Issue - meetings

(Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy)): To agree core funding to the legal and advice agencies based  on the recommendations of the independent evaluation of their services over the last 3 years of funding.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Strategy).  To agree core grant funding to the legal and advice agencies based on the recommendations of the independent evaluation of their services over the last 3 years of funding

Members noted the findings from the MBA evaluations of the Citizens Advice Bureau, Haringey Law Centre and Angolan and Cabinda Community Associations.  In summary, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau was peforming very well and had adopted methods to manage waiting periods.  The Angolan and Cabinda Community Associations were providing a good service on immigration law for which they receive funding and future funding will be conditional on them ensuring the Council’s funding continues to be used for this purpose only.

The Haringey Law Centre were being assisted by MBA and the CVST with an improvement plan based on the findings of the MBA evaluation.  While this work is being undertaken and to bring the Law Centre to a point where they could be sustainable grant will be awarded to 31^st March 2008.  This would be subject to a further report to the Executive Voluntary Sector Committee before grant to 2010 would be allocated.

In response to member’s queries about the change of name of the Centre from Tottenham Law Centre to Haringey Law Centre; officers explained that the service was not exclusively for Tottenham and did not comply with the Constitution of the Law Charities Institute. The change in name reflected the use and work of the centre for all Haringey residents and in this respect would attract more funding.  Members noted that a new Centre Manager would be appointed.  

Officers advised that the immediate objectives of a borough wide Advice Strategy could be addressed through the existing Anti Poverty Strategy.

RESOLVED

1.                  That the funding recommendations set out in 5.5.1 and 5.5.4 of the report, up to March 2010 be agreed.

2.                  That a borough wide Advice Strategy as set out in 5.5.2 be developed

3.                  That inflation be added to the core grant for advice agency from April 2007 to the end of the newly agreed funding agreement as set out in 5.5.5 of the report.

The meeting ended at 8.40 pm