Fund will be shown in the accounts, but the recipients and reasons for the donations will not be made available to members in order to protect the recipients.

 

Our accounts are audited annually.

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Confidentiality:

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The Executive Committee Members treat every application for assistance and all other matters with the utmost confidentiality.

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The DASBF ensure all data relating to our members is held securely and treated as confidential at all times.

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Financial Assistance from the Fund:

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Applications for financial assistance must be made in writing with full supporting evidence to the Chairman of the Executive Committee.

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Applicants for hardship loans or grants are required to provide a full financial breakdown and quotes wherever possible.

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All applications are considered in a sensitive and confidential manner. The Executive Committee shall decide in their absolute discretion if an application falls within the remit of the rules of the Fund.

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Please read the Benevolent Fund Hardship Eligibility Criteria (below) for further information.

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Grants :

 

Grants are only considered where there is clear evidence of financial hardship or difficulty. Each case is assessed, and discussed on its own merit, where appropriate a financial breakdown must be provided by the applicant. Trustees will only provide grants to the most deserving cases.

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Interest free Hardship Loans : Loans are subject to strict guidelines, with a clear case of genuine financial need / hardship being established, including repayment terms. 

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Failure to repay loans may result in legal action.

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Please refer to your local DASBF Representative or the Executive Committee Members for further details.

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2. Benevolent Fund Hardship Eligibility Criteria:

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The Fund aims to provide assistance to serving employees of South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust based or residing anywhere in Devon.

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Eligibility for financial assistance from the Fund relates to genuine financial hardship. The bottom line is simply that a case of need must be identified.

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The Trustees may at their absolute discretion offer either a Hardship Loan or a Grant, or you can decide to apply for a Loan from the beginning. Loans must be repaid, grants do not.

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By speaking to applicants, Local Representatives can obtain an understanding of the individual's circumstances, financial and otherwise. The Representative may require a detailed financial report for presentation to the Executive Committee Members . All cases are treated as confidential.

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If you have any other means of help:

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When considering your application, we will want to know whether you have any other possible sources of help to cover the costs of the crisis. If you do, then you may either get a reduced amount, be asked to repay the assistance by way of an interest-free Hardship Loan or you may not get any help at all.

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You will be asked, as part of your application, about such sources of money, for instance:

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• Any savings

• Any earnings

• Any other income in your household

• Cash in hand

• Readily available funds in bank or building society accounts

• Any sources of credit such as cash cards, store cards, credit cards, cheque cards, cheque accounts, overdraft facilities, loan arrangements

• Any help which is likely to be available quickly from other people such as direct family members or spouses

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We may also decide it is reasonable not to count other money or assets in the circumstances of a particular case.

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For every application, the DASBF will look at all the circumstances and decide in its absolute discretion whether to provide financial assistance from the Fund.

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Hardship Loan:

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A Hardship Loan is an interest-free loan from the Fund to help you with the cost of items and services that you need as a consequence of a disaster or genuine financial hardship.

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You will be expected to repay the loan over an agreed period of time. The DASBF will specify the repayment period. If you become able to pay off the entire loan in a lump sum, you can do so.

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If you cannot make the repayments as originally agreed the DASBF may be able to help, for example by extending the repayment period to reduce your payments. You should contact the Executive Committee immediately and not allow the problem to escalate by stopping payments.

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The Executive Committee reserve the right to take formal legal action to recover any outstanding amounts.