To date the Council has contributed to the funding of an information and advice service available to local residents across the district. This is currently provided through Citizens Advice Tendring (CAT) via a Service Level Agreement. The current payment made to CAT for the above service is £0.144m per annum. This arrangement has been in place for 13 years, which has recently been facilitated via the adoption of a local Subsidy Control Scheme. A Subsidy Scheme was developed in 2023-24 for allocating funding to address health inequality and the wider determinants of health including the provision of benefits advice and other advice and support for residents.
The Scheme allowed for a payment to Citizens’ Advice Tendring who deliver a benefits and wider advice and support service and identified their capabilities to provide the service, the quality of the service and their standing as a trusted brand.
In line with the high-level external funding framework agreed by Cabinet at its meeting on 20 September 2024 and in demonstrating value for money that reflects the Council’s wider best value responsibilities, a procurement process will be undertaken for the future provision of information and advice services to local residents.
Therefore at the Cabinet meeting held on 31 January 2025, it approved for an interim period of six months from 1 April 2025, the continuation of the existing agreement with CAT at a cost of £0.072m, supported by the existing budget for information and advice services to local residents. The allocation of £0.072m to the existing provider Citizen’s Advice Tendring will ensure there is continuous provision of a service and allow sufficient time for any new provider to gear up for maintaining provision of an appropriate service.
In respect of the contribution of £0.072m to CAT, Cabinet agreed on 31st January 2025 to extend the current Addressing Health Inequality – Advice, Support and Mental Health Support Subsidy Scheme for 2025/26 until 30th September 2025.

To extend the current Health Inequality Subsidy Scheme (along the same principles of the decisions of Cabinet in July 2023) for the interim period from 1st April 2025 until 30th September 2025, prior to any payments being made.

Option 1 - To extend the current Health Inequality Subsidy Scheme for the interim period from 1st April 2025 until 30th September 2025.
Option 2 - To not extend the scheme. This would mean the interim funding could not be paid to CAT and would prevent the continuous provision of the service until 30th September 2025 when any new provider will begin delivery of the service following procurement.