Agenda item

An overview was provided to Members by the Business Improvement Manager around the Public Sector Commissioning in Partnerships (PSCiP)

PSCiP was aimed by recognising the potential of significant savings for all countywide partners involved in commissioning from the voluntary/third sector across Staffordshire

As part of the work Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council retained responsibility to determine the service it wants and was involved in shaping the service specifications/outlines linked to two relevant services to ensure that each met local needs

The first contract was awarded to Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent (VAST) to become the Borough’s local development and support organisation in May 2013.  Under this contract VAST offered capacity building support, funding advice, volunteering service and strategic support.  The cost of delivery for Newcastle was £12,000 per annum for an initial period of two years with an option to extend.  During the first twelve months of the contract VAST delivered 232 support sessions with local groups, hosted three dedicated Newcastle voluntary sector forums, organised a funding fair, held a volunteering event for volunteers week and several student volunteering events at Newcastle college

VAST produced quarterly reports for the agreed PSCiP contract but would be producing an annual position statement in 2014/2015 detailing the delivery for Newcastle Borough Council

VAST had opened an office adjacent to the Civic Offices in Merrial Street to support the delivery of services to local infrastructure organisations

The second contract was awarded to Staffordshire South West Citizens Advice Bureau in March 2014 at a total budget of £675,815 for debt, benefit, information and advice service.  The funded provision of £131,386 per annum from Newcastle Borough Council ensured delivery and access of a service to local residents as in previous years, remaining a collaborative approach from both CAB and Age UK for an initial period of two years with an option to extend

Due to the recent commencement of the contract a detailed report is not possible.  Members can be assured that a monitoring review meeting is scheduled for September 2014 and also local engagement by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Officers with the Newcastle CAB office to discuss progress of the contract is being undertaken.

A decision to extend the Infrastructure Support and Volunteering Service beyond May 2015 would need to be considered later in this calendar year

It was asked if there were any other options to extending.  The Business Improvement Manager advised that Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council could go back out to market, however, based on the very low budget from the Borough Council it would be unlikely that a comparable service would be received

It was also asked how many providers responded to the initial opportunity.  The Business Improvement Manager replied that whilst there were a high number of expressions of interest only two formal submissions were received

A Member expressed concern on the likely impact on Newcastle CAB when funding from ‘Public Health’ to deliver ‘Advice in Healthcare Settings’ in Stoke and Staffordshire Moorlands Bureaus ceased

The Business Improvement Manager reassured this decision was made outside of the PSCiP programme but that monitoring would be carried out quarterly and there would be on-going communication with Staffordshire County Council to see if the Bureau was performing at the existing level and what impact (if any) the cessation of funding for ‘Advice in Healthcare’ had on the workloads in the Newcastle CAB office. If this was found to be impacting on the delivery of the newly commissioned service concerns would be raised by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Officers at a future meeting

Three questions were addressed to the Committee by the Business Support Manager:-

1.   Is the information provided in the report sufficient for Members?

2.   Do Members wish to receive any further information and, if so, what information was required?

3.   Do Members have views on extending (or otherwise) the existing Infrastructure and Volunteering Service contract beyond May 2015?

RECOMMENDED:-

(a)            Question 1 above – That Members are supplied with a copy of the Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy

(b)            Question 2 above – That a further update be brought back to the Committee at a later date

(c)            Question 3 above – That Members are to raise any questions to the next meeting of the Committee on Monday 6 October 2014 with a view to indicating an opinion on extending (or otherwise) the current Contract

The Chair thanked the Officers for the work they had carried out