Archived decisions

Contact: Siobhán Osborne, 01962 847116, [email protected]

Mark Allen, 01962 845056, [email protected]

1. Summary:

The following decision is sought:

a) That approval be given for the support of voluntary organisations in 2008/09, for grants of £5,000 and above, totalling £497,167, as outlined in the attached appendix.

2. Reason

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

2.2 This report supports the corporate strategy in terms of making Hampshire safer and more secure for all, maximising wellbeing, and enhancing our quality of place through award of grants to voluntary organisations who provide services covering those priorities.

3. Other Options considered and rejected:

3.1 None.

4. Conflicts of Interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive member consulted - none

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - none

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - not applicable

Approved by: ....................... Date: .......................

Councillor Felicity Hindson

Executive Member for Adult Social Care

Contact: Siobhán Osborne, 01962 847116, [email protected]

Mark Allen, 01962 845056, [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report provides a summary of applications received from voluntary organisations requesting grant funding for £5,000 and above in 2008/09 and makes recommendations on award of grants to those organisations. In making recommendations regard has been taken of the Wellbeing agenda and current Adult Services Department strategies.

2. Recommendations

2.1 The following decision is sought:

a) That approval be given for the support of voluntary organisations in 2008/09, for grants of £5,000 and above, totalling £497,167, as outlined in the attached appendix.

3. Background

3.1 The publication `A Guide to Procuring Care and Support Services', published by the Department for Communities and Local Government, October 2006, draws a helpful distinction between grants and contracts.

3.2 Grants are defined as money to support a particular activity. It does not usually cover the entire cost of the activity and it is legally considered to be a one-side gift, rather than a payment in exchange for services.

3.3 A contract is a binding agreement to perform a certain service in exchange for an agreed payment.

3.4 In broad terms these definitions are an affirmation of those used by the former Social Services Committee for many years. There has been a trend to transfer services from a grant funded to a contractual basis in the light of the above definitions, for many years.

3.5 In accordance with the outcome of the corporate Best Value Review of support to the voluntary sector, the Adult Services grants programme is advertised on the corporate website. Community Voluntary Services are also informed of the County Council's grant programme.

3.6 Grants of £5,000 and above require authorisation by the Executive Member - Adult Social Care Executive.

3.7 The provisional budget in 2008/09 for grants to voluntary organisations is at £615,136. The balance of this provisional budget will be allocated to grants of £4,999 and below through delegated authority by the Director of Adult Services.

3.8 Grants Criteria and Wellbeing

3.8.1 In light of the Wellbeing and Modernisation agenda a review of the grant programme is underway. However until the conclusion of this exercise it is proposed that grants be awarded in 2008/09 on the basis of existing criteria whilst taking into account wellbeing and social inclusion issues where they are evident in the grant application.

3.8.2 Adult Services criteria for grant applications are:

(i) the grant recipient is a voluntary or community organisation;

(ii) the services, projects or activities of the organisation support the priorities of Hampshire County Council and fit with the objectives of the Adult Services department;

(iii) the services, projects or activities are for people living in Hampshire;

(iv) the organisation has a clear management structure within its constitution; and

(v) where applicable, the organisation shall demonstrate it holds the appropriate level of insurance and has in place policies around Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Race Relations.

3.8.3 Organisations will not normally be eligible for grants where they hold balances in excess of one year's running costs. Those organisations receiving recurring funding which hold in excess of three months' running costs may receive a reduced grant. To establish the level of reserves, organisations are required to provide a set of their latest accounts and annual report with their application and before grant payment is made - in the case of organisations with an income of £10,000 or above, these must be independently examined or audited.

3.8.4 Grants are generally a contribution to core costs or service/project costs. Adult Services expect those organisations applying to find additional funding from other sources, to contribute to the costs in kind (through volunteer time, for example) or both.

3.8.5 Those organisations and services that fulfil the above criteria and comply with mutually agreed reporting and monitoring requirements, will be considered by Adult Services for grant funding.

4. Grants 2008/09

4.1 As outlined above a voluntary organisation may be considered for grant aid from Adult Services only if its services, projects or activities are in compliance with the aims and objectives, priorities and policies of the Adult Services Department. Grants are given to support services that are better provided by the voluntary sector eg the mobilisation of community resources to help vulnerable people maintain their independence (Hampshire Voluntary Care Groups Advisory Service) or the Physical Activity for Older Adults Programme provided by Rushmoor Healthy Living.

4.2 All grant applications have been considered in a staged process, initially for recommendation by senior operational and commissioning managers and then at a grant panel where applications and recommendations were considered within the context of the available budget. The grants panel consisted of the grants officer and three senior Adult Services commissioning and operational officers. All grant applications have been subject to scrutiny on need for the service vis-à-vis the department's strategic commissioning objectives and priorities, as well as financial need. As previously mentioned, grants over £5,000 require authorisation by the Executive Member for Adult Social Care - these are summarised in the attached appendix.

4.3 Payment of Grants

4.3.1 Payment of grants is subject to financial need, and on submission of annual accounts. The Compact Code of Conduct on Funding states that `Organisations will not normally be eligible for grants where they hold balances (reserves) in excess of one year's running costs. Those organisations receiving recurring funding which hold in excess of three months' running costs may receive a reduced grant'. This criteria, which accords with the policy of the former Social Services Committee, has been applied to the grants listed in the appendix.

4.3.2 Where applicable, an inflationary uplift has been applied to the grant awarded in 2007/08 in line with the provisions of the Compact, which has regard to the County Council's budget for inflation and where financial need as well as service need has been demonstrated.

4.3.3 The attached appendix also provides background information on the organisations and the grant. Information is given on the activities undertaken by these organisations, the number of people who benefit from the award of the grant, the value for money aspects of the grant and their `fit' with service strategies and wellbeing.

4.4 Monitoring and Evaluation

4.4.1 As outlined in the Compact Code of Good Practice: Funding and Procurement, monitoring and evaluation are important in the funding process due to:

(i) ensuring that a voluntary `organisation is doing what it is supposed to be doing, is providing a good service and giving good value for money and helps the Council meet government performance targets'; and

(ii) that `the organisation providing the service will wish to prove to itself and to the outside world that it is providing the best possible service, is meeting needs and is delivering what it is funded to do.'

4.4.2 Payment arrangements and monitoring requirements will be either outlined in a letter or mutually fixed within a grant agreement at the beginning of the financial year, proportional to the grant amount awarded and voluntary organisation size. Grants will be monitored by a named key officer in partnership with the voluntary organisation. Monitoring and evaluation can take the form of regular meetings, the submission of reports detailing outputs and outcomes, along with financial and annual reports as appropriate.

5. Impact Assessment

5.1 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.

6. Conclusion

6.1 Until the conclusion and outcomes of the current ongoing grant review, it is recommended that approval be given to the grants as listed in the attached appendix. The participation of the voluntary sector in this review is important, ensuring that changes for the grant programme from 2009/10 and beyond is of mutual ownership.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have 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.

NONE

APPENDIX

1. Older People

1.1 Age Concern Hampshire, Information and Advice Service - £99,787

Age Concern Hampshire promotes the welfare of older people in Hampshire. The grant contributes towards the costs of the organisation's information and advice service based in Winchester, which fits with current departmental objectives. The information and advice service has achieved Level Three of Community Legal Services quality mark for general help and general help with telephone. The service receives an estimated 6,340 calls a year with enquiries on a variety of issues including care home choice and fees, benefits, adaptations to the home, insurance and transport. The Information and Advice Service also links into other Age Concern services aimed at promoting active retirement. Referrals to the service are county-wide. The total cost of the service is an estimated £128,860 for 2008/09. The organisation holds under 3 months' reserves of annual expenditure.

Age Concern Hampshire were allocated a grant of £97,582 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £99,787 be awarded for 2008/09, ie last year's grant plus inflation.

1.2 Age Concern Andover and District, - £10,298

Age Concern Andover and District represents and lobbies for older people in the Andover and District area, provides information advice and needs-led services. The services give help, support to and care for older people to improve their quality of life. The grant helps people to live independently and sits well with the well-being agenda. Approximately 3,600 people benefit from the services of the organisation of which approximately over 400 are referrals from the Adult Services Department. The organisation is an important partner not just for the Department but also for various other local voluntary and community organisations. The organisation's latest accounts show they hold no reserves.

Age Concern Andover and District were allocated a grant of £10,070 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £10,298 be approved for 2008/09, ie last year's grant plus inflation

1.3 Age Concern Hampshire in Basingstoke - £26,860

Age Concern currently runs eight activities centres for older people at various locations in the Basingstoke area, and are on target to offer 7,326 places across the eight centres by the end of March 2008. The centres provide social and leisure day activities to older people who would otherwise have difficulty in accessing such opportunities and, thus, provide a preventative service and contribute to the well-being and healthy living agendas. The overall cost per half day session averages at £3.96, providing value for money for this sort of service. The grant would contribute to running costs of six of the eight centres. The organisation holds under 3 months' of reserves.

Age Concern Hampshire in Basingstoke were allocated a grant of £26,266 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £26,860 be approved for 2008/09, ie last year's grant plus inflation.

1.4 Age Concern Romsey and District - £7,791

Age Concern Romsey and District maintains a hall with full facilities which is dedicated primarily for use by older people, both through activities and events organised by Age Concern and by other organisations and charities in Romsey working with older people. The hall is also an information and signposting centre for older people. Approximately 400-500 older people benefit from the activities run by Age Concern Romsey. The grant, which is a contribution towards the cost of the Service Development Officer and Hall Administrator, provides good value for money. The grant fits with the well-being and preventative strategy and forges the Department's local partnership in Romsey with a key voluntary organisation.

Age Concern Romsey and District were allocated a grant of £8,500 in 2007/08.

According to latest published accounts the organisation held 4 months of reserves, therefore a reduced grant of £7,791 is recommended for 2008/09.

1.5 Age Concern Winchester - £11,827

Age Concern Winchester aims to promote the welfare of older people and to improve the quality of their lives by offering services that give practical help, advice and regular care and mental stimulation. 400 older people and their carers benefit from these services. The grant pays for the general running costs of the organisation, including the costs of the Chief Officer and the Lunch Club Coordinator. Specific services like a Take A Break and Help in the Home scheme are funded by contracts. The Department has worked in partnership with the organisation for several years. The grant fits well with preventative and well-being agenda. The organisation hold less than 1 months' reserves.

Age Concern Winchester were allocated a grant of £11,566 in 2007/08.

A grant of £11,827 is recommended for 2008/09, ie last year's sum plus inflation.

1.6 Club Hampshire - £118,264

Club Hampshire provides clubs for older people and also serves as an umbrella organisation for these clubs. The clubs are run on a voluntary basis and provide a variety of activities for their members, which are flexible enough to meet individual needs, enable people to exercise choices, maintain their independence, feel fulfilled and to improve their quality of life. The organisation has achieved the continuation and development of 52 social clubs across Hampshire with 1,320 members. Club volunteers receive training and support. The grant offers excellent value for money and meets the Department's objective of helping older people to remain at home and the Wellbeing agenda. The three year grant agreement from April 2005 until March 2008 expires this year and is monitored by regular monitoring meetings and visits to clubs. The organisation holds no reserves.

Club Hampshire were allocated a grant of £111,366 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £118,264 be awarded for 2008/09. This sum reflects the opening of a further 2 clubs in 2007/08 and is based on last year's grant, plus pro-rata per newly opened club, plus inflation.

1.7 Rushmoor Healthy Living (RHL), Physical Activity for Older Adults Programme (PAOA) - £15,000

Rushmoor Healthy Living's PAOA programme is an established service delivering weekly exercise sessions in community venues across Rushmoor's disadvantaged areas to improve the health and wellbeing of local older adults. Through the PAOA programme's variety in options offered individual choice is promoted and barriers to participation such as varying abilities, accessibility and low income are overcome. This fits well with meeting the Department's objectives of maximising independence and inclusion and the Wellbeing agenda through the project's preventative health and social benefits. RHL anticipate engaging approximately 300 older people (50+) in 2008/09. The latest audited accounts show that RHL hold less than 4 months reserves.

This is a new grant application from Rushmoor Healthy Living. It is recommended that a grant of £15,000 for 2008/09 be approved.

1.8 Winchester Live at Home Scheme - £15,000

Winchester Live at Home Scheme provide a wide range of services, which comprise a Befriending Scheme; 4 group services (Friendship Club, Lunch Club, Exercise Club and Arts and Crafts Club); Shopping Services; a Telecare service; a Holiday service and an Early response Service. Within the last year Winchester Live at Home has seen an increase of 34 (45%) in their membership and the introduction of 4 new services (included above). The services are provided to those older people who do not meet the Department's criteria, but provide an important preventative resource in establishing social inclusion and maintaining people's well-being. A total of 119 older people and carers benefit from their services, 25 of whom are referred from Adult Services. The organisation hold less than 3 months' reserves.

Winchester Live at Home Scheme were allocated a grant of £10,000 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £15,000 for 2008/09 be approved.

2. Older People - Mental Health

2.1 Alzheimer's Society - Basingstoke and District, Accessibility for Dementia Support - £14,000

The Alzheimer's Society Accessibility for Dementia service is established and locally well regarded which provides targeted support work for older people with dementia and their carers who live in rural/deprived areas. A total of 154 older people with dementia and their carers will benefit from this service, 45 of whom are referred from Adult Services. This fits with the wellbeing agenda and more specifically the recent Older People's Mental Health Strategy which identified the need to develop community provision for the earlier stages of dementia, information provision and support for carers. The latest accounts show that 5.3 months' reserves are held.

This is a new grant application from Alzheimer's Society - Basingstoke and District. A grant of £14,000 is recommended for 2008/09.

3. Physical Disability

3.1 deafPLUS, Home Benefits Service - £7,000

deafPLUS provide skilled assistance to people with hearing loss who need to maximise their income by making benefit applications and applying to appeal tribunals. This is a valued community service which provides specialist support that is not routinely provided by mainstream organisations and complements the work of the Sensory Services Team. The increased benefits received allow greater independence, wellbeing and choice for people with hearing loss across Hampshire fitting well with Department objectives and the wellbeing agenda. 35 people with hearing loss benefit from this service, 30 of whom are referred from Adult Services. The latest audited accounts show that they hold no reserves.

This is a new grant application from deafPLUS. A grant of £7,000 is recommended for 2008/09.

3.2 Hampshire Centre for Independent Living - £7,500

Hampshire Centre for Independent Living (HCIL) uses the experience of disabled people to promote and support independent living through the use of direct payments. HCIL seeks to ensure that the users' perspective is part of the development of services. The organisation support a large number of users through the circulation of the monthly newsletter `Direct'. The grant pays for the organisation's core activities and has been covered by a three year grant agreement due to end in March 2008, this has been monitored annually. The organisation holds no reserves.

Hampshire Centre for Independent Living were allocated a grant of £7,688 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £7,500 be approved for 2008/09.

3.3 Havant and District Socially Independent Disabled (HADSID) - £7,465

HADSID is a craft-based group run by older people with disabilities for disabled people which aims to improve function and wellbeing. Many members, when they start, have been isolated, and the group aims to seek improvement in physical functioning through the activities which give the opportunity for creativity, learning new skills and social interaction. Transport is provided via their own bus, for which they fundraised. The HADSID service fits with the maximising wellbeing. The latest accounts show that less than 3 months' reserves are held.

Havant and District Socially Independent Disabled were allocated a grant of £7,300 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that £7,465 be awarded for 2008/09, ie last year's sum plus inflation, but that work be undertaken with the group to help them raise their profile and to assist them seek other funding streams.

3.4 Huntington's Disease Association - £8,794

The Huntington's Disease Association exists to support people affected by Huntington's disease, a neurological disorder that causes progressive mental deterioration and severe physical incapacity. The grant contributes proportionally to the Regional Care Adviser for Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire. In 2007/08 714 people from Hampshire, including carers benefited from this service. The service also promotes excellent joint working for a wide group of multi-disciplinary professionals and assists with care planning, organising and running training sessions for professional staff, rest and nursing homes, and schools. The work of the organisation is wholly consistent with the corporate and departmental strategies, is valuable and flexible and the grant provides extremely good value for money. The Regional Care Advisor is a skilled former nurse who offers outstanding advice and support. The grant has been covered by a three year grant agreement due to cease in March 2008. The organisation holds reserves of 3 months' annual expenditure.

Huntington's Disease Association were allocated a grant of £8,602 in 2007/08.

A grant of £8,794 is recommended for 2008/09, ie last year's sum plus inflation.

3.5 New Forest Disability Information Service - £10,000

The information service aims to empower people with disabilities in the New Forest by giving them information and advice, thus enabling them to make informed choices and lead active lives in their community. To improve its outreach to people with disabilities, the organisation set up a Link service with GP surgeries and hospitals. 1,240 people benefit from their services. The Department made approximately 140 referrals in 07/08. The organisation has the CLS Quality Mark. The work of the organisation is wholly consistent with corporate and departmental strategies and follows all departmental objectives closely. They are seen by the local Area as potentially providing a brokerage service for people on individualised budgets. Latest accounts show that under 2 months' reserves are held.

New Forest Disability Information Service were allocated a grant of £10,000 in 2007/08.

A grant of £10,000 is recommended for 2008/09.

4. Other Services

4.1 Andover Advocacy Alliance - £20,560

Andover Advocacy Alliance provides independent advocacy to vulnerable adults in the Test Valley using a model of volunteer advocates and issue-based advocacy. Advocacy supports and enables people to take greater control of their lives through helping them to make more informed choices, have increased involvement in decision-making, a better understanding of their rights, and enhanced skills to assert those rights. A total of 225 people benefit from the service across all care groups including mental health, learning disability, older people, physical disability. Previously the organisation has been project managed by Test Valley Community Services, but now plan to operate as an organisation in their own right from April 2008. The organisation hold less than 1 month of reserves.

Andover Advocacy Alliance were allocated a grant of £19,962 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £20,560 be approved for 2008/09, in support of their first year operating as an independent organisation.

4.2 Hampshire Voluntary Care Groups Advisory Service (HVCGAS) - £100,000

The HVCGAS supports voluntary care groups across Hampshire that provide a range of support, mainly involving transport, to enable people to live independent lives. The Service provides development work both in terms of establishing new groups and working with existing groups, and arranges insurance, provides grants, and negotiates for and on behalf of the groups. The grant is very good value for money and through its care groups supports the objective to enable more older people to remain at home, contribute to social inclusion, and is integral to the Wellbeing agenda. The grant has covered by a 3 year grant agreement due to cease March 2008. The organisation holds less than three months reserves.

HVCGAS were allocated a grant of £48,971 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a 3 year grant agreement (2008/09-2011/12) for £100,000 per year be approved.

4.3 Trinity Winchester, Drop-in Centre - £17,021

The drop-in centre for homeless people in Winchester has an average attendance of up to 48, 85 per cent of whom are male. The centre has supported 141 new clients since April 2007. The centre provides a wide range of support services including healthcare, housing advice, educational and social activities. The centre works with other agencies (mental health and substance misuse) which provide outreach services to those who might not access more formal services. They also encourage their service users to take part in sporting activities to improve health and self-esteem. Without this support it is likely that the circumstances of many of these people would deteriorate, potentially increasing demands on statutory services. Trinity has an established record working with difficult clients who often have mental health and / or substance misuse problems. The centres are well managed and the service has shown that it can be innovative in developing new services to meet the needs of their service users. The work of Trinity contributes towards meeting corporate and departmental objectives by helping to reduce social exclusion, contributing to wellbeing and protecting vulnerable. The organisation holds less than 3 months' reserves.

Trinity Winchester were allocated a grant of £16,465 in 2007/08.

It is recommended that a grant of £17,021 for 2008/09, ie last year's grant plus inflation, be approved.