Contact: Graham Wright, ext 7263

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

1.1.1 That authority be given for the Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board to make grants to voluntary organisations in accordance with the County Council's grant making policy and procedures.

1.1.2 That a report on grants and contracts be submitted to the Executives Members, Social Care as part of the established budget monitoring process, with effect from October 2003.

1.1.3 That approval be given to the Memorandum of Agreement between Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board, which confirms the County Council as Lead Agency and Accountable Body.

2 Reason(s)

2.1 Delegated authority is required in order to satisfy Financial Regulations and Standing Orders to ensure that service provision begins as soon as possible after April 2003.

3 Other options considered and rejected

3.1 None

4 Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision-maker or a Member or Officer consulted

4.1 None

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 None

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1 Not applicable

Approved by: Date of decision:

Councillor Felicity Hindson

Contact: Graham Wright, Ext: 7263

1 SUMMARY

1.1 The Children's Fund is a government initiative for 5-13 yr olds which promotes early intervention to prevent social exclusion. The Children's Fund Hampshire, based on multi-partnerships, reflects a County Council corporate approach led by Social Services, closely supported by Education. The programme for Hampshire has been designed within the framework of government guidance to demonstrate effective partnership working between the key stakeholders: users, carers, the voluntary and community sectors and statutory agencies, to achieve the key aims and objectives of the Children's Fund programme. The Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board, consisting of 50% voluntary/community sector and 50% statutory sector representatives, has been created in order to develop and manage the programme and funding in line with Government requirements (Appendix one). The Children's Fund Management Board is accountable to the Government Office South East (GOSE) and the Children and Young People's Unit (CYPU).

2 REASONS

2.1 A `Memorandum of Agreement' between Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board has been drawn up, which describes arrangements for financial administration and compliance (Appendix two).

2.2 From 1 April 2003 Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board will receive an allocation of £2.4 million per annum, for 3 years, having been awarded full funding in the first year in recognition of the high standard of this plan.

2.3 Given that funding, which although for a 3 year period, has to be accounted for on an annual basis it is imperative that services are delivered to children, young people and their families, in the target wards as identified in the Children's Fund strategic plan, as soon as possible. It is important to fully maximise spend in the first financial year as a detailed business case must be put forward to CYPU for any underspend to be carried forward to the following financial year; this could be a protracted process further delaying service development and ultimately placing funding at risk.

2.4 CYPU has in its guidance emphasised the need to ensure that the Hampshire Children's Fund programme is delivered through local voluntary/community groups wherever possible. Local capacity building, (which includes the employment of local people wherever possible) is key, and services should build on the range of existing preventive and family support services for those at risk of social exclusion. This in turn will form a key part in the establishment of the Local Preventive Strategy for Children and Young People aged 0-19years which local authorities are expected to put in place during 2003.

2.5 The Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board is currently in the process of considering more than 100 service plans submitted by the Local Partnership Groups, the County Commissioning group for "hard to reach" children and young people, and the Crime Prevention Commissioning group which range in scale from £500 to £60,000. As most of the services are being delivered in local areas, and are very diverse in nature, the providers are in the main self-selecting with no element of competition. In addition many of them are small voluntary groups who do not have the capacity to undertake the administrative functions linked with service delivery and therefore need the community umbrella groups e.g. Community First, New Forest, to act as the administrative organisation for the dispersal of funding. It is important therefore, that the Children's Fund management board is able to approve grants in a timely and cost effective fashion in order not to delay service delivery or discourage service providers which are seen to be key to the success of the programme by CYPU/GOSE.

2.6 In order to ensure that the programme is administered as effectively as possible it is proposed that wherever possible funding is made using the established HCC Social Services grant making process. Where this is not appropriate it is proposed that the Social Services Department's formal contract policy and procedures be used, taking into due consideration the recommendation of the Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board. On this basis it is appropriate that the Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board, which is accountable for commissioning and delivery of services in accordance with its approved Children's Fund Strategic Plan, assumes responsibility for the approval of grants.

2.7 RECOMMENDATIONS

6.2 The following decisions are sought of the Executive Member:

6.2.1 That authority be given for the Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board to make grants to voluntary organisations in accordance with the County Council's grant making policy and procedures.

6.2.2 That a report on grants and contracts be submitted to the Executives Members, Social Care as part of the established budget monitoring process, with effect from October 2003.

6.2.3 That approval be given to the Memorandum of Agreement between Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire Children's Fund Management Board, which confirms the County Council as Lead Agency and Accountable Body.

1

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

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2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act