Decision details

Surrey County Council Response to Covid: Household Support Grant

Decision Maker: Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Resources, Cabinet Member for Education and Learning, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, Executive Director Children, Families Lifelong Learning and Culture

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

On 1st March 2022 the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC) published details of the ADULT SOCIAL CARE OMICRON SUPPORT FUND.  This was the final specific ASC Covid funding stream.

 

Surrey County Council (SCC) has received £1m of Omicron Support Fund monies.  Funding was provided so that “Local authorities have discretion to use the funding as needed locally, to support the adult social care sector, including relevant local authority staff, in its COVID-19 response, and in particular increased challenges posed by the Omicron variant”.

 

The funding was unringfenced and did not have to be spent within a set period.  When the funding was received, the Council was paying out the final allocations of the Infection Control and Testing Fund 3 and Recruitment & Retention Fund round 2 funding streams to ASC providers.  It was agreed therefore that Omicron Support Fund monies would be retained on the balance sheet so they could be utilised to support ASC providers in the early part of the 2022/23 financial year.

 

As with all previous Covid grant funding streams, the Council consulted with the Surrey Care Association to seek views on the best way to dispense the limited grant funds across Surrey’s broad ASC provider base.  Following this consultation the Adults Leadership Team determined that given this funding stream is unringfenced it would be most appropriate to invite all ASC providers to bid for funds against a set of criteria.  Providers were invited to submit applications for a funding allocation towards:

•The cost of staff sickness in April 2022.

•Hardship payments to pass onto staff members who have suffered loss of earnings due to sickness and/or the need to self-isolate.

•The cost of facilitating safe visiting in April 2022, with the option to submit a claim for the period May-June 2022 as well if funds could accommodate.

•Other cost pressures caused by the pandemic in April 2022, with the option to submit a claim for the period May-June 2022 as well if funds could accommodate.

 

Due to the limited value of grant funds, a decision was taken to prioritise funding for providers who provide services to residents whose care is funded by the Council.  This was made clear on the application form.

 

An online form was prepared to gather applications and this form was sent to providers on 20th May 2022 inviting them to apply with a deadline of 10th June 2022.

 

Applications were received from 165 providers, totalling £3.1m.

Decision:

It was AGREED that:

 

£330k would be allocated from the Household Support Grant to enable the continued provision of food vouchers to children entitled to benefit related Free School Meals at £15 per child for the October half term.  This is to include 2, 3 and 4 year old children with Funded Early Education Provision (FEEP) and EY Pupil Premium.

 

Proposal will be developed for the remaining allocation over the next 2-3 weeks.  The Council will work with key stakeholders and partner organisations, including Boroughs and Districts, to develop a strategic needs assessment to identify the most vulnerable households in the County.  Including options for distributions, proposed allocations and distribution mechanisms.

 

Reasons for the decision:

Reasons for Decision:

To assist those families entitled to free school means during term time with the purchase of food over the upcoming school holidays.

Alternative options considered:

The alternative is to either:

-       not allocate funding for this purpose and await the outcome of the strategic needs assessment to propose allocation to total grant allocation.  This would leave families without support for the purchase of food during the upcoming October half term.

-       not accept the funding allocation from DWP, which would reduce the ability of the Council to support those in the County most in need, particularly families with children, of assistance with the purchase of food, utilities and other essentials.

 

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

None.

Publication date: 15/10/2021

Date of decision: 13/10/2021