Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor David Kerr)

 

Report of the Budget & Performance Panel.  

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor David Kerr)

 

(Councillors June Ashworth and John Gilbert had declared prejudicial interests in the following item due to them being representatives on the Lancaster and Morecambe Citizens Advice Bureaux respectively and left the meeting prior to consideration thereof.) 

 

(Councillor Jim Blakely, in his capacity as Chairman of the Budget and Performance Panel, presented the report in accordance with Cabinet Procedure Rule 2.6). 

 

Cabinet considered the recommendations submitted by the Budget and Performance Panel regarding grants to voluntary organisations as part of the budget process. 

 

A supplementary report advising of the recommendations of the Budget and Performance Panel had been circulated prior to the meeting. 

 

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

 

(1)         To agree future funding and Service Level Agreements for 3 years on the same basis as currently for 2008 - 2011.

 

(2)         To agree funding and Service Level Agreements on a revised basis.

 

(3)         To discontinue funding and Service Level Agreements.

 

Option 1 above will have advantages in that renewing Service Level Agreements for a further 3 years will provide continuity, maintain good working relationships with local organisations and assist with the achievement of Council priorities.  Granting a 3 year agreement provides certainty of funding to the voluntary organisations to enable them to plan the provision of services more effectively. 

 

However, there are disadvantages in that tying the Council into an arrangement for a 3 year period could exclude other interested parties and limit the Council’s choice for future years and for this reason Members may wish to consider Option (2) and offer funding for a shorter period of time.  The risk in this instance is that it is less likely that organisations would agree to the provisions of a Service Level Agreement without the certainty of future funding. 

 

Members of the Budget and Performance Panel have spent some time interviewing representatives of each organisation and considering past performance on existing agreements.  Recommendations include variations to the service level agreements and level of funding where appropriate. 

 

Option 3 will provide savings in respect of any Service Level Agreements and associated funding which are discontinued. 

 

Whilst there are risks associated with the commitment of funds to voluntary organisations, the signing of a Service Level Agreement and the revised and improved monitoring procedure introduced following the report of the Grants Task Group (approved by Cabinet on 27^th July 2007) will provide some mitigation to the level of risk. 

 

It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

 

“That the recommendations, as set out in the supplementary report, be approved, and further that Cabinet ends the system of free parking permits to outside bodies.” 

 

By way of amendment it was moved by Councillor Tony Johnson and seconded by Councillor Roger Mace: -

 

“That the following resolution replaces recommendations (5) and (6):

 

(5)     That Cabinet approve the proposed grant awards for Lancaster and Morecambe CABs, as recommended by the Budget and Performance Panel, but for a one year period only.

 

(6)     That the CAB Northern Regional Office be requested to develop proposals through a new SLA for providing CAB services throughout the Lancaster district for an initial 2 year period for an annual grant of £132,450 (this being approximately 1.5 times the amount recommended for the Morecambe CAB). 

 

2 Members voted in favour of the amendment (Councillors Tony Johnson and Roger Mace) and 6 Members voted against (Councillors Evelyn Archer, Jon Barry, Elaine Blamire, Abbott Bryning, David Kerr and Maia Whitelegg), whereupon the Chairman declared the amendment to be lost. 

 

By way of further amendment it was moved by Councillor Tony Johnson and seconded by Councillor Roger Mace: -

 

“That the following resolution replaces recommendations (5) and (6):

 

(5)     That Cabinet approve the proposed grant awards for Lancaster and Morecambe CABs, as recommended by the Budget and Performance Panel, but for a one year period only, pending further consideration by Star Chamber. 

 

3 Members voted in favour of the amendment (Councillors Abbott Bryning, Tony Johnson and Roger Mace) and 3 Members voted against (Councillors Jon Barry, David Kerr and Maia Whitelegg) and 2 Members abstained from voting (Councillors Evelyn Archer and Elaine Blamire), whereupon the Chairman, using his casting vote,  declared the amendment to be carried. 

 

Note:  Councillor Maia Whitelegg left the meeting at this point. 

 

Members then voted as follows.

 

Resolved Unanimously:

 

(1)        That Officers explore the opportunity to offer a three year SLA for £2,000 per annum with no inflation for the provision of equality and diversity assistance and advice in the district. 

 

(2)        That the Council offers a further three year SLA to Relate toward the rent of a fixed £6,800 per annum with no inflation. 

 

(3)        That the Council offers a further three year SLA to One Voice at £6,000 per annum with no inflation via a joint SLA with Thumbprint if possible.

 

(4)        That the Council offers a further three year SLA to Lancaster International Twinning Society at £4,100 per annum, with inflation, and that the Council offers assistance/promotional material where possible. 

 

(5)        That Cabinet approves the proposed grant awards for Lancaster and Morecambe CABs, as recommended by the Budget and Performance Panel, but for a one year period only, pending further consideration by Star Chamber. 

 

(6)        That the Council offers a further three year SLA to Morecambe and Heysham Citizens Advice Bureau at £88,300 per annum with no inflation and that the opportunity be explored for a money advice case worker to be located in the Customer Service Centre within Morecambe Town Hall at no additional cost to the Council. Furthermore a requirement be included in the SLA for both Citizens Advice Bureaux to continue to explore potential efficiency savings through closer working. 

 

(7)        That the Council offers a further three year SLA to North Lancashire Victim Support at £5,000 per annum with no inflation. 

 

(8)        That the Council offers a further three year SLA to Preston Community Transport at £12,600 with inflation per annum. 

 

(9)        That the Council offers a one year SLA to Lune Valley Transport at £3,300 with a future SLA subject to consideration of further information arising from the review of Community Transport Contracted services to support the new statutory Concessionary Travel scheme. 

 

(10)      That the Council offers a further three year SLA to Age Concern Lancashire at £7,500 per annum with no inflation. 

 

(11)      That the Council offers a new SLA to the Samaritans of Lancaster and District for three years at £1,500 per annum with no inflation. 

 

(12)      That the Council offers a new three year SLA to Thumbprint at £4,000 per annum with no inflation via a joint SLA with One Voice if possible.

 

(13)      That Officers report back on options to improve the administrating, monitoring, reporting, and allocating of SLAs and grant monies to non-housing voluntary organisations to ensure that the Council receives value for money.  The scope of the report should also include: -

 

(a)        how links can be made with the relevant Head of Service, where appropriate, to enable closer working and monitoring of services and the commissioning of relevant services,

 

(b)        opportunities for future SLAs to be explored with existing and alternative service providers, where possible, in order to secure improved services and value for money,

 

(c)        whether a Cabinet Member should be appointed with responsibility for each Service Level Agreement.

 

(14)      That the Head of Democratic Services be authorised to negotiate and sign Service Level Agreements in accordance with (1) to (12) above in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member.

 

(15)      That the system of free parking permits to outside bodies be terminated from the end of the existing permit period. 

 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Executive. 

Head of Democratic Support. 

 

Reason for making the decision:

 

The decision allows for the continuation of financial support to a large number of voluntary organisations and reflects the recommendations of the Budget and Performance Panel.  The decision also requires a further explanation of which organisations should provide equality and diversity awareness.  In respect of the CABs, the decision allows the Council to undertake further work over the next year concerning the value for money aspects of these SLAs.  The decision also requests Officers to bring back proposals for improving further the current administration and reporting of SLAs and accommodation within the Council.  The removal of free car parking provides consistency and clarity in the Council’s approach to supporting voluntary organisations.