Issue - items at meetings - Third Sector Investment

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (copy attached).

9.1       The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive in relation to Third Sector Investment. The proposals in the report were based on extensive cross sector consultation and aimed to develop a second Communities & Third Sector Commission drawing in more funding streams from partners and across the Council, including the Three Year Discretionary Grants Programme.

9.2       In response to Councillor Moonan it was clarified that the annual grants programme would need to be reviewed if it were to better small and medium sized charities. The Head of Communities added that there was a year left of the current programme which ended in 2016/17 and there would be close work with Community Works on the new prospectus.

9.3       In response to Councillor Littman the Head of Policy & Communities provided assurance that there would be as much collaborative work as possible.

9.4       Councillor Simson welcomed the work and she acknowledged that the situation had changed and it was now appropriate to move on from three year discretionary grants to a new model. She expressed concern that support for some of the medium sized groups, and asked for assurance that the situation would be carefully monitored going forward. In response the Head of Communities explained that early conversations had taken place with the community and voluntary sector around the annual grants programme, and it was agreed there close attention needed to be paid to the medium sized organisations, there needed to be an investment fund that sat alongside infrastructure support.

9.5       The representative from Community Works noted support for the approach and welcomed the cross-party support from Members, but asked for as much protection for the grant scheme.

9.6       Geraldine Hoben highlighted that both the Council and the CCG were facing a situation where funds were becoming increasingly squeezed and had to be used in a targeted manner; with this in mind the CCG were continually looking at how health services could be commissioned in a different way.

9.10    The Chair put the recommendations to the vote.

9.         RESOLVED: That the committee:

1)        Approves the creation of a second Communities and Third Sector Commission commencing in April 2017 made up of funding from across the council our partners including the Three Year Discretionary Grants Programme.

2)        Approves the extension of the current Three Year Discretionary Grant Programme allocations, the Financial Inclusion Commission and Healthwatch and NHS ICAS Commission until 31^st March 2017, subject to funding.

3)        Approves a full review of the Annual Grants programme to ensure its continued effectiveness in meeting the needs of communities and third sector groups in the city. 

4)        Instructs officers to bring a further report to the Neighbourhoods, Communities and Equalities Committee in 2016 setting out the proposed Third Sector investment arrangements and outcomes for approval. The report to include complementary proposals for the future of the Annual Grants Programme and to be informed by cross sector consultation and the findings of the Fairness Commission.