Agenda item

Voluntary Sector Service Level Agreements

Minutes:

Cabinet received and considered Minute OSC19/37 arising from the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) held on 25 November 2019 concerning voluntary sector Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

 

The OSC had considered each recommendation of the SLA Task and Finish Group in turn and in reaching their final recommendations, had taken into account the present financial climate as well as circumstances and conditions relating to each agreement.  In addition, it had been recommended that each proposed agreement be fixed for a four-year term (April 2020 to March 2024 unless otherwise stated) which would give the organisations funding certainty; a controlled termination or variation would be included in the agreements to ensure that any service could be stopped in six months should there be a failure to meet performance targets.

 

The recommendations of the OSC were considered in relation to the SLA for each of the following organisations: Hastings Advice and Representation Centre, Hastings and Rother Mediation Service, Rother District Citizens Advice Bureau, Rother Voluntary Action, Bexhill Museum, Action in Rural Sussex, Hastings Furniture Service and Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

 

With regard to the Rother District Citizens Advice Bureau it was recommended that the SLA be reviewed after two years with the submission of a robust business plan and assistance be given with sourcing and, if required, relocation to suitable premises within Bexhill Town Centre and further funding through Parish Councils be explored. 

 

It was also recommended that the Bexhill Museum’s SLA be reviewed after two years.

 

The OSC had also proposed that the core funding to the Hastings Furniture Service (£1,000) and Action in Rural Sussex (£1,000) cease and both organisations be encouraged to continue accessing other Council funding streams such as the community grants scheme for projects that would have an impact.  It was noted that the cessation of this core funding would not cause difficulty for either organisation.

 

Cabinet was keen to ensure that the organisations the Council supported and worked in partnership with embraced carbon neutral programmes and requested that the SLAs would be flexible to enable any resulting recommendations from the Council’s emerging Environment Policy to be incorporated. 

 

Cabinet acknowledged the important contribution of the voluntary sector and agreed that each organisation provided an invaluable service to the residents of Rother.

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

1)    the following four year Voluntary Sector Service Level Agreements be renewed (unless another term stipulated) from 1 April 2020, and subject to a six month termination clause:

 

a)    Hastings Advice and Representation Centre – £19,000 per annum;

b)    Hastings and Rother Mediation Service – £8,400 per annum;

c)    Rother District Citizens Advice Bureau – £85,000 per annum, to be reviewed after two years and:

 

i.      the Council assist the organisation with sourcing and, if required,         relocating to suitable premises within Bexhill Town Centre;

ii.    further funding through Parish Councils be explored; and

iii.   a robust business plan be provided for the two year review.

 

d)    Rother Voluntary Action – £38,000 per annum and grant applications be made to the Council for individual projects;

e)    Bexhill Museum – £8,500 per annum with a review after two years;

 

2)    the four year unrestricted contribution of £1,000 per annum be renewed from 1 April 2020 to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and details of how the funding is utilised be provided; and

 

3)    core funding to the Hastings Furniture Service and Action in Rural Sussex cease but that they are encouraged to continue accessing other Council funding streams.

 

(Councillor Brewerton declared a personal interest in this matter as she was the Council appointed representative to Rother Voluntary Action and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof).

 

(Councillor Coleman declared a personal interest in this matter as he was the Council appointed representative to Hastings Advice and Representation Centre and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof).

 

(Councillor Courtel declared a personal interest in this matter as he was the Council appointed representative to Rother Citizens Advice Bureau and the Hastings Furniture Service and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof).

 

(Councillor Vine-Hall declared a personal interest in this matter as he was the Council appointed substitute representative on the Hastings and Rother Mediation Service. and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof).

 

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