Changes made to assessment process for voluntary sector grants in Stafford
Changes have been made to how Stafford Borough Council assesses grants for voluntary organisations are concerns were raised about the process.
Cabinet members had previously approved a 12-month extension to grants for seven voluntary organisations, including Citizens Advice, Staffordshire Women’s Aid and Stafford District Arts Council, in February.
But the decision was later called in for scrutiny by the authority’s Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee. Councillors Doug Rouxel, Emma Carter and Jack Rose asked the committee “to consider if the ‘one size fits all’ approach for funding these organisations, which range from culture and sport to hospices and women’s charities, is appropriate, and explore if there is a more appropriate approach that could be taken.”
At the commitee’s March meeting, Councillor Rouxel raised concerns the assessment criteria was not clear enough and called for greater clarity and transparency. It was proposed that the current grants, totalling more than £130,000, were allocated and the process looked at again.
On Thursday (May 15), cabinet members were asked to approve the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Grant Policy detailing how, and what, support will be given by the council to voluntary sector organisations, and note changes made. They were also asked to approve the £130,250 spend to enable the extension of the current grant agreements until 31 March 2026.
Councillor Jill Hood, cabinet member for community, said: “Alterations have been made to the assessment criteria section of this policy. This includes a revised and weighted matrix and the amendments ensure transparency and accountability, with funding to the voluntary sector delivering the greatest impact within the borough.
“Grant applications will be assessed by a panel of officers from wellbeing and the cabinet member for community. Updates on the outcomes of panel decisions and funding projects will be reported to the Community Wellbeing Partnership and included in the annual performance update to the scrutiny panel.
“Individual bid information will not be shared, as it will not be in the public domain. Project monitoring meetings will be held by the council to assess whether an organisation satisfies the terms and conditions of the grant and is able to manage their financial and legal responsibilities.
“Organisations who are allocated funding will be expected to produce an end of year evaluation report, which will be reported to the Community Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee each year. We can only give funding based on the merits of what organisations do, rather than ring fencing any one organisation; we will also be able to look at other alternative organisations who request funding.
“The changes to the funding matrix will guarantee we review each application thoroughly. The cabinet understands the importance of supporting the voluntary sector in the borough and appreciates the role they play.”
