Agenda item

(A)Bridge to Work – to consider the award of a grant to Inclusion London and Action on Disability.

For Decision

THE CITY BRIDGE TRUST COMMITTEE

(Alison Gowman, Alderman)

11 May 2017

(A) Bridge to Work

The Court considered the award of a grant of £775,000 over five years (£161,000; £150,000; £151,000; £155,000; £158,000) towards staffing and operational costs of the joint Bridge to Work project by Inclusion London and Action on Disability. This proposal built on existing, effective, work as well as the knowledge and direct experience from Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations and Disabled people themselves in order to develop best practice and to shape policy in this area.

The principal outcomes of the project were to:

·         Reduce the barriers young Disabled people face in accessing and remaining in employment

·         Support employers to become more confident, inclusive and accessible employers of Disabled people

·         Identify and develop new recruitment routes between potential employers and Disabled employees

·         Influence policy and practice in employment support through providing robust evidence as to the effectiveness and impact of employment support models.

The Court was recommended to approve a grant of £775,000 over five years (£161,000; £150,000; £151,000; £155,000; £158,000) to Inclusion London and Action on Disability (with the former as the lead partner and recipient of the grant) towards a Project Manager; other key staff; and operational costs of the Inclusion London/Action on Disability joint Bridge to Work project. The grant in years 4 and 5 would be subject to the project achieving satisfactory progress in the first three years.

Whilst approving the grant in principle, it was observed that there was a small discrepancy between the grant sums set out in the report’s recommendation and the concluding paragraph of the report. It was therefore suggested that authority be delegated to the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of The City Bridge Trust Committee to ascertain the correct figure and approve the grant accordingly.

Amendment – That authority be delegated to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of The City Bridge Trust Committee, to approve the final terms of the grant.

Upon the Amendment being put, the Lord Mayor declared it to be carried.

The amended Motion being put before the Court, it was consequently:-

Resolved – That authority be delegated to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of The City Bridge Trust Committee, to approve the final terms of a grant over five years to Inclusion London and Action on Disability (with the former as the lead partner and recipient of the grant) towards a Project Manager; other key staff; and operational costs of the Inclusion London/Action on Disability joint Bridge to Work project. The grant in years 4 and 5 would be subject to the project achieving satisfactory progress in the first three years.