Decisions

Recommendations

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne):

(i)                     Agreed the continuation of the Joint Committee’s CIL task group for the year 2022/23 as set out in section 2.2 of this report and the Terms of Reference as set out in Annex 1.

(ii)                    Agreed the CIL group membership as set out in the Terms of Reference.

(iii)                   Agreed to the discontinuation of the Transport task group – paragraphs 1.2 and 1.3 refer.

(iv)                   Noted the Terms of Reference of the external bodies in Annex 1, and membership set out in section 2.3 of the report.

Reasons for Recommendations

The report proposes Joint Committee task group membership for the forthcoming year to enable the provision of informed advice and recommendations to the Committee on subjects within the Committee’s remit. The appointment of councillors of the Joint Committee to external bodies enables the committee’s representation on, and input to, such bodies.

Recommendations:

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne) agreed:

(i)            To defer the decision on Strategic CIL funding of £848,587 to the NHS – Sunbury Health Centre (Appendix 1) – to a subsequent meeting pending clarification on the status of transport elements.

(i)            Strategic CIL funding of £68,050 to Spelthorne Borough Council (Leisure) - Grass football pitch improvements (Appendix 2).

Reasons for Recommendations:

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations require the Council to use CIL towards funding the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure required to support the development of its area. The above applications have been considered in context of existing and upcoming development within Spelthorne. The above schemes meet the general criteria to be considered for CIL funding, and it is recommended funding is granted.

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.

It was agreed that SCC would allocate funding to providers as set out in Annex 1.

This means that:

·         Providers who do not provide services to any residents whose care is funded by the Council will be excluded from funding allocations.

·         Providers will receive 75% of their claims for the cost of staff sickness in April 2022.

·         Providers will receive 100% of their claims for retrospective hardship payments to pass onto staff who have suffered loss of earnings due to sickness/self-isolation.

·         Providers will receive 75% of their claims for the cost of supporting safe visiting in April 2022.

·         Providers will receive 50% of their claims for other pandemic related cost pressures in April 2022.

·         Claims relating to the cost of supporting safe visiting and other pandemic related cost pressures in the period May – June 2022 could not be included in funding allocations due to lack of funds once the above measures have been paid.

A letter will be sent to all providers notifying them of the outcome of their application and explaining the basis of the funding allocations.  This will include those providers who will not receive any funding as they do not provide care to any SCC funded residents.

Community Connections services are a key part of the mental health offer for adults in Surrey, and a principal element in Surrey’s preventative offer to support people with mental health needs to stay well in their communities through social connections and networks.

Contributing to system priorities around early help, resilience, and independence. It is an integral part of the pathway for people who experience mental health problems, often bridging the gap between primary mental health care and secondary mental health care.

Opportunities for individuals with mental health needs to achieve their full potential, through participation in social, leisure, sports, art, education, and employment, within their local community. These should be delivered in both group and 1:1 setting in line with the individual’s needs.

Funding will be allocated according to NHS ‘Places’, to ensure the service is available to all Surrey residents. Those places are:

1.            East Surrey

2.            Surrey Heath and Farnham

3.            Guildford & Waverley

4.            North-West Surrey

5.            Surrey Downs (Mid Surrey)

It was AGREED that:

Following a competitive tendering process,  the contract will be awarded to Westminster Drug Project (WDP),  with a contract start of 1^st October 2022 for an initial duration of 3 years, with the option to extend for a further 4 years (2+2)