Agenda item

To consider the referral report from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee with regard to the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Commissioning task group, which was deferred from the Cabinet meeting on 16^th January 2018.

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Pattison)

Councillor Ashworth, as Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, presented a referral report from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with regard to the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector task group report.  Cabinet were advised that the Committee had rejected the task group report and that whilst there were no plans to reconstitute the task group, the Overview & Scrutiny Committee would work with the Budget & Performance Panel to ensure the additional work identified by the Committee during their consideration of the task group report would be undertaken.

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

The options available to Cabinet are:-

1.         To accept the recommendations of Overview and Scrutiny. 

2.         Not to accept the recommendations of Overview and Scrutiny. 

3.         To make alternative proposals to those recommended by Overview and Scrutiny. 

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee preferred option was to accept recommendation (2), as set out in the report:    “That Cabinet be recommended to retain the current status quo regarding voluntary community and faith sector commissioning grant funding for 2018/19.”

Councillor Pattison proposed, seconded by Councillor Hughes:-

“(1) That Cabinet retains the current status quo regarding voluntary community and faith sector commissioning grant funding for 2018/19.

(2)  That officers be requested to explore the possibility of introducing a local lottery to help support Voluntary Community Faith Sector funding in the future.

(3)   That the following comments be forwarded to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

·         That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee consider conflicts of interest when appointing task group members (particularly the chairman)

·         That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considers the inclusion of the following items when progressing the work on the voluntary community and faith sector commissioning framework:

a.    Description of the current procedure of the Council for allocating grants

b.    How much officer time is devoted to the allocation and management of grants each year?

c.     What are the Council’s priority areas for allocating grants and should these change?

d.    How do organisations apply for grants, and how easy is it for new ones to apply?

e.    What does the Council require of organisations receiving grants (e.g. reports, outcomes) and does this need to change?

f.      Evidence from stakeholders or service providers.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1) That Cabinet retains the current status quo regarding voluntary community and faith sector commissioning grant funding for 2018/19.

(2)  That officers be requested to explore the possibility of introducing a local lottery to help support support Voluntary Community Faith Sector funding in the future.

(3)   That the following comments be forwarded to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee:

·         That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee consider conflicts of interest when appointing task group members (particularly the chairman)

·         That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee considers the inclusion of the following items when progressing the work on the voluntary community and faith sector commissioning framework:

a.    Description of the current procedure of the Council for allocating grants

b.    How much officer time is devoted to the allocation and management of grants each year?

c.     What are the Council’s priority areas for allocating grants and should these change?

d.    How do organisations apply for grants, and how easy is it for new ones to apply?

e.    What does the Council require of organisations receiving grants (e.g. reports, outcomes) and does this need to change?

f.      Evidence from stakeholders or service providers.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer (Environment)

Chief Officer (Health & Housing)

Interim Head of Legal & Democratic Services

Reasons for making the decision:

The recommendations will assist the City Council in meeting the Corporate Plan priorities for Community Leadership and Health and Wellbeing and enables the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to report to Cabinet within the next financial year after having considered more evidence-based options for the future.