Bedford Borough Council Decision No
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BEDFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL DECISION NO. 1480 RECORD OF EXECUTIVE DECISION TAKEN BY AN EXECUTIVE MEMBER This form MUST be used to record any decision taken by the Elected Mayor or an individual Executive Member (Portfolio Holder). The form must be completed and passed to the Chief Officer Legal and Democratic Services no later than NOON on the second working day after the day on which the decision is taken. No action may be taken to implement the decision(s) recorded on this form until 7 days have passed and the Chief Officer Legal and Democratic Services has confirmed the decision has not been called in. 1. Description of decision To accept the receipt of a grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for the sum of £188,663.23 to support better co-ordination of existing English Language provision in Bedford Borough. 2. Date of decision 3rd August 2020 3. Reasons for decision To enable the English language co-ordination project to be undertaken. 4. Alternatives considered and rejected The alternative of not accepting was considered but rejected. 5. How decision is to be funded The project will be supported by the grant in the sum of £188,663.23 from MHCLG. 6. Conflicts of interest Name of all Executive members who were Nature of interest Did Standards Committee give a Did the Chief Executive give a dispensation for that conflict consulted AND declared a conflict of dispensation for that conflict of interest? (If of interest? (If yes, give details and the date of the interest. yes, give details and date of dispensation) dispensation). - 1 - The Mayor has been consulted on this decision Signed: Date: 3rd August 2020 Name of Decision Taker: Mayor Dave Hodgson This is a public document. A copy of it must be given to the Chief Officer Legal and Democratic Services as soon as it is completed. Date decision published: …3 August 2020……………………………………………………… Date decision can be implemented if not called in: …13 August 2020…………………… (Decision to be made exempt from call in………NO……..) - 2 - For publication Bedford Borough Council – Report to the Mayor Date – July 2020 Report by - Chief Officer Analytics, Insight & Performance Subject - Acceptance of grant funding from the ESOL for Integration Fund 1. Executive Summary This report recommends that the Council accepts a grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for the sum of £188,663.23 to reach into communities and groups of learners less likely to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) due to barriers and/or lack of motivation to learn English. 2. Recommendations The Mayor is requested to approve the acceptance of a grant from MHCLG from the ESOL for Integration Fund. 3. Reasons for Recommendations To receive funding into the Council to support a project for wider provision of English Language provision in Bedford Borough. 4. Key Implications (a) Policy The Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper in March 2018 for consultation and an Action Plan followed in February 2019. The Action Plan aims to “drive forward work across Government to create socially and economically stronger, more confident and integrated communities”. Enhancing English language skills is an important theme in the Action Plan. The funding and project will support the Council’s Corporate Plan goal (EC2) namely to ‘support people to learn and realise their potential in life’. (1) (b) Legal Issues There are no legal issues arising from this report. (c) Resource Implications Part of the conditions of the grant is that it is all spent by 31 March 2021. The grant application recognises each of the partners, of the local English Language Partnership (ELP), commitments to the project in terms of number of learners being supported and accompanying activities. Grant will be held by the Council and passed to partners via agreed contacts. There is no expectation of continued Council funding following the end of the grant period or direct additional resource requirements arising from this report. (d) Risk Implications There are no risk implications arising from this report. (e) Environmental Implications There are no environmental implications arising from this report. (f) Equalities Impact In preparing this report, due consideration has been given to the Borough Council’s statutory Equality Duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations, as set out in Section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. A relevance test for equality has been completed. This activity has no relevance to Bedford Borough Council’s duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; to advance equality of opportunity; and to foster good relations. An equality analysis is not 5. Details 5.1 In March 2018, the Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper for consultation. It set out the Government’s vision for ‘building integrated communities’ with a key theme of enhancing English language skills. In response to (2) the Green Paper, the Government launched the Integrated Communities English Language Co-ordination Fund as a new funding programme to help support activities that improve the co-ordination of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision. 5.2 MHCLG adopted a targeted approach to the funding and Bedford Borough Council was shortlisted as eligible to make an application. An application was submitted by Analytics, Insight and Performance supported by Children's Services (Early Help and Intervention) in October 2018. The proposal, which was to co-ordinate existing provision rather than developing and supporting additional services, set out our vision for the development of an effective local English language partnership to establish a Central Hub that will co-ordinate English language provision across the Borough. 5.3 £1m was available in each of 2018/19 and 2019/20 to fund up to 10 proposals. Following a rigorous assessment process, the Council was awarded a grant from MHCLG for the sum of £180,000. This was subject to a previous Executive decision (no. 1412 – 25 April 2019). The grant was intended to support the development of the ELP and more collaborative working by local partners. Effective and more coordinated working is now in place. 5.4 On Friday 6 March 2020 MHCLG announced the £6.5m ESOL for Integration Fund. The fund aimed to support up to 25 local authorities, to meet the English language needs of their communities. Bedford Borough Council was contacted by MHCLG and asked to apply to the fund. 5.5 The new national programme is described as delivering high-quality language teaching in familiar and accessible community locations and is designed to improve an individual’s connection to their local area and encourage social mixing with people outside their immediate community. 5.6 The Council submitted an application, which has been successful (in the sum of £188,663.23). Classes will be taught in a range of community settings, including places of worship and work. Provision will also include a range of ESOL club activities, linked to common hobbies/interest e.g. sewing, so that learning becomes more fun, interactive and appealing to the learner. The project will: • impact the learner and community by increasing their skills that will enable them integrate into society and access key services confidently and independently. • create a pathway for learners to progress into further education or/and improve their personal and economic wellbeing e.g. volunteering. 5.7 The proposal is based on existing partnership work of the ELP. The ELP was set up in 2019 to inform the development of the Bedford ESOL Advice Service, and was a direct result of the previous funding referenced above in 5.3. The ELP ensures local ESOL provision is effective and efficient. This new project will be delivered in partnership. Each partner will deliver their own project (3) with Bedford Borough Council leading on coordination and ensuring overall project delivery. The ELP partners, who are all existing local ESOL providers are: • Bedford College • Polish British Integration Centre (PBIC) • ACCM UK • Noah Academy • Kings Arms Project • 1MPACT The proposal will use the experience and expertise of ELP partners and local data collected through the Bedford ESOL Advice Service to target delivery of learners who are less likely to engage in ESOL, in locally appropriate settings. 5.8 The project submission recognised the current restrictions on face-to-face learning and classes. The proposal has been developed on the basis that social distancing measures will continue into the delivery period of the project. As such, following approaches piloted by partners, delivery of ESOL provision outlined in the project proposal is based on smaller class sizes and greater emphasis on online delivery. In addition, when teaching remotely, sessions will be shorter but greater in numbers. Those who require IT support, adequate help and guidance will be given at initial assessment. 6. Summary of Consultations and Outcome The following Council units or Officers and/or other organisations have been consulted in preparing this report: Management Team 7. Ward Councillor Views Not applicable for this report. (4) Report Contact Officer: Mark Minion, Chief Officer Analytics, Insight and Performance, email: [email protected] Joella Hazel, Manager for Strategy and Policy, email: [email protected] File Reference: Previous Relevant Minutes: None Background Papers: None Appendices: A: ESOL for Integration Fund Form Application (May 2020) (5) Unique Application No: EFIF: MHCLG USE ONLY ESOL for Integration Fund Application Form A fund to help local authorities meet the English language needs of their communities. Please email form to: [email protected] Applications must be received no later than 23.45 on 07 May 2020 Please include “ESOL for Integration Fund” and the name of your local authority in the subject line.