241023 Community Justice Grant Scheme
Renfrewshire Council · 29 October 2024
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 29 October 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 29 October 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Community Justice Third Sector Grant Scheme ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This paper outlines a proposal to create a pilot Community Justice Renfrewshire Grant Scheme. The scheme will provide funding to third sector organisations whose local activities both promote and link to national community justice improvement outcomes. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 The Communities and Housing Board is asked: (a) To approve the proposed Community Justice Third Sector Grant Scheme outlined in Section 4 (b) Agree that authority is delegated to the Head of Children and Justice Social Work to grant awards in line with guidance that will be developed for the Community Justice Third Sector Grant Scheme _________________________________________________________ 3. Background
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3.1 The National Strategy for Community Justice Delivery Plan identifies a priority action to “enhance community integration and support by increasing and promoting greater use of… third sector services”. It also calls on justice partners to “strengthen the leadership, engagement, and partnership working of local and national community justice partners”. 3.2 Through our community justice partnership, we have made good progress in strengthening links with our third sector. We have achieved representation from third sector organisations at a strategic, decision- making level, and have worked to identify key providers who currently support our local justice population. 3.3 There are many local third sector organisations beyond those we have currently identified that deliver pro-social activities to people in their communities. Their work enables participants to build positive relationships, nurture a sense of self-worth and improve their connectivity to the community they live within by using approaches that are inclusive, accessible, and welcoming. 3.4 Our partnership is eager that Renfrewshire’s justice-experienced population better access and benefit from pro-social activities where it is safe and appropriate. Better participation in these activities can help address this population’s complex needs, which are often routed in trauma and stigmatising responses. 3.5 Some smaller, local organisations may not always fully recognise their importance and value in positively supporting our community justice aims. It is recognised they may benefit from advice or support to assist them recognise this and respond effectively to the needs of justice- experienced people. This might mean broadening the scope of their work, delivering it in a different way, or working more closely with statutory partners. 3.6 Part of the justice social work services ringfenced grant Renfrewshire Council receives from the Scottish Government provides the opportunity to commission third sector organisations. This is designed to bolster justice social work activity by creating third sector capacity to respond to local population need, as directed by justice partners. The funding allocated to this third-sector commissioning in Renfrewshire’s 2024/25 grant is £80,634. Approximately £20,000 is already allocated. _________________________________________________________ 4. Scheme Proposal
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4.1 The proposed pilot Community Justice Renfrewshire Grant Scheme will adopt a similar approach to recent schemes/funds such as the Winter Connections Fund, Community Food Fund and Summer of Fun Community Programme. It will issue grants to local organisations who are intent on improving outcomes for our justice experienced population and monitor its effectiveness. 4.2 The scheme will support activity that aligns to National Strategy for Community Justice aims, namely: ▪ Providing help to people subject to diversion and early intervention ▪ Supporting desistance for people serving community sentences ▪ Supporting the transition of people leaving custody as they reintegrate back into the community It is anticipated that individual grants will be awarded up to a value of £9,999.00. 4.2 The conditions of Renfrewshire’s social work services grant relating to third sector support requires allocations to be guided by partnership decision making. Community Justice Renfrewshire, our local strategic group comprised of decision makers from statutory public and third sector partners, presents a suitable forum to identify the parameters of the grant scheme, review applications and evaluate impact. 4.3 Recognising compliance with these conditions and the collective remit and authority of strategic group members, it is recommended that authority is delegated to Renfrewshire Council’s Head of Children and Justice Social Work, who serves as Chair of Community Justice Renfrewshire, to allocate the third sector commissioning element of Renfrewshire’s justice social work grant though the proposed scheme. 4.4 The scheme will run on a pilot basis for 1 year. Its impact and effectiveness will be reviewed towards the end of this period. _________________________________________________________ 5. Next Steps 5.1 Work is planned in the coming months to undertake focused outreach work with third-sector organisations who work with Renfrewshire’s justice-experienced population. This will map current resources and capacity and identify where it can be enhanced. This insight will form the basis of specific grant guidance and ensure the proposed grant scheme aligns to local need and national justice improvement outcomes.
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___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – the proposed grant scheme will use third-sector specific allocations within justice social work service grant. These monies are ringfenced for specific spend within Justice delivery and cannot be utilised for other Council spend. 2. HR & Organisational Development - none 3. Community/Council Planning – The scheme outlined in this report has the potential to complement a broad range of community planning priorities 4. Legal – none 5. Property/Assets - none 6. Information Technology - none 7. Equality & Human Rights - (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - None 9. Procurement – None 10. Risk - None 11. Privacy Impact - None. 12. Climate Risk – None
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13. Children’s Rights – Supporting justice-experienced people who are parents or carers of children and young people support articles within UNCRC, particularly in relation to juvenile justice 14. Cosla Policy Position – none ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Jamie Gardyne, Community Justice Lead Officer