DIRECTOR DECISION

Decision:   To award 2023/24 payments for on-going communities grant funding
Type of Decision: Director                                          Key							N	Non-Key
Portfolio Area that decision relates to:
Leader (inc Hsing)						Finance & Performance
Eco D & Community Eng						Culture, Leisure & Tourism
Environment						Education, Children & Y
Transport and Planning						Adult, Social Care (in PH)			x
Background The Communities team have a number of grants that are awarded on a re-occurring basis. These are proposed to be renewed for 2023-24 as follows: York Community Furniture Store Length of grant: annual Value: £9,940 Budget: General Fund Does this include an inflation uplift? No Monitoring arrangements: annual report and review meeting Brief description: To provide subsidised rates of secondhand furniture for people on means tested benefits York Older Person’s Assembly Length of grant: annual Value: £3,400 (with an additional contribution of £2,952 from ICS) Budget: General Fund Does this include an inflation uplift? No Monitoring arrangements: monthly meetings, annual report and annual review Brief description: to meet the council and Health’s interest in the group facilitating older people’s views in the city of York. Blueberry Academy Length of grant: annual Value: £4,100 Budget: Better Care Fund (Small Tasks at Home) Does this include an inflation uplift? yes, 2,5% Monitoring arrangements: Brief description: The service provides a trusted and supported service for frail people on low income to enable them to maintain their garden and therefore remain independent. The tasks are carried out by people with learning disabilities to provide  work experience opportunities. Community Bees Length of grant: annual Value: £12,100 Budget: Better Care Fund (Small Tasks at Home) Does this include an inflation uplift? yes, 2,5% Monitoring arrangements: quarterly reporting to BCF Performance and Delivery Group and annual report. Brief description: The grant funding enables Community Bees to initially provide a hoarding support service and build trust. If they then want a continued service they can choose to purchase the service after the first 6 weeks, although this is not designed as a permanent arrangement. Move the Masses Length of grant: annual Value: £41,000 Budget: Better Care Fund Does this include an inflation uplift? yes, 2.5% Monitoring arrangements: quarterly reporting to BCF Performance and Delivery Group and annual report. Brief description: To provide funding to enable the continuation of the Move Mates initiative so that people who would struggle to get out of their homes can get out and about with confidence. Ways to Wellbeing Length of grant: annual Value: £175,275 Budget: Better Care Fund Does this include an inflation uplift? yes, 2.5% Monitoring arrangements: quarterly reporting to BCF Performance and Delivery Group and annual report. Brief description: Ways to Wellbeing social prescribers provide a social prescribing service for secondary care services. Referrals are made by health professionals based in secondary care services that have a pre-agreed referral pathway with Ways to Wellbeing. The grant includes £12,000 to commission social activities to signpost to and £10,000 towards community transport.
Implications:  Crime & Disorder						Equalities		Other:
Human Resources						Legal		Highways
Financial				x		ITT		Property
Decision Date:		06/04/2023
Wards Affected: The scheme was open to all wards
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: These are all grants that are awarded on an annual basis due to the continual need. They are reviewed each year and remain both effective and relevant to our strategic direction. There has been no inflation uplift allocated to the budget for the grants in the general fund. Those grants that sit within the BCF have been awarded 2.5% inflation uplift. We continue to engage with the providers to ensure effective delivery for what are in-effect a grant reduction and recognise that this may result in a reduced offer if efficiencies cannot be realised. In addition to these initial decisions there will be two competitive grant offers: Small Tasks at Home and Community Wellbeing as well as an options report to recommend continued grant funding to Access Able. These will be submitted as separate officer decision reports. Decision: To award 2023/24 payments for on-going communities grant funding: York Community Furniture Store £9,940 York Older Person’s Assembly £3,400 Blueberry Academy £4,100 Community Bees £12,100 Move the Masses £41,000 Ways to Wellbeing £175,275

Decision Made by: Pauline Stuchfield, Director of Customer and Communities Contact Details: email: Pauline.stuchfield@york.gov.uk
On behalf of:  Pauline Stuchfield, Director of Customer and Communities
To be implemented by:	Carl Wain
On Completion – Signed off by: Pauline Stuchfield, Director Director of Customer and Communities		Date: 11/04/2023