Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health presented a report on options for providing support to the most vulnerable in the community.

By Minute 71 (vii) of the meeting on 16 December 2014, officers were asked to report further on options for the continuation of a local emergency support scheme in light of the anticipated withdrawal of Government grant funding for such schemes from 31 March 2015.  Successful lobbying led to the Government announcing that some funding would continue for 2015/16, albeit at a reduced level. 

The Cabinet Member advised that the grant allocation would enable the Council to maintain a comparative local emergency support scheme and, with that in mind, proposed a six-month extension to the existing arrangement with Harmony House.  Alongside that proposal a new initiative, known as BandD Together, was being progressed with key voluntary sector partners and several other community focussed projects were also being developed.

The Cabinet Member confirmed that the Council’s programme of ‘civic pride’ events would be used to raise awareness of the services available and how residents could access them and the plan was for 50 Community Checkpoints to be in place by the end of 2015.  Members also discussed the take-up rates of the services currently provided and initiatives that would help to build on the community spirit in the Borough.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree the continued funding of a Local Emergency Support Service, at a reduced level of £300,000 for 2015-16, using the additional Revenue Support Grant in the local government financial settlement issued on 3 February 2015;

(ii)  Agree to the funding of the development of the CommunityConnect knowledge platform to support the Community Checkpoints model being developed and to agree to waive the Council’s Contract Rules for the pump priming in recognition of the development work that has already been completed on this initiative;

(iii)  Agree that a fixed term post be established to accelerate progress on the development of alternative proposals for a local safety net;

(iv)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and the Chief Finance Officer, to award:

·  The contract with Harmony House for a six month period from 1 April 2015 by a waiver under the Council’s Contract Rules.

·  Funding towards the development of CommunityConnect knowledge platform of not more than £80,000 and to waive the Council’s Contract Rules accordingly.