Agenda item

(Councillors B Clark, K Clark, J Cruddas, D Drummond, P Earley, A Holdsworth, A McMullen, J Mudzingwa, J Sharp left the meeting)

 

It was moved by Councillor L Bones and seconded by Councillor D Lilly, that:

 

Council notes:

 

·       The importance of providing grant funding to Voluntary, Community, and Social Organisations (VSCOs) and Community Interest Companies (CICs) to deliver valuable community services and initiatives.

·       The responsibility of the Council to ensure that public funds are spent effectively, transparently, and in the best interests of residents.

·       Ongoing pressure within the Council’s finances resulting in reducing staffing numbers within the authority.

·       The recommendation of the Budget Study Group that “Cabinet considers the amount of funding provided to voluntary and community sector organisations, especially in light of the requirement to reduce directly employed staff.”

 

Council believes:

 

·       That grant funding must deliver measurable benefits for local residents and communities, prioritising service delivery.

·       That there is a need for robust scrutiny of the financial practices of organisations receiving public funds to ensure accountability and public trust.

 

·       That councillors should provide full transparency about any personal financial benefits derived from grant-funded organisations to avoid any conflict of interest or perception of impropriety.

 

Council resolves to:

 

Ask the Mayor to Conduct a review of its grant funding policies, with particular focus on how the impact of grant funding to VSCOs and CICs is assessed.  This review should ensure:

 

·       Grant funding provides maximum benefit to the communities served.

·       Adequate safeguards are in place to prevent disproportionate payouts to directors of CICs from public funds.

·       That monitoring and reporting requirements are strengthened to ensure transparency and accountability.

 

Ask the Monitoring officer to review ways the Members’ Declaration of Interests form could be strengthened to ensure any members benefiting financially from a VCSO or CIC which receives the majority of its funding from North Tyneside Council are transparent and easily understandable to the public.

 

Report back to Council within six months with both the Mayor’s review and any recommendations from the Monitoring Officer for any necessary policy changes or updates based on the outcomes of the review.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor C Johnson and seconded by Councillor W Samuel, who reserved the right to speak, as follows:

 

To add the following text after the fourth bullet point:

 

“Council further notes

 

·       The Authority does not award contracts without compliance with Contract Standing Orders;

 

·       The Authority does not award grants to VCSE organisations, without them first going through a competitive process.

 

 This involves:

 

·       Advertise a grant opportunity for organisations to apply for

assessing applications against agreed criteria and by an appropriate group of experienced and independent people - ensuring value for money and suitability of the organisation/individual to meet the outcomes required by the grant.

 

·       Awarding a grant, using one of the Authority’s agreed payment mechanisms, contained within the grant funding agreement.

 

·       Active and proportionate monitoring of grant deliverables or outcomes, ensuring the outcomes have been met.

 

·       Any organisation awarded any form of contract or grant by the Authority, will be subject to due-diligence prior to being awarded, proportionate to the value of the grant or contract

 

To remove the phrase “A need for” from the sixth bullet point.

 

The amended Motion therefore read:

 

·       The importance of providing grant funding to Voluntary, Community, and Social Organisations (VSCOs) and Community Interest Companies (CICs) to deliver valuable community services and initiatives.

 

·       The responsibility of the Council to ensure that public funds are spent effectively, transparently, and in the best interests of residents.

 

·       Ongoing pressure within the Council’s finances resulting in reducing staffing numbers within the authority.

 

·       The recommendation of the Budget Study Group that “Cabinet considers the amount of funding provided to voluntary and community sector organisations, especially in light of the requirement to reduce directly employed staff.”

 

Council further notes

 

• The Authority does not award contracts without compliance with Contract Standing Orders;

 

• The Authority does not award grants to VCSE organisations, without them first going through a competitive process.

 

 This involves:

 

• Advertise a grant opportunity for organisations to apply for

assessing applications against agreed criteria and by an appropriate group of experienced and independent people - ensuring value for money and suitability of the organisation/individual to meet the outcomes required by the grant.

 

• Awarding a grant, using one of the Authority’s agreed payment mechanisms, contained within the grant funding agreement.

 

• Active and proportionate monitoring of grant deliverables or outcomes, ensuring the outcomes have been met.

 

• Any organisation awarded any form of contract or grant by the Authority, will be subject to due-diligence prior to being awarded, proportionate to the value of the grant or contract

 

Council believes:

 

·     That grant funding must deliver measurable benefits for local residents and communities, prioritising service delivery.

·     That there is already robust scrutiny of the financial practices of organisations receiving public funds to ensure accountability and public trust.

·     That councillors should provide full transparency about any personal financial benefits derived from grant-funded organisations to avoid any conflict of interest or perception of impropriety.

 

Council resolves to:

 

Ask the Mayor to Conduct a review of its grant funding policies, with particular focus on how the impact of grant funding to VSCOs and CICs is assessed. This review should ensure:

 

·       Grant funding provides maximum benefit to the communities served.

 

·       Adequate safeguards are in place to prevent disproportionate payouts to directors of CICs from public funds.

 

·       That monitoring and reporting requirements are strengthened to ensure transparency and accountability.

 

Ask the Monitoring officer to review ways the Members’ Declaration of Interests form could be strengthened to ensure any members benefiting financially from a VCSO or CIC which receives the majority of its funding from North Tyneside Council are transparent and easily understandable to the public.

 

Report back to Council within six months with both the Mayor’s review and any recommendations from the Monitoring Officer for any necessary policy changes or updates based on the outcomes of the review.

 

Votes for the Amendment:

 

Councillors T Bailey, J Bartoli, Linda Bell, Louise Bell, L Bones, P Bunyan, B Burdis, S Cox, E Darke, L Darke, J Day, S Day, S Graham, I Grayson, T Hallway, J Harrison, J Hunter, N Huscroft, C Johnson, H Johnson, J Johnsson, J Kirwin, D Lilly, F Lott, W Lott, L Marshall, I McAlpine, C McGinty, J Montague, T Mulvenna, M Murphy, A Newman, K Nott, J O'Shea, S Phillips, B Pickard, N Redfearn, W Samuel, Dr O Scargill, J Shaw, A Spowart, J Walker and J Webster.

The Amendment was approved by 43 votes.

 

Votes for the Substantive Motion:

 

Councillors T Bailey, J Bartoli, Linda Bell, Louise Bell, L Bones, P Bunyan, B Burdis, S Cox, E Darke, L Darke, J Day, S Day, S Graham, I Grayson, T Hallway, J Harrison, J Hunter, N Huscroft, C Johnson, H Johnson, J Johnsson, J Kirwin, D Lilly, F Lott, W Lott, L Marshall, I McAlpine, C McGinty, J Montague, T Mulvenna, M Murphy, A Newman, K Nott, J O'Shea, S Phillips, B Pickard, N Redfearn, W Samuel, Dr O Scargill, J Shaw, A Spowart, J Walker and J Webster.

 

The Motion was carried approved by 43 votes.

 

(Councillors B Clark, K Clark, J Cruddas, D Drummond, P Earley, A Holdsworth, A McMullen, J Mudzingwa, J Sharp returned to the meeting)