Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/151

Contact: Sarah Jelley, Senior Policy & Performance Officer Tel: 07554 103437

Report by Assistant Chief Executive (CA6).

In February 2016 the council agreed to set aside £1m for creating a ‘one off’ fund to provide pump priming to support Children’s Centres.  It was agreed that a cross party group of county councillors would consider maximum benefit of this fund and bring proposals back to Cabinet for decision.

The working group have considered the applications under the second round of bids against the criteria outlined in the guidance notes with recommendations to Cabinet.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)  Approve for funding the following bids:

a.    Ace

b.    Barton Community Association

c.    Employment Action Group

d.    Chalgrove Primary School

e.    Faringdon Town Council

f.      Kidlington & Hampton Poyle PCC

g.    Friends of Maple Tree

h.    Cutteslowe Primary School and Community Association

i.      D:two

j.      Wallingford Town Council

(b)Approve interim funding for the following bids:

a.    Friends of Britannia Road

b.    Grove & Wantage

(c)  Ask that further work is conducted to develop more robust business plans and reapply for funding under the next round of applications:

a.    Aflah Nursery

b.    The Nature Effect

c.    Mortimer Hall

d.    The Kings Church Didcot

e.    Sunshine Centre

f.      Witney Methodist Church

(d)Decline for funding the following bids:

a.    Donnington Doorstep

b.    Thomas Gifford Trust

(e)  Approve the maximum 12 months’ rent free period for the following buildings:

a.    Berinsfield

b.    Britannia Road

c.    Maple Tree

d.    Red Kite

In February 2016 the Council had agreed to set aside £1m for creating a ‘one off’ fund to provide pump priming to support Children’s Centres.  It was agreed that a cross party group of county councillors would consider maximum benefit of this fund and bring proposals back to Cabinet for decision.

The working group had considered the applications under the second round of bids against the criteria outlined in the guidance notes. The Cabinet had before them a Report (CC6) which outlined recommendations for the Cabinets approval.

Reverend Durant, speaking on behalf of the Grove Parochial Church Council welcomed the interim grant and the acknowledgement of the need for provision in Grove and Wantage Children’s Centre to continue.  However, he expressed grave concern about the sustainability of the Centre if the full 3 years was not awarded as currently the centre was largely supported by volunteers and financially (though not on a sustainable basis) by Grove Parochial Church.   He further expressed concern that other sources of income were dependant on a successful bid.  He urged the Cabinet to reconsider the bid so that the Centre could expand its services.

Councillor Zoe Patrick, spoke as local member and Chair of Grove and Wantage Children’s Centre Community Initiative.  She urged the Cabinet to give further consideration to awarding Grove & Wantage a full 3 year commitment, particularly in light of the fact that other funding streams such as Wantage Town Council were dependant on it being ‘match funding’ She urged officers to provide support to grove and Wantage in order that they might be enlightened further about what would make their bid successful in the next round.

Ms Helen Evans speaking as a resident of Donnington who had been using Doorstep’s services for 3 years spoke against the recommendation to reject Donnington Doorstep’s bid for transition funding, principally on the grounds that the bid failed to meet the “requirement of funding those centres in danger of closing”.

She referred to the Guidance published last year and reiterated in today’s paper to Cabinet defining the purpose of transition funding as “pump priming grants to communities to enable them to create sustainable solutions for open access children’s services”.

She believed that meant the redefined purpose of the fund was to provide pump priming grants for community organisations to deliver universal services previously delivered by centres in danger of closing. In the eligibility criterion there was no requirement for these services to be delivered from the premises of former children’s centres, In short, whilst Doorstep retained its status as an independent family centre, it was responsible for delivering open access children’s services for two centres one of which - Florence Park - would be closing at the end of this month.  Doorstep was now asking for transition funding to continue delivering open access children’s services for Florence Park Children’s Centre as it faces closure. She asked Cabinet to reconsider the premise for rejecting this bid and that consideration instead given to an interim award to keep services going pending formulation of a revised bid to be submitted in June.

Jane Gallagher spoke on behalf of The Nature Effect, Florence Park Children’s Centre.  The centre would build on the existing open access provision for families offering families a healthy, welcoming café meeting and making space.  She referred to the community engagement with local area and the links to schools.  She urged the Cabinet to facilitate a meeting with the City and County to address the issues raised including the existing kiosk in the park and open access children’s services provision.

Councillor Nick Hards, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance welcomed the transition Fund and the support that it would provide for many whilst expressing disappointment and concern over the low percentage (around 50%) of the funding which had been spent to date and of the percentage of the County which still remained without coverage including Banbury, Abingdon, Didcot and Bicester.  He urged Cabinet to investigate whether there was any way to delegate Authority to the Cabinet Member for Finance to so that bids could be improved and approved ahead of the new Council.

Councillor Stratford in introducing the report and moving the recommendations thanked everyone who had attended and given comments.  He stressed the importance of public money being spent correctly and the need for more information around some of the bids to make them robust.  Officers would continue to work hard to make bids successful and would ensure that all interested parties were aware of the deadline of 14^th April. He urged the Cabinet to support the bids before them.

Councillor Hibbert-Biles welcomed the bids that were before the Cabinet and the fact that the process would be carefully monitored for a year.  Councillor Carter supported helping groups to ensure bids were successful.

Councillor Tilley moved and Councillor Heathcoat seconded that authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Finance in consultation with the Director for Children’s Services to approve bids following the transition fund meeting on 26 April 2017.

The motion was put to a vote and was agreed nem con.

RESOLVED:(nem con)     to:

(a)        Approve for funding the following bids:

a.      Ace

b.      Barton Community Association

c.      Employment Action Group

d.      Chalgrove Primary School

e.      Faringdon Town Council

f.       Kidlington & Hampton Poyle PCC

g.      Friends of Maple Tree

h.     Cutteslowe Primary School and Community Association

i.       D:two

j.        Wallingford Town Council

(b)        Approve interim funding for the following bids:

a.         Friends of Britannia Road

b.         Grove & Wantage

(c)         Ask that further work is conducted to develop more robust business plans and reapply for funding under the next round of applications:

a.      Aflah Nursery

b.      The Nature Effect

c.      Mortimer Hall

d.      The Kings Church Didcot

e.      Sunshine Centre

f.       Witney Methodist Church

(d)        Decline for funding the following bids:

a.      Donnington Doorstep

b.      Thomas Gifford Trust

(e)        Approve the maximum 12 months’ rent free period for the following buildings:

a.      Berinsfield

b.      Britannia Road

c.      Maple Tree

d.      Red Kite

(f)          Delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Finance in consultation with the Director for Children’s Services to approve bids following the transition fund meeting on 26 April 2017.