Agenda item

RESOLVED to:

1.     Note the outcomes of the full report on the consultation responses and detailed analysis of the feedback in Appendix 3 and the Equality Impact Analyses in Appendix 4-9;

2.     Approve the recommendation to cease all existing discretionary grant funding arrangements set out in this report after 31 March 2025, totalling £1.106M;

3.     Note that £25,000 of funding would be retained in the CST budget to support the Council’s strategy and partnership objective; and

4.     Note that £25,000 of funding would be retained in the CST budget to support the Council’s equality objective.

Councillor Hart responded to the question Councillor Dixon had submitted prior to the meetingas follows:

“The consultation report is a summary and reflection of the feedback that the Council received during the consultation period, from those who engaged with the consultation exercise. The consultation report makes it clear that respondents told us that the sustainability and resilience of the voluntary sector would be affected. Most respondents to the consultation were affiliated with an organisation currently in receipt of funding, whether that be as a volunteer worker, person who draws on care and support or a member of the organisation. 

VCS organisations operate independently from the Council and should have sustainable funding models, managed by a board and a set of trustees. Charities usually utilise a range of funding sources and organisations should have strategies in place to adapt to any loss of funding across their business model. 

As the report states, the Council has considered a number of options to mitigate the effects of the Cabinet decision to withdraw grants funding. Not all options are appropriate in all circumstances, and the Equalities Impact Assessments have identified mitigations where possible. However, the Council must consider the suitability of these options whilst also recognising the need to meet its savings targets. 

As mentioned in the report the way in which organisations utilise these grant awards is complex and differs for each organisation. Each organisation’s financial structures, income streams and priorities vary significantly, thus we are not able to accurately determine how each of them will respond to the recommendations in the Cabinet Report. Whilst some have indicated that they intend to obtain alternative funding from other sources such as the National Lottery, others may choose to continue provisions but adopt a new approach. The report does make clear that the Council has other ways in which the most vulnerable can be supported through commissioned and directly provided approaches. These are designed to prevent, reduce and delay the need for more formal support.

The Council invests round £4m annually in preventative services which includes Carer support, Low Level Services, Home from Hospital, sensory services, dementia support and much more, which are often commissioned from the voluntary and community sector. Commissioning in this way is advantageous because services can be carefully designed and managed over a longer timeframe, looking at the needs of the whole Derbyshire population, whilst also incorporating full cost recovery including reasonable core/management costs.”

Councillor Hart went on to introduce the report that summarised the feedback from the recent consultation in relation to the potential cessation of Adult Social Care and Health and Corporate Services and Transformation discretionary grants and included the outcome of the equality impact assessments and recommendations regarding the allocation of discretionary grants. 

RESOLVED to:

1.     Note the outcomes of the full report on the consultation responses and detailed analysis of the feedback in Appendix 3 and the Equality Impact Analyses in Appendix 4-9;

2.     Approve the recommendation to cease all existing discretionary grant funding arrangements set out in this report after 31 March 2025, totalling £1.106M;

3.     Note that £25,000 of funding would be retained in the CST budget to support the Council’s strategy and partnership objective; and

4.     Note that £25,000 of funding would be retained in the CST budget to support the Council’s equality objective.