To seek approval from Cabinet to provide an information and advice service to local residents with revised requirements via an associated specification and procurement process, with the new arrangements commencing on 1 October 2025.

To approve the allocation of £0.072m to Citizen’s Advice Tendring to continue to contribute to the existing information and advice guidance service through direct funding for the interim period up to 30 September 2025 in accordance with a subsidy scheme.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

a)     approves the provision of an information and advice service to local residents;

b)     agrees to the procurement of such services for a contract period of three years commencing 1 October 2025, and agrees to a modular procurement approach to determine what a provider could offer for various levels of potential funding e.g. £50,000, £100,000, or £150,000 per year;

c)      authorises the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships, in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive, to approve the specification for the provision of an information and advice service based on the broad principles set out within the report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder (A.5);

d)     approves 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;

e)     in respect of the contribution of £0.072m to CAT, agrees to extend the current Addressing Health Inequality – Advice, Support and Mental Health Support Subsidy Scheme for 2025/26;

f)       authorises the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships and the Monitoring Officer, to finalise the administrative requirements for the production of the Subsidy Scheme in accordance with the Subsidy Control Act 2023 and Statutory Guidance and to publish it on the Government website prior to any awards; and

g)     agrees to extend the current Service Level Agreement with Citizens Advice Tendring (CAT) from 1st April 2025 until 30^th September 2025 on the terms and conditions as set out in the updated agreement shown in Appendix B to the report (A.5).

Cabinet considered a report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder (A.5), which sought its approval to provide an information and advice service to local residents with revised requirements via an associated specification and procurement process, with the new arrangements commencing on 1 October 2025. The report further sought Cabinet’s approval for the allocation of £0.072m to Citizen’s Advice Tendring to continue to contribute to the existing information and advice guidance service through direct funding for the interim period up to 30 September 2025 in accordance with a subsidy scheme.

Members were aware that, to date, the Council had contributed to the funding of an information and advice service available to local residents across the District. This was currently provided through Citizens Advice Tendring (CAT) via a Service Level Agreement. The current payment made to CAT for the above service was £0.144m per annum. This arrangement had been in place for 13 years, which had recently been facilitated via the adoption of a local Subsidy Control Scheme.

It was reported that in line with the high-level external funding framework agreed by Cabinet at its meeting held on 20 September 2024 and in demonstrating value for money that reflected the Council’s wider best value responsibilities, a procurement process was proposed to be undertaken for the future provision of information and advice services to local residents.

Cabinet was advised that in terms of the procurement process, it was important that the Council set out a clear specification of what it wished to procure, which included understanding the ‘market’ and what similar services were already available to local residents. This approach ensured a joined-up approach across the various sectors within the area with the underlying aim of maximising the use of the Council’s resources.

In terms of the principles underlying the provision of an information and advice service to local residents, it was important to highlight the following:

·      the challenges some parts of the community faced in relation to housing, welfare and debt;

·      almost 30% of our local neighbourhoods were in the 20% most deprived nationally;

·      there had been a 20% increase in those claiming out of work benefits between 2020 and 2022;

·      in addressing deprivation, residents needed to improve their income which could be achieved by employment, accessing higher levels of benefits and adequately managing and reducing debt;

·      the provision of information and advice was a cost-effective way of helping to support people in relation to employment, benefits and debt;

·      providers were highlighting the increasing demand, for example, CVST reported a 103% increase in demand around social prescribing and the DWP had highlighted the need around 4000 new cases formerly on Employment Support Allowance migrating to Universal Credit; and

·      Partners had also identified the greater complexity of those in need both in terms of the multiple issues they now presented with, but also that they now more frequently appeared ‘in crisis’.

Members noted that the demand for information and advice services to local residents was therefore demonstrable based on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118