Decision details

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Gilbert and Kerr)

The Corporate Director (Community Services) submitted a report informing members about progress towards securing Supporting People programme monies for the Home Support Team and to seek approval for start date for funding of Vulnerable Households Project.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows:

Option 1: Agree to accept the funding of £49,500 from Supporting People and agree for the money to be backdated to April 2008.

This would allow the project to continue until April 2009. If a County wide decision is then made not to continue these projects, it would end at that point. If a decision is made that the pilots have been successful, Supporting People may procure them for a further two years: it is unlikely that this would go out to tender, but this would depend on a decision at that point on whether or not such a requirement can be waived.

Backdating the payment would return £20,625 to the Homelessness Reserve.

Option 2: Agree to accept the funding of £49,500 from Supporting People and agree for the money to be paid from September 2008. 

This would mean a receipt of £28,875 in 2008/9 and £20,625 in 2009/10 which would allow the project to continue until the beginning of September 2009, even if the evaluation of the pilot means that Supporting People decide not to continue to procure such projects after April 2009.

If Supporting People decide to continue funding, the City Council may lose the opportunity to recoup the finance made available for this purpose through the Homelessness Reserve.

The Officer preferred option is Option 1, which allows the City Council to recoup the finance made available for the Vulnerable Households Project pending the Supporting People decision.

It was moved by Councillor Gilbert and seconded by Councillor Kerr:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Members then voted as follows:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)        That Cabinet agrees to accept the funding of £49,500 from Supporting People for the Vulnerable Households Project and agrees for the money to be backdated to April 2008.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Corporate Director (Community Services)

Head of Health and Strategic Housing

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision allows the City Council to recoup the finance made available for the Vulnerable Households Project pending the Supporting People decision.