Decision details

The purpose of this decision is to allocate grants to a number of Mobile/Community Warden Schemes as part of the Council’s scheme of grants to the voluntary sector.

Mobile and Community Wardens Schemes (sometimes called Community Care Schemes) exist in South Cambridgeshire to support older people to live independently in their homes and in the community they know, and which knows them.

The warden schemes are complementary to statutory care services and do not duplicate or replace the medical or social care services that individuals may also require.  They can help to combat loneliness and social isolation and can provide significant benefits to clients at relatively low cost.  They are seen by clients and their families as a vital community-based service.

South Cambridgeshire District Council has been providing grant funding to Mobile and Community Warden Schemes for many years.  The grant application process was run from November to January.

Grants Advisory Committee recommended to fund the Mobile Warden Schemes to the sum of £23,410 in order to fund the new and returning schemes in addition to funding previously awarded schemes to the same level as in 2018/19.

To award the Mobile Warden Schemes the grant funding for 2019/20 as per table 1 below.

To support a valuable community led service within each of these wards/villages in keeping with the Council’s aims and objectives.

The decision to award the grants as per Table 1 was made taking into consideration:

a)    the amount of grant requested,

b)    the fees charged by each scheme to the client,

c)    the number of clients supported in the previous year,

d)    income and expenditure for the previous year,

e)    the schemes finances, and

f)     the amount of reserved and unreserved funding.

Table 1: Proposed Grant Allocation

Option 1: To not award funding to any/all of the schemes applying for funding.

This option was rejected due to the valuable work that the schemes do in the District.  The schemes provided the information required to satisfy the grant criteria as part of the application process.

Option 2: To award alternative amounts of funding to any/all of the schemes. 

This option was rejected.  Grants Advisory Committee recommended funding schemes to the same level as in 2018/19 plus the new/re-applying schemes to the amounts they requested.