Agenda and minutes

Received a report setting out a service action plan to address the recommendations made in the Ofsted Inspection report. 

The proposals had been developed to ensure that positive action is taken in response to these recommendations, in order to increase the effectiveness of the work of the YSDS in relation to quality assurance, curriculum development and performance management, and to build on the identified strengths of the service and its wider contribution to the delivery of the Community Priorities and the future Children’s Services Plan

Agreed, in order to meet a statutory requirement, to approve the Post Ofsted Action Plan for submission to the Government Office for London.

Received a report detailing proposals on how the Council’s corporate grants and rent programme will be utilised to support local voluntary and community sector organisations in 2006 / 2007.

Noted an additional condition applicable to advice agency grant awards as follows:

‘If and when required by the authority to provide such performance and/or financial information and to apply for, achieve and maintain any Quality Mark accreditation required by the authority in connection with any performance related measures or systems to which authority is required to comply’.

Agreed, in order to allocate the Corporate Grants Programme funding, and make decisions on the Council budget, to:

1. The allocation of both the corporate grants & rent  programme and the grants programme managed by the Social Services and Education Departments as set out in paragraph 3.1 and Appendix 1 of the report;

2. The  conditions of grant funding as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

3. A nine month programme of funding, July 2006 to March 2007 to return to the normal fiscal year of April to March from 2007/2008;

4. Empower voluntary organisations by moving from ‘rent in kind’ to cash grants;

5. A one year capacity building/community cohesion fund of £116,487 (detailed in paragraph 2.5 of the report).