Agenda item

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to advise members the Notice of Motion referred back to Strategic Policy and Resources Committee (SP&R) from March’s Council.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        note the report and agree on whether the request should be dealt with via the discretionary payments process or via the end of year finance report.

3.0       Main report

3.1       A Notice of Motion was brought to the Standards and Business Committee on 29th August 2023 to explore all options to fund the West Well Being Suicide Prevention Centre, including using reserve funds, if necessary, to source up to £50,000 so the organisation can continue to deliver its full range of services for the remainder of 2023.  It was proposed by Councillor Collins and seconded by Councillor McCusker.  The Standards and Business Committee agreed that, in the first instance, the motion be referred to SP&R.

3.2       At the SP&R committee meeting of 22nd September 2023, the Committee considered the motion and agreed that the request be considered as part of the Quarter 2 Financial Report.

3.3       The Quarter 2 Financial Report as presented to members at SP&R on 24th November 2023 highlighted the Q2 financial position and the forecast position of the council.  Members agreed that reallocation of forecast underspends be considered as part of the year-end finance report. 

3.4       The Committee’s attention was drawn to the motion calling for emergency funding of £50K to be allocated to West Wellbeing Suicide Prevention Centre which the Committee, at its meeting on 22nd September 2023, had agreed to consider as part of the Quarter 2 Financial Report.  It was noted that requests of this nature were dependent upon funding being available for reallocation and the Director of Finance pointed out that the Quarter 2 finance report, which had been considered earlier in the meeting, had indicated that none was available. The request would, therefore, be dealt with as part of the year-end financial report.

3.5       Subsequently information was provided to the Chair of West Well Being advising of the Discretionary Payments Fund that was being reviewed, and in January 2024 the application pack was sent directly to the Chair.  No application, or further correspondence, was received.

3.6       On this basis it was then recommend that the Notice of Motion was closed.  Subsequently, at the Council meeting of 4th March 2024, it was agreed that the Motion would not be closed and referred to SP&R committee for further discussion.

3.7       Members are therefore asked on how they wish this motion to proceed, either:

1.      Via the year-end reallocation process, which would be dependent on monies being available; or

2.      Via the Discretionary Payment Process which will open in June but will again be capped at £20k.

            As per any funding, either option would require due diligence to be carried out prior to funding being provided.

            Financial and Resource Implications

3.8       None at this stage

            Equality or Good Relations Implications /

            Rural Needs Assessment

3.9None.”

            The Committee agreed that the request be dealt with via the discretionary payments process.