Horsham District Council : Issue - items at meetings - Community Advice Partnership Agreement

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Community & Wellbeing

RESOLVED

i) To approve the procurement of a partnership contract/inter-agency agreement with West Sussex County Council and the other West Sussex District and Borough Councils for Community Advice Services for the provision of an independent and comprehensive information and advice service for up to seven years from 1 April 2022.

ii) To delegate to the Cabinet Member for Community & Wellbeing the authority to enter into the partnership contract/inter-agency agreement subject to contract approval by the Monitoring Officer.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

iii) To approve a budget contribution of £93,000 for up to 7 years, uplifted annually in line with the consumer price index calculated on the anniversary of the agreement, subject to satisfactory service reviews in line with Horsham District Council’s corporate priorities and the availability of Horsham District Council funding.

REASON

To enable community advice services to continue to be delivered for residents of the Horsham District, therefore protecting the quality of like of those who live in, work in and visit our district.

Councillor Claire Vickers, Cabinet Member for Community & Wellbeing, stated that the report informed the decision-making process concerning whether the Council entered into a partnership contract with WSCC and Sussex district and borough councils to collectively procure and fund community advice services in the future.

The current service was supplied by Citizens Advice under a partnership contract. They offered essential services to the community and had demonstrated year on year the positive impact that advice services provide. The Director of Community Services advised that regular performance updates from Citizens Advice were monitored by the Head of Housing & Community Services and that officers had a high opinion of the service they provided.