Agenda item
MSG Quarterly Monitoring Update 2018-19 (IO80423)
- Meeting of Grants Scrutiny Sub-Committee, Monday, 4th June, 2018 5.30 p.m. (Item 7.6)
- View the background to item 7.6
Minutes:
Steve Hill, Head of Benefit Services presented his quarterly report on the Main Stream Grant (MSG) 2015/18 for Period 9, quarter October to December 2017.
He explained projects were classified as Green, Amber or Red within the Council’s agreed performance management framework and presently there were 112 live projects. For the period of October to December 2017 there were 6 Red rated projects and 1 Amber rated project.
Mr Hill addressed each recommendation within the report, pages 8 -11, of the supplementary agenda explaining what was being requested.
David Freeman, Strategy Manager for the Voluntary and Community Sector explained the reason why some organisations required a rent subsidy to their MSG funding in order to bridge the gap whilst new leases and building contacts were agreed.
Mr Hill also gave an explanation on the variation requests made by the Osmani Trust and Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club – pages 13-14.
The Chair, Councillor Marc Francis invited members to comment upon the recommendations made within the report and for any questions that members had:
Recommendation 1: Teviot British Bangladeshi Association
· What was the reason why they asked for funding to be ceased?
· Can information be provided on the safeguarding issue raised?
o ACTION: Steve Hill to provide this information to Members.
· Can the timeframe for the operational matter not be extended so to resolve the issue rather than red rate the organisation?
· Page 21 states they have a grant of £6,000 of which £4,666 has been paid. So the variance is just £500.00?
· What is the reason that the Corporate Director will be making the decision on the release of payment?
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
Recommendation 2 – Community of Refugees from Vietnam – East London
The recommendation no longer applied.
Recommendation 3 – Wadajir Somali Community Centre
· Two Thirds of the grant payment is pending for this organisation. Can a specific time be stated as to when the monitoring visit is to take place?
o ACTION: Steve Hill stated that this can be done for future reports to the sub-committee.
· When is the youth worker likely to return from Somalia?
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
Recommendation 4 – Tower Hamlets Youth Sports Foundation
Councillor Andrew Wood provided the sub-committee members with an explanation on the background to the organisation and said that the issues experienced in terms of premises contracts was due to the Foundation operating from 30 different locations. Councillor Wood said it was a good organisation but was struggling at present.
· It is clear the issue is about the organisation’s income and expenditure. 55 out of 57 schools were working with the organisation but schools are now not buying their sport packages due to funding cuts. The organisation has seen a reduction in staff. Can you clarify the number of full-time staff employed and if they are employees of the Council?
· How can an organisation which is performing at ‘Green’ suddenly go to ‘Red’ without an ‘Amber’ stage?
· What are the premises issues?
· Why hasn’t the organisation taken up your offer to send monitoring officers to resolve the situation with missing monitoring returns?
· Can not the deadline for submitting the returns be extended if its viewed as a good organisation?
· How do you decide the rating has changed from Green to Red?
· How many members of staff are employed?
Members of the Sub-Committee NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee however did not feel payment should be withheld and more should be done to offer support to the organisation.
Recommendation 5 – Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
Recommendation 7 – Pollyanna Training Theatre
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
Recommendation 8 – Family Action
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
Recommendation 9 – Rent Subsidy to MSG funded organisations in Council Buildings
· Are the organisations in Table 1 the only organisations that require a subsidy? How has the list been devised?
· Is the subsidy equivalent to the rent paid?
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
Recommendation 10 – Osmani Trust
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
Recommendation 11 – Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club
Members of the Sub-Committee AGREED and NOTED the recommendation made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.
In summary, the Grants Scrutiny Sub-Committee AGRED and NOTED the recommendations made to the Grants Determination Sub-Committee to:
i. Consider and agree the 9 recommendations relating to the releasing of MSG payments to the projects as set out in section 3.3, 3.5, 3.8 ,3.10 and 3.11 of the report.
ii. Consider and agree recommendation 10, as detailed in 3.23 for awarding rent subsidies to the organisations listed in Table 1 of this report. This would be from the completion of their new lease arrangements with the Council to the end of their MSG funding (30th September 2019)
iii. Consider and agree recommendations 10 and 11 relating to significant Variation Requests to two projects as set out in 3.24 and 3.25 of the report.
Save for the observation made in relation to Recommendation 4.
Supporting documents:
- MSG Performance Report Period 9 (Oct - Dec 2017) 15.5.18 FINAL, item 7.6 PDF 157 KB
- Appendix 1 - Proj Perf Oct-Dec 17 - 16 May 18 vfinal, item 7.6 PDF 332 KB
- Appendix 2 - RAG Status - 16 May 2018, item 7.6 PDF 102 KB
- Appendix 3 - Beneficiary data 160518, item 7.6 PDF 487 KB
- Appendix 4.1 - Theme 1 summary - 16 May 2018 final, item 7.6 PDF 241 KB
- Appendix 4.2 - Theme 2 summary - May 2018, item 7.6 PDF 254 KB
- Appendix 4.3 - Theme 3 summary - May 2018 final, item 7.6 PDF 230 KB
- Appendix 4.4 - Theme 4 summary - May 2018, item 7.6 PDF 141 KB