CC109 - Review of Voluntary Sector Grants - Housing

Overview

Outline of Proposal

The Council currently commissions a range of services for homeless people, or those at risk of becoming homeless, through Voluntary Sector grants. 

The proposal is to save £300k as phased reduction over 2 years. Grants would be reduced by 25% in 2013-14 and 75% in 2012-15.

A review of the services provided will be carried out in 2013-14. Any reduction in 2012-15 will be subject to the outcome of this review.

General Impact

The services offer opportunities and activities to support the Council in promoting healthy lifestyles, prevent harm caused by drugs and alcohol, assist with the transition from unemployment to jobs and to prevent people from becoming homeless. 

Impact on Service Users
  
The reduction in funding in 2013-14 may have a detrimental effect upon the range of services and activities that can be provided and may impact on their ability to enable people at risk of homelessness to sustain independence and to achieve improved lifestyles.

The proposal may result in greater numbers of people accessing critical and statutory services and people sleeping rough in the Borough.

With reduced funding people currently accessing these services will need to be sign posted to alternative services that offer a broad range of services and self help support that promotes and encourages independent living. Similarly, people with a diagnosed Learning Difficulty can be referred to the Adult Care Learning Disabilities Team for referral on to specialist support service or can self refer to a number of service providers in the Borough.

People at risk of homelessness as a result of complex needs or other vulnerabilities can be sign posted to statutory services or the Central Access Information and Advice Service operated on behalf of the borough by Shelter.

Generic advice on a range of housing issues or related issues can be sign posted to Rochdale CAB that are contracted to provide an advice service for the Borough.
A number of specialist services are available for people with issues relating substance misuse that are supported through funding allocated via the DAAT. This includes drop-in and quick access services for people with drug problems as ell as longer term support regimes including access to Tier 1 to 4 services. 

Strategic housing has worked with both organizations to ensure that the services they deliver assist the Council in achieving its corporate aims and objectives. The current Agreements reflect this and are reflected in the Impact Assessment. We will continue to work with both organizations to minimize the impact of a reduction in funding and help them access alternative sources of funding.

The indicative saving for this proposal is  £300,000.

As the proposal will affect service users, we have undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment to identify likely or actual effects on people with protected characteristics. The Equality Impact Assessment will be reviewed and updated as required, taking account of consultation feedback.

You can find the full proposal document and Equality Impact Assessment below in the related documents section.