Agenda item

Returning applications and updates from Local Economic Forum sub-groups (verbal)

1.    SKMP05a – Grantham College

2.    SKMP05b - Grantham College

3.    SKMP05c - Grantham College

4.    SKMP06 – Lincolnshire Community & Voluntary Service

New applications:

5.    SKMP04 – Harlaxton Manor College - Presentation

6.    SKMP07 - Citizen’s Advice South Lincs - Presentation

7.    SKMP08 – Steadfast Training – Presentation

The Board had received presentations for the following items at their last meeting:

SKMP05a – Grantham College

SKMP05b – Grantham College

SKMP05c – Grantham College

SKMP06 - Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service

The applications had also been before the Local Economic Sub-groups for their determination on the funding requests.

SKMP05a – Grantham College - Employer Engagement Officer the consensus of the Board was in agreement with the Local Economic Sub-group to REFUSE the funding request of £61,816 for year 3.

SKMP05b – Grantham College – Employability Skills for employment /employers project.    

Funding request: £97,000 of year 3 funding. 

The Local Economic Sub-group felt that more special tailoring was required in respect of targeting unemployed persons owing to health related reasons and DEFERRED a decision for an amended application to be submitted.

The Board also considered the application in detail and felt that more information specifically tailored to the health aspects should be submitted.

SKMP05c – Grantham College – Bespoke Skills for Business Provision

Funding request: £67,000

Application for funding was not endorsed by the Local Economic Sub-group and the Board Members also agreed to REFUSE funding.

(3:10 Councillor Lee Steptoe and Nicola McCoy-Brown returned to the meeting)

SKMP06 – Lincolnshire Community & Voluntary Service – South Kesteven Care Worker Micro-Enterprise Pipeline

Funding request: £61,000 year 3 funding

The Board had discussed the application at the last meeting and although further discussion took place the Board were not minded to the support the application.  Application for funding REFUSED.

The Board received presentations on three new applications and discussed the applications after all three presentations had taken place.

SKMP04 – Harlaxton Manor College – The Social Economy Accelerator

Funding request: £44,460 year 3 funding

The application was for a proposed new specialist programme aimed at addressing the challenges faced by social economic organisations in sustaining or growing their organisations.  The programme would focus on developing competence within SOE leaders int he areas of strategy development, diversifying revenue streams and funding and capturing and reporting their social impact.    The Board discussed the proposal but felt that very similar programmes were offered by the University of Lincoln and Bishop Grosseteste University.

SKMP07 – Citizen’s Advice South Lincolnshire – Skills through Advice Project

Funding request: £37,808 year 3 funding

The application was in respect of the new project which would involve an in person delivery of centred advice focused on improving the health and financial wellbeing of those people furthest from the labour market to being their journey towards paid work.  An independent 0.8FTE adviser would be employed and engage with one to one meeting to explore people’s situation and work with them to overcome issues and build resilience and give them the digital and financial skills necessary to seek paid work.  The target was to help in the region of 400 people and it was acknowledged that this was not a quick fix.  Members queried that the Citizens Advice Bureau would not be increasing their opening hours in respect of this project and also where the person would be located within the district.   A question was also asked about future funding and the additional capacity for unmet need.

SKMP08 – Steadfast Training Ltd – Connect2Grow

Funding request: £75,000 year 3 funding

The funding application was for a proposed project that would provide integrated skills and employment service to residents across South Kesteven.  The project aimed to help individuals with health-related barriers to access skills training and support.  The project would be delivered in partnership with local health charities Tonic Health (Bourne) and Mindspace Stamford and would offer a comprehensive skills and employment support for residents of South Kesteven for up to 13 weeks.  A gap had been identified for support for JCP claimants between 3 and 6 months of their claim.  The service would identify local job vacancies and match participants skills with relevant job opportunities and provide follow-on-work and on-the-job training.  It was proposed that 105 participants would be supported with a minimum of 36 participants progressing to work or self-employment. One-to-one mentoring would be provided for those referred from the partners in Bourne and Stamford to help people get back into work.  It was confirmed that the organisation was a Private Limited Company with 17 employees based at Peterborough.

Following the presentations, the Board discussed each of the funding applications individually.

SKMP04 – Harlaxton Manor College – The Social Economy Accelerator

Funding request: £44,460 year 3 funding

Some Members of the Board had reservations with regard to what was being offered, some Members felt that projects of this nature were already being offered by other organisations.  It was stated that due to the intervention which the application for funding was being made under, further applications were unlikely to be received.  Currently there was nothing similar.  Further discussion followed in respect of the outputs expected and the evidence of spend being required factors that the applicant had to present following any funding granted.  On being put to the vote the Board ENDORSED the funding application.

SKMP07 – Citizen’s Advice South Lincolnshire – Skills through Advice Project

Funding request: £37,808 year 3 funding

The Board discussed the funding application and recognised the work that the Citizens Advice Bureau undertook, especially in the current cost of living crisis where their services were being sought more often. Reference was made to funding already given to the organisation and it was confirmed that funding was continuing but with no uplift.  Some Board Members were concerned that consideration had not been given by the CAB to extending their opening hours.   On being put to the vote the Board ENDORSED the funding application.

SKMP08 – Steadfast Training Ltd – Connect2Grow

Funding request: £75,000 year 3 funding

The Board were supportive of the proposal and felt that it complimented to some degree the funding application proposed by Grantham College (SKMP05b – Grantham College)as the proposal was for the South of the district where as the Grantham College application was more for the Grantham area.  It was proposed that the application be DEFERRED for consideration to be given to see if the application could “fit together” with that proposed within SKMP05b.