Issue - meetings

[To provide a summary of activity to date and approve expenditure against an extended grant] [report to follow]

1.      That the establishment of supplementary expenditure budgets totalling £999,457, fully funded from Local Covid Support Grant be approved, and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Director of Children’s and Adult Services to approve the delivery plan associated with the criteria of the Local Covid Support Grant. 

2.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Adults, in consultation with the Director of Children’s and Adult Services and the Director of Finance to build in supplementary budgets fully funded by Infection and Prevention Grant once the allocation has been confirmed, and to make payments to care providers in line with the conditions of grant.  

The intention to make a key decision on the report ‘Additional Covid Grants 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:

Following a departmental review at the end of the most recent phase (20 June 2021). The Department for Work & Pensions notified the Local Authority on 22 June of their intentions to continue their support by means of the Covid Local Support Grant, with a revised period extended from 21 June to 30 September 21. This came with no prior notice of the grant determination or the extended timeframe.

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

Councillor Linda Leach presented the report on an update of further extensions to two Covid Grants announced by government. Approval was requested to establish expenditure budgets for a further instalment of the Local Covid Support Grant allocation, building further on previous spends of this grant and the Winter Fund Grant, supporting vulnerable families and individuals in Wolverhampton. Approval was also requested to build in supplementary budgets from an extension to the Infection and Prevention Grant for Adult Social Care.

The recommendations contained in the report were moved by Councillor Stephen Simkins and seconded by Councillor Ian Brookfield.  

Resolved:

1.    That the establishment of supplementary expenditure budgets totalling £999,457, fully funded from Local Covid Support Grant be approved, and authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Director of Children’s and Adult Services to approve the delivery plan associated with the criteria of the Local Covid Support Grant. 

2.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Adults, in consultation with the Director of Children’s and Adult Services and the Director of Finance to build in supplementary budgets fully funded by Infection and Prevention Grant once the allocation has been confirmed, and to make payments to care providers in line with the conditions of grant.