OFFICER DECISION

Decision: To award York College £169k from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to run a project supporting young people at risk of becoming NEET in the Further Education system.
Decision Date: 25 April 2024
Type of Decision: Director                                      Key										Non-Key	X
Portfolio Area that decision relates to:
Leader (inc Corporate Services, Policy, Strategy & Partnerships)						Environment and Climate Emergency
Economy & Transport					X	Finance, Performance, Major Projects & Equalities
Children, Young People and Education					X	Housing, Planning & Safer Communities
Health, Wellbeing and Adults Social Care
Background / Decision Summary: York has been allocated £5.1m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver an agreed Investment Plan submitted in August 2022 and approved by Government in January 2023.  This Plan included funding to support over 16’s who are, or are at risk of becoming, economically inactive.  The York UKSPF Partnership Board have identified an emerging issue for young people who are in the Further Education (FE) system at York College and Askham Bryan College.  Young people in FE have moved from a school setting and may not have strong links with the teaching and pastoral staff at college, leading to a high risk that they might leave courses in the early weeks of an academic year.  This project seeks to address that problem by increasing provision for such people, training college staff in life coaching and mentoring, and providing opportunities for the young people to explore what might be their best options. Following discussion at the November 2023 York UKSPF Partnership Board, York College were invited to submit a proposal for a project, working with Askham Bryan College, to put innovative provision in place to help address these issues.  The Colleges presented their proposal to the Partnership Board at its April 2024 meeting and have received the support of the Board for their project. At its meeting on 12^th October 2023, CYC Executive agreed that the revised investment plan is implemented by extending the current delegation to the Corporate Director of Place in consultation with the Executive Member for Economy and Transport and taking advice the York SPF Partnership Board. In order to implement this project, a formal decision from the Corporate Director of Place is therefore now required to formally allocate £169k to York College from the 2024-2025 York UKSPF funding. .
Options Considered: Three options have been considered: · Option 1: do nothing · Option 2: commission a project through York College and Askham Bryan College · Option 3: run a competitive process to select a provider
Options Rejected: Option 1: do nothing – this is a recognised issue which the Partnership Board have expressed their desire to fund activity to address. Option 3: run a competitive process to select a provider – the success of this project depends upon working with young people already in the colleges, and its legacy will be changes to the mainstream provision in the two settings.  Procurement of a provider would both introduce a significant delay when there is limited time to put support in place, and require a third party to integrate with existing college systems, introducing additional and unnecessary costs for no clear policy advantage.
Consultation Process: The Executive Member for Economy and Transport has indicated his support for the project, and the funding allocation was included in the October 2023 executive report.  The York UKSPF Partnership Board gave their support for the proposal at their meeting on 18 April 2024.  Finance have been consulted and have confirmed that funding is in place in the UKSPF budget and the amount allocated in this decision matches what has been reported to and approved by Executive in October 2023. The Assistant Director Education and Skills has been involved in designing the provision, which is well aligned with the York Skills Plan. Procurement have been consulted and support the approach, for which a Grant Best Value Form has been completed. An Equalities Impact Assessment has been completed and shows a positive impact on equalities from the project.
Implications
Crime & Disorder					Equalities			X	Highways
Human Resources					Legal			X	ICT
Financial				X	Affordability				Property
Climate Change					Health				Other
Environment					Human Rights
Implications Contact:			Simon Brereton
Level of Risk: Acceptable
Wards Affected:
All Wards	X	Fishergate					Holgate			Rural West York
Acomb		Fulford & Heslington					Hull Road			Strensall
Bishopthorpe		Guildhall					Huntington & New Earswick			Westfield
Clifton		Haxby & Wigginton					Micklegate			Wheldrake
Copmanthorpe		Heworth					Osbaldwick & Derwent
Dringhouses & Woodthorpe		Heworth Without					Rawcliffe & Clifton

Comments/Observations: This funding under E33 is to establish new support for young people in Further Education who are at risk of becoming NEET. This delegated decision is now needed to make the allocation formal and enable a funding agreement to be put in place with the colleges to enable delivery from May 2024 onwards. The approach has been approved by Finance and Procurement. Decision: To commission York College and Askham Bryan College’s Futures Foundation 4U project, with York College as the accountable body, and allocate £169k from the York UKSPF Investment Plan (intervention E33) to the work.
Decision Made by: Neil Ferris, Corporate Director of Place Contact Details: Directorate of Place, West Offices Tel No: 01904 551448, email: neil.ferris@york.gov.uk
On behalf of:  Neil Ferris
To be implemented by: Simon Brereton
On Completion – Signed off by: Neil Ferris Corporate Director of Place	Date:  26 April 2024