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Agenda item

Housing Support Grant Delivery Plan 2021-22

Minutes:

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change presented a report, in order to:

 

          Update members on the Housing Support Grant Delivery Priorities for 2021-22;

 

          seek approval to waive the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules in accordance with Contract Procedure Rule 3.2.9.3 for two existing Housing Support Grant funded contracts;

 

          seek approval to use the Housing Support Grant allocation to continue service delivery for the Phase 2 low level supported accommodation project, effective from 1st April 2021;

 

          suspend the relevant parts of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules with regards to the requirement to tender for a contract and agree for the Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change to enter into a contract with Pobl, in order to continue service delivery of an existing supported accommodation project;

 

          seek approval to offer an uplift of up to 5% in the contract value of all existing Housing Support Grant funded contracts that BCBC has with third sector housing related support providers, effective from 1st April 2021, on the basis that any actual uplift directly materialises in improved terms and conditions of the workforce.

 

She advised that the Welsh Government Housing Support Grant (HSG), came into being in April 2019, following the Welsh Government funding flexibilities pathfinder project. It brought together three former grants - Supporting People Programme, Homelessness Prevention Grant and Rent Smart Wales Enforcement Grant.

 

The HSG is an early intervention grant programme to support activity which prevents people from becoming homeless, stabilises their housing situation, or helps potentially homeless people to find and keep accommodation.

 

HSG Practice Guidance required Local Authorities to develop an annual HSG Delivery Plan, which should include the headings as included in paragraph 3.3 of the report.

 

Following the publication of the draft Welsh Government budget, Local Authorities are given an indicative HSG allocation and are required to submit to Welsh Government their Delivery Priorities, Stakeholder Engagement, Spend Plan and Annex A: Homelessness Statutory Duties, from their annual HSG Delivery Plan. An offer of grant is then made, following the publication of the final Welsh Government budget.

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change, confirmed that Bridgend County Borough Council’s (BCBC) HSG allocation from Welsh Government for 2021-22 is £7,833,509.33. This represents an increase of £1,878,966.49 (32%) from the allocation in 2020-21 of £5,954,542.84. The increase is as a result of an additional £40m being allocated to the total HSG budget by Welsh Government.

 

 As part of ongoing strategic planning BCBC Housing service engage with a diverse range of stakeholders including through attendance at various forums such as, BCBC Landlord Forum, Community Safety Partnership, Homeless Cell, Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements and Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences. As such there was ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders, including Health, Police, Probation, Registered Social Landlords, Social Services and support providers.

 

 Bridgend’s existing Homelessness Strategy 2018 – 22 has informed the HSG Delivery Priorities for 2021-22. The Strategy was developed on a co-production basis with a broad range of stakeholders, including those with lived experience and following findings from an independent Homelessness Review in 2018.

 

In line with the HSG requirements set out at paragraph 3.4 of the report, a submission of BCBC’s Delivery Priorities, Stakeholder Engagement, Spend Plan and Annex A: Homelessness Statutory Duties, has been made to Welsh Government. Following this submission a funding award of £7,833,509.33 has been received. The HSG Delivery Priorities for 2021-22 were highlighted in paragraphs 4.8 to 4.12 of the report.

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change, gave a resume of these for the benefit of the Cabinet.

 

In order to support BCBC’s HSG Delivery Priorities, approval was requested to waive BCBC’s Contract Procedure Rules in order to uplift two existing contracts, as detailed in Table 1 of the report. An uplift in these services will provide additional resources to meet the support needs of increased presentations, including the increased numbers accommodated in temporary accommodation. The cost of the proposed uplifts will be met from BCBC’s HSG allocation.

 

She added that the need to modify the contracts to provide the uplift was required, in order to allow for additional resources to be provided which had been brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting impact on housing services, as highlighted in paragraph 4.10 of the report, as well as the expected long term social and economic impact of the pandemic.

 

To further support BCBC’s HSG Delivery Priorities, approval was also requested to suspend the CPRs and directly enter into a contract with Pobl to allow for the continuation of an existing supported accommodation project, currently funded via Welsh Government ‘Phase 2 Funding’.

 

Following a successful bid to Welsh Government for ‘Phase 2 Funding’ Pobl have entered into a lease agreement for 11 units of accommodation in the Maesteg area. The current funding comes to an end at the 31st March 2021 and, in order for continued delivery, a new contract and further funding is required. Without continued funding vulnerable service users would be made homeless, which would place additional pressures on homelessness services, as well as limiting future housing and support options for those in need.

 

It was therefore proposed that Phase 2 Funding continues to be funded from BCBC’s HSG allocation and a contract be entered into with Pobl until 31/12/2022, with an option to extend for up to 24 months at a maximum total cost of £283,674.32 (£75,522.34 per annum).

 

Cabinet needed to be aware that in awarding this contract to Pobl, the Council is exposed to the risk of potential challenge from other providers of such services, as was highlighted in paragraph 4.18 of the report.

 

As detailed in paragraph 4.3, Welsh Government have stated that not all increased HSG funding should necessarily be used to commission additional resources. They have suggested that Local Authorities consider utilising funding to reward staff operating in the sector as per a recommendation from an expert Homelessness Action Group.

 

In acknowledgement of the value BCBC places on the workforce of the third sector providers it commissions and to support the recommendation of the Homelessness Action Group, approval is requested to award an uplift of up to 5% in the contract value of all existing HSG funded contracts that BCBC has with third sector providers, effective from 1st April 2021.

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change, explained that funding will be held by the Council and prior to any uplift, BCBC would liaise with third sector providers to ensure that any uplift award will directly result in improved terms and conditions of the workforce. Where appropriate, consultation with the relevant Trade Unions, which will take place at this stage of proceedings.

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change concluded the report, by referring to its financial implications.

 

The Leader advised that the report included excellent news with regard to the additional funding that is going to be provided by Welsh Government in an attempt to end street homelessness. He was also pleased to note that there were strong and robust partnerships in place, with the third sector and providers, which would assist in ensuring that the 5% increase uplift to them  in relation to Housing Support Grants, would actually find its way to the front line workers. In terms of the Start service, he noted that this would increase by around 30% and this was a critical move, in that the service supported young and vulnerable people leaving the Secure Estate. He asked however, if this was in relation specifically to individuals leaving the Secure Estate at Parc Prison, or any secure estate across Wales and them returning to Bridgend.

 

The Strategic Housing Commissioning Manager advised that this related to anyone leaving any secure estate and returning to their community in Bridgend, that were being possibly with a homeless situation.

 

The Cabinet Member – Future Generations and Wellbeing also commended the 5% increase as referred to above and in the report, which she felt was recognising the contributions made by third sector providers that provide invaluable support to the Housing Support Grant Commission Support, in helping keep people off the streets. She also commended the increase of 32% given by Welsh Government in support of funding to assist in the eradication of homelessness in Bridgend. This would go a long way to achieving a vast reduction in cases of homelessness she felt.

 

The Cabinet Member – Social Services and Early Help, recognised as an elected Member of a town centre Ward, the benefit such extra funding had given in terms of assisting to find a roof over the heads of people who were unfortunate enough to find themselves without a roof over their head. She hoped that the 5% increase would actually be benefited by the staff who provided the crucial work in terms of putting support in place for the homeless.

 

The Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change recognised that this up to 5% increase, would help deliver these services on the ground, though there were some difficulties in respect of this to overcome, as the employees in question were not BCBC employees.

 

RESOLVED:                           That Cabinet:

 

           noted the Housing Support Grant Delivery Priorities for 2021-22;

 

           approved a waiver of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules under  Rule 3.2.9.3 from the relevant parts of the Contract Procedure Rules for the procurement of the services provided under the Contract with Pobl for the generic housing related support service and the Contract with Taff Housing for the support service for young people and adults leaving the secure estate  and approves the uplift in the contract value, as detailed within this report and delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change, in consultation  with the Chief Officer – Legal, HR and Regulatory Services, to enter into any agreements or documents which may be required to give effect to such variations,

 

           approved using the Housing Support Grant allocation, to continue service delivery for the Phase 2 low level supported accommodation project, effective from 1st April 2021;

 

           suspended the relevant parts of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules with regards to the requirement to tender for a contract and agrees for the Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change to enter into a contract with Pobl, in order to continue service delivery of the Phase 2 low level supported accommodation project.

 

           delegated authority to the Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change to approve the final terms of the contract with Pobl for the Phase 2 low level supported accommodation project on behalf of the Council and to arrange execution of the contract on behalf of the Council subject to such delegated authority being exercised in consultation with the Chief Officer - Legal, HR and Regulatory Services;

 

           approved an uplift of up to 5% in the contract value of all existing Housing Support Grant funded contracts that BCBC has with third sector housing related support providers, effective from 1st April 2021 subject to the providers ensuring that any actual uplift directly materialises in improved terms and conditions for the workforce and there is compliance with the terms and conditions of each individual contract BCBC has entered into with the providers,

 

           delegated authority to the Chief Officer - Finance, Performance and Change, in consultation  with the Chief Officer – Legal, HR and Regulatory Services, to vary those existing Housing Support Grant funded contracts that BCBC has with third sector housing related support providers to apply the uplift of up to 5% in the contract value and enter into any agreements or documents which may be required to give effect to such variations;

 

Supporting documents:

 

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