Agenda item

Report from the Assistant Chief Executive.

Recommendations:

1.    That approval be given to progress arrangements for VCS Infrastructure Services in Rotherham, including:

a.    The proposed model to be delivered through a standard SLA for three years commencing from 1 April 2024 and continuing to 31 March 2027, which is based on the findings of a co-design exercise;

b.    The recommendation that the funding amount of £378,000 is awarded as a grant to Voluntary Action Rotherham in annual payments of £126,000 to deliver the three-year SLA.

2.    That approval be given to progress arrangements for Advice Services in Rotherham, including:

a.    The proposed model to be delivered through a standard SLA for three years commencing from 1 April 2024 and continuing to 31 March 2027, which is based on the findings of a co-design exercise;

b.    The recommendation that the funding amount of £720,000 is awarded as a grant to Citizens Advice Rotherham and District in annual payments of £240,000 to deliver the three-year SLA.

Consideration was given to the report made recommendations for the next three years of Voluntary and Community Sector Infrastructure and Advice Services service level arrangements (SLA’s) for the period of April 2024 to March 2027. The recommendations incorporated the results of a recent co-design process and progressed the commitments as set out in the Rotherham Compact, building on experience gained through the current SLA’s. It also took into account local and national research and set out an aspirational strategic approach for the future of the Voluntary and Community Sector and Advice Services in Rotherham.

At their meeting on 21 September 2020, Cabinet gave approval to award two three-year service level agreements (SLAs) running from April 2021 to March 2024. One SLA was for Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Infrastructure Services, which was awarded to Voluntary Action Rotherham (VAR) and the second SLA was for Advice Services, which was awarded to Citizens Advice Rotherham and District (CARD).

The current infrastructure services SLA provided the following support to voluntary and community groups:

·       Writing a constitution

·       Managing Meetings

·       Registering as a charity

·       Developing financial processes

·       Applying for funding

·       Managing staff and volunteers

·       Having good governance arrangements

The current advice services SLA provided the following support to advice services:

·       Welfare benefits

·       Debt

·       Immigration

·       Generalist advice

If the proposals were approved, CARD would explore innovative ways to address the increase in demand in relation to advice on the cost of living crisis, including the potential for additional community advice venues across the borough and online advice from home, as well as video outreach to support digitally excluded clients.

For the VCS infrastructure SLA, it was proposed that there would be an ongoing asset-based approach, recognising that the sector added value to public services and to local communities. There would be an increased focus on bringing further investment into the borough, a renewed drive on sub-regional partnership working and additional work to address inequalities, in line with the Council’s ambitions.

The recommendations provided the grant approvals to enable the service level agreements to be progressed and for the services to continue without interruption to clients in the borough for the next three years.

Resolved:-

1.    That approval be given to progress arrangements for VCS Infrastructure Services in Rotherham, including:

a.    the proposed model to be delivered through a standard SLA for three years commencing from 1 April 2024 and continuing to 31 March 2027, which is based on the findings of a co-design exercise;

b.    the recommendation that the funding amount of £378,000 is awarded as a grant to Voluntary Action Rotherham in annual payments of £126,000 to deliver the three-year SLA.

2.    That approval be given to progress arrangements for Advice Services in Rotherham, including:

a.    The proposed model to be delivered through a standard SLA for three years commencing from 1 April 2024 and continuing to 31 March 2027, which is based on the findings of a co-design exercise;

b.    The recommendation that the funding amount of £720,000 is awarded as a grant to Citizens Advice Rotherham and District in annual payments of £240,000 to deliver the three-year SLA.