Contact: Ron Coe, Ext: 7150

Presenter: Alan Edwards, Ext: 7158

1. Summary

The following decisions are sought.

1.1 That the proposals for the support of voluntary organisations in 2003/04 as set out in the report be approved.

2 Reason

2.1 To make contributions towards the costs of services provided by voluntary organisations which are compatible with the objectives, priorities and policies of the Social Services Department.

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 The Executive Member declared a non-pecuniary interest in being a member of the Management Board of the Winchester Group for Disabled People, which received a grant of £1,500 approved by the officers.

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: Ron Coe, Ext: 7150

Presenter: Alan Edwards, Ext: 7158

1. Summary

1.1 This report seeks the approval of five grants of over £5,000 to voluntary organisations for 2003/04.

1.2 It also identifies, in Appendix 1, those grants of less than £5,000 made since 1 April 2003 by officers under delegated powers.

2. Background

2.1 At the Executive Member's Decision Days on 21 March 2003 and 23 May 2003, grants to voluntary organisations amounting to £508,417 were approved against a budget of £0.88M.

2.2 This report seeks the approval of five further grants of over £5,000, amounting to £45,208.

2.3 Payment of all grants is subject to financial need based on the examination of the organisations' audited accounts.

3 RELATE Hampshire - £8,489

3.1 Relate works to enhance the quality of life for couples and parental and family relationships. It aims to help avoid unnecessary marriage and relationship breakdown, to limit the damage which commonly accompanies poor relationships, separation and divorce, and to increase the prospect of subsequent relationships succeeding.

3.2 The grant is a contribution towards the costs of providing and developing services specifically for children and young people, including the RELATEEN service, within the area covered by the Basingstoke, Aldershot and Winchester Relate Centres. Approximately 100 young people benefit from the service annually, of whom some 15 have mental health problems.

3.3 The grant has been covered by a formal grant agreement which expired on 31 March 2003. It is the view of the Children and Families Commissioning team that the grant agreement should be extended for a further year to enable a full review of the service to be carried out to ensure that it continues to support the Social Services Department's agenda for prevention.

3.4 The organisation applied for a grant of £12,000 (an increase of 45%). Bearing in mind the comments in paragraph 3.3, a grant of £8,489 is recommended, which represents the grant paid in 2003/03 plus a 2.5% increase for inflation.

4 Hampshire Family Mediation - £7,175

4.1 The Family Mediation Service enables individuals involved in family disputes to attend mediation meetings at various locally based centres throughout the County.

4.2 The purpose is to improve communication and reduce the harmful effects of conflict, enhance family relationships and resolve difficulties with a view to reaching amicable agreements. The organisation mediates in a wide range of issues but, particularly where parents are involved in separation or divorce, with a focus on the welfare of children. This includes the direct consultation of the children themselves.

4.3 The latest available statistics show that the organisation was involved in some 440 mediations in the year ending 31 Mar 2002 involving some 800 children. Approximately half of these were resident in Hampshire.

4.4 The full cost of the service amounts to some £380,000, the majority of which is covered by income from the Legal Services Commission (£276,000) and client contributions (£55,000). Portsmouth City Council also makes a contribution to the organisation.

4.5 The Department's grant is a contribution towards the running costs of the organisation in recognition of the preventative nature of the service.

4.6 The grant has been covered by a formal grant agreement which expired on 31 March 2003. It is the view of the Children and Families Commissioning team that the grant agreement should be extended for a further year to enable a full review of the service to be carried out to ensure that it continues to support the Social Services Department's agenda for prevention.

4.7 A grant of £7,175 is recommended, which represents the grant paid in 2003/03 plus a 2.5% increase for inflation.

5 Havant, Off the Record - £12,544

5.1 Off the Record aims to relieve and prevent suffering of young people aged 11 to 25 years, in South East Hampshire by offering access to a range of free and confidential services which encompass information, counselling, crisis support, educational and preventative services, befriending and opportunities for self development.

5.2 Since its launch in 1977, Off the Record has supported over 100,000 young people and latest statistics show that one-to-one counselling hours amount to more than 2,000 per annum.

5.3 The organisation's latest audited accounts (for year ending 31 March 2002) show that reserves amount to some five months' running costs. However, budget projections indicate that these reserves would have fallen to below three months' running costs by 31 March 2003. The audited accounts for the year ending 31 March 2002 are not expected to be available until August/ September 2003.

5.4 In addition to the Social Services Grant, Off the Record receives financial support from the County Youth Service, Havant Borough Council and a variety of other sources. A fund raising and Promotions Officer has recently been appointed whose task is to attract funding.

5.5 Off the Record is a well respected and valuable service to which the local Social Services Office often refers young people. Many young people also make a direct approach to Off the Record for support rather than to Social Services, thus reducing pressure on the Department.

5.6 The organisation requested a grant of £14,600 (an increase of 19%). An increase of this magnitude could not be justified and a grant of £12,544 is recommended, which represents the level of grant paid in 2003/03 plus a 2.5% increase for inflation.

6 Wel-care Basingstoke - £12,000

6.1 Wel-care aims to provide for the relief of lone parent families which are in conditions of need, hardship or distress, by providing facilities which will promote their physical, moral and spiritual wellbeing.

6.2 Previously the service has been provided under the auspices of the Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility (DCSR) but from 1 January 2003 the DCSR withdrew from the direct provision of the service. There are still close ties with the Diocese but Wel-care now operates as a separate organisation

6.3 Wel-care employs one-and-a-half project workers who are supported by a team of committed volunteers. Latest available statistics show that during 2002 some 85 families were referred to the Wel-care service, involving over 200 individual people.

6.4 Wel-care actively seeks to work in partnership with other organisations and agencies within the community and the Social Services Department provides formal supervision of the full time project worker.

6.5 In 2002/03 the Department supported the service provided by Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility with a grant of £20,000. The successor organisation requested an amount of £12,000 as a contribution towards the cost of employing the part-time project worker and some service provision and developmental activity.

6.6 Wel-care is also funded by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Winchester Diocese, local Church authorities and other local organisations.

6.7 A grant of £12,000 is recommended.

7 Eastleigh Citizens Advice Bureau - Outreach - £5,000

7.1 The Outreach project was set up, with the aid of a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, to provide an advice service for people living in the communities of Netley Abbey, Hamble and Bursledon who have difficulty in accessing existing CAB services in Eastleigh, Hedge End and Southampton.

7.2 The service is helping to meet the needs of vulnerable people many of whom face severe long term disadvantage. It provides information, advice, advocacy and representation and aims to empower and support people in finding solutions to their problems.

7.3 The Outreach Service is based at a GP surgery and clients are seen by appointment either at the surgery or in their own homes . Enquiries amount to more than 500 per year and most of the 22% of clients who are seen at home are older people who, because of illness or increasing frailty, are unable to travel to the surgery.

7.4 Over 60% of enquiries relate to welfare benefits and annual amounts of around £70,000 have been obtained for clients..

7.5 It is also estimated that over 60% of all enquiries relate to people who are or are likely to become users of the Department's services.

7.6 The National Lottery funding ceased on 31 March 2002 and the service was supported by grants from the Social Services Department and the Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT during 2002/03.

7.7 Eastleigh CAB requested a further grant of £5,000 for 2003/04 to ensure the future of the Outreach and it is recommended that continued support in this amount be approved.

8 Grants of under £5,000

8.1 Grants to voluntary organisations of £5,000 and more require the approval of the Executive Member but approval of those of less than £5,000 is delegated to service managers.

8.2 Appendix 1 lists grants amounting to a total of £114,175, which have been approved by service managers under delegated powers since 1 April 2003.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. That the proposals for the support of voluntary organisations in 2003/04 as set out in the report be approved.

2 That the grants approved by service managers , totalling £114,175 and listed in Appendix 1 be noted.

Appendix 1

Executive Member - Social Care

25 July 2003

Grants to Voluntary Organisations of £5,000 and less approved by officers during the period 1 April to 20 June 2003

County Wide

North Hampshire

Central Hampshire

South West Hampshire

South East Hampshire

County Wide

North Hampshire

Central Hampshire

South East Hampshire

South West Hampshire

South West Hampshire

County Wide

Central Hampshire

North Hampshire

South East Hampshire

South West Hampshire

Central Hampshire

Central Hampshire

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.

NB. The list excludes:

1. Published works

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

Applications for grants in 2003/04, submitted by the individual voluntary organisations included in this report.