6 - Proposals for Community Investment Fund Expenditure
North Ayrshire Council · 7 November 2023
Back to Cabinet — 7 November 2023 and its agenda
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 7 November 2023 Cabinet Title: Proposals for Community Investment Fund (CIF) Expenditure Purpose: To determine applications by Locality Partnerships to allocate CIF funding to proposed projects. Recommendation: That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed application from the Irvine Locality Partnership; and b) Approves the CIF application in relation to CHAP, including the conditions approved by the Locality Partnership 1. Executive Summary 1.1 1.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided a funding allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified through Locality Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnerships Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. In June 2021, Cabinet approved a further £1m top-up for the funding, with a further £2m added in November 2021. 1.2 Locality Partnerships have subsequently continued to work on their local action plans and are refining proposals for expenditure in line with their locally identified needs. This is a difficult process, and it is a testament to the dedication of the Locality Partnerships and their community partners that proposals are now emerging to provide creative approaches to addressing local challenges. 1.3 This report brings forward proposals which respond to the specific need of the local community, and which have been developed based on local circumstances and opportunities. 1.4 These proposals have been approved to be submitted to Cabinet through a process of collaboration and consensus by the Locality Partnerships.
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2. Background 2.1 Within its budget for 2017-18, North Ayrshire Council provided an allocation for the creation of an innovative fund to enable communities to address the priorities they have identified though Locality Planning Partnerships and within the context of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership’s Fair for All Strategy and the Council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. A further £3m was added to the funding in 2021, to be distributed among Localities as follows: 2.2 It was agreed that the CIF awards range between £5,000 and £100,000 for the community organisations, as defined in the CIF guidance, in order to support proposals and projects that connect with: • The North Ayrshire Fair for All Strategy, with consideration for how applications contribute to community support for the cost-of-living crisis; • The Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; • North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities, and business objectives; • The Community Wealth Building and Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change Strategies; And will also: • Fulfil a compelling need and not duplicate existing services or facilities; • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible; • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council; Locality Value of CIF from first funding allocation (2017-18) Expenditure to date Value of CIF from second funding allocation (June 2021) Value of CIF from third funding allocation (Nov 2021) Total balance available Irvine £754 000 £558, 435 £290 000 £580 000 £1 065 565 Kilwinning £286 000 £322 190 £120 000 £240 000 £323 810 Three Towns £598 000 £907 573 £240 000 £480 000 £410,427 Garnock Valley £390 000 £341 805 £150 000 £300 000 £498 195 North Coast £468 000 £429 066 £170 000 £340 000 £548 934 Arran £104 000 £125 079 £30 000 £60 000 £68 921 TOTAL £2 600 000 £2 684 148 £1 000 000 £2 000 000 £2 915 852
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• Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project; • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. 2.3 The proposal development and application process has been agreed as follows: • Locality Partnerships should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. Each Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links, and look at the funding ‘in the round.’ • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. 2.4 The enclosed applications have been developed by community partners and North Ayrshire Council officers and are now recommended for approval by Cabinet. The proposals are as follows: 2.5 The Irvine Locality Partnership The allocations and funds committed to date are outlined in the table below. The Irvine Locality Partnership CIF allocation to date: £1,624,000 Irvine Digital Officer £84,604 Vineburgh & Fullarton Community Enablers £100,000 Irvine New Town Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Harbourside Mens Shed £10,000 Irvine Youth Hub £100,000 Irvine Tennis Club £100,000 INPUT £60,000 Children's 1st £97,580 Balance £1,065,565 2.6 Proposal: CHAP (£91,534) (See Appendix 1) 2.6.1 CHAP is a non-profit, private company limited by guarantee, and a registered charity which was established in 2000. Their mission is to ensure people are not disadvantaged through a lack of awareness of, access to, and information regarding their welfare rights. 2.6.2.The project which has been proposed will deliver CHAP services by establishing new advice worker outreach within local community settings throughout the Irvine area. The funding will allow for two full time advice workers to be employed for a year, and that these welfare advice posts will not duplicate any existing provision. Making these services accessible locally, in established and trusted environments, means that people will be able to gain assistance with a variety of benefits, housing, and debt
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issues on their doorstep. This is a model which has already proven successful in Kilwinning, Kilbirnie and the Three Towns areas. 2.6.3 The application supports the Irvine Locality Partnership priorities of Employment and Economy, Mental Health and Influence and Sense of Control. The full application is attached as Appendix 1 for consideration. 2.6.4.Irvine Locality Partnership has approved the application with the following conditions: a) The two posts for which funding is requested must be advertised and be two new positions and not a continuation of positions already held by the organisation. b) A quarterly report should be submitted to the Irvine Locality Partnership with updates on where in Irvine will the positions be based. Cabinet is asked to agree to the conditions if approval is granted for the application. 3. Proposals 3.1 That Cabinet: a) Reviews the enclosed application from the Irvine Locality Partnership in line with CIF criteria; and b) Approves the CIF application in relation to CHAP, including the conditions approved by the Locality Partnership. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 CIF Funding is allocated within existing resources. Human Resources 4.2 None. Legal 4.3 None. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 The purpose of Locality Planning is to reduce inequalities, increase community cohesion and advance community empowerment. Each of the CIF proposals is tested against that purpose before being presented to Cabinet. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 Environmental and sustainability along with Climate Change and Carbon issues are considered in relation to each CIF application.
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Key Priorities 4.6 The proposals contained within the report support the North Ayrshire Council Plan strategic aims: • To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people • We will have active, inclusive and resilient communities • To achieve net-zero • A Community Wealth Building Council that is efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources towards our priorities. Community Wealth Building 4.7 The applications support the following pillars of community wealth building: • Advancing community enterprises; • Advancing local ownership of underused land and buildings; • Making financial power work for local places; and • Supporting local business activities and increasing the variety of ownership models. 5. Consultation 5.1 The proposals contained within this report have been developed by the Locality Partnership, through consultation with local people, including young people. Audrey Sutton Executive Director (Communities & Education) For further information please contact Rhonda Leith, Head of Service (Connected Communities), on (01294) 324415. Background Papers Appendix 1: CIF Application - CHAP
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Community Investment Fund Application Form: Irvine Locality The CIF will support proposals and projects that: • Connect with: o The North Ayrshire Fair for All Inequalities Strategy. o the Community Planning Partnership and Locality priorities; and o North Ayrshire Council’s values, priorities, and business objectives. • Fulfil a compelling need and do not duplicate existing services or facilities. • Provide long-term, sustainable, positive results for the greatest number of people possible. • Exhibit project and/or organisational innovation in their approaches to their work in their way of addressing community challenges and in their request to Locality Partnerships and the Council. • Come from (an) organisation(s) that is financially viable (can provide financial statements upon request) and efficiently and effectively managed. This can include an organisation to be created to deliver the project. • Include options or potential for NAC and CPP employee engagement and volunteering where possible; and • Include measurable outcomes and can report to NAC on outcomes on a regular basis. When to apply and how? • LPs should continue to engage with their communities and stimulate interest in the CIF. The Locality Partnership will then strategically assess the applications, make links, and look at the funding ‘in the round’. • If the partnership supports a bid then the group will be encouraged to submit a full application form, which they will decide upon before making a proposal to Cabinet for final approval. • The finalised proposal will go to the next suitable Cabinet for final approval. • Forms should be returned to your Locality Co-ordinator, by email if possible: Elaine Baxter Irvine Locality Coordinator Economy and Communities Community Development Team Redburn Community Centre Dickson Drive Irvine KA12 9EW Email: ebaxter@north-ayrshire.gov.uk Tel: 01294 313593 Mob: 07814418453 Support and information will be available for groups who are not successful. For more information see the guidance form here: http://www.northayrshire.community/wp-content/uploads/sites/60/2018/06/community- investment-fund-guidance-notes-17-12-17.pdf
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APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Community Investment Fund 2. Brief description of your organisation Please include - [a] Legal status, e.g., voluntary organisation, public/private limited by shares or guarantee. [b] How long has organisation been in existence? [c] Aims & objectives. [d] General activities or services provided. CHAP is a non-profit, private company limited by guarantee (company number SC213344), and a registered charity (charity number SC028100) which was established in 2000. Initially established and managed by a small group of volunteers to deliver housing advocacy, it was identified that housing is very rarely a stand-alone issue, and individuals usually experienced other benefit-related issues, and were facing various debts. Therefore, CHAP has developed services over the past 23 years to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the residents of North Ayrshire. This has taken into account various socio-economic events such as the economic recession, Covid-19, and the current ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The organisation is governed by a Board of six voluntary trustees with various managerial backgrounds. Our mission is simple, yet far-reaching – we exist to ensure people are not disadvantaged through a lack of awareness of, access to, and information regarding their rights. We are a positive and helpful influence providing support and hope to individuals facing housing, welfare rights, and debt issues, standing alongside our clients as they face some of life’s most difficult challenges. All the services provided by CHAP have in common an ethos which supports social inclusion and justice for all. CHAP provides support to individuals who are most in need to receive much needed information and assistance to address issues that affect their everyday lives. Our service empowers individuals to have their views and opinions heard by the decision-makers and overcome barriers of literacy and communication challenges. We provide education and advice to individuals through an early intervention and prevention approach, breaking the cycle of exclusion, and helping them to avoid financial difficulties in the future. This covers areas such as income maximisation, budgeting, responsible borrowing, using credit unions to save, etc…which will in turn instil good practice and give individuals the financial literacy and resilience needed, empowering them to make sound financial decisions and avoid problem debt. Where clients do present with issues which have already reached a stage which is causing stress, CHAP can assist by providing real, practical steps that can be taken to obtain better outcomes. 1. Details of your organisation Name of Organisation: Community Housing Advocacy Project (CHAP) Postal Address for Correspondence: Michael Lynch Centre for Enterprise, 71, Princes Street Ardrossan KA22 8DG Name of Contact Person: Debbie Alexander Position in Organisation: Chief Executive Officer Contact Telephone Number: E mail address
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Anything can happen to anyone, at any time. People can suddenly find themselves in a vulnerable situation and may not know where to turn. By accessing the CIF funding, CHAP wants to make our advice and advocacy services more readily accessible throughout the Irvine area, and in turn help as many people as possible by assisting people to build their own financial knowledge, capability, and resilience, this will help them to avoid getting into financial difficulty in the future, and in turn, avoid these issues having a negative impact on their quality of life. In the last year (ending March 2023), we helped 858 clients, as well as their families with a variety of debt, housing, and welfare rights issues. One of the main services we provide, is ensuring that our clients have access to the maximum amount of income they are entitled to. A report carried out by entitledto.co.uk showed that an estimated £15 billion in benefits goes unclaimed annually due to people being unaware of their benefit entitlement and being unfamiliar with the benefit system. By assisting with benefit applications, and challenging decisions on our clients’ behalf where required, we help to ensure that people are able to access the appropriate benefits. We also ensure that when a client does not receive a favourable decision, they have the opportunity to challenge these decisions, by submitting a reconsideration/redetermination on their behalf, and providing representation at First Tier Tribunals when required to ensure the client’s voice is heard in relation to their case. In the year April 2022 – March 2023, CHAP has achieved over £2.3m in financial gains for our clients. This has been in relation to successful benefit applications, included backdated payments, debt write-offs, sequestration (bankruptcy), and hardship payments. By helping people to maximise their income; therefore, having more money in their pockets, this not only helps the person and their families directly, but it also helps to boost the local economy, and also provides people with more options and dignity in life. Not only do we help to improve individual’s financial circumstances, but assistance provided also has a fundamental impact on other areas of their life. We have a thorough evaluation practice in place which captures the impact that our services have on our clients’ lives. In the last year, the following improvements have been made to our clients’ lives after their engaging with CHAP: • 84% said that they have experienced a reduction in stress. • 73% said that we helped to improve their finances. • 54% said that we assisted to improve their quality of life. • 46% said that we helped to increase their confidence. 3. Title and summary of proposal Tell us a bit about your idea. Please describe in as much detail as possible, what the funding will be used for. Please include where it will be held / delivered, who is your target audience, who will benefit from it and how and indicate any partners that are involved. Please include - [a] What outcomes your organisation wishes to achieve. [b] Is this a new service / project? [c] Does a new organisation need to be set up? CHAP Advice Outreach CHAP believes that advice services should be available and accessible to everyone in the community, and therefore wants to remove any barriers that may prevent individuals from reaching out for help. The project we are proposing is an extension of the existing CHAP services, to establish new outposts within local community settings throughout the Irvine area. If successful, the funding from CIF will allow for advice workers to be based within various community locations throughout Irvine. Making our services accessible locally, in established and trusted environments, means that people will be able to gain assistance with a variety of benefits, housing, and debt issues on their doorstep. This will mean they do not need to travel all the way to Ardrossan to access our services; therefore, removing any accessibility barriers. By delivering our services from these kinds of premises, which already have a lot of activities happening on a daily basis, this means that people could be attending for any number of reasons; therefore, avoiding the stigma that might be attached to attending the main CHAP office. This funding will further increase our capacity to see clients, reducing waiting times, and providing our services to people within their own communities. The proposed service will be delivered over and above the existing services that we are delivering, both from our main office in Ardrossan and via our other, existing community outreach facilities, giving people more access to advice services which are needed now more than ever. Better Off North
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Ayrshire is ending in June 2023, with a contract then being put in place for debt advice across North Ayrshire. The funding from CIF will allow us the opportunity to expand resources to establish more outreach opportunities, specifically within the Irvine area, and will include up to Type III advice and advocacy in relation to Welfare Rights, and Housing as well as Debt where appropriate. Since April 2022, 38% of clients referred to our services from the Irvine area have failed to engage/attend their appointment. We know that there is a further need for our services in the Irvine area, and by bringing CHAP services to where people are, closer to their home, we are confident that the engagement would increase to ensure that people are gaining the support they need. Since we launched our Kilwinning outreach service in March 2022, we experienced a 110% increase in the number of clients from Kilwinning who engaged with our service, compared with the previous year. This means that those who would never have accessed our services were able to gain assistance with the issues which were negatively impacting various areas of their life, especially their mental health. We often find that due to the stigma that unfortunately remains attached to reaching out for assistance, especially in relation to money and debt issues, people are more likely to engage with our services if they are anonymised – by accessing assistance in busy and established community facilities, it is not automatically assumed that someone would be going there for help with money-related issues, as they could be accessing the premises for various reasons. The impact of the cost-of-living crisis is having an affect on everyone. We are seeing an increasing number of clients who now require our services, who never would have previously. Individuals who have never faced financial difficulties are now finding that their finances are being stretched to an unmanageable degree: mortgage and rent rates are increasing, along with the cost of everything else – gas/electricity, petrol/diesel, food, and household essentials. With so much strain being put on family budgets, along with the demands of every-day life, this can culminate in financial crisis. People may feel forced into accessing unaffordable credit, leading to further financial distress. CHAP strongly believes that education, early intervention, and prevention are key; and can offer this as part of a two-tonged approach along with crisis intervention when required. Whilst engaging with the community, and working with other services, we have often heard people lament ‘if only I had known about CHAP…’ during a difficult time in their lives, it would made things a lot easier to cope with. We never want people to feel this way. We want everyone in Irvine to know that we are there, within their local communities to support them, so that nobody ever needs to experience that feeling of needing help, and not knowing where to turn. By providing our services on an outreach basis, this will increase the number of people who hear about CHAP within their local communities, which could provide that lifeline that someone is searching for. 4. What difference will this project make within the locality and to local services and programmes? Please include - [a] How you will approach reducing inequality. [b] How this proposal fits with Irvine’s priorities of: 1. Employment and Economy 2. Mental Health 3. Traffic and Parking 4. Influence and Sense of Control Outcomes • Increased number of individuals provided with easy/affordable access to services from the Irvine area. • Increased number of people with improved financial management skills. • Increased confidence and overall better quality of life reported by individuals. • Increase in household finances through income maximisation. • Reduction in reported stress levels. • Improved mental health and wellbeing. • Improved local economy as households will have more money to spend. • Reduction in levels of debt.
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Irvine has an average child poverty rate of around 23% (2020 SIMD), and this ranges from the highest level of 44.87% down to the lowest level of 7.11%. This demonstrates the huge disparity that exists between residents in different areas of Irvine. This is true, even when comparing areas within the same locality, e.g., within one locality/community, there are streets that have the average child poverty area of 44.87%, compared to adjacent communities which have levels of 9.38% and 7.11%. Throughout Irvine, there are communities where the child poverty levels are consistently high, e.g., in Bourtreehill, Irvine Central, and Fullarton. These levels of child poverty and disparity have real negative impact on the mental health of those at the higher ends of the child poverty scale. Dealing with debt, housing, and benefit issues also has a negative effect on peoples’ mental health. When all these aspects are compounded, it can make life extremely difficult for individuals, and can also have a detrimental impact on the family as a whole. When comparing the unemployment levels within the same areas, there is often a clear correlation between this and levels of child poverty. People who are unemployed and facing rising debts, often feel like these issues are unsurmountable. Many are afraid to take positive steps back into employment because they know that when they do, it means that creditors will be able to take action against them to recuperate debt. By engaging with CHAP’s advisers in a trusted environment, clients can begin to remove these barriers by gaining timely and appropriate advice, which can then begin to improve their confidence, remove stress, and allow them to start thinking about making positive steps towards employment. According to entitledto.org.uk, there was over £15 billion unclaimed benefits in 2020. This includes: • Child tax credit - £2.49 billion (£3716 per year for each family missing out) • Pension credit - £1.56 billion (£1695 per year for each individual missing out) • Council Tax Support - £2.6 billion (£938 per year for each household missing out) • Housing Benefit - £2.81 billion (£3122 per year for each household missing out) These figures demonstrate that services which can help to maximise people’s income and put money directly into the pockets of individuals and their families are needed now more than ever. Since May 2022, CHAP has achieved almost £2.3 million in financial gains for our clients, of which over £368,000 was for individuals from Irvine. This could be further increased by us having a presence within local communities in the area, as it will allow us to reach disengaged individuals with various accessibility challenges. CHAP is assisting to increase the income of individuals and families throughout Irvine, which not only has a positive impact on the people themselves; it also has a larger benefit to community regeneration. If local people have more money coming into their households, this will enable them to spend more money locally, support local business, boost the economy, and improve their overall mental health and wellbeing. Improving people’s wellbeing and confidence, as well as reducing their stress levels will allow them to move forward in their lives in relation to possible employment or training opportunities, which has a long-term positive affect on their lives. We have successfully rolled out several outreach facilities in Kilwinning, Kilbirnie, and throughout the Three Towns, which has revealed the full extent of unfulfilled demand for our services, previously not met through issues of accessibility and stigma with people accessing our services within their communities. The CIF funding will allow us to replicate this model in the Irvine area, ensuring the residents have the same access to CHAP services as their counterparts in other areas of North Ayrshire. The cost-of-living crisis has meant CHAP has already experienced an increase to the demand on our services. In our operational year ending November 2022, we witnessed a 30% increase in referrals to our service, compared to the previous year. Without further funding this increase has the adverse effect of lengthening lead times to first appointment. This in turn leads to despair and to many clients failing to engage with us, something which can only worsen through the continuing cost-of-living crisis. There had previously been levels of financial support put in place by both the UK, and Scottish Governments; however, these support measures are no longer in place, and as such we are anticipating further demands on our services in the months to come. CHAP advice services will compliment all the community work that is already taking place within the Irvine area. There are various community groups and organisations who are working hard to help people through the current financial crisis, including food provision services, Friends of Redburn, Fullarton Community Hub, as well as various services relating to mental health and wellbeing. CHAP will work in partnership with established community
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organisations to ensure that all aspects of peoples lives are addressed, and support is put in place where appropriate. 5. Please give an overview of the engagement that has taken place in relation to the project With support from the Locality team, we conducted an online survey of community members, and of those who responded, 91% have indicated that they would be more likely to access advice services within a community setting rather than in a traditional office setting. This demonstrates that people are still worried about the stigma that surrounds accessing advice services, and that individuals would rather be seen within a trusted, familiar, and informal setting, which can be the difference between engaging and gaining help, and the individual struggling with issues alone, which often has a long-term negative impact on mental health, and overall wellbeing of individuals and families. We have been involved in ongoing community engagement in relation to this proposal. This has included attendance at various community ‘Chit Chat’ sessions, as well as the locality networking events. Through attending these sessions and speaking to members of the community, we have heard from various individuals that the provision of advice services within the community are lacking, and a lot of people do not know where to turn to for support. When asked if they are worried about the current cost-of-living crisis, 91% also indicated that this is an area of concern for them. Finally, when asked where the best place for would be for advice services to be delivered within the community, the responses were based around community centres, and libraries. 6. Please tell us how the project will be managed Please include - [a] How the finances will be managed. [b] Does the proposed project contribute to volunteering or employment opportunities in Irvine? Please include the number of volunteering opportunities and employment opportunities [c] If there are any staff requirements, please outline your HR plans. [d] Is there evidence of partnership working in relation to the project within Irvine locality? Staff are responsible to the Service Manager and the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) are cascaded into staff action plans which in turn, influence personal training plans. The Service Manager reports on KPI’s to the CEO on a regular basis, who is required to report to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis on the outcomes achieved across the services. There is also a Service Support Officer who oversees the setup of new initiatives, reporting and quality assurance. To successfully deliver the proposed project, CHAP has plans in place to expand our current resources if we are successful in obtaining the required funding. The staff induction and training process is aligned with the Scottish National Standards and Financial Conduct Authority requirements. There are ongoing training procedures in place, with staff having dedicated training time incorporated into their working schedule. Each staff member has an individual training plan which highlights any skills gaps and to allow appropriate training to be sourced to assist them to develop the required technical knowledge. Staff are cross trained to maximise overall staff efficiency and flexibility, reducing the potential impact of a key member of staff being absent or leaving the organisation. Our accounts are outsourced to an external company, Alexander Sloans. We have external Finance Director who is able to provide us with detailed accounts at individual project level. The management accounts produced are reviewed quarterly by the board and annually by our auditors. Procedures are in place to ensure that all elements of the services remain inside the allotted budgets. The Chief Executive and the Virtual Finance Director liaise with each other, regularly discussing said budgets. Each service has its own individual budget sheet, and each budget heading is broken down monthly. The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring that there is enough in the budget to cover any requests, such as staff training, etc. All company transactions are recorded by our Virtual Finance Director and a financial trail is kept for end of financial year auditing. Detailed quarterly management accounts are provided to the Board of Directors for scrutiny.
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Other than the board of directors who are volunteers, CHAP currently does not have volunteers involved in the delivery of services. However, this is something we are looking to develop, and we would welcome the support of volunteers in our community based work in the role of ‘peer supporters’. We have established excellent partnerships with the Irvine Locality Team which has allowed us to gain an understanding of the needs of the residents within the Irvine area, and the issues that are affecting people locally. We have excellent partnerships with Children 1st, KA Leisure, Input, and various community centres throughout the Irvine area. We work closely with the Third Sector Interface to help establish other potential partnerships with like- minded organisations. 7. Amount of funding being requested Please supply details of the amount of funding being requested and any other funding you have had over the past 5 years, both financially and ‘in kind’. Amount of funding requested: £91,534 Please include detail on - [a] Breakdown of costs if available. [b] Recent quotations where appropriate When Funder Project Amount 2017-2020 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire - Digital Access £904,938 2017/18 North Ayrshire Council Better Off North Ayrshire – Shared Tenancy £2,572 2017/18 North Ayrshire Council Modern Apprenticeship Scheme £2,838 2017-2022 North Ayrshire Council Housing Advice Service £511,146 2017-2022 East Ayrshire Council Rent Deposit Scheme £285,303 2017-2022 Scottish Legal Aid Board Ayrshire Homelessness And Prevention £638,857 2017-2022 Scottish Legal Aid Board Money Advice Project £380,784 2017-2020 SCVO Community Jobs Scotland £28,818 2018/19 Nationwide Community Awards £44,635 2019/20 SCVO Wellbeing Fund £14,224 2019/20 Scottish Government Benefit Uptake Fund £16,411 2019/20 Scottish Government Supporting Communities £15,220 2020/21 SVCO Employment Initiative £2,410 2020/21 North Ayrshire Council Housing + Money Advice £94,664 2020/21 North Ayrshire Council Employment Initiative £12,502 2020-2022 North Ayrshire Council New Better Off £315,955 2021/22 Ayrshire TSI Communities Mental Health + Wellbeing Fund £40,875 2021/22 North Ayrshire Council Long-term Unemployed Fund £4,382 2021/22 Other Other £1,200 2021-2023 (ended Mar 23) Scottish Legal Aid Board Debt Advice Journey £133,360 8. Monitoring and evaluation process Please include detail on – [a] What monitoring, and evaluation processes are planned/in place? We have a secure, online caseload management system in place for recording and monitoring all activity within our existing services which will be utilised for any new projects. This system is password protected with a two-stage validation. This allows us to run reports to monitor our activity and report on the impact our work has on our clients and their families.
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This allows us to capture outcomes such as: • Number of clients referred. • % of clients engaged. • Issues clients need support with. • Successful outcomes. • Financial gains. Additionally, we have an evaluation and service user feedback process in place which allows us to capture the impact that our support has on our clients, their families, and their lives in general. By maintaining a flexible approach to this – clients can provide feedback over the phone or anonymously online – it allows us to gain more open and honest feedback from clients which allows us to make positive changes within the organisation where applicable. The evaluation captures various elements of the client journey, including: • Satisfaction with the overall service. • Did they feel at ease with their adviser. • How easy did they find it to access our services. • Was their appointment method suitable. • Has our service improved any of the following for them: Finances Health Improving confidence Quality of life Reducing stress Social circle/activities Employment Education • Any other comments regarding the service. We conduct service user focus groups in order to speak to clients, providing an open forum for our clients to give us honest feedback and suggestions around what we are doing well, and what improvements we can make. We also use this opportunity to provide information around upcoming service developments so that we can gain reactions and responses to these, ensuring we are on the right track and making changes relevant to service users, and the problems being faced in people’s day-to-day lives. By capturing this information, it allows us to demonstrate what impact the work we do has on individuals, their families, and the overall community.