Decisions

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the outcome of the consultation on the Local Council Tax Support Scheme in Appendix 3 is noted;

2.    the Local Council Tax Support Scheme for working age customers in Appendix 4 and summarised in Appendix 5 is approved as the preferred option for 2024/25;

3.    Council is recommended to approve the proposed Local Council Tax Support Scheme for working age customers for 2024/25;

4.    Council is recommended to give authority to the Executive Director for Finance, Assets and Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets to uprate any premiums, allowances and determine the income levels in line with any increase in Welfare Benefits by 23 February 2024

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the Council Tax, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support Penalty and Prosecution Policy is adopted;

2.    authority is delegated to the Executive Director Finance, Assets and Regeneration to approve future minor amendments to the Policy in consultation with the Head of Revenues and Benefits and the Head of Service Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit.     

RESOLVED THAT: 

1.    the LGA Peer Challenge Report in Appendix 2 is noted;

2.    the Peer Challenge Action Plan in response to the recommendations within the Peer Challenge Report, as set out in Appendix 3, is approved;

3.    a further visit by the LGA Peer Team, expected in early 2024, to review the progress in delivering the action plan, is welcomed.

RESOLVED THAT:

-       the updated ‘Corporate Advertising & Sponsorship Policy’, as at Appendix 4, is adopted, to come into immediate effect.     

To accept RSI Move On and Prevention Funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) of £40,059 for 2023/24.

DLUHC has allocated Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) funding with the objective of targeting resources at freeing up capacity in off-street accommodation by supporting those recently accommodated to move on to independent housing and preventing a return to the streets by those recently accommodated.

This funding is in recognition of on-going pressures being experienced by CBC to end rough sleeping within Cheltenham and has been allocated for spending as a one-off amount in this financial year only.

CBC is required to agree a plan with DLUHC, setting out how we intend to allocate this funding by end of March 2024 in order to help reduce rough sleeping.

The proposals include:

- Provision of additional emergency accommodation in Cheltenham to provide more capacity within the existing housing pathway for those identified as eligible for this funding. Estimated spend is £8,500.

- Support those being discharged from hospital or released from prison, who are at risk of returning to the streets, again through the provision of emergency accommodation in Cheltenham, in addition to the initiative referred to above. Estimated spend is also £8,500.

- Use of personal budgets. This can be used flexibly used to support people to set up tenancies in the private rented sector and support people who are new to rough sleeping or in precarious situations and need help to remain in new tenancies. Estimated spend is £8,500.

- Support to smaller faith or community sector providers to provide alternative support and accommodation to rough sleepers with barriers to accessing services. Subject to separate Cabinet Member approval, CBC will look to provide a grant to Open Door (a small independent local charity which operates a valuable drop-in service for vulnerable people). This grant will seek to strengthen this service further by funding a specialist independent professional to visit and support the health and wellbeing of guests and staff/volunteers. This will include, for example, offering mindfulness Somatic Body-based Psychology to support anxiety, stress and trauma. Our aim will be to enhance the provision of trauma informed support and promote any changes for a Psychologically

Informed Environment (PIE). Estimated spend is £5,000.

- Enhance move on options for people who have slept rough in order to prevent them from returning to the street. Again, subject to separate Cabinet Member approval, CBC will look to provide a grant to CCP (an independent local charity which operates a range of valuable services for vulnerable people) to provide time to engage with individuals, explore interests and new hobbies and ultimately help individuals to build trusting relationships with people with a view to better engaging with support services. Estimated spend is £9,500.

This funding must be spent by end of March 2024. Any underspend will need to be returned to

DLUHC.

To contract with The Wilson Art gallery and Museum for specialist curation and exhibition services for an 8-week socially engaged arts project, ‘Celebrating Women', as part of S106-funded Public Art.