Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet notes the benefits and opportunities that the Universal Support programme will bring to Surrey’s residents.

2. That Cabinet approves the Council taking on the Accountable Body role for this county-wide programme.

3. That Cabinet gives ‘Approval to Procure’ for the potential commissioning of Universal Support in Surrey up to the value of the final allocation (indicated at £3.1m).

4. That Cabinet approves the delegation of the appropriate procurement route to market and any contract award decisions to the Executive Director responsible for Economic Growth in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth

Reasons for Decisions:

The Council has the opportunity to secure £3.1m in DWP grant funding for US. The programme activity will be funded through this DWP grant which will enable the Council to support up to 900 adults with long term conditions or disabilities into employment in Surrey.

If a commissioning route is chosen, this procurement will recognise the role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Surrey who have the potential to be the key delivery partners in specialist areas.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth who explained that the council had been awarded funding from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver a new employment support programme, UniversalSupport (US). US will provide employment support to adults with long term conditions or disabilities and more complex barriers to work, to help them access and maintain work in the longer term. This in turn will directly contribute to the nurturing talent agenda, supporting businesses with employment, up-skilling and staff retention challenges. The Council will be the Accountable Body for the DWP grant of £3.1m which would roll out US across Surrey and support 900 individuals with skills development and employment. The Council was still in negotiations with DWP regarding exact timelines, but it is expected that the programme will run from late autumn 2024, although a spring 2025 start is also possible. It was queried if the grant funding could be used to support preventative work. The Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth explained that the funding could be used in a multitude of ways to provide employer or individual support.

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet notes the benefits and opportunities that the Universal Support programme will bring to Surrey’s residents.

2. That Cabinet approves the Council taking on the Accountable Body role for this county-wide programme.

3. That Cabinet gives ‘Approval to Procure’ for the potential commissioning of Universal Support in Surrey up to the value of the final allocation (indicated at £3.1m).

4. That Cabinet approves the delegation of the appropriate procurement route to market and any contract award decisions to the Executive Director responsible for Economic Growth in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth

Reasons for Decisions:

The Council has the opportunity to secure £3.1m in DWP grant funding for US. The programme activity will be funded through this DWP grant which will enable the Council to support up to 900 adults with long term conditions or disabilities into employment in Surrey.

If a commissioning route is chosen, this procurement will recognise the role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Surrey who have the potential to be the key delivery partners in specialist areas.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)