Issue - meetings

Domestic Abuse Bill Grant Allocation 2021-2022

Meeting: 21/04/2021 - Cabinet (Item 6)

6 Domestic Abuse Bill Grant Allocation (2021-2022) pdf icon PDF 242 KB

[To delegate authority for the Domestic Abuse Bill funding allocation received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for 2021-2022]

Decision:

1.      That the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets totalling £650,902 fully funded by grant be approved.

 

2.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership, to utilise the £650,902 Wolverhampton Domestic Abuse Bill Allocation from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for 2021-2022 and to approve the award of a grants for services when the evaluation process is complete.

Minutes:

The intention to make a key decision on the report ‘Domestic Abuse Bill Grant Allocation 2021-2022’ at the meeting was not publicised in advance as required by the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.  The decision was urgent and could not be reasonably delayed for the following reason:

 

·       Due to a technical oversight, it was not realised that the key decision had not been published in the forward plan. The reason the decision cannot be delayed is the report asks for delegated authority around the £651,000 grant allocation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to provide support for victims of domestic abuse within safe accommodation. This funding allocation and associated delivery must be completed during 2021-2022, therefore activity must be commissioned as soon as possible in order to ensure that delivery is met within the timescales and that the City of Wolverhampton Council are able to discharge their statutory duties outlined in the Domestic Abuse Bill.

 

In light of the above, consent had been obtained for the key decision to be made at the meeting under the General Exception provisions

 

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal presented the report on a proposal to delegate grant funding allocated to the Council by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government in order to be compliant with the statutory duty outlined in Part Four of the Domestic Abuse Bill, to provide support for victims and their children within domestic abuse safe accommodation. The funding would be utilised to build on existing support provision within Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation.

 

The Chair welcomed the extra allocation of funds. He reported that the Council takes its responsibilities seriously and anything it could do to mitigate and even bring down the levels of domestic abuse within any home within the city, it was willing to do. 

 

Resolved:

1.    That the establishment of supplementary revenue budgets totalling £650,902 fully funded by grant be approved.

 

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership, to utilise the £650,902 Wolverhampton Domestic Abuse Bill Allocation from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for 2021-2022 and to approve the award of a grants for services when the evaluation process is complete.