Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernote report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1        To update members on the Community Support Plan and associated timeframe to develop the funding programme contained within the Plan which was deferred by P&C Committee on 4thMarch 2025.

 

1.2        This report will outline a suggested way forward to undertake engagement with current funded groups and a public consultation on the overall Community Support Plan. 

 

2.0        Recommendation

 

2.1        Members are asked to:

 

i.      Note the contents of the report.

ii.     Note the March P&C committee report and appendices (appendices i, ii, iii).

iii.   Note the specific questions that are suggested as part of Stage 1 Engagement that was agreed at March P&C committee.

iv.   Advise if members are content that the proposal for one large funding programme as outlined in the draft CSP that will replace the current Capacity and Revenue grants and that this is consulted on in the coming weeks as Stage 2 of the process.

v.     Consider the options for what officers include in the public consultation process with regards to possible funding amounts and maximum limits for the Community Support Large Grants Programme. 

vi.   Agree that a detailed update on the 2 stage engagement process findings is brought back to SP&R Committee in June.

vii.  Agree that the June report should also include information on the programming, footfall and activity in our community centres, as well as the total cost for running each council and independently managed community centre.

 

3.0        Main Report

 

3.1        Background

 

            The background to the development of the new Community Support Plan is included in the following appendices;

 

                                    I.    March P&C Committee report

                                   II.    Community Support Grant options

                                 III.    Draft community support plan

 

3.2        The decision register from People and Communities March Committee states:

 

1.     Members did not agree a financial budget for 2025/26 year and requested that officers engage with 30 community organisations, already funded through CSP, to ascertain their current revenue costs.

2.     Members proposed to change the application assessment to complete by December 2025, and to change the timeline for Committee approval to January 2026;

 

            Following further political engagement officers are requesting that we complete the above two processes in tandem.

 

3.3        Stage 1 Engagement with Current Groups

 

Action	Date by
Engagement with selection of current grant recipients (sample of 30 across city, Capacity and Revenue grants) and collation of findings as requested by March P&C	April 25
Incorporate findings with public consultation findings and bring final draft CSP back to SP&R.	20 June 2025

 

3.4        Questions for Funded Groups

 

            During this Engagement with 30 Community organisations who are currently receiving either capacity or revenue grants we are seeking approval to ask the following 4 questions:

 

1.     How much were your running costs for 24/25?

2.     How much did you receive from Council for these costs in 24/25?

3.     How much did you receive from other sources for these costs in 24/25?

4.     What was the deficit you faced in 24/25 in relation to these costs?

 

            Officers will ask for evidence of the above information.

 

3.5        Stage 2 - Consultation

 

            At P&C Committee members changed the application assessment timeline to completion by December 2025, and changed the timeline for Committee approval to January 2026.

 

            Officers are required to complete a formal consultation process. However, due to the tight timeframe to complete the process for January 2026, we request that the consultation process is reduced from the recommended 12 weeks to 7 weeks (this will include Easter holidays).

 

            The consultation process will seek views on the following elements within the CSP:

 

·         One large community support grant for ongoing activity/programmes in community-based facilities that contribute to CSP outcomes

·         Small community support grant for projects that contribute to CSP outcomes

·         Community Support Plan Outcomes Framework

 

 

3.6        Funding limit options for consultation

 

            Members are asked to consider the options below and recommend one approach that will be used in the consultation documents.

 

1.     No proposed upper or lower limit financial information for a new funding programme.

2.     Include information on previous capacity (£50k) and revenue (£20k) and advise that this will be amalgamated into one large community support grant and ask for feedback on possible upper limits.

3.     Include a range of upper limit funding between £40 and £60k

 

3.7        Consultation Timeline

 

Action	Completion Date
Report to March SP&R seeking permission to carry out consultation on draft CSP plan	21 March 25
Stage 2: Consultation on draft CSP (following April Council ratification and call in)	14 April – 30 May 25
Consultation feedback reviewed, required changes included in draft CSP (3 weeks normally 6-8 weeks) and presented to SP&R committee	20 June 25
Final plan approved by Council (subject to call in)	1 July 25

 

3.8        Community Centre Scoping exercise

 

            Through recent Member engagement, officers have been asked to undertake an analysis of current council investment in council run community centre assets and bring this back to members as part of the overall work to develop the community support plan. 

 

            This analysis will include;

 

·         The cost of running each community centre and total amount across the city

·         The number of programmes that are delivered in each centre

·         The footfall / number of people who are using each centre

 

3.9        Presentation of Consultation, Engagement & Scoping exercise

 

            SP&R committee will receive a report in June which will outline the results of:

 

            Process 1 – Finding from the engagement with the 30 Organisations

 

            Process 2 – Finding from the consultation including the question around the protentional funding allocation.

           

            Process 3 – Findings from the Community Centre Scoping Exercise

 

            Members will be asked to review the above evidence and agree a final Community Support Plan and the financial amount which community organisations can apply for the new large community support grants and small grants.

 

3.10      Timeline for implementation

 

            Members should note that there are significant tight timeframes around the delivery of above, should these timescales be met, there will be further tight timeframes for implementing a new funding programme (see below).

 

            Members should note that there is no scope for delay in the current timescale if officers are to meet the deadline of December 2025 for completion of assessments to the new grant programme.

 

Action	Completion Date
Open call for application submissions (following call in period)	28 July
Submission deadline for application	26 September
Eligibility check applications by CGU	19 September – 17 October
Applications passed by CGU to Officers for scoring	26 September – 24 October
Officer Scoring (including internal Unit moderation panelling)	29 September – 28 November
CGU check of final recommendations and duplicate check	2 December
CGU Independent Assessment Panel	5 December
Committee Approval of awards	January 26

 

            Financial & Resource Implications

 

3.11      Staff and financial resources to complete this work will be taken from existing budgets. The council element is included in existing budgets and the DfC contribution comes from the Community Support Programme LoO.

 

3.12      The CSP LoO provides a one-year commitment from DfC for funding on an annual basis, although the CSP has been in place across all councils for a number of years. Members may wish to note that in 24/25 DfC is providing £831,192 toward the Capacity and Revenue grants. Council increased its financial allocation in March 2023 by almost £1.4 million per annum providing an annual commitment of £2,446,918. This combined amount provides the overall budget of £3,278,110.

 

3.13      A one off annual increase to the Revenue Programme totaling £1.5million was included for the 25/26 year.

 

3.14      Members should note that any increases to the recurrent budget would impact on the rate. These impacts would be approximately as follows for 26/27; £1m 0.45%, £1.5m 0.675%, £3m 1.35%, £4.5m 2.025%

     

            Equality or Good Relations Implications / Rural Needs Assessment

 

3.15      Given the significant impact which any changes to the large grant funding programme will have on the VCSE sector and communities across the city, an equality screening exercise and rural impact assessment are being undertaken on any resulting change in policy/programme.  Any potential additional equality considerations have been factored into the timeline.”

 

            The Committee:

 

i.      noted the contents of the report;

ii.     noted the report (and appendices i, ii, iii) which had been considered at the March meeting of People and Communities Committee;

iii.    noted and agreed the specific questions that were suggested as part of Stage 1 Engagement that was agreed at the March meeting of the People and Communities Committee;

iv.    agreed to the proposal for one large funding programme as outlined in the draft CSP that would replace the current Capacity and Revenue grants and that this be consulted on in the coming weeks as Stage 2 of the process;

v.     agreed Option 1 - No proposed upper or lower limit financial information for a new funding programme be included in the public consultation process with regards to possible funding amounts and maximum limits for the Community Support Large Grants Programme; 

vi.    agreed that a detailed update on the 2 stage engagement process findings be brought back to the Committee in June; and

vii.   agreed that the June report should also include information on the programming, footfall and activity in our community centres, as well as the total cost for running each Council and independently managed community centre.