Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Health and Communities provided an update on the progress of the new funding approach and sought approval to consult on the proposals for the Council’s review of Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) infrastructure provision and sought approval to extend VCS infrastructure grants for a period of twelve months from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Cabinet had already approved proposals for the future approach and funding of VCS infrastructure support provision from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022.  A progress report outlined the new approach with providers and agreed a six-month extension to 31 March 2022, allowing for a full year’s monitoring using the new outcomes framework.  Cabinet had also agreed an additional £250,000 funding to ensure there was adequate VCS infrastructure in place to provide ongoing support to COVID-19 response, recovery and potential resurgence.

The Council had continued to progress the new shared approach provision across Derbyshire, underpinned by:

•     District level funding allocations;

•     New Service Level Agreements (SLA) on an organisation/district basis;

•     A comprehensive list of co-designed Key Performance Indicators;

•     Active and frequent engagement with providers through monitoring and partnership meetings; and

•     Regular meetings with Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The Council had also committed to ensuring a greater equity of provision across Derbyshire and was looking at ways it could make longer-term funding arrangements with providers however, it was not in a position to fulfil these, mainly due to the on-going nature of the pandemic.   Funding had been maintained at its current level and secured additional funding for providers.

Given the on-going nature of the pandemic and the sector’s role in providing a vital community response, it was recommended that all grant allocations were maintained at current levels until March 2023 (excluding additional one-off Public Health funding which was in place until 30 September 2022).  The total cost of infrastructure support was £452,228 - further details were set out in Appendix 2 of the report.

It was also recommended that Cabinet noted the following work to further develop and embed the approach and fulfil previous commitments:

•     Develop options for how the Council could allocate funding which ensured greater equity of provision;

•     Look at ways the Council could make longer-term, multi-year funding arrangements with providers;

•     Work with infrastructure providers to refine Key Performance Indicators and ensure the objectives in the shared outcomes framework are being met;

•     Work with funding partners to work towards a more consistent approach; and

•     Work with Derby and Derbyshire CCG through the transition to the new Integrated Care System to ensure understanding and commitments were maintained.

Updates on the continued development and future plans for VCS infrastructure provision would be reported back to Cabinet in due course.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet (1) notes progress of the Council’s approach to the voluntary and community sector infrastructure core provision and agree the additional work to further develop and embed the future approach; and (2) approves proposals to fund the voluntary and community sector infrastructure organisations totalling £452,228, from 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2023, as set out in the report.