To gain approval to accept grant funding offered by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The council has successfully applied to DWP to be a gateway organisation for the delivery of the Kickstart scheme across Herefordshire. As part of the Covid 19 recovery programme, the Kickstart scheme funds 6 monthly work experience placements for 16 to 24 year olds receiving universal credit.

An urgent decision is required to accept and implement this scheme to meet the DWP deadline to accept the grant by 4 February 2021 as part of the Covid 19 response.

That:

a)    The council accepts the grant funding offered by the Department of Work and Pensions of up to £986,124 for the implementation of the Kickstart Scheme.

b)   The cabinet member for Environment, Economy and Skills approves the approach to delivering the Kickstart scheme, with the council operating as a gateway.

c)    The Chief Finance Officer be authorised to sign on behalf of the council the funding offer letter (appendix A) from the Department for Work and Pensions, and following consultation with the cabinet member for Environment, Economy and Skills, any subsequent variations such as any increase to the number of approved placements.   

d)     To delegate to the Director for Economy and Place, following consultation with the cabinet member for Environment, Economy and Skills and the S151 Officer, the ability to make any operational decisions required to ensure the successful delivery of the scheme.

1.            Do nothing – the council could decide not to accept the funding to deliver the Kickstart scheme.  However, this would mean the large number of 16 to 24 year olds on universal credit in the county (circa 850 as of December 2020) would be unable to access this support.