Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Adults and Health seeking approval to proceed with the proposals to  establish  new arrangements for Neighbourhood Network services provision when the current contractual arrangements end on 30th September 2018.

The Director of Adults and Health submitted a report which sought approval to proceed with the proposals to establish new arrangements for the funding, length of agreement and awarding mechanism for Neighbourhood Network services from 1^st October 2018.

Members welcomed the proposals and highlighted the crucial role played by Neighbourhood Network services across the city, with an emphasis being placed upon the need to continue to raise awareness of the valued work undertaken by those organisations.

Responding to an enquiry, the Board was provided with further information regarding the formula which had been used for the submitted funding proposals, and a Member highlighted the need to ensure that the funding arrangements for such organisations was regularly evaluated in order to ensure the sustainability of those organisations.

RESOLVED – That the following proposals be approved:-

(a)  To continue the contributory funding of Neighbourhood Network services for a further 5 years based largely on the current mapping of the city. This investment to commence on 1st October 2018 through to 30th September 2023, with the proviso to review the service prior to the expiry of the agreement and to seek approval for the continuation of the grant agreement for a further 5 years on a rolling programme. The formal approval process will be adhered to at the appropriate juncture.

(b)  To move away from the current contracting approach to long term grant arrangements based on core, central principles aligned with the Leeds Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-2021, the Better Lives Strategy 2017-2022 and Best Council Plan 2017/18. A fair, open and transparent competitive grants process to be utilised for the award of funding. This would be based 100% on quality, and the price for each Neighbourhood Network area will be set before going to market, as per the details within Appendix 2 to the submitted report;

(c)  To standardise the funding currently labelled as either dementia add-on or additional funding as core funding for those areas affected (16 in total);

(d)  To increase the overall value of the contract by a further £564,967 per annum, with the areas that currently receive the lowest investment seeing the greatest uplifts;

(e)  To engage on a case by case basis with current providers adjacent to unallocated areas of the city in order to redefine the boundaries to be covered by the funding allocation;

(f)  That Commissioning Officers (Adults and Health) engage in the work necessary to develop the funding agreement document and formalise how processes will be managed for the award of funding for the ensuing 5 year period covered by the submitted report, with these proposals being submitted to the Director for Adults and Health for approval before going to market to set arrangements in place.