Agenda item

Discussion paper of the Cabinet Member Housing and Safety

The Cabinet Member Housing and Safety and the Policy and Partnerships Manager introduced the paper as circulated with the agenda.

Members were aware that the financial pressures faced by GCC had driven them to withdraw from direct provision of general services for young people in Gloucestershire. 

GCC agreed to invest £50k in each of the six Gloucestershire districts in 2011-12 for the delivery of positive activities for young people, by the voluntary and community sector (VCS).  In addition to the GCC funding the Cheltenham Community Safety/Stronger Communities Partnership and Cheltenham Health and Wellbeing Partnership, each agreed to contribute £5k, resulting in a total fund of £60k in Cheltenham. 

The draft commissioning brief attached as Appendix A of the report had been slightly amended since its circulation.  The intention had been to achieve as broad criteria as possible so as not to narrow its accessibility, though admittedly this process was reliant on the submission of bids.  There remained a question mark over the funding limit. 

As part of the 2011-12 budget, CBC agreed to allocate a one-off sum of £50k to support the sustainable development of additional capacity and expertise within the VCS providers of community-based youth work. 

The Cabinet Member Housing and Safety was happy with progress of the commissioning process to date.  Four expressions of interest were received in the first instance, which culminated in three detailed proposals (two organisations made a joint proposal). 

The three proposals were equally interesting and representatives of each were invited to a question and answer session and whilst not in a position to reveal the successful bidder at this time, an announcement would be made at Cabinet on the 26 May.  Members were offered a brief overview of each proposal.

Councillor Teakle commented as a member of the working group that was tasked with considering the bids.  Whilst she had been unable to attend the question and answer session with representatives of the three proposals, she had received a copy of the papers and had been very impressed by the quality of each of the bids.  She also appreciated the difficultly of the decision faced by the group, given the diverse nature of the bids received. 

The Cabinet Member Housing and Safety and Policy and Partnerships Manager gave the following responses to questions from members of the committee;

• The Cheltenham Strategic Partnership and Stronger Communities Partnership had received £48k from the Home Office, of which they had agreed to allocate £18k to address Anti Social Behaviour (ASB).  The funding will be allocated by the ASB Group, to communities to implement solutions to outbreaks of ASB in their area during the summer.  Members would be sent full details of the criteria in order that they could assess whether it was appropriate to direct people to the funding. 
• The ASB Group was a sub group formed by both the Community Safer and Stronger Communities Partnerships and included CBC Members, Police and VCS representatives.  Full membership details would be circulated along with the funding criteria and process for the £18k ASB monies.
• Whilst GCC, in relation to the £50k they had provided, would need to endorse the criteria, allocation of the funds would be a Cabinet decision.
• Appropriate monitoring of successful bids would be undertaken and successful applicants would be made aware of their obligations in relation to performance monitoring.  A summary report could be produced for consideration by the committee at an appropriate time.

The Cabinet Member Housing and Safety agreed with the suggestion of a member of the committee that, the definition of how the GCC funding could be used needed to be amended to clearly reflect what the monies could and could not be used for. 

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member Housing and Safety and the Policy and Partnerships Manager for their attendance.