Cllr Stephen Davies, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, sought Cabinet approval for the commissioning of the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme.
Subject to amendment at the meeting and clarification of the District Lead Organisations as Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswolds District Council, Forest Voluntary Action Forum, The Venture White City, Stroud District Council and Young Gloucestershire, and
Having considered all of the information, Cabinet noted the report and
RESOLVED to:
1. Approve the allocation of £1,615,710 in funding received by the council from the Department for Education (“DfE”) pursuant to a Section 31 Grant Determination for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (“HAF”) 2023 -2024 No: 31/6391 (the “HAF 2023-2024 Funding”) to the provision of the council’s HAF Programme, comprising the provision of holiday activities; food; family support; nutritional education, and such other related support as may be required, during the Spring, Summer and Winter school holiday periods as follows:
1.1 £1,263,045 shall, on the basis set out in Annex One to this report, be apportioned in the period 1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024 to providing support to children and families in each of Gloucestershire’s districts. Funding will be distributed in proportion to (a) the number of children and young people who are eligible to receive Free School Meals (“FSM”) in each district; (b) the rurality of each district and c) the number of children and young people with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) in each district. Such funding will be used by council appointed organisations to meet the requirements of such HAF Programme in line with relevant funding guidance from the DfE.
1.2 £161,571 (i.e., 10% of the HAF 2023 -2024 Funding) shall be utilised, in the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024, in support of the business and logistical processes that are essential for delivery of the HAF Programme. Such funding will be used by the council to ensure the effective and timely delivery of the HAF Programme across Gloucestershire.
1.3 £191,094 shall be allocated, in the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024, to the delivery, by council appointed organisations, of any HAF Programme deliverables that are required to address gaps and shortfalls that may exist in relation to the HAF Programme deliverables procured under Recommendation 1.1 above. Such HAF Programme deliverables shall be delivered in accordance with relevant DfE funding guidance.
Save for the HAF 2023-2024 Funding to be allocated to District Leads on the basis set out in Annex One hereto (who were awarded 3-year contracts commencing 29th July 2022 under the under the HAF Modified Framework Agreement), the opportunity for organisations to receive the funding described in this Recommendation 1 will be advertised and made available on the basis described in Recommendation 3 below under the council’s HAF Modified Framework Agreement that was established in May 2022 pursuant to a Cabinet Decision dated 23rd February 2022, for the purpose of engaging public, voluntary and private sector organisations to co-ordinate the delivery of the council’s HAF Programmes.
2. Approve, subject to the terms of a Grant determination letter the Council expects to receive from the DfE on or before 31st December 2023, the allocation of not more that £2,500,000 in funding applied for by the council from the Department for Education (“DfE”) under a Section 31 Grant Determination for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (“HAF”) 2024 -2025 (the “HAF 2024-2025 Funding”) to the provision of the HAF Programme during the spring, summer and winter school holiday periods as follows:
2.1 A sum not exceeding £1,950,000 shall, on the basis set out in the Resource Implications section of this Report below, be apportioned in the period 1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025 to providing support to children and families in each of Gloucestershire’s districts. Funding will be distributed in proportion to (a) the number of children and young people who are eligible to receive Free School Meals (“FSM”) in each district; (b) the rurality of each district and c) the number of children and young people with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) in each district. Such funding will be used by council appointed organisations to meet the requirements of such HAF Programme in line with relevant funding guidance from the DfE.
2.2 10% (a sum not exceeding £250,000) of the HAF 2024-2025 Funding shall be utilised, in the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025, in support of the business and logistical processes that are essential for delivery of the HAF Programme. Such funding will be used by the council to ensure effective and timely delivery of the HAF Programme across Gloucestershire.
2.3 A sum not exceeding £300,000 shall be allocated, in the period 1stApril 2024 to 31st March 2025, to the delivery by council appointed organisations of any HAF Programme deliverables that are requiredin order to address gaps and shortfalls that may exist in relation tothe HAF Programme deliverables procured under Recommendation2.1 above. Such HAF Programme deliverables shall be delivered in accordance with relevant DfE funding guidance.
Save for the HAF 2024-2025 Funding to be allocated to District Leads under the 3-year call-off contracts (commencing 29th July 2022) they were awarded under the under the HAF Modified Framework Agreement (such allocations having been made according to (a) the number of children and young people who are eligible to receive Free School Meals (“FSM”) in each district; and (b) the rurality of each district), the opportunity for organisations to receive the funding described in Recommendation 2.1 above will be advertised and made available under the council’s abovementioned HAF Modified Framework Agreement on the basis described in Recommendation 3 below.
3. Delegate Authority to the Assistant Director for Integrated Children and Families Commissioning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years to:
3.1 Conduct mini-competition processes under the council’s above mentioned HAF Modified Framework Agreement in respect of:
(a) As many Call-Off Contracts as may be required for the purpose of procuring the delivery of the HAF programme described in Recommendation 1 above during the periods of the spring, summer, and winter school holidays in 2023 and then to award such Call-Off Contracts to the preferred tenderers.
(b) As many Call-Off Contracts as may be required, subject to receipt by council of the HAF 2024-2025 Funding described in Recommendation 2 above, for the purpose of procuring the delivery of the HAF programme described in Recommendation 2.1 above during the periods of the spring, summer and winter school holidays in 2024 and then to award such Call-Off Contracts to the preferred tenderers.
If the value of any single proposed Call-Off Contract under Recommendations 3.1(a) or 3.1(b) exceeds £500,000, a separate Cabinet decision shall be sought to authorise the procurement of such Call-Off Contract to fund the provision of the HAF support in line with DFE requirements.
4. Approve the provision by the council of £200,000 in match funding for the purpose of extending the scope of the HAF Programme further than the provision of support to children and young people eligible for benefits related free school meals (FSM) by enabling other vulnerable children and young people to access activities and nutritious food who may not be entitled to benefits related free school meals (FSM) during the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2025. Such match funding shall be apportioned between council appointed organisations across the six Gloucestershire districts based upon the number of children and young people and rurality of each district.