Increased funding for key local organisations confirmed at Cabinet
Following a review of large scale grants, the recent meeting of Cabinet has confirmed funding for eight local partner organisations that provide vital services to the people of East Ayrshire.
The review focused on organisations that the Council has long-standing arrangements with, and looked at new ways of agreeing funding and service levels that would give key partners greater financial stability moving forward. This included tendered or negotiated contracts, service level agreements and agreement on future funding arrangements. All decisions were made in partnership with the organisations to ensure that any agreement reached would be to their benefit.
In addition to the new arrangements, a 2% inflationary uplift was also agreed on their 2021/22 funding level. This means that the following key partners will receive an increased financial settlement in 2022/23 of:
East Ayrshire Women’s Aid £266,975
Victim Support Scotland £11,057
East Ayrshire Advocacy Project £221,248
East Ayrshire Carers Centre (grant) £182,519
East Ayrshire Citizens Advice Bureau (grant) £362,467
Coalfield Community Transport £88,240
Cumnock and Doon Valley Gift Furniture Scheme £9,170
The Holiday Project £17,820
Craig McArthur, Director of Health and Social Care said: “The review of large scale grants has led to an improved position for key partner organisations that provide essential services to the people of East Ayrshire. The new arrangements mean that six of the organisations are moving from annual grant awards to alternative contractual arrangements, with appropriate departmental oversight of the contracts.
“From April, the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) will be responsible for the new contracts for East Ayrshire Women’s Aid, Victim Support Scotland and the East Ayrshire Advocacy Project, while colleagues within Safer Communities will be responsible for the Coalfield Community Transport, Cumnock and Doon Valley Gift Furniture Scheme and The Holiday Project contracts.
“Work with both East Ayrshire Carers Centre and East Ayrshire Citizens Advice Bureau will continue, to ensure the most appropriate arrangements can be agreed to support the valuable services they deliver for our communities.
“These new arrangements provide longer term financial security for local organisations, and importantly also recognise the value that we place, as a Council and HSCP, on the work that they do to support the most vulnerable in our communities.”