Issue - meetings

The Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director – People which indicated that the Government had introduced major changes to the welfare environment through the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and that from April 2013, elements of the discretionary Social Fund budget – Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans would be devolved to upper tier authorities who would then be able to determine how the funding was spent.

The report also set out proposals for the utilisation of the two year funding in Sefton.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

Decisions Made:

(1)       the contents of the report and the options for delivering a Crisis Fund in Sefton, be noted;

(2)       the available grant and the associated expenditure be included in the 2013/14 budget;

(3)       a local scheme be established in accordance with the principles set out in Section 6 of the report;

(4)       approval be given to the utilisation of a proportion of the grant available to establish a number of posts to deal with additional administration and to develop the Voluntary, Community, Faith (VCF) Sector in respect of alternative support; and

(5)       that a reference group comprising of the Strategic Director – People, in consultation with the Cabinet Member – Children, Schools, Families and Leisure, Cabinet Member – Older People and Health and Cabinet Member – Communities and Environment be given delegated authority to allocate £200,000 of the Social Fund to enable resilience and capacity in our communities.

Reasons for Decisions:

To enable the utilisation of the discretionary Social Fund budget – Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The Council does not have to produce a Crisis Scheme.