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Subject: |
Youth Service Grants Commissioning Programme (1st October 2021 to 31st March 2025) |
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Date of Meeting: |
8th March 2021 |
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Report of: |
Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning |
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Contact Officer: |
Name: |
Debbie Corbridge |
Tel: |
01273 292953 |
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Email: |
deborah.corbridge@brighton-hove.gov.uk |
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Ward(s) affected: |
All wards |
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1. PURPOSE OF REPORT AND POLICY CONTEXT
1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide the Committee with a proposed Youth Service Grants Programme commissioning prospectus along with timescales for the re-commissioning process and request agreement to proceed.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS:
2.1 That the Committee notes and agrees the proposed Youth Service Grants Programme commissioning prospectus and timescales
2.2. That the Committee agrees that the Council commence the Youth Service Grants Programme re-commissioning process as outlined in the proposed timeline.
3. CONTEXT/ BACKGROUND INFORMATION
3.1 The current Youth Service Grants Programme is due to come to an end 30th September 2021 after it was agreed to extend the current Youth Service Grants Programme for a further 6 months
3.2 The current programmes annual budget is £400,000 (£250,000 from the Housing Revenue Account). £16,000 contributes to the ASPIRE database which enables users to manage their casework and report on outcomes.
3.3 The Youth Review Report was presented at the Children, Young People and Skills Committee on 14th September where it was agreed that:
Ø Neighbourhood provision should remain and not be impacted on if any future investment towards a central youth hub is agreed
Ø Brighton Youth Centre (BYC) is recognised as one of the key youth providers in the city and for the Council to decide how to support with its refurbishment or rebuild by exploring all options
3.4 The current Youth Service Grants Programme funding allocation is distributed as follows:
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Lot |
Annual contribution |
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Area 1: Hangleton, Portslade & West Hove Lead Provider – Hangleton & Knoll Project |
£79,000 |
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Area 2: Whitehawk and the Deans Lead Provider – Trust for Developing Communities |
£61,000 |
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Area 3: Moulsecoomb & Patcham Lead Provider – Trust for Developing Communities |
£88,000 |
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Area 4: Central Hove & Brighton Lead Provider – Brighton Youth Centre |
£99,000 |
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Equalities: LGBTU - Allsorts |
£19,000 |
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Equalities: BME - BMEYPP |
£19,000 |
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Equalities: Disability - Extratime |
£19,000 |
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Total |
£384,000 |
3.4 It was agreed at the Children, Young People and Skills Committee in November 2020 that the findings and recommendations of the Youth Review will inform the Youth Service Grants recommissioning process.
3.5 A project group, including officers from Procurement, Housing and Legal was set up to manage this process and have met regularly. This project group have reported to the Youth Cross Party Working Group.
3.6 The focus of the Youth Service Grants Programme 2021 – 25 is the:
o Council’s commitment to working in partnership with communities and the Third Sector to support young people via the provision of good quality youth services
o Findings of the Youth Work Review 2020
o Outcomes outlined in the National Youth Agency’s ‘Theory of Change for Youth Work’ 2018
o Delivery of the desired outcomes, building on the assets of the Third Sector, promoting enterprise and social value
o Recovery from the impact of Covid-19 on young people.
3.7 It is proposed that this is a 42-month grants programme, with an option to extend for a further two years, subject to an annual review, achievement of the defined outcomes and annual council budget setting in February of each year.
3.8 The total budget available for youth provision in the financial year 2021-22 is £250,000 from Housing, £303,200 from Families, Children & Learning; therefore, a total amount of £553,200 being available to commission youth services and smaller projects.
3.9 In 2020-21 £130,000 was available for the Youth Led Grants Programme, £16,000 was required to fund the data management system used to collate and monitor performance of the Youth Service Grants Programme and £10,000 to maintain and support delivery of services the Youth Bus (managed by Hangleton & Knoll Project).
3.10 To enable the 2021-25 Youth Service Grants Programme to increase the funding available to the three equality and four area lots, it is planned to redistribute £20,000 from the Youth Led Grants Programme into the Youth Service Grants Programme, leaving a total of £110,000 for smaller annual grants.
3.11 The total amount available for the Youth Service Grants Programme is £416,800 (see breakdown of funding below).
Youth Led Grants Programme £110,000
Youth events £400
Youth Bus £10,000
Aspire £16,000
Youth Service Grants Programme £416,800
Total £553,200
3.12 The funding for each of the four area-based lots has been apportioned based on the number of council tenancies and the number of young people aged 11 to 19 per area. This amounts to a 10% increase for Areas 1, 2 and 3 and a 16% increase for the three equality groups. As the Council is exploring investing in a Central Youth Hub that will provide city wide services to young people, the increase in the central area is less than the other three area lots (1%).
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Lot |
Year 1 (part) 1 Oct 2021 - 31 Mar 2022 |
Year 2 1 Apr 2022 - 31 Mar 2023 (subject to confirmation) |
Year 3 1 Apr 2023 - 31 Mar 2024 (subject to confirmation) |
Year 4 1 Apr 2024 – 31 Mar 2025 (subject to confirmation) |
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Area 1: Hangleton, Portslade & West Hove |
£43,450 |
£86,900 |
£86,900 |
£86,900 |
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Area 2: Whitehawk and the Deans |
£33,550 |
£67,100 |
£67,100 |
£67,100 |
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Area 3: Moulsecoomb & Patcham |
£48,400 |
£96,800 |
£96,800 |
£96,800 |
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Area 4: Central Hove & Brighton |
£50,000 |
£100,000 |
£100,000 |
£100,000 |
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Equalities: LGBTU |
£11,000 |
£22,000 |
£22,000 |
£22,000 |
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Equalities: BME |
£11,000 |
£22,000 |
£22,000 |
£22,000 |
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Equalities: Disability |
£11,000 |
£22,000 |
£22,000 |
£22,000 |
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Total |
£208,400 |
£416,800 |
£416,800 |
£416,800 |
3.13 The commissioning principles clearly indicate that project proposals need to:
· Tohave equality, diversity and inclusion embedded in their activities, governance and management arrangements with plans on how they will promote inclusion within their service
· Promote a culture of collaboration and joint working with all youth provision and specialist services that support young people, particularly around mental health, including council provided services
· Recognise the impact of Covid-19 on young people and support needs for recovery
· Commitment to increasing the participation and volunteering opportunities for young people, subsequently recognising and rewarding achievement
· Work alongside the Council to seek opportunities to bring organisations together to collaborate on cross-city strategic and operational projects which will improve outcomes for Brighton & Hove’s young people
· Work with the Council and young people to publicise the Youth Service Offer widely, using methods that young people will use
· Contribute to social, environmental and economic value in the city
3.14 The proposed timeline is as follows:
Tender issued 26th March 2021
Tender return deadline 14th May 2021
Evaluation panel 4th June 2021
Issue notifications to applicants 12th July 2021
Grant Agreement issued 14th July 2021
Projects start date 1st October 2021
3.15 The evaluation panel will consist of a representative from Housing, Communities Equality & Third Sector, Adolescent Service, Education and Skills and young people.
4. ANALYSIS & CONSIDERATION OF ANY ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
4.1 The findings of the youth review clearly indicate the value and need for investment in neighbourhood youth provision and equality programmes, therefore diverting £20,000 (15%) from the Youth Led Grants to the Youth Service Grants Programme is a practical solution to increasing the equality and area based youth service funding. The significant amount of £110,000 funding for the Youth Led Grants Programme remains (this was increase from £90,000 in 2019-20 to £130,000 in 2020-21).
4.2 The commissioning principles reflect the 2020 Youth Service Review findings and recommendations
4.3 Another option is for the Youth Led Grants Programme funding to remain the same (£130k) and reduce the proposed increase in Area and Equality groups funding proposed
5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & CONSULTATION
5.1 The findings from the recent Youth Review informed this commissioning framework; the review included several consultation events with young people and other stakeholders and an online survey for young people to complete.
5.2 Young people will be involved in reviewing and evaluating the bids.
6. CONCLUSION
6.1 The proposed Youth Service Grants Programme commissioning prospectus reflects the voice of young people, the Council’s priorities, the council’s commitment to working in partnership with communities, promoting enterprise and social value and addressing the impact on young people from Covid-19.
7. FINANCIAL & OTHER IMPLICATIONS:
Financial Implications:
7.1 The confirmed budget for Youth Service Grants in the financial year 2021-22 comprises £0.250m from Housing and £0.303m from Families, Children & Learning; giving a total amount of £0.553m available for the commissioning of youth services and smaller projects. There are no significant risks identified within the proposals detailed in this report other than the ongoing inclusion in the budget plans of £0.250m from Housing. Any future decision made by Housing which may impact on their ability to fund Youth provision to this level will need to be considered in the context of this report.
Finance Officer Consulted: Name David Ellis Date: 12/02/21
Legal Implications:
7.2 In making any decision about the commissioning of services for the youth of the city the council must have due regard to the relevant statutory guidance and legislation. Specifically the duty within Section 507B of the Education Act 1996 sometimes described as the “sufficiency duty” that the council “must, so far as reasonably practicable, secure for qualifying young persons in the authority's area access to—(a)sufficient educational leisure-time activities which are for the improvement of their well-being, and sufficient facilities for such activities; and (b)sufficient recreational leisure-time activities which are for the improvement of their well-being, and sufficient facilities for such activities.” It is not prescribed which services and activities for young people local authorities should fund or deliver or to what level. Statutory guidance is also explicit that local authorities must take steps to ascertain the views of young people and to take them into account in making decisions about services and activities for them. The report sets out the basis for the Youth Service Grants Programme re-commissioning process.
Lawyer Consulted: Name Natasha Watson Date: 25/02/21
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Appendices:
1. Draft Youth Service Grants Programme 2021-25 Framework