The Chair introduced a report on the findings and recommendations of the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme Scrutiny Review, which she had chaired and which had been undertaken by six members of the Committee, Councillors Tom Anderson, Paul Doughty, Phil Gilchrist, Matthew Patrick, Joe Walsh and Janette Williamson.

As part of the Committee’s work programme, Members agreed to undertake a Task and Finish Scrutiny Review of the Council’s Local Welfare Assistance Scheme following news that there would be no direct funding from central government from 1 April 2015. As the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme provided awards to people who were in severe need, this contributed to meeting the corporate priority of protecting the vulnerable in Wirral.

On 10 February 2015, Cabinet agreed as part of its budget resolutions that £900,000 would be held in a reserve to determine how this should be allocated after the current Scheme expired at the end of July 2015. A scoping meeting for the review was convened on 25 February with an evidence day held on 9 April, 2015 to inform recommendations to Cabinet.

To avoid an additional meeting of this Committee being scheduled for the purpose of approving the final report, this Committee had agreed a recommendation at the meeting held on 30 March 2015 (minute 31 refers) to give delegated authority to the Scrutiny Review Panel to refer the final agreed report to Cabinet.

The final report contained six recommendations which the Cabinet considered and supported at its meeting on 29 June, 2015 (minute 14 refers) and a copy of the minute was circulated at the meeting.

The Chair stated that this review had been an excellent piece of cross-party working with one full day workshop gathering evidence from a variety of organisations, which had received a positive response from Cabinet. The review panel would meet again in six months to review progress and how the recommendations were taking shape.

Members suggested the need for the Scheme to dovetail into the recently approved Wirral Council Plan and to keep reviewing what the Council could offer bearing in mind the budgetary constraints of the Council. Future budget options should take account of any piece of work which could be done in time for that.

Resolved – That the contents of report be noted.

The Cabinet considered a report by the Head of Business Processes, referred to it for further consideration.  Attached to the report was:

·  Local Welfare Assistance Scheme Scrutiny Review (Appendix 1); and

·  Wirral Local Welfare Assistance Scheme Policy 2015/16 (Appendix 2).

The report recommended that the Cabinet agree to the future Local Welfare Assistance Scheme. 

The Cabinet noted that the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme was, up until March 2015, directly funded by central government grant.  This had now been withdrawn by the Government with the recommendation that Local Authorities should consider funding future schemes from their general fund. 

The Cabinet was reminded that at its meeting on 10 February 2015, it had agreed, as part of its budget resolutions, that £900,000 would be held in a reserve for this fund following the Government’s decision to withdraw direct funding from 1 April 2015.  (Minute No. 136 refers.)

The Cabinet was informed that the current scheme was in place until 31 July 2015 and the Task and Finish Scrutiny Review Panel (Councillors Janette Williams, Tom Anderson, Phil Gilchrist, Paul Doughty, Mathew Patrick and Joe Walsh) had reviewed the position and its findings and recommendations were set out in Appendix 1 of the report and Appendix 2 set out how the scheme could be taken forward from 1 August 2015.

Councillor Janette Williamson, Chair of the Policy and Performance – Transformation and Resources Committee was in attendance at the meeting to make a presentation on the Local Welfare Assistance Scrutiny Review, an evidence day held on 9 April 2015 the Task and Finish Review Panel’s findings.

Councillor Janette Williamson informed that the Review Panel had met with a range of witnesses, including Council Officers and representatives from a number of third sector organisations.  Appropriate information had also been requested by the Review Panel to help develop the recommendations made in its final report. 

It was noted that it was not possible for some working people to make their money last and as a result they were using the Foodbank.  Wirral Foodbank had 14 outlets and currently people found out about it by word of mouth it was not widely publicised but the Citizen’s Advice Bureau was now telling people about it.

Following her presentation Councillor Janette Williamson was asked a number of questions by Cabinet Members which she duly answered. 

Cabinet Members agreed that this report was about people in desperate need and it was the result of some very good cross party working that would make a huge difference to the people of Wirral.  New ways of working had been adopted, the Council was building on the relationships it had made and had earmarked funding to help those in most need.  However, it was regrettable that a Council had to initiate such a project.  It had done so to offset the damage caused by the present Government.

The Cabinet agreed that this was an excellent example of the work that a Task and Finish Group could carry out.  It was hoped that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14