The Grants Determination Sub-Committee heard from the Deputy Director for Mental Health and Joint Commissioning and:

• Noted that the proposal concerned an ongoing two year programme which was due for renewal for the forthcoming two year period.
• Noted that report included a request to delegate authority to the Corporate Director to make and administer these grants according to criteria set out in the report.
• Noted that Grants Scrutiny Sub-Committee supported the proposal.

DECISION

1. Agree the commencement of the Mental Health User Led grants programme for 2018- 2020 at the current level of £90,838.
2. That the criteria under which the grants will be awarded as set out in the report be approved.
3. That the Corporate Director for Health, Adults and Communities be delegated authority for grant awards according to the agreed criteria.

The Grants Determination Sub-Committee heard from the Deputy Director for Mental Health and Joint Commissioning who informed Members that:

• the proposal concerned an ongoing two year programme which was due for renewal for the forthcoming two year period.
• the report included a request to delegate authority to the Corporate Director to make and administer these grants according to criteria set out in the report.

The Sub Committee heard from the Chair of GSSC:

• that GSSC supported the proposal.
• The GSSC complimented the approach taken that the proposal should be informed by the evidence base.
• that the style and format of the report was of a high standard and should be adopted widely throughout the council.

The Chair invited Members of the Sub-Committee to comment on the report and they indicated that they had no comments they wished to make.

RESOLVED:

1. That the commencement of the Mental Health User Led grants programme for 2018- 2020 at the current level of £90,838 be approved.
2. That the criteria under which the grants will be awarded as set out in the report be approved.
3. That the Corporate Director for Health, Adults and Communities be delegated authority for grant awards according to the agreed criteria.

Carrie Kilpatrick, Deputy Director for Mental Health and Joint Commissioning stated the mental health user led grants programme enabled user led groups to provide a range of social and therapeutic activities to promote social inclusion, well-being and independence for people with mental health problems aged over 18.

She said the grant scheme had been running for 10 years and had steadily increased the level of peer support available in Tower Hamlets. The scheme invites small user-led groups for people with mental health problems to apply for a maximum grant of £5,000 per year to develop peer support networks.

She informed Members the grants were awarded using a outcomes framework which is now a mandatory part of the process.

Members of the Sub-Committee made the following comments and asked questions in relation to the report:

·         In reference to point 3.2 which states “45% of people claiming incapacity benefit … are doing so due to a mental health problem”  Is it solely in relation to mental health or is mental health one element of them receiving the benefit?

·         Who is responsible for the monitoring of the grants awarded under this scheme?

The Health and Wellbeing Board have responsibility for this grant scheme.

·         In reference to Page 88, point 6.3 what other networks are being used to promote the grant scheme?

GP surgeries and Healthwatch were suggested as networks to be used to disseminate the promotion of the grant scheme.

·         Members commended the quality of the report and the infographics used in the report and stated they would like to see reports of this standard coming to the Grants Scrutiny sub-committee.