For General Release

REPORT TO: CABINET 20 FEBRUARY 2012

AGENDA ITEM: 13

SUBJECT: Scrutiny recommendations on Arts and Commissioning

LEAD OFFICER: Julie Belvir Council Solicitor and Monitoring Officer, Director of Democratic & Legal Services

LEAD MEMBERS: Councillor Steve Hollands, Chairman, Scrutiny and Overview Committee Councillor Jason Cummings, Chairman, Community Services & Safety Sub-committee

WARDS: All

CORPORATE PRIORITY/POLICY CONTEXT: The council constitution states that any recommendation of a Scrutiny and Overview Committee, or a Sub-Committee with delegated powers, that is directed to the Leader or Executive for response shall be made by way of a report summarizing the matter and setting out the recommendation to be considered.

FINANCIAL IMPACT: To be considered in a future report.

FORWARD PLAN KEY DECISION REFERENCE NO.: N/A

The Leader of the Council has delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out in the recommendations below

1. RECOMMENDATION

1.1 That Cabinet receive six Scrutiny recommendations on the arts and commissioning at this meeting and identify which officers should prepare the responses.

1.2 That Cabinet agree its response to the recommendation at the next meeting on 19 March 2012 or, if this is not feasible, the subsequent meeting on 23 April 2012.

241 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.1 This report conveys six recommendations from the Community Services and Safety Scrutiny Sub-committee meeting on 31 January 2012 following agenda items on ‘the arts scene now and in the future’ and ‘the voluntary sector and the council’s commissioning framework’.

2.2 Cabinet is asked to identify the officers who should prepare a response to these recommendations and to agree its response to the recommendations at the next Cabinet meeting on 19 March 2012 of, if this is not feasible, at the subsequent meeting on 23 April 2012.

3. CONTEXT

3.1 At its meeting on 31 January 2012, the Community Services and Safety Sub- committee considered the topic of ‘the arts scene now and in the future’, with a report and further information from Children, Families and Learners (CFL), contributions from four local organizations ( Halls, Mozart Players, and Young People’s Theatre (CRYPT) / Shoestring Theatre) and comments from the Cabinet Member, Cllr Sara Bashford.

3.2 At the end of this item, the Sub-committee recorded its recognition of “the wide range of artistic output in Croydon and its value to the borough and its economy” and agreed to make the following recommendations: (a) The council should look to allow the use of its various advertising media, including "Your Croydon" and the JC Decaux poster sites, to publicise arts events in the borough (b) The council should receive a joint business case for investment in the arts in Croydon and its potential impact on the economy, which Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, the Warehouse Theatre, CRYPT and CYTO are intending to prepare (c) The council should look at the application process for arts grants and simplify it considerably, enabling smaller groups to make successful bids for funding.

3.3 At the same meeting, the Sub-committee also reviewed the facts and opinions which had been provided by five local voluntary organisations (Croydon Voluntary Action, Off The Record, Welcare, Imagine and the BME Forum) at the previous meeting when considering an item on ‘the voluntary sector and the council’s commissioning framework’.

3.4 The Sub-committee noted its recognition of “the value of the social capital generated through the work of the voluntary and community sector in Croydon” and agreed three recommendations: (a) The commissioning process for the lowest levels of funding be dramatically simplified to enable smaller voluntary organisations to bid more easily (b) Additional weighting should be given to any bid, from the voluntary sector or any other sector that demonstrates potential for developing social capital within the borough (c) Whenever possible, the bidding process should not coincide with summer holidays, so that small voluntary groups, which may rely on one person with 242 fundraising skills, are not impeded by the timetable from bidding to provide local services.

3.5 In keeping with current practice for scrutiny recommendations to Cabinet, this report simply conveys the above recommendations to Cabinet and asks Cabinet to respond at a future meeting.

3.6 Templates for the Cabinet response on 18 March or 23 April 2012 are attached as Appendices 1 and 2.

4. CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION

4.1 The Council’s constitution states that:

8.02 Any recommendation of a Scrutiny and Overview Committee, or a Sub- Committee with delegated powers in accordance with 1.06 (iii) above, directed to the Leader or Executive for response shall be made by way of a report summarising the matter and setting out the recommendation to be considered.

8.03 If the report is to be submitted to the Cabinet or a Council meeting, it shall be presented to the next convenient Ordinary Cabinet or Council Meeting following the meeting of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee at which it resolved to make the recommendation. The recommendation shall be listed as an agenda item in its own right. At that meeting the Cabinet or Council will resolve that the report be received.

8.04 In considering any report from a Scrutiny and Overview Committee or Sub-Committee, where necessary the Cabinet shall receive at the same meeting a further report from the relevant officer(s) on the issues arising from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee’s recommendations.

8.05 The Cabinet shall make a response or an interim response to a Scrutiny and Overview report within 2 months of receiving the report or any other limit imposed by law if shorter.

8.06 In the event that the Cabinet accepts a recommendation, with or without amendment, from a Scrutiny and Overview Committee or Sub- Committee, the Cabinet shall agree an action plan for the implementation of the agreed recommendations and shall delegate responsibility to an identified officer to report back to the Scrutiny and Overview Committee or Sub-Committee, within a specified period, on progress in implementing the action plan.

Appendices 1 – Template for response on ‘The arts scene now and in the future’ 2 – Template for response on ‘The voluntary sector and the council’s commissioning framework’

243 CONTACT OFFICER: Scrutiny: Nigel Spalding, Scrutiny Manager, 020 8726 6000 X62669 [email protected]

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: None

244 Appendix 1

THE ARTS SCENE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

SCRUTINY RECOMMENDED CABINET ACTION PLAN AND ANY FINANCIAL RECOMMENDATION RESPONSE IDENTIFIED OFFICER IMPLICATIONS (To accept, reject or amend the (IF RECOMMENDATION recommendation) ACCEPTED) 1 The council should look to allow the ie Accept use of its various advertising media, or Reject including "Your Croydon" and the JC or Amend Decaux poster sites, to publicise arts And any details/explanation events in the borough

2 The council should receive a joint business case for investment in the arts in Croydon and its potential impact on the economy, which Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, the Warehouse Theatre, CRYPT and CYTO are intending to prepare

3 The council should look at the application process for arts grants and simplify it considerably, enabling smaller groups to make successful bids for funding.

245 Appendix 2

THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR AND THE COUNCIL’S COMMISSIONING FRAMEWORK

SCRUTINY RECOMMENDED CABINET ACTION PLAN AND ANY FINANCIAL RECOMMENDATION RESPONSE IDENTIFIED OFFICER IMPLICATIONS (To accept, reject or amend the (IF RECOMMENDATION recommendation) ACCEPTED) 1 The commissioning process for ie Accept the lowest levels of funding be or Reject dramatically simplified to enable or Amend smaller voluntary organisations to And any details/explanation bid more easily

2 Additional weighting should be given to any bid, from the voluntary sector or any other sector that demonstrates potential for developing social capital within the borough.

3 Whenever possible, the bidding process should not coincide with summer holidays, so that small voluntary groups, which may rely on one person with fundraising skills, are not impeded by the timetable from bidding to provide local services.

246