Contact: Alan Edwards, (01962) 847158, [email protected];

Annette Rebentisch, (01962) 847150, [email protected]

1 Summary

The following decisions are sought.

1.1 That the proposals for the support of voluntary organisations in 2005-06, which are outlined in Appendices 2 and 3 of 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.

2.2 Support to voluntary organisations accords with Aim 1 (Maximising Life Opportunities), Aim 3 (Achieving Economic Prosperity), Aim 4 (Building Strong and Safe Communities) by its partnership approach, and Aim 5 (Improving Services) of the Corporate Strategy.

2.3 The applications in this report have been managed in accordance with the aims of the One Compact for Hampshire.

3 Other options considered and rejected

3.1 None

4 Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision-maker or a Member or other Executive member consulted

4.1 Councillor Mrs. Glasspool declared a personal interest in that she is a member of Age Concern Hampshire.

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

Presenter: Alan Edwards, (01962) 847158, [email protected]

Contact: Annette Rebentisch, (01962) 847150, [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report sets out information about the processes relating to the consideration of applications for grants to voluntary organisations and seeks approval to the allocation of grants above £5,000.

1.2 Support to and partnership with voluntary organisations accords with Aim 1 (Maximising Life Opportunities), Aim 3 (Achieving Economic Prosperity), Aim 4 (Building Strong and Safe Communities) by its partnership approach, and Aim 5 (Improving Services) of the Corporate Strategy.

2 Background Information

2.1 The Social Services Department proposes to spend some £43.18m with voluntary organisations in the Social Care sector in 2005-06. Of this, some £41.4m will be used to purchase services under contract arrangements and £1.78m will be used for grants. Custom and practice excludes from the general grants approval process those grants supported by Central Government Specific Grants for Mental Health, Substance Misuse and HIV/AIDS, grants for residential care and payments in support of sheltered employment and supported housing schemes (about £0.93m), so that approximately £0.85m will be used as general grant aid to voluntary organisations. (At the time of drafting this report, the exact budget had still to be established. Additionally, the amount for grants supported by Central Government Specific Grants for Mental Health, Substance Misuse and HIV/AIDS will not be known until later in the year, i.e. after the start of the financial year in April.)

2.2 A grant results from the initiative of a voluntary organisation, is made in support of a service which is complementary to the work of the Social Services Department, is a contribution towards the cost of the service rather than the full cost, is subject to the financial need of the organisation rather than at a pre-agreed price, is subject to annual review and approval and is paid subject to the availability of financial resources and the policy on awarding grants.

2.3 A voluntary organisation may be considered for grant aid only if it meets the Social Services' eligibility criteria for grants. In general terms this means that the organisation must be undertaking work which is compatible with the Department's objectives, priorities and policies and must agree to give the Department independently audited or examined statements of accounts, if requested. The organisation should also have investigated and, where possible, secured other sources of funding. The full eligibility criteria for grants are given in Appendix 1.

2.4 In dealing with applications for grants regard has been given to the One Compact for Hampshire and the Codes of Good Practice.

2.5 Due to the implementation of the Best Value Review of the County Council's support to the voluntary sector the new corporate application form has been introduced with different requirements for information and documentation depending on the amount applied for, which is in line with the One Compact for Hampshire: Funding Code between Hampshire County Council and the Voluntary Sector (under review). Despite the fact that the new application form has not yet been publicised (the web site will go live in the next weeks), the new arrangements have resulted in three additional organisations making applications for grant aid.

2.6 During recent years there has been a steady movement away from contributing towards the cost of services by way of grants towards the purchase of specific services, especially for grants above £5,000. This ensures that services are more directly targeted at both the needs of the service users and the approved policies and commissioning priorities of Social Services. The Department also follows two of the principles of the County Council's Code of Good Practice on Funding, namely the recognition of core costs and stability and long term planning.

3 Impact Assessment

3.1 In compiling this report, regard has been taken of the requirements of the Corporate Equalities Plan and Race Scheme. The One Compact for Hampshire has social inclusion as one of its principles and states that all partners are committed to the importance of promoting equality of opportunity for all people, regardless of race, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation and belief. Additionally, equal opportunity and race relation policies have been sought from the voluntary organisations that apply for grants above £5,000.

4 Allocation of Grants for 2005-06

4.1 The indicative budget for grants to voluntary organisations in 2005-06, excluding all specific grants funded by central government, amounts to £0.85m. Some £8,615 will be transferred to purchasing budgets to finance those schemes which will now be the subject of contract arrangements. A further £64,848 will be transferred to Policy and Resources who will assume responsibility for funding volunteer bureaux as part of the arrangements for financial support to councils of voluntary services (see 4.9 below and Appendix 4).

4.2 The Department contributes to two Health Improvement and Social Inclusion funds in Winchester and the Test Valley that give grants to voluntary organisation. A total of £50,000 of the grant budget goes to these funds.

4.3 Approval of grants of £5,000 and less is delegated to designated officers. Over 100 grant applications have been received for 2005-06 of which 80% are for £5,000 and less. Small grants totalling over £50,000 have been provisionally approved to date. A list of all grants will be made available through the corporate grant database. Grants above £5,000 must be approved by the Executive Member for Social Care.

4.4 Grant agreements, into which the Department has entered with voluntary organisations, are mentioned in Appendix 3 with the background information on these organisations. A grant agreement is monitored by an appointed officer from Social Services. The officer receives information on the outcomes and outputs of the grant as well as financial information, proving the continuing value for money of the grant and the financial need of the voluntary organisation.

4.5 Organisations in receipt of recurring funding, except those covered by a grant agreement, together with any other groups requesting funding have been invited to complete application forms which were then considered by the appropriate Service Managers and County Managers to ensure that services meet operational needs and strategic commissioning priorities respectively. The Department's eligibility criteria for grants have been used when assessing applications and, as grants are subject to financial need, the latest annual accounts of each organisation have been scrutinised. Unless a different amount had been applied for by the organisation, inflation at 3.9% has been included in recurring grants.

4.6 The voluntary organisations are listed according to care groups. However, where organisations or their service cover two or more care groups, they are listed under `other services'.

4.7 Appendix 2 lists proposals totalling £564,158 which are recommended for approval.

4.8 Appendix 3 provides background information on the organisations for which grants are recommended. Some of these will already be in receipt of a grant agreement but continued funding during the term of the agreements is still subject to proof of ongoing financial need.

4.9 Appendix 4 lists services from voluntary organisations that were previously funded as grants and which have been withdrawn from the grant procedure for funding through contract arrangements. It also lists services from voluntary organisations where funding will transfer to another Department because of new administrative arrangements (see 4.1).

4.10 Appendix 4 also lists applications that are not recommended for grant funding, but where funding through contract arrangements is considered.

4.11 There are no other instances to date in relation to 2005-06 of any organisations making application for grants above £5,000 and not being recommended for acceptance.

Recommendations

That the proposals for the support of voluntary organisations in 2005-06, which are outlined in Appendices 2 and 3 of the report, be approved.

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.

Applications for grants in 2005-06, submitted by the voluntary organisations

NB. The list excludes:

1. Published works

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