Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet agrees:

1)    That the Council’s support for the Voluntary Sector should move towards commissioning, aligned to service needs, required to support residents.

2)    That the core grants programme for 2023/24 be considered as a transition year towards commissioning of services and that the grants programme will not run from April 2024 and that groups are advised accordingly, with due notice.

3)    That officers are instructed to develop proposals for the commissioning of services from the voluntary sector, aligned to service needs, for Cabinet to consider at its meeting in September 2023.

4)    To delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, to make any changes to the grants to local voluntary organisations for 2023/24, should they be required.

5)    Having regard to the equality impact assessments at Appendix C, the overall allocation of grants to Voluntary Sector groups of up to £1,615,500 for the provision of core grant funding for the 2023/24 financial year with specific awards as set out in the schedule - Appendix A.

6)    Grants totalling £17,500 to organisations to enable the provision of transport.

7)    The Council’s contribution of £228,887 to the London Councils’ Grants scheme for 2023/24 (subject to London Councils’ Leader’s Committee meeting on 13th December 2022).

Reasons for decision

Cabinet considered the individual grant applications received from the voluntary sector, along with the equalities assessments undertaken and agreed grant funding for local groups for the ensuing financial year. Cabinet also agreed the provision of specific transport grants, along with a further grant to the London Councils Grants Scheme.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services welcomed Council’s continued support to individual voluntary sector organisations proposed for 2023/24, but going forward, following a review, noted that the Council would cease traditional grant funding and instead move to a commissioning basis. It was explained that this would pick up the lessons from how the voluntary sector operated during the pandemic, ensure better outcomes for residents and value for money, whilst assisting organisations to become more self-sufficient. It was noted that a report to Cabinet in September 2023 would outline this new approach to supporting the voluntary sector.

The Leader of the Council supported the move towards a commissioning model, and welcomed the interim period for local charities and voluntary sector organisations to adjust to this.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have made changes to the proposed level of grants.