Agenda and minutes

Noted.

a) Commissioning Body 18 March 2010 and matters arising

b) Core Strategy Development Group (there was no meeting in May 2010)

The minutes of the meeting of the Commissioning Body held on 18 March 2010 were agreed as a true record.  Matters arising were dealt with as appropriate.

report by Mrs Angela Slaven – Director of Youth and Community Support Services, Communities)

 (1)      The core strategy development group (CSDG) provides the Commissioning Body with recommendations relating to the strategic direction of the programme. The programme is also provided with a commentary on its strategic direction by the Executive Board of providers, the East and West Kent provider forums and the Service User Panel.

(2)       The time now seemed right to review the role and function of the CSDG and for this to be undertaken by a Task and Finish Group drawing its membership from the CSDG and the Commissioning Body as well as Service Users and Providers. The intention was to commence this work immediately and report again to the Commissioning Body at its meeting in September.

(3) The Commissioning Body agreed to the undertaking of a review of the Core Strategy Development Group and noted there would be a further report to the meeting in September.

report by Mrs Angela Slaven – Director of Youth and Community Support Services, Communities)

(1)       The report presented the Kent Supporting People Strategic Review of Investment for the period 2010-2015. The report set out details of current investment and potential future investment levels and noted these would depend on the level of area based grant received from the Communities and Local Government Department.

(2)        Because of the prevailing funding uncertainties some financial modelling had already been undertaken based on possible grant reductions to the Programme of 13% and 20%. However it was not at this time possible to predict with any real accuracy what exact percentage reduction would need to be applied. However for this current financial year a grant reduction had already been made by the Government to the administration grant which amounted to £735k.

(3)       Angela Slaven said the grant reduction in administration costs had only very recently been announced and was a direct consequence of the wider in year reductions in grants which the government had made. The immediate effect was that the funding for the Kent Supporting People Team was now in jeopardy and therefore it was proposed that the funding for the Supporting People Programme Team should be met from reserves. Subsequently consideration would need to be given to a proportion being found from the main grant to enable the Supporting Programme to be administered. This would be proportionate to the level of grant funding received by the County Council from Central Government via area based grant.

(4)       During the course of discussion several members of the Commissioning Body expressed their concern that whilst they understood the funding dilemma which the grant reduction to administration costs had presented, nonetheless there should have been some prior notification and a brief assessment submitted to the meeting so that members could have had some form of analysis before them showing what effect the grant reduction would have on the administration of the Programme, not just over the next few months but into the longer term.

(5)       Mr Hill said that the circumstances were such that this reduction had to be dealt with now and he believed the best way was to deal with that through the use of reserves in order to prevent the work of the Supporting People Programme slowing down or even possibly coming to a halt. The situation was therefore urgent and had to be dealt with as such. Having said that he agreed that how this shortfall in grant would be met into the medium term had to be fully assessed. He also agreed that until those decisions were taken then the call on the reserves would need to be shown as an over spend.

(6)       On this basis The Commissioning agreed:

(a) that the reductions made in the Supporting People administration grant should for the immediate future be met through the use of reserves and that this should be shown as an overspend.

(b) there would be a report to the meeting of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

7  – report by Mrs Angela Slaven – Director of Youth and Community Support Services, Communities

(1)       This report presented a detailed summary of the discussions that had taken place in order to address the concerns expressed by members of the Commissioning Body and others in relation to the Strategy and its implementation. The outcomes from those discussions with individual Council’s and key stakeholders had proved to be helpful and informative and had been incorporated into the final amended draft of the Kent Five-Year Supporting People Strategy 2010-2015. The draft strategy was consequently approved. It was also said and agreed that the financial position of the programme was likely to remain uncertain for some time and there was therefore a need to keep the budget under close review

(2)        The Commissioning Body

(a)       Agreed the draft strategy; and,

(b)       noted the Supporting People Programme would be submitting  the draft Annual Plan 2010-11 to the Commissioning Body at its meeting in September 2010

(1)       Cllr Mrs Anderson said that attendance at this meeting had been disappointing and she reiterated her view that representation on the Commissioning should be at elected member level. Mr Hill said he would write to the District Councils and emphasise the importance of the matters which would be coming to the Commissioning Body at its meeting in September.

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

EXEMPT ITEMS

(During these items the meeting is likely NOT to be open to the public)

(1)       The next meeting of the Commissioning Body will be held on Tuesday 21 September 2010 at Sessions House, County hall commencing at 10.00 AM

(2)       It was agreed that the meeting scheduled for 16 December 2010 should be re-arranged. Two alternative dates in January 2011 were under consideration these being 6 January and 20 January and final details would be sent to members as soon as possible.