Decision details

7.1       James Lee, Head of Service, Culture and Community Development, presented the report to the Committee. During the discussion that followed, the following key points were noted:

·         The appeals process for the applications was still live at the time of the meeting.

·         There were no bids received from organisations to undertake the work around disabilities following the closure of Lewisham Disability Coalition. The funding had been held for when a group/s had been identified or came forward who could provide some of these services. This was therefore showing as an underspend until that had happened.

·         The recommendations for the grants totalled £2,562,102. Appendix 1 of the report would be amended prior to Mayor and Cabinet to ensure it was clear regarding the Better Care Fund funding for Age UK Lewisham and Southwark which did not form part of the Main Grants allocations.

·         Monitoring and governance was important. Members of the Committee heard that the formal monitoring process was the same regardless of the size of the grant received, however in practice communication between organisations receiving larger grants was much more substantial.

·         The governance structure of organisations could be monitored but it would not be appropriate for the Council to dictate how organisations should be governed.

·         The Council offered a range of support during and prior to the grants application process including workshops and telephone support to help groups who were interested in submitting applications.

·         Funding from the Main Grants Programme for refugee groups had increased overall despite the overall reductions to the available funding. Difficult decisions sometimes had to be made as to which specific organisations to fund where proposals were similar.

·         Previously the appeals process had been challenging for some organisations. Changes had been made to ensure the guidance and process was clear.

·         £35,000 was specifically put aside for a bid around funding for a group providing coordination and advocacy for disabilities groups. There was also an additional £15,000 available as a contingency should there be a specific proposal where there was a need for more money.

·         Learning from past experiences was important in terms of governance, monitoring and the overall process.

·         The Advice Lewisham Partnership was taking on the immediate advisory role that had previously been delivered by Lewisham Disability Coalition.

·         The Council was looking at setting up an Accessibility Coalition working with stakeholders and the local community.

7.2       RESOLVED:

That the report be noted. (see also item 11 for referral on this matter)