To approve withdrawal of funding support for infrastructure support services for parish councils (provided by Herefordshire Association of Local Councils) and infrastructure support services to the Voluntary and Community Sector, (currently provided by Herefordshire Voluntary Organisations Support Services (Hvoss)). 

THAT:

(a)          the Service Level Agreement is not renewed for Herefordshire Association of Local Councils (HALC) with effect from 1st April 2014, leading to a saving of £3,000 in 2014/15; and

(b)          withdrawal of dedicated funding for infrastructure support services to the Voluntary and Community Sector when current contract with Herefordshire Voluntary Organisation’s Support Services (Hvoss) ceases on 31st July 2014, leading to a saving of £97,000 in 2014/5 and a further £38,500 in 2015/16.

1.         The council’s financial position is such that, to enable essential services for its most vulnerable residents to be maintained, it must reduce both the range and level of services provided to the minimum necessary whilst meeting statutory requirements, unless there are clear reasons to do otherwise.  If these savings are not made, the council will have to make further reductions elsewhere in its service provision.

2.         To make savings of £100,000 in 2014/15 and a further £38,500 in 2015/16 to support the corporate financial strategy and enable council resources to be focussed on priority services.

3.         The financial allocation under consideration is funds towards support services commissioned to external providers to support voluntary sector organisations and parish councils.  Herefordshire Council will continue to enable voluntary groups more directly and in more targeted ways.

1.         Herefordshire Council may consider commissioning an appropriate VCS organisation for specific items of infrastructure support in the future if the need arises. 

2.         The two key alternative options are to:

Retain funding level to HALC and to resume the procurement process for voluntary sector infrastructure support.

To delay withdrawal of funding until March 2015 to enable HALC and Hvoss to further plan reduced funding. 

3.         For HALC  the withdrawal of Council funding (£3,000 per annum) for the representation and training functions will mean that HALC either increases its membership fees, reduces its offer or finds alternative sources of funding.  Herefordshire Council may consider commissioning HALC for individual items of work in the future if the need arises.

4.         For infrastructure support services to the voluntary and community sector some of the outcomes seen as a priority by the council can be delivered at least in part by redesigning roles and responsibilities within the authority.   Hvoss has also been the lead partner in the recent local Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund (TLIF) programme which has identified a number of actions to increase self-help and self-reliance within the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) itself.