Agenda item

Report of the Chief Grants Officer.

The Committee received a report of the Chief Grants Officer, which outlined proposals after a review of current practices.

Members were informed that a company had been commissioned to undertake a benchmarking exercise; the full report would be presented at a future meeting, but the Chief Grants Officer advised that the Trust had compared favourably. Despite the high standard of work being carried out, Members noted that more time was needed for officers to keep up-to-date on the grant-giving context, to analyse and act on the lessons and trends from the grants portfolio, and to take a strategic view on the most effective grants spend and support activities.

As part of this, themed officer leads had been established and it was being proposed that the number of Committee meetings be reduced from ten to six, each receiving a focused update or updates on the programmatic areas from the Investing in Londoners grants programme, in addition to a strategic away half-day.

The Committee discussed the proposals, in particular the request to reduce the cycle of meetings. Members noted officers’ assurances that this would not affect the quantity of grants made and the 4 month target from application to decision would remain. A Member expressed his concern that the resulting increase in business for each meeting would make it difficult for Members to read and absorb the papers before the meeting; the Committee were mindful of this concern and asked for the impact of the recommendations to be reviewed  in October 2015.

RESOLVED – That:

(a)  The current cycle of ten CBT Committee meetings per year be reduced to six;

(b)  One strategic away half-day meeting for Committee Members is added;

(c)  At each Committee meeting, a focused update or updates is provided on one or more of the programmatic areas from the Investing in Londoners grants programme, e.g. older people; mental health;

(d)  The meeting schedule for the current year be amended as follows:

1.    This year (2014/15), the Committee meet, from now on, in July, September, November, January and March;

2.    That a strategic away half-day is held on October 23rd (the current day for the Committee meeting);

3.    From April 2015, the Committee aim to meet in May, July, September, November, January and March, with a strategic away half-day in October;

(e)  The impact of the above recommendations be reviewed in October 2015;

(f)   The Town Clerk circulates an email to Committee Members regarding availability for the proposed strategic away half-day on 23 October; and

(g)  The new assessment report format be adopted, including an additional line in the financial table to show the cost of generating funds as a percentage of income.