Chichester District Council
Issue

Issue - meetings

Commissioning of West Sussex Community Advice Service

Meeting: 08/01/2019 - Cabinet (Item 637)

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The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and to make the following resolutions:

 

(1)  That, subject to continued partner funding, the continuation of the Funding Partnership to commission a Community Advice Service across West Sussex for up to three years from April 2019 with West Sussex County Council as the lead authority be agreed.

 

(2)  That (a) authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Communities, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Services, to agree the specification and signing of the contract and (b) the annual monitoring of performance be delegated to the Grants and Concessions Panel.

 

 

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

(1)  That, subject to continued partner funding, the continuation of the Funding Partnership to commission a Community Advice Service across West Sussex for up to three years from April 2019 with West Sussex County Council as the lead authority be agreed.

 

(2)  That (a) authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Communities, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Services, to agree the specification and signing of the contract and (b) the annual monitoring of performance be delegated to the Grants and Concessions Panel.

 

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report.

 

This item was presented by Mrs E Lintill (Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Community Services).

 

Mr D Hyland (Community Engagement Manager) and Miss C Williams (Community Liaison Officer) were in attendance for this matter.

 

Mrs Lintill summarised the report with particular reference to sections 3, 4 and 5.

 

Mr Hyland and Miss Williams did not add to Mrs Lintill’s introduction.

 

Mrs Taylor and Mr A Dignum (Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Growth and Place) both emphasised the importance of continued funding for this vital and greatly valued service; Mrs Lintill pointed out that (as stated in para 8.1 of the report) CDC’s Grants and Concessions Panel was satisfied with the annual performance of Arun and Chichester Citizen’s Advice (ACCA).

 

Several members of the Cabinet expressed their strong support for the excellent work undertaken by ACCA, how funding for the service was one way in which CDC sought to support the vulnerable in its communities and their hope that West Sussex County Council would continue to fund the service beyond 2019-2020.   

 

Decision

 

The Cabinet voted unanimously to make the resolution set out below.

 

RESOLVED

 

(1)  That, subject to continued partner funding, the continuation of the Funding Partnership to commission a Community Advice Service across West Sussex for up to three years from April 2019 with West Sussex County Council as the lead authority be agreed.

 

(2)  That (a) authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Communities, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community Services, to agree the specification and signing of the contract and (b) the annual monitoring of performance be delegated to the Grants and Concessions Panel.

 


Meeting: 23/01/2018 - Council (Item 11)

Commissioning of West Sussex Community Advice Service

The report is at item 5 of the agenda for the Cabinet’s meeting on Tuesday 9 January 2018 (pages 17 to 20).

 

The Cabinet made the following recommendation to the Council:

 

That the availability of £74,000 per annum for up to two years to achieve a bridging contract with the existing provider for the Community Advice Service be approved.

 

Minutes:

The Council considered the recommendation made to it by the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 9 January 2018, as set out on the face of the Council agenda, the details in respect of which were contained in the Cabinet report (pages 17 to 20).

 

Mrs Lintill (Cabinet Member for Community Services) formally moved the Cabinet’s recommendation and this was seconded by Mr Dignum (Leader of the Cabinet).

 

Mrs Lintill summarised sections 3 and 5 of the agenda report and emphasised the importance of CDC continuing to support, subject to the funding arrangements, this very valuable service to all the county’s residents. It was very evident from the current usage level and Arun and Chichester Citizen’s Advice’s (ACCA) recent relocation to East Pallant House (EPH) that there was a great need for this service.

 

During the discussion Mrs Lintill responded to members’ questions and comments on points of detail with regard to (a) the numbers of clients now using ACCA in its new location in EPH (this would be ascertained) and (b) there was no indication that clients had complained or commented that the new location compromised confidentiality - there were separate consulting rooms to ensure privacy – or that they were choosing not to use the service at EPH. Members commended the excellent work done by ACCA. 

   

Decision

 

On a show of hands members voted in favour of the Cabinet’s recommendation with none against and no abstentions. 

 

The Cabinet’s recommendation was, therefore, carried.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the availability of £74,000 per annum for up to two years to achieve a bridging contract with the existing provider for the Community Advice Service be approved.

 


 

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