Agenda item - Information, Advice & Advocacy Service

Summary: Options Considered	The Council has for many years provided funding to support the provision of Information, Advice & Advocacy (IAA) in North Norfolk. Historically IAA services in the district have been delivered by Citizens Advice A joint funding agreement with Norfolk County Council (NCC) for the delivery of IAA services in North Norfolk by Norfolk Citizens Advice (Norfolk CA) ended on 31^st March 2020. Cabinet resolved not to extend the contract and to review the IAA service prior to agreeing funding for the financial year 1.4.2020 – 31.3.2021. The review took place in December 2020. In spite of the Covid 19 restrictions, Norfolk CA has continued to provide IAA services, therefore the full grant for the period 2020 / 2021 was awarded. Funding of IAA of £66,710 is identified in the base budget towards the provision of IAA services in North Norfolk. Having considered the outcome of the review, a decision needs to be made as to the future allocation of IAA funding. 1. To award the full IAA budget of £66,710 to Norfolk CA for the provision of IAA services in North Norfolk. This option is not recommended: Norfolk CA provides generic IAA services which are valued and of benefit to many residents in North Norfolk. However, the age profile data from Norfolk CA shows minimal use of the service by young people under age 18 who can have specific age related IAA needs. There are also residents who due to their personal circumstances require specialist IAA support which Norfolk CA cannot always provide. To increase equity, a proportion of the IAA budget should be allocated to other Voluntary Community Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations that provide specialist IAA support to residents who due to their age or personal circumstances these residents may not access Norfolk CA. As a result of the pandemic there has been a significant increase in the use of both phone and digital media to access IAA services. The continuation of face to face IAA services in outreach locations where data shows use is low will cease thus reducing service costs 2. To award a conditional grant of £55,000 to Norfolk CA towards the provision of generalist IAA services in North Norfolk. This would include the continuation of existing face to face services at dedicated offices in North Walsham, Holt and at an agreed venue in Fakenham. This option is recommended: The remainder of the IAA budget (11,710 will be offered to identified VCSE organisations who provide IAA services in North Norfolk to young people under the age of 18 and / or who provide specialist IAA support to people due to their complex personal circumstances are unable to access or be supported by the range of generic services offered by Norfolk CA. There would be no reduction in the total IAA budget offered to VCSE organisations. The allocation of the remaining budget would be used more flexibly and equitably. This will ensure that funding from NNDC is used to provide IAA services to all residents including young people and those that are most vulnerable and therefore in need of specialist IAA support services.
Conclusions:	NNDC is committed to enabling all residents of North Norfolk to have access to IAA services that meet their needs. Offering funding towards both generic and identified specialist IAA services will enhance and increase access to IAA services in North Norfolk. Norfolk CA are aware of and support the recommendations.
Recommendations: Reasons for Recommendations:	To award a conditional grant of £55,000 to Norfolk CA towards for the provision of generic IAA services in North Norfolk. In consultation with the portfolio Holder for Culture & Wellbeing to award the remainder of the IAA budget (£11,710) to identified VCSE organisations to enhance IAA services to young people in North Norfolk and / or a VCSE organisation that provides specialist IAA support to residents in North Norfolk who may not be able to access or be supported by generic services IAA services. NCC are currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the IAA services they commission. This will result in a tender process and recommissioned countywide IAA services with potentially different service providers from 1^st April 2022. Until the outcome of the tender process is known it is considered that the NNDC IAA grants should only be awarded for one year from 1st April 2021.to 31^st March 2022. To ensure the IAA funding awarded by the Council enables the continuation of generic IAA services in North Norfolk. To preserve a face to face generalist Advice Service in designated locations across District. To ensure the IAA funding awarded by the Council contributes towards the provision of specialist IAA services to young people and / or residents in North Norfolk such as who may not be able to access or be supported by generic IAA services. The allocation of NNDC IAA funding from 1^st April 2021 – 31^st March 2022 will enable future provision of IAA services in North Norfolk to complement recommissioned NCC services
Cabinet Member(s) Cllr V Gay		Ward(s) affected: All

Contact Officer, telephone number and email:

Sonia Shuter, 01263 516173 sonia.shuter@north-norfolk.gov.uk

DECISION

RESOLVED:

1. To award a conditional grant of £55,000 to Norfolk CA towards for the provision of generic IAA services in North Norfolk.

2. In consultation with the portfolio Holder for Culture & Wellbeing to award the remainder of the IAA budget (£11,710) to identified VCSE organisations to enhance IAA services to young people in North Norfolk and / or a VCSE organisation that provides specialist IAA support to residents in North Norfolk who may not be able to access or be supported by generic services IAA services.

NCC are currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the IAA services they commission. This will result in a tender process and recommissioned countywide IAA services with potentially different service providers from 1^st April 2022. Until the outcome of the tender process is known it is considered that the NNDC IAA grants should only be awarded for one year from 1st April 2021.to 31^st March 2022.

Reason for the recommendation;

To ensure the IAA funding awarded by the Council enables the continuation of generic IAA services in North Norfolk.

To preserve a face to face generalist Advice Service in designated locations across District.

To ensure the IAA funding awarded by the Council contributes towards the provision of specialist IAA services to young people and / or residents in North Norfolk such as who may not be able to access or be supported by generic IAA services.

The allocation of NNDC IAA funding from 1^st April 2021 – 31^st March 2022 will enable future provision of IAA services in North Norfolk to complement recommissioned NCC services

Cllr V Gay, Portfolio Holder for Wellbeing, introduced this item. She explained that a review of the Information, Advice and Advocacy (IAA) services delivered in North Norfolk by Norfolk Citizens Advice (CA) took place in December 2020. The review highlighted areas of concern which needed to be addressed and which it was felty could influence the amount of funding offered to Norfolk CA in the future.

The intention was to continue to provide the service across the District, maintaining the face to face service whilst addressing the lack of engagement with young people, as this had been very low.The funding proposals for Norfolk CA would therefore ensure the continuation of face to face IAA services in three key towns across North Norfolk. It will also contribute towards the expansion of the phone and digital offer which will all benefit residents in North Norfolk. She explained that the reduction in Norfolk CA service costs as a result of ceasing outreach services in areas of low use would enable NNDC to offer funding to other Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations that provide specialist IAA support to young people or those who were unable to access support by Norfolk CA’s generic IAA service.

Cllr Gay concluded by saying that Norfolk CA were supportive of this approach and were fully committed to continue working in partnership with NNDC in the delivery of IAA services. She thanked them for their input.

It was proposed by Cllr V Gay, seconded by Cllr J Toye and