Agenda item

            The Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services presented the Committee with a report that considered the realignment of staff resources and funding streams in order to better meet the emerging community need over the summer period.

            The Director referred to the valuable work already undertaken, with Council officers having worked directly with local and city wide organisations to ensure that those who were most vulnerable had been assisted.  He advised that there had been significant learning as a result of the COVID-19 Emergency response both internally within Council and based on feedback from community partners and advised that this had been and would continue to be factored into any future decision making. 

            The Committee then considered the previously scheduled summer 2020 community provision grants programmes and activities and the associated funding.  It was noted that due to the current situation that the proposed programmes and activities would not be able to take place in their current form.  The Members also noted that many of the programmes and activities were match funded by central government and that there had been very positive engagement with central government funders in supporting continuing this approach and they were awaiting a formal request from the Council to proceed.  

            The Committee also considered in detail the many emerging needs within communities and how these could best be addressed.  The Director detailed that it was proposed that a two strand grand programme (strategic funding and micro funding) would be immediately established, it would be aimed at supporting both strategic community partners and grassroots organisations. This programme would be funded using the £636,097 of community provision funding not being distributed up to end September 2020.

            The Committee agreed:

·         to use the available £636,097 from previously scheduled grant programmes for 01/04/20 – 30/09/20 to meet ongoing emerging needs as part of the COVID 19 recovery;

·         to grant delegated authority to the Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services to liaise with and make the necessary proposals to the Policing and Community Safety Partnership and the Shared City Partnership to secure their buy-in; and

·         that allocation of the funding would be as follows:

Strand 1 – Strategic Funding of Key Area Based Organisations

Budget: £486,000

·         50% by population to reflect that Covid-19 need can be measured through deprivation; and

·         50% by Super Output Area 2017 Measures of Multiple Deprivation.

Process:

-       Allocated to those key organisations, who had shown a track record of managing similar work;

-       This would be a direct award (not an open call);

-       Organisations would be required to submit proposals based on the identified priority areas above;

-       Organisations who received funding would provide strategic leadership and support to local groups in the planning and delivery of services in the identified areas above; and

-       Support from Area Support Teams within Council with documentation, delivery and evaluation.

Note: To facilitate agility in supporting the community Strand 1 would work with the 9. community partners previously identified as part of the COVID-19 Community Support Funding.  However, recognising these organisations might not necessarily have expertise or knowledge in the priority areas identified above, they would be required as part of their funding proposal to establish the necessary consortiums and networks for effective delivery.  If they were not in a position to do that, Officers will work within each part of the city to identify other appropriate strategic community partners.  The proportion of funding would remain unaffected by any change in strategic community partners.

Strand 2 - Micro Grants (For delivery up to end September 2020)

Budget: £150,000

Maximum allocation per organisation: £1,000 per organisation.

Process:

-       Rolling open call on Council website/social media and promoted through existing community networks;

-       Focus on local delivery over the summer period in the identified priority areas above;

-       Application process to be easy with quick turnaround to facilitate delivery; and

-       Support from Area Support Teams in Council with documentation/delivery/evaluation.