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Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Communities.
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
To agree proposals for a review of voluntary sector grants within the Community Wellbeing Portfolio.
Matter
for Decision:
The report followed the Director of Customer and
Community Service’s report to this committee in October 2013 on the future of
discretionary services. It provided the scope for the review of community development
and arts and recreation development grants which, if approved, would be carried
out in accordance with the Cambridgeshire Compact.
Decision of Executive Councillor for Community
Wellbeing:
The Executive
Councillor resolved that:
i.
Officers would carry out a review of the community
development and arts and recreation development grants as set out in section 7
of the Officer’s report.
ii.
Officers would report back to this committee in
June/July 2014 with recommendations about new grants priorities and options for
future budgets.
Reason for the Decision:
As set out in the Officer’s report.
Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations:
The Committee received a report from the Head of Community
Development regarding the Review of voluntary Sector Grants.
Concerns were raised that some groups might find the consultation
process confusion and that the option offered did not cover all eventualities.
The Head of Community Development stated that some groups might be able to
offer a better fit with the new priorities and might gain from the process. He
suggested that the public needed to respond to the proposals in general while
groups needed to respond to the likely impact on their service individually.
They would be helped to do this via the planned workshops. He further stated
that the key message was that groups should focus on the priorities and
outcomes rather than the amount of grant.
Councillor Johnson requested that the following wording be added to the
table in 5.6 of the Officer’s report: To
improve the health and wellbeing of participants and to address inequality.
Councillor Brown stated that this was the main priority of the report and that
additional working to the report was not necessary. Councillor Brown agreed to
discuss this further with Councillor Johnson outside the meeting and to agree
additional wording to be added to the consultation document if necessary.
Councillor Blackhurst proposed an amendment to
the report with an additional paragraph being added to section 5 of the report,
Proposed Priorities and Outcomes, as follows:
New 6.4 (existing 6.4 becomes 6.5, and so on)
The City Council
recognises the crucial role played by legal advice services, such as the Citizens’
Advice Bureau, at a time when many people are facing potential hardship and the
benefits system is under pressure. It is proposed that future grant allocation
is done on the basis that legal advice services are a key priority for funding,
and consultees will be invited to comment and this
priority.
The amendment was agreed nem con.
The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the
recommendations.
The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.
Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any
dispensations granted)
Not applicable.
Publication date: 28/02/2014
Date of decision: 16/01/2014