Decision details

Leeds City Council has received £10.4m, from the Government, to support the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding is a one-off contribution, for the 2020-21 financial year, and is non-recurrent.

£150k of funding is to support proactive and preventative evidence based measures, in the fight against the pandemic. As part of this allocation, a budget has been identified for measures that support the development of prevention projects in 6 wards with high levels of clinical and social vulnerability as part of the Public Health response to COVID-19:-
To provide grant funding to 3rd sector providers to deliver key projects in the wards identified as having high levels of clinical and social vulnerability and to provide support to communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected older people, those living with long term conditions and those living in more deprived communities. As highlighted in the Marmot Review Build Back Fairer, inequalities in social and economic conditions before the pandemic have contributed to the high and unequal death toll. It also highlighted the need to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on health and health inequalities and on the social determinants of health.

This approach to funding projects to support communities identified by overlaying The British Red Cross vulnerability matrix with IMD data to identify the wards with the MSOAs of most vulnerability. This provided the list of 6 wards:
- Killingbeck and Seacroft
- Hunslet and Riverside,
- Middleton Park,
- Gipton and Harehills
- Armley
- New Farnley.

Working through strong pre-COVID-19 networks with ward members, LCPs, Primary Care Networks, communities team, projects were identified and have been discussed with the Proactive, Prevention and Place (3P’s meeting). The organisations and partnerships which will deliver the projects are all connected to local communities and have been part of the local response to COVID-19. These projects will meet local gaps in support for communities where there are the highest levels of clinical and social vulnerability.

The projects which will be delivered are listed below with an outline of the project. The providers who will be delivering the projects are part of local partnerships and are working closely with the community to have identified the needs. It is essential that Providers have experience and trust within communities in order to deliver these programmes effectively and immediately. Many have been working with the communities both before and during the pandemic and have been able to identify where the gaps are but will also identify future opportunities to engage and support individuals, families and communities. All of the providers are well supported by local partnership infrastructures such as LCPs, PCNs, 1% priority neighbourhoods etc. where strong links will be made to ensure that the projects are well co-ordinated and supported.
Gipton and Harehills – SPACE 2 (in partnership with Zest, The Old Fire Station, Health watch Leeds, People in Action, Shantona Women’s and Family Centre)– grant of £25,000

Project - We’ll Come to You - Support and Prevent
By working directly in the areas known to us to be the most hard hit economically, physically and emotionally by the pandemic we aim to take the Prevention message and Supportive activities out to the community.
Using insights gathered throughout our delivery during the pandemic we will respond to what we know to be local need, by using a van to take staff and our volunteers (known to and trusted by the communities of Gipton and Harehills, activity and support directly to the streets, on a weekly basis – this will take the form of:
- make a film "talking heads" to record local people's feelings
- provide extra support and resources for people with learning disabilities
- Start to use insight to start the development of a 5 year community led recovery plan from COVID-19 to support people through the long term effects of the pandemic.

Space 2 will manage the project, however the delivery plan is based on a partnership approach working with organisations who delivery other services in the ward and have a steering group established to manage the ongoing delivery. The organisations are embedded closely with local strategic partnerships such as the NIP and are also delivering the COVID-19 food hub and are part of the local Connect and Support scheme.

Killingbeck and Seacroft - LCC Communities and Environments – grant of £15,000
Project - Health Inequalities and Digital Inclusion worker
Partnership approach working with local ward members to support the employment of an ABCD worker. The role will identify needs or gaps in the community and work across partners to identify solutions and interventions. They will work closely with Social Prescribers, third sector organisations, GP practices and local residents and will contribute to the Leeds Outbreak Plan by offering a local intelligence opportunity with a Seacroft lens.

The second main purpose of the role is to recruit, train and support volunteers or Community Health Champions to work in their communities with the aim of supporting the delivery of groups, activities and projects that improve the health and wellbeing of their family friends and neighbours. This funding will provide a specific focus to being engaged with COVID-19 prevention including the delivery of COVID-19 interventions and identifying key community residents who can support the outbreak plan at a local level.

Killingbeck and Seacroft - LS14 Trust – grant of £10,000
Project - LS14 Trust - meeting the needs and engagement with local residents and partners around the support during and after the pandemic
Work with local volunteers and community champions to influence local messages to support the community to access testing, engage with the vaccination programme. Increase engagement with local residents groups to localise key messages and make them meaningful to residents.

Support the delivery of the vaccination programme through a community development model, engaging and empowering the community
Work with existing community members who are engaging with the community hub to identify ways to support families both in relation to prevention but also the impact of COVID-19. Develop local community volunteers to support with COVID-19 programmes such as vaccination rollout, testing and provide meaningful insight to support the strategic direction of the programmes
Support families with extra support who are regularly using the hub for support and identify opportunities to support them during and after the pandemic.

LS14 Trust are a well-respected organisation in the local area and are well connected to other organisations. Through their engagement with the Boggart Hill core group, delivery of the COVID-19 Food Hub as well as delivery of other services which support the Seacroft community they are well known, trusted and respected. LS14 Trust also work closely with other organisations in the area and are closely linked to the Seacroft Local Care Partnership where their organisation has demonstrated the impact that can be made.

Hunslet and Riverside – Hamara – grant of £24,770
Project - Creating digital access opportunities for low income families
Identification of digitally excluded households through attendance at foodbank. Households invited to access digital training to upskill and enable use of the wellbeing offer and employment support opportunities available at Hamara. Hamara are very well known and trusted organisation in the area with the personnel and internal infrastructure in place to reach out to culturally diverse families and deliver a programme requiring ongoing linkage into other projects and support. Remote training licence procurement will enable delivery of digital sessions. Participating households will receive a tablet, data and be linked into the digital training. If expressed the household may also receive vouchers to pay for fuel.

Middleton - Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation – grant of £24,770
Project - Creating digital access opportunities for low income families
Identification of digitally excluded households through tenant management survey. Households invited to access digital training to upskill and enable use of the wellbeing offer, TMO services and employment support opportunities available at BITMO. Remote training licence procurement will enable delivery of digital sessions. Participating households will receive a tablet, data and be linked into the digital training.

Armley, Farnley & Wortley - New Wortley Community Centre – grant of £25,244
Project - Connecting-Armley-Connecting New Wortley
The “Connecting” model aims to utilise IPad as an asset in the local community by providing virtual access to a wide range of local support services. Through the partnership working with the delivery partners this provided access to support workers from New Wortley Community Centre, Armley Helping Hands, Barca, Leeds City Council and other Council or third sector organisations.

Aims and objectives

The “Connecting” model aims to utilise Ipads as an asset in the local community by providing virtual access to a wide range of local support services. Through the partnership working with the delivery partners this provided access to support workers from New Wortley Community Centre, Armley Helping Hands, Barca, Leeds City Council and other Council or third sector organisations.

Aims

Improve digital inclusion levels in New Wortley and Armley
Reducing barriers of access
Improving confidence, skill levels and motivation around the use of technology
Supporting local residents in accessing COVID-19 information for approved sources
Developing relationship with local residents to engage with project and wider local services

Objectives

Connecting individuals with those in their community through the creation of peer support groups
Accessing benefit and housing support through Customer Services
Accessing tailored employability support from Job shops
Engaging with individuals who have been isolated due to the impact of COVID-19

Delivery Model
IPad will be purchased from 100% Digital Leeds, this allows for remote access and disablement of the devices if they should be misused or lost and is successful delivery model. Each device will then be lent to the participant for a fixed term loan period, the participant will meet with the NWCC support team at the Community Centre to identify the best use of the device to create a bespoke programme of support groups, courses, activities and information sources. The participant will also be offered IT support to use the device fully and develop their digital skills and improve their confidence. At the end of the loan period, the IPad is then wiped of any existing data and re-loaned.
As each loan period is unique to the participant, this creates a legacy to the programme that is this beginning of their journey in learning digital skills and developing connections with the local community which is then replicated through each cohort. Through the development of these community connections, we are able to build more resilient communities and broaden the reach of public health messaging.
The support of 100% Digital Leeds is guaranteed throughout the project, offering both digital champion training to New Wortley Community Centre and local volunteers in additional to 1-1 support for all participants throughout their loan period or any subsequent devices.
Recruitment of participants
Participants will be recruited from the local community in a number of ways
• Engagement with New Wortley Community Centre’s Outreach Workers
• Engagement with Armley Helping Hands , Barca, TVC, One You Leeds
• Contact with Local Housing Officers
• Social media advertising
• Promotion from local GP’s and the social prescribing team
Evaluation
• Tracking engagement in support groups, activities and programmes for each participant
• Improvement in health and wellbeing through wemwebs scoring
• Employability outcomes –moving into work or volunteering
• Reducing in social isolation through participation in peer to peer support groups
• Increased participating in COVID-19 testing and vaccination due to improve access to public health messaging.
motion in the community through initial cohort of participants

Armley, Farnley & Wortley - Armley Helping Hands & LCP partners – grant of £10,441
Project - Listening Room
Virtual Listening Room, supporting isolated residents, linking them to eventual face to face support, skills and exercise. Armley Helping Hands have established a small scale test pilot of the listening room project which has proved very successful. Armley Helping Hands have a dedicated men’s work and adept at work of this nature. They have excellent community links and network to promote and engage with their target audience. The organisations is well linked to local partnerships and had a proven record for the delivery of projects. Consultation was undertaken in June 2020 with older men and results highlighted the major challenged faced by the community such as loneliness and lack of social interaction. The listening room was developed to provide a place for men to meet in a non-judgemental arena to discuss problems and allow for signposting where relevant. Armley Helping Hands has been involved in the delivery of programmes working with older men and know that there is a high number who feel disconnected from their families, lonely, un-employed and feeling particularly isolated and purposeless. Many simply have no family, friends or relatives they can talk to. We also know there is a large amount of robust peer reviewed academic evidence of this problem in the surrounding area. Therefore providing this space for the community to discuss issues around COVID-19 and the impact this has on them is extremely beneficial.


Armley Helping Hands have already evaluated the project and have proved its worth locally. This funding allows the opportunity to grow the project and offer this service to more men living in the area through digital means where they do not feel comfortable to access the centre and also currently due to lockdown restrictions.


Delivery Model
The Delivery Model will be online using a website that will be bespoke and designed for ease of use. The videos will initially be live streamed in real time and then stored with links that will allow men to access them any time they want. The listening room will be opened from 2 days a week to 4 days and we will have a virtual listening room which will also run out of office hours to enable men who are working the time to access the service if they require it. We will advertise the website using our own social media platforms and working closely with the local GP practices and adult services in the areas. We will also open a Facebook page and twitter account to enable us to grow our own following.

Armley, Farnley & Wortley - TCV & Volunteers – grant of £8,625
Project - Talking Sheds
Talking sheds will build wellbeing and develop team skills over an 8-week period. The project will consist of build a shed from pallets on an allotment. Future “a practical group project need on a plot” Share a communal lunch (to be COVID-19 Secure) and having a facilitated discussion (Mindful etc.) in the afternoon.

TCV are part of local partnerships and have delivered projects in the area and are well connected to local services and understand the needs of the local community. The project has been developed in response to local need with the high levels of older men who are in need of support

Farnley and Wortley - Family Learning Team and Farnley Children’s centre (a LCC service) – grant of £2,400
Project - Treasure Books-Family Learning during COVID-19
Provide “first step “education engagement activities for parents/carers whilst children centre provision remains limited using the book Going on a Bear Hunt. Offer mental health support activities to parents/carers. Offer opportunities for parents/carers/children to work together to improve speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Armley, Farnley & Wortley - TCV & Volunteers – grant of £3,750
Project – TCV - Wildlife Walks
Responding to the need for opportunities to provide socialisation between people who have become isolated during the pandemic. Making use of the beneficial properties of being outdoors and taking notice of wildlife and landscapes, taking advantage of being outside making it easier to achieve social distancing and avoiding infection.

Helping some build confidence to go exploring on their own or with people they meet through the group and thus creating some enduring benefits.
The proposal is based on past effectiveness and continuing demand for existing groups run in other areas. Use demonstration of online wildlife ID and walk route planning as a means to show digitally excluded people what they are missing, and 100% Digital Leeds have offered to drop by to do Face to Face introduction of their serve (tablet loan etc.) to help bring some more people to digital services where they lack device/skills/means to afford.

TCV are part of local partnerships and have delivered projects in the area and are well connected to local services and understand the needs of the local community. The project has been developed in response to local need with the high levels of older men who are in need of support

As the Council would be entering into grant arrangements with the above named organisations, the Council will have no contractual control over enforcement of the terms. The only sanction available with grant payments is for the Council to claw-back grant monies unspent. However, this is balanced by the opportunity for creative approaches to be developed making use of the flexibility of the grant; and for added value to be obtained.


There is a risk of challenge that the grant payment is not a grant. Legally there is some confusion about when a grant can and cannot be used as there is a fine line between a grant (which is not caught by the procurement rules) and a contract for services (which is caught by the procurement rules). The preamble to EU Procurement Directive 2014/24/EU makes it clear at paragraph (4) that “the mere financing, in particular through grants, of an activity, which is frequently linked to the obligation to reimburse the amounts received where they are not used for the purposes intended, does not usually fall within the scope of the public procurement rules”.

Funding from which any grant payment is made must be designated as “grant” money. If the Council wish to make a grant, the money must be in the “grant” block. If it is not, it can normally be moved from other blocks in the Council budget into the grant block.


Awarding the grants to the named organisation in this way could leave the Council open to a potential claim from other providers, to whom this grant could be of interest, that it has not been wholly transparent. However the risk of this would appear to be low.


As this is a grant it is not subject to the council’s Contracts Procedure Rules or within the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 but good practice and transparency will be observed throughout.


There is no overriding legal obstacle preventing the award of the grants and the contents of this report should be noted. In making their final decision, the Director of Public Health should be satisfied that the course of action chosen represents best value for the Council.


As this decision is a consequence of a previous key decision dated 11th December 2020 (D52580) under the special urgency rule, each separate decision at most, should be an admin decision but for clarity a significant operational decision for the entire report and not be subject to call-in.