Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Head of Environmental and Community Health Services on voluntary sector funding from 2013/14 onwards – to follow.

Agreed to move to a three year period for funding voluntary sector organisations; left authority to determine of grant applications with the Executive Councillors for Healthy and Active Communities and Resources; requested that provision be made to allow some applications to make presentations in support of their submissions; agreed that a simple bid/check/allocation process be introduced for Community Chest funding; agreed that those in receipt of funds via the Community Chest be not eligible for reconsideration for a period of two years; supported the introduction of a tapering process and a requirement for match funding and  agreed that the level of Community Chest funding be set at a maximum of £5,000 per application.

Further to Minute No. 11/78, consideration was given to a report by the Head of Environmental and Community Health Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) on the allocation of funding to support the voluntary sector in Huntingdonshire from April 2013.  The report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Social Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

By way of background, the Cabinet were reminded of their previous decision to set an indicative voluntary sector budget of £273,000 for 2013/2014 and to make available a community chest of £27,000 to help local community projects.

Attention was drawn to the current procedure for agreeing financial support together with the planned criteria for determining future applications. The new funding model would be a grant based system, which would be more flexible than the previous commissioning model. In that respect, Executive Councillors supported a suggestion that future financial support should be tapered to ensure voluntary organisations find match funding for any grant that they receive from the Council in the final year of the three year period.  Furthermore, Members were of the opinion that match funding should be extended to applications to the Community Chest award scheme subject to the amount requested being of such a value to attract such funds.

With regard to the allocation of Community Chest funds, Members reiterated that the process should be straight forward and applications limited to local organisations who require a small injection of revenue up to £5,000.

Members noted that the new funding process would be open to the whole voluntary sector and not just those organisations that currently hold commission agreements with the Council.  Having acknowledged the work of the voluntary sector and in reiterating the Council’s commitment to supporting them, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that a move to a three year period for funding voluntary sector organisations be supported;

  (b)  that the determination of grant applications remain with the Executive Councillors for Healthy and Active Communities and Resources;

  (c)  that provision be made to allow some applicants to make presentations in support of their submissions;

  (d)  that a simple bid/check/allocation process be introduced for Community Chest funding;

  (e)  that those in receipt of funds via the Community Chest be not eligible for reconsideration for a period of two years;

  (f)  that a introduction of a tapering process and a requirement for match funding be supported; and

  (g)  that the level of Community Chest funding be set at a maximum of £5,000 per application.

To consider a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services on Voluntary Sector Funding.

20 Minutes.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) containing details of a request by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being) for the Social Well-Being Panel to examine the proposed future relationship between the Council and the voluntary sector and, in particular, the policies and mechanisms for the distribution of grants to voluntary sector organisations. The request had been endorsed by the Cabinet at its meeting on 16th February 2012.

The Scrutiny and Review Manager provided background to the request. The Economic Well-Being Panel was concerned at the potential resource implications associated with administering the grant schemes and was of the opinion that Overview and Scrutiny should have an input into the process to be employed to determine applications. In concurring with the Economic Well-Being Panel, Members reiterated the view that sound governance arrangements were needed throughout the process, particularly during the determination of applications. The Panel discussed some of the ways in which the grant allocation process might operate.

Members of the Working Group who had investigated the social value of the functions performed by the voluntary organisations that had Service Level Agreements with the Council drew attention to the work they had undertaken to establish criteria for allocating funding, which had been supported by the Cabinet. Members placed on record their wish for continued involvement in this matter and welcomed the opportunity to comment on the grant allocation process that would be employed by the Council in the future.

In noting that a report by the Head of Environmental and Community Health Services on voluntary sector funding would be submitted to the Panel and the Cabinet in June/July 2012, Members agreed to determine how they would proceed once they had sight of the report.