Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services.

Decision

Cabinet agreed:-

(a)       The continued provision of the ‘information, advice and guidance’ service for residents at the current financial rate for a 5-year term to offer stability.. Extension of the current grant for a further 6 months 1^st April – 30^th September 2021 to enable a procurement exercise to be undertaken. The new contract to begin on 1^st October 2021

(b)       The continued provision of an arts and culture support service at the current financial rate for a 5-year term. Extension of the current grant for a further 6 months 1^st April – 30^th September 2021 to enable a procurement exercise to be undertaken. The new contract to begin on 1^st October 2021.

(c)        The continued provision of support services to the social voluntary community sector at the current financial rate for a 5-year term. This will be tendered as one contract for bidding organisations to work in partnership to deliver the support for the rest of the social voluntary community sector. Extension of the current grant recipients for a further 6 months 1^st April – 30^th September 2021 to enable a procurement exercise to be undertaken. The new contract to begin on 1^st October 2021.

(d)       The continued commissioned support of the museums and community centres in which Dorset Council have a reversionary interest at the current financial rate for a period of 1 year from 1^st April 2021 to be considered within the wider council buildings and assets review.

(f)        A discretionary outcome-based fund to be introduced to replace all historical grant programmes offered by Dorset Council. Criteria to be modified in accordance to the comments made in the consultation and agreed with the Cabinet Portfolio Holder.

Reason for Decision

1. The consultation has evidenced the value and very strong level of support for the information, advice and guidance service for residents. Due to the value of the contract, there is a requirement to procure the service.  The timescales involved in undertaking an open and transparent procurement exercise will necessitate the need to extend the existing contract to allow sufficient time for this to be completed.

2. The consultation has evidenced the value and very strong level of support for the arts support service. Due to the value of the contract, there is a requirement to procure the service.  The timescales involved in undertaking an open and transparent procurement exercise will necessitate the need to extend the existing contract to allow sufficient time for this to be completed.

3. The consultation has evidenced the value and very strong level of support for the social VCS support service. Due to the value of the contract, there is a requirement to procure the service.  The timescales involved in undertaking an open and transparent procurement exercise will necessitate the need to extend the existing contract to allow sufficient time for this to be completed.  It is acknowledged that the current organisations worked incredibly effectively together before and during the COVID-19  ...  view the full decision text for item 29