Agenda item - Small Grant and Outcome Based Grant Recommendations 2014-15

Report of the Corporate Director of Community, Health and Wellbeing.

RESOLVED: That

(1) subject to the satisfactory delivery of agreed outcomes and annual confirmation of the budget according to the Council’s budget setting process, authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Community, Health and Wellbeing, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture, to:

(a) renew the Service Level Agreement (SLA) to the newly commissioned infrastructure support service to the level of £75,000 for 2014-15 and in principle for 2015-16;

(b) confirm the renewal of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Outcome Based Grant awards for 2014/15 at the same level of funding awarded in 2013-14;

(c) terminate or amend any Service Level Agreements (SLAs) if concerns were identified at any stage as a result of monitoring or breaches of the SLA;

(2) authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Community, Health and Wellbeing, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture, to award Small Grant funding to voluntary organisations at the levels recommended by the Grants Advisory Panel at their meeting on the 20 February 2014, as outlined in paragraph 2.2.7 (b) of the Cabinet report, subject to:

(a) receipt of satisfactory references and supporting documents by 11 April 2014;

(b) confirmation from applicants that the proposed project or activity can be delivered at the same or at a different level with the amount of grant awarded by 11 April 2014;

(c) satisfactory resolution of any queries raised by the grant assessment panels by 11 April 2014;

(d) completion of the appeals procedure and any changes to the amounts awarded necessitated by decisions on appeals;

(3) authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Community, Health and Wellbeing, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture, to withdraw funding offers where organisations did not comply with the conditions as detailed in Resolution (2) above;

(4) authority be delegated to the Divisional Director of Community and Culture, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture, with the support of an Independent Voluntary Sector Adviser, to consider and determine Small Grants appeals and vary both the percentage grant awarded and the threshold above which grant awards were made in light of decisions taken on appeals.

Reason for Decision: To award Council discretionary grant funding to Third Sector organisations to support them in delivering their services to Harrow residents.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected: As set out in the report.

Conflict of Interest relating to the matter declared by Cabinet Member / Dispensation Granted: None.

The Portfolio Holder for Community and Culture introduced the report which set out information on the renewal of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Outcomes Based Grants (OBG) awarded in 2013-14 and applications that had been made for Council funding under the Small Grants Programme for 2014-15. The report sought various approvals to allow awards to be made. He added that extensive consultation had been undertaken with the Voluntary Sector.

The Portfolio Holder responded to questions from the Non-Voting Non?Executive Cabinet Members in relation to the ring-fencing of £75,000 to support the development of a new infrastructure support service for local voluntary organisations. He explained that Harrow Community Action (HCA), a consortium of local organisations, would develop policies to support the development of local organisations. The needs of the Voluntary Sector, such as governance arrangements, fund raising, would be supplied by the HCA. He agreed to share the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the Council and the HCA with the Member and explained that the HCA would also work to support those applicants who had been unsuccessful in the grant process by providing assistance in accessing funds and developing the organisations.