Further to Minute No. 382 of the Cabinet meeting held on 12 April 2012, a report by the Acting Director of Children’s Services set out recommendations on the allocation of the £400,000 identified for tackling intergenerational poverty in the Council’s budget for 2012-13.

Councillor Tony Cox told the Cabinet that he was delighted with the approach whereby the funding had been set aside for the business plan.

Councillor Phil Davies informed the Cabinet that he was pleased that the project had been publicised in the Guardian Newspaper.  The project was innovative and Councillor Davies looked forward to it coming to fruition.  He thanked everyone who was involved with it

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet

(1)  recognises the contribution of the Working Group and notes the views expressed in relation to the proposed Foundation Years Trust “Springboard” initiative at Appendix 1 to the report;

(2)  agrees to release an initial sum of £50,000 of the Child Poverty budget allocation to the Foundation Years Trust to develop a comprehensive business case for the ‘Springboard’ project and that at the same time a pre-pilot phase of work be undertaken which will involve engaging thirty families with volunteers to begin to test out and develop the model.  The Foundation Years Trust shall be under an obligation to develop value for money in expending the initial sum for the purposes permitted;

(3)  agrees to consider the business case at a future Cabinet meeting, and, subject to being satisfied that the business case is satisfactory, robust, clear about the expected outcomes of the Trust’s work, that the activity represents value for money and that the monitoring and performance management arrangements will accurately measure the outcomes, take a further decision as to the release of a further £250,000 to support the “Springboard” project; and

(4)  agrees that the Wirral Child and Family Group considers priorities for the remaining £100,000 of the budget allocation and makes recommendations to the Children’s Trust in order for this to be commissioned in line with the process established through the Trust in respect of Early Intervention Grant funding.