Cabinet Agenda
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CABINET AGENDA Monday 21 November 2011 at 9.15 a.m. in Committee Room B, Civic Centre, Hartlepool. MEMBERS: CABINET: The Mayor, Stuart Drummond Councillors Brash, Hall, Hargreaves, Hill, Jackson, Payne, Simmons and H Thompson. 1. APOLOGI ES FOR A BS ENC E 2. TO RECEIV E ANY DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST BY MEMBERS 3. M INUT ES 3.1 To receive the Record of Decision in respect of the meeting held on 7 November 2011 (previously circulated) 3.2 To receive the Record of Decision in respect of the meeting of Emergency Planning Joint Committee held on 8 November 2011 (previously circulated) 4. BUDGET AND POLICY FRAM EWORK No ite ms 5. KEY DECISIONS 5.1 Voluntary and Community Sector Strategy & Compact and Community Grants Pool – Assistant Director (Community Services) and Assistant Director (Neighbourhood Services) www.hartl epool.gov.uk/democraticser vices 6. OTHER ITEMS REQUIRING DECISION 6.1 Hartlepool Borough Council’s Response to Car ing for our Future – Shared Ambitions for Care and Support – Consultation – Director of Child and Adult Services 6.2 Proposal for a Hartlepool Hearing Loss Strategy – Director of Child and Adult Services 6.3 Local Asset Backed Vehicles – Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods 7. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION/INFORMATION 7.1 Annul Report of the Hartlepool Safeguarding Children Board 2010-2011 – Director of Child and Adult Services 7.2 Quarter 2 – Council Overview of Performance and Risk 2011/12 – Corporate Management Team 7.3 Hartlepool Partnership Plan Quarter 2 (2011/12) Summary of Performance – Assistant Chief Executive www.hartl epool.gov.uk/democraticser vices Cabinet – 21st November 2011 5.1 CABINET REPORT 21st November 2011 Report of: Assistant Director (Community Services) and Assistant Director (Neighbourhood Services) Subject: VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY SECTOR STRATEGY & COMPACT AND COMMUNITY GRANTS POOL SUMMARY 1. PURP OS E OF REPORT Over the past few months a number of workstreams relating to the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) have been progressed across the Council. The purpose of this report is to bring together those workstreams and to ask Cabinet to agree how to take these forward. The report outlines proposals for the future delivery of the Hartlepool Compact, Voluntary Sector Strategy and the Community Grants Pool. The report also makes reference to the Council’s approach to funding the VCS and proposes a review of the Sustainable Procurement Strategy. 2. SUMMARY OF CONTENTS The report outlines a number of proposals for Cabinet to consider in relation to the Council’s approach to the Voluntary and Community Sector. It also sets out the background to the Hartlepool Compact, Voluntary Sector Strategy and Community Pool. 3. RELEVANCE TO CABINET The report outlines proposals which will affect how the council works with and supports the Voluntary and Community Sector within the Borough. 4. TYPE OF DECISION Key Decision (tests i & ii apply). Forward Plan reference numbers: 5.1 C abinet 21. 11. 11 Vol unt ary and c ommunit y sec tor strategy and c ompact and c ommunit y grants pool 1 HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL Cabinet – 21st November 2011 5.1 • CAS 95/11 Hartlepool Community Pool Grants Review; and • RN 96/11 – Hartlepool Voluntary & Community Sector Strategy and Compact 5. DECISION MAKING ROUTE Cabinet 21st November 2011 6. DECISION(S) REQUIRED Cabinet is requested to agree: (i) the proposed timetable for the preparation of the new Voluntary and Community Sector Strategy and Compact as outlined in appendix 1; (ii) the reduction of the Community Grants Pool budget for 2012/13 by £49,000 to £408,000 to support the bridging of the budget deficit; (iii) the five categories that will form the basis for allocating the Community Grants Pool as identified in section 6.2 and appendix 4; (iv) that allocation of categories 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Community Grants Pool will follow a commissioning process with further work to be undertaken to identify the outcomes expected through each category; (v) that no individual allocations for the categories be set at this stage but that a further report be brought once bids have been received for Cabinet to determine how much should be allocated to each category; (vi) that further work will be undertaken to determine the types of activity that will be supported through category 5 taking into consideration the emerging VCS Strategy and Compact, this will include how applications in this category will be considered by Grants Committee; (vii) to establish a commissioning approach for the Council which is based on the delivery of outcomes that will contribute to the Council’s priorities and revise the Sustainable Procurement Strategy to reflect this approach. Cabinet is also requested to note the intention of the Housing and Transition Portfolio Holder to establish a development group of his portfolio with elected members, VCS representatives and HBC officers to support the review of the VCS Strategy and Compact. 5.1 C abinet 21. 11. 11 Vol unt ary and c ommunit y sec tor strategy and c ompact and c ommunit y grants pool 2 HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL Cabinet – 21st November 2011 5.1 Report of: Assistant Director (Community Services) and Assistant Director (Neighbourhood Services) Subject: VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY SECTOR STRATEGY & COMPACT AND COMMUNITY GRANTS POOL 1. PURP OS E OF REPORT 1.1 Over the past few months a number of workstreams relating to the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) have been progressed across the Council. The purpose of this report is to bring together those workstreams and to ask Cabinet to agree how to take these forward. Workstreams have covered the Hartlepool Compact, Voluntary Sector Strategy, Hartlepool Borough Council (HBC) funding to the VCS and the Community Grants Pool. 2. BACKGROUND - HARTLEPOOL COMPACT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR STRATEGY 2.1 The Hartlepool Compact and Voluntary Sector Strategy (VSS) are currently two separate documents. However, the VSS recognises the importance of the Hartlepool Compact and its role as an implementation tool underpinning the VSS by setting out a series of clear codes of practice for statutory agencies and the voluntary sector to embed. 2.2 The Compact was developed through extensive consultation with public sector partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) in 2008. It was endorsed by the Hartlepool Partnership and Cabinet in October 2008. The Hartlepool Compact is a written agreement containing a series of codes of good practice for engagement that are designed to improve the relationships between the VCS and other organisations in Hartlepool. The Compact was signed by 16 statutory partners that work within the Borough. 2.3 The Voluntary Sector Strategy, jointly commissioned by the Council and the Primary Care Trust was developed by Peter Fletcher Associates. Again the process involved extensive consultation with the VCS and other partners in the Hartlepool Partnership. The VSS was endorsed by Cabinet and the Partnership in autumn 2009. The vision of the plan is as follows: There will be a thriving voluntary and community sector in Hartlepool that contributes fully to making Hartlepool an ambitious, healthy, respectful, inclusive, thriving and outward-looking community, in an attractive and safe environment, where everyone is able to realise their potential. To enable this, an outcome framework was developed. 5.1 C abinet 21. 11. 11 Vol unt ary and c ommunit y sec tor strategy and c ompact and c ommunit y grants pool 3 HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL Cabinet – 21st November 2011 5.1 2.4 The intention was that the two documents together would bring about a real change in culture and help both sectors to work together more effectively and provide better services. Both documents have an action plan to help achieve this and the work is overseen by the Voluntary Sector Strategy Implementation Group. The regular representation at this group includes Neighbourhood Management, Community Services, Corporate Procurement, Adult Education, Child & Adults Support Services Development and HVDA. Several achievements have been made towards the action plans. 2.5 Since 2010 there have been a number of changes introduced at a central government level which have implications for both the public and voluntary sectors. The Comprehensive Sending Review published in late 2010 saw in year cuts affecting contracts with voluntary sector organisations and the onset of considerable cuts across the public sector. Like many organisations, the partners signed up to the Hartlepool Compact are currently facing financial cut backs. This will make it more challenging to work towards some of the principles of the Compact; however, it is essential that the codes are still adhered to. In addition, the Community Network, which had an integral role in the governance arrangements for the Compact, ended in March 2011 and since then an alternative body has not been identified to take on this role. 2.6 The updated National Compact was agreed in December 2010, showing that there is still a commitment from the current Government to the Compact. The National Audit Office is currently carrying out a review to examine the implementation of the Compact, focusing on issues of accountability and transparency. The review will conclude on the implementation of the Compact across central government, identifying and then highlighting variations in practice and making recommendations for improvements; this is expected in late 2011. 3. PROPOSAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VOLUNTARY AND COMM UNITY (V CS) S ECTOR STRATEGY AND COMPACT 3.1 In light of reduced resources and the developing national government policy it is now felt timely for a more fundamental review of the Voluntary Sector Strategy (VSS) and Compact. In order to ensure clarity at the local level it is proposed to bring the Strategy and Compact together into one document that will clearly set out the relationship between the Local Authority and its public sector partners and the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS).