Decisions

On 22 September the Prime Minister announced that £60 million will be made available across the police and local authorities for COVID-19 related compliance and enforcement activities. Of this £60 million, £30 million is being allocated to local authorities for four months.
Doncaster Council’s allocation is £195,174. The funding made available is ring fenced for any activity which will support compliance and enforcement of measures to support public health measures, including social distancing, to control the spread of COVID-19 across individuals, businesses and in the community

The decision is to accept Doncaster’s allocation of the Local Authority Compliance and Enforcement Grant of £195,174 (also referred to as ‘surge enforcement funding’) in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules E9-E13 – External Funding.
The funds will be used in full over the next four months on additional staffing and associated resources required for a Covid-19 marshals model, which will bolster existing resources to support compliance and enforcement within the Borough.

See attached Officer Decision Record for full details

To agree with the recommendation from Joint Commissioning Operational Group (JCOG), approved by Joint Commissioning Management Board (JCMB) on 29th October 2020, to provide a further 12 months funding of £260k for a contract extension of the existing Social Prescribing Service.

This is due to commence from 1st April 2021, from the Non Recurrent Better Care Fund (BCF) Earmarked Reserve, subject to a clear exit strategy, which considers future demand and service allocation through the primary care networks statutory provision.

This decision is in accordance with recommendations made in a Cabinet Report dated 27th March 2018 which approved the spending plan for the non-recurring BCF Ear Marked Reserve as set out in the report: and delegated detailed spending decisions for the implementation of the Doncaster Place Plan £3M, other Integrated Functions £0.7m and unallocated balance £0.7m, to the Director of People in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and relevant Portfolio Holder.

The decision has been taken in order to maintain contracted provision so that it continues to be available upon a return to school. Contractors are currently paid for the first week when a child is off due to illness

To continue to pay transport contractors where routes are suspended for 14 days due to children self isolating

To enable Doncaster children to benefit from free school meals during half term week, ensuring that children and parents and carers who need additional support over the half term holiday receive it, independent of any national decisions. The Coronavirus pandemic has been difficult for everyone and Doncaster faced further restrictions from Saturday 24th October when we went into Very High or Tier 3. We appreciate that families are finding it difficult already and the current situation is making it even harder for people who are struggling to support their children. Free school meal vouchers will be provided for the one week October half-term holiday. The voucher for £15 per child per week is available for children aged four and upwards who attend schools in the borough. Schools will be able to access supermarket vouchers for use by parents/guardians of pupils who are eligible for FSM when not at school. Schools are contacting eligible families to arrange. More than 11,000 children are eligible to benefit for the vouchers, which will cost circa. £166,000 if all eligible families accept them.

To provide free school meal vouchers during the October half term one week holiday for Doncaster pupils

See attached Officer Decision Record for full details.

To approve the following application for grant funding from the Doncaster Community Fund – Ward Member Budget-

a. The Glass Park Millennium Trust
Reference No: 35/DCF/MWB/Ed&Ks
Supported by: Councillor Robinson and Councillor Nevett
Cost £900.00 (£450 x 2 Councillors)

b. Friends of Edenthorpe Community Park
Reference No: 36/DCF/MWB/Ed&Ks
Supported by: Councillor Robinson
Cost £300.00

c. Intake Monday
Reference No: 37/DCF/MWB/WH&Int
Supported by: Councillor Kidd
Cost £300.00

d. Hexthorpe Monarchs Junior Football Team
Reference No: 38/DCF/MWB/Hex&BN
Supported by: Councillor Jones and Councillor Wilkinson
Cost £500.00 (£250 x 2 Councillors)

e. Joint Christmas initiative
Reference No: 39/DCF/MWB/Th&Mo
Supported by: Councillor Houlbrook
Cost £500.00

See attached Officer Decision Record for full details.

To approve the following application for grant funding from the Doncaster Community Fund – Ward Member Budget:-

a. Stainforth Resource Centre
Reference No: 30/DCF/MWB/St&BD
Supported by: Councillor Ken Keegan
Cost £250.00

b. Bawtry Heritage Project - Brightening Bawtry
Reference No: 31/DCF/MWB/Ros&B
Supported by: Councillor Blake, Councillor Cooke, Councillor Cooper
Cost £250.00 (£83.33 x 3 Councillors)

c. North Doncaster Development Trust
Reference No: 32/DCF/MWB/Adw&Car
Supported by: Councillor Hodson, Councillor Hughes, Councillor
Mounsey
Cost £2000.00 (£666.66 x 3 Councillors)

d. St Paul’s Community Church
Reference No: 33/DCF/MWB/WH&Int
Supported by: Councillor Kidd
Cost £721.00

e. St Paul’s Community Church
Reference No: 34/DCF/MWB/WH&Int
Supported by: Councillor Kidd
Cost £200.00

See attached Officer Decision Record for full details.

To approve the following application for grant funding from the Doncaster Community Fund – Ward Member Budget:-

a. Bentley Community Library Foodbank
Reference No: 21/DCF/MWB/Ben
Supported by: Councillor Nightingale, Councillor Hogarth, Councillor
Mordue
Cost £9000.00 (£3,000 x 3 Councillors)

b. St Nicholas Parish Church Messy Church Group
Reference No: 22/DCF/MWB/Th&Mo
Supported by: Councillor Houlbrook
Cost £227.00

c. Thorne King Edward Primary School
Reference No: 22/DCF/MWB/Th&Mo
Supported by: Councillor Houlbrook
Cost £250.00

In 2019, Doncaster commissioned Imogen Blood Associates (IBA) to undertake an independent review of homelessness and rough sleeping. The review identified that those accessing the Home Options Service have a high level of additional support needs:

• 72% of those presenting as homeless had additional support needs (compared to half of those presenting nationally/regionally) and 37% of these featured physical and mental health.
• Mental health is the most frequently noted, in line with the national picture.
• Those presenting as homeless in Doncaster have higher levels of multiple needs than the national/regional average.
• Support providers and other professionals working with those experiencing homelessness confirmed high levels of complexity, including poly-drug (including Spice) use, alongside mental health problems (often linked to past trauma) and ‘revolving doors’ through homelessness, prison and housing instability.

The IBA review recognised the health aspects of Doncaster’s response to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping such as the provision of the Wound Care Clinic and GP at the Complex Lives Drop In. Groups have been set up around mental health, breast cancer awareness as well as a Hepatitis C awareness. More recently, Doncaster is exploring opportunities with Public Health England (PHE) regarding:

• health needs of rough sleepers including interventions already in place, good practice examples and where/how PHE can assist going forward as part of a Yorkshire and Humber regional initiative
• dental provision and the feasibility of some targeted work for homeless people in conjunction with NHS England

The NHS Long Term Plan notes the increase in numbers of people rough sleeping in recent years and that people affected by homelessness die, on average, around 30 years earlier than the general population. Outside London, where people are more likely to sleep rough for longer, support needs may be higher. 31% of people affected by homelessness have complex needs, and additional financial, interpersonal and emotional needs that make engagement with mainstream services difficult. Consequently the Plan sets out specific action to provide outreach services to people experiencing homelessness.

The above reinforces the importance of Complex Lives as a key component of the borough’s efforts to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Complex Lives is one of the original areas of opportunity in the Place Plan, established to develop the integration of health and social care services in response to a major homelessness challenge in the borough. The programme is a whole system with an integrated delivery team at the core providing wrap-around support for people who have become locked in a cycle of homelessness, rough sleeping, addiction, offending behaviour, poor physical and mental health - often underpinned by deep trauma.

Currently, there are 111 cases on the Complex Lives cohort and rough sleeper numbers are in the region of 20, mostly in the town centre.
Capacity within the Complex Lives Team has developed during the previous period of funding, which has enabled operational management of more complex cases. This has proved an important resource as existing services are not set up to deal with the complexity of issues involved. Over time the team has become more integrated and effective through:-
• Co-location with Complex Lives team of the Single Point of Access function;
• Doncaster Council Housing Benefits Officer seconded to team
• 2 x Riverside outreach workers seconded to the team
• Dedicated Drug & Alcohol worker
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) worker
• Housing Options worker
• Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service (DRASACS) trauma worker commissioned for 2 days per week
• Amber workers (sex outreach service) aligned with team
• Changing Lives Link Worker seconded into team
• Doncaster Minster Pathways worker to be seconded to the team

This is in addition to a core team of a Team Manager, a senior caseworker, 4 MEAM (Making Every Adult Matter) workers and 6 Navigators alongside business admin support. Complex Lives now operates out of a multi-agency community hub in partnership with changing lives, this has allowed the provision of groups and drop-ins such as:
• Pathways (multi-agency drop-in for support)
• DWP drop-in for support around benefits work and training
• Healthy eating, arts and crafts and various other activities for health and wellbeing

This outline business case presents a request for continuation of Better Care Fund (BCF) support for the next phase of delivery leading to the mainstreaming of the Complex Lives service. This will also support delivery of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019-2024 (developed and informed by the findings of the IBA review) and the emerging delivery plans, which contain priority areas relevant to Complex Lives. This is also reflected in the Joint Commissioning Strategy delivery plans (Living Well) of which homelessness is a priority population. These include supporting rough sleepers to a life away from the streets as well as providing the wraparound support within Doncaster’s Housing First project, which is a developing initiative in the borough providing accommodation and support for people with multiple disadvantages where they are less suitable for mainstream offers of accommodation and support.

Complex Lives has been a key component of the COVID19 response in Doncaster through supporting local efforts under the national ‘Everyone In’ initiative whereby government required local authorities to provide emergency accommodation with the aim of reducing rough sleeper numbers in recognition of the particular health risks posed by COVID19 to this vulnerable population.

COVID19 has had an impact on the development and implementation of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy delivery plans. In addition, the identification of a sustainable funding model for Complex Lives going forward has also been put on hold.

A future delivery model should be considered and an exit strategy should be identified. Both the Council and CCG shall be nominating its representatives for the sustainable funding steering
group. It is intended that the Task and Finish Board will be cited in the newly convened Homelessness Board.

To agree with the recommendation from Joint Commissioning Operational Group (JCOG), approved by Joint Commissioning Management Board (JCMB) on 29th October 2020, to contribute £281k to the funding of the Phase 2 developments of the Complex Lives Alliance model for 12 months. This is commencing from 1st April 2021 from the Better Care Fund, Non-Recurrent Earmarked reserve, subject to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Council and other partners coming together to assess existing funding streams and connect existing activity.

This decision is in accordance with recommendations made in a Cabinet Report dated 27th March 2018 which approved the spending plan for the non-recurring BCF Ear Marked Reserve as set out in the report: and delegated detailed spending decisions for the implementation of the Doncaster Place Plan £3M, other Integrated Functions £0.7m and unallocated balance £0.7m, to the Director of People in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and relevant Portfolio Holder.

This seed funding in the form of a grant agreement is vital to allow Expect Youth to deliver their five key objectives. This agreement will be the only contract that Expect Youth hold and without this agreement and seed funding, Expect Youth would cease to trade. The £150k will be used from the mental health trailblazers funding that is held within the Council’s earmarked reserves.

1. To enter into a grant agreement with Expect Youth for a three year period. This grant agreement is for £150,000 to be paid in three instalments of £50,000 per year. The grant agreement will commence in October 2020 and end in October 2023. Expect Youth will use this grant over the next three years to support their five key objectives, which are;
I. Support the development of the newly developed Doncaster offer.
II. Lead, support and build capacity across the voluntary and community sector, through a mixture of generating external funding to devolve to voluntary and community organisations as overseen by the Youth Advisory Board and sharing of skills and expertise.
III. Support voluntary and community organisations to achieve the local quality standard.
IV. Generate £150k external funding over the next three-years.
V. Generate £150k through fundraising over the next three-years.
The aim of Expect Youth is to have a sustainable model within three years and the objectives above are the enablers to do this, in particular the generation of external funding. The Council will closely monitor Expect Youth over the three period to ensure that all five key objectives are achieved.

Government have recently provided updated guidance for those that are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) in light of the national lockdown and have requested that Local Authorities implement the previously issued framework to support those that are CEV.
This framework places a responsibility on the Local Authority to assess food and basic support needs of those that are CEV and to put in place the necessary arrangements to meet those needs.
The Government have recognised that providing this support puts additional financial pressure and burdens on the Council and have announced financial assistance to help meet these costs.
For Doncaster this financial support is £228,000 which is based on a CEV population of 15,565 @ £14.60 per CEV. The funding is un-ringfenced section 31 grant.
Whilst we are utilising existing resources and support where it exists, this does put additional pressures on services and capacity is stretched. This is exacerbated at this time as it is difficult to estimate the likely demand for support and for how long this will be required. Albeit we are only technically in a 4 week national lockdown, support for the CEV is likely to be needed beyond this period.
Given this uncertainty, an indicative proposal of how the additional resources outlined above is attached. This has been signed off by Directors on 16th November 2020. In summary, this will be used as a priority to fund:-
- 2fte additional Customer Service Advisors – additional capacity to manage additional incoming calls, email requests for support and proactive calls to those who have registered nationally and asked for local support.
- 1 additional Apprentice post in PIC to manage the data and reporting
Ring fence funding for additional support for locality inbox, triage and local solutions groups for CEV (adults and children) if needed.
- Additional funding for emergency food for CEV
- Top up fund for voluntary, community and faith sector for local response offer if needed
- Comms and marketing materials such as Winter booklet for CEV, postage costs etc.

To use the funding allocated to support those that are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable as outlined in the report. This will allow immediate contact with those at high risk, enable us to manage the data and reporting requirements and also be flexible to meet future needs as this emerges.

Doncaster Council requires a solution that will deliver AI (Artificial Intelligence) across a number of different channels including Voice over Telephony; the council currently has an Amazon Alexa integration that was developed in-house.

Initially we will require Telephony using a specific service area, which is Waste and Recycling. However, depending on the success of this first integration the council expects the provided solution should be capable of both AI through Telephony and through the web using channels such as a Chatbot through Web Chat and other such channels. Also it should be capable of integrating other services areas.

The council has a website that allows residents to self-serve this can be found at https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/, the initial service we wish to have delivered on AI Telephony is Waste and Recycling the processes and information for this service can be found on the website at https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/bins-recycling-waste.
In line with the new Digital Recovery and Renewal Strategy the council has procured a supplier to develop AI over Telephony for Waste and Recycling. We need to draw down the budget to progress the project.

To draw down the allocated budget from the Council Wide Systems capital funding that was previously approved for this development. The budget is now required to progress the project, the overall allocation is £80,000.


During the COVID 19 pandemic, we made the decision to only deliver critical services to enable us to respond to the increased need for help and support from residents across the Authority. This included the closure of the council’s one-stop shop and the removal in telephone contact to report and apply for non-critical services, moving to the availability of online reporting only. This has resulted in a significant peak in customers accessing council services online.


As an Authority, we now have 73% of council services online and more customers are choosing to access services online. Currently customer contact is; Telephone 51%, Online 48% and Face-to-Face 1%. Telephone is still the preferred method of contact, when we experience peaks in customer contact via the telephone, we see an increase in customers accessing services online. However once the telephone contact returns to normal levels a core of customers return to the telephone as their preferred method of contact.

Customer-facing AI can populate answers to customer’s FAQ’s, respond to queries in real time escalating to Officers only where necessary. AI can report customer enquiries and help customers complete application forms, guiding them through the process. eliminating the time spent collecting and processing data. On average automation technology can increase wait times by 50% with accuracy levels of over 90%.
This technology is to initially use AI for Waste

In 2013 the Council entered into a contract for the provision of a Wide Area Network (WAN). This was procured through the Yorkshire and Humber Public Service Network (YHPSN) framework, led by Leeds City Council, along with circa 60 other partners using this route to market. This contract was for 5 years with an option to extend. The extension options were taken, and the contract expires on 31st December, 2020.
The Wide Area Network is the underpinning foundation of the ICT Service, providing network connectivity across the Council and to Strategic Partners. Without this infrastructure, the ICT provision for the Council wouldn’t operate and would have a critical impact on service delivery.

The Council began work to procure a contract for a longer period of five years. The work undertaken during the pre-market engagement has been extremely valuable. The Council’s team working on the project are of the opinion that a further competition will be needed for a procurement which will bind the Council for the period of five years or more.
The procurement has been disrupted by Covid-19 and having carefully reflected on the matter, the Council will need a longer period of time to complete the longer-term procurement.
To bridge the gap the Council will direct award a 24 month contract to the incumbent supplier through Crown Commercial Services (CCS) RM3808 Lot 1.

Using the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) RM3808 Lot 1, procure a direct award for the provision of the Wide Area Network (WAN) for a 24-month period.

In 2014, the Council entered into a contract with Virgin Media Business for the provision of mobile phone & data services through the ‘Yorkshire and Humber Publish Services Network’ (YHPSN) for a period of 5 years with options to extend the contract for a further +1 +1 years. All contract extensions have been utilised and will end on 28th February, 2021.

A request for information and a subsequent statement of requirements were published via CCS on the RM3808 Lot 6 framework in June 2020. This enabled potential service providers to respond and present their commercial offers for a mobile phone & Data service provision over the next 3 years. These responses were collated, assessed and scored on cost and quality; this resulted in Virgin Media Business scoring highest and therefore becoming the preferred supplier.

The decision is to now grant a direct award on RM3808 Lot 6 CCS framework to Virgin Media Business for a 3 year contract commencing 1st March, 2021 until 28th February, 2024.

Using the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) RM3808 Lot 6, to procure a direct award for the provision of Mobile Voice & Data Services for a 36-month period.

In 2014, the Council entered into a contract with Virgin Media Business for the provision of Network Services using ‘Yorkshire and Humber Publish Services Network’ (YHPSN) for a period of 5 years with options to extend the contract for a further +1 +1 years. All contract extensions
have been utilised and will end on 28th February, 2021.
A request for information and a subsequent statement of requirements were published via CCS on the RM3808 Lot 3 framework in June 2020.
This enabled potential service providers to respond and present their commercial offers for a WLR
this resulted in Virgin Media Business scoring highest and therefore becoming the preferred supplier.
The decision is to now grant a direct award on RM3808 Lot 3 CCS framework to Virgin Media Business for a 3 year contract commencing 1st March, 2021 until 28th February, 2024.

Using the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) RM3808 Lot 3, to procure a direct award for the provision of network telephony services to include Wholesale line rental (WLR) connections

The Council currently contract for Govtech’s Webcapture services via a call off contract with Northgate Public Services.

As part of the service the Revenues webform hosting and the secure transmission of content captured in the Revenues webforms to the Govtech Service Centre is carried out by a sub processor, currently Team Netsol.

Govtech will shortly be switching the platform on which our Revenues forms are deployed and these will then be hosted on the Granicus-Firmstep platform.

In order to maintain, the service with Govtech we need to agree this variation to the contract.

Govtech currently supply online forms for the Revenues and Benefits teams. The webcapture product allows customers to notify changes of circumstances when they move, apply for Single Occupier Discounts and set up Direct Debit mandates for their Council Tax via self-service online forms. In addition these forms integrate with the Northgate Revs and Bens system to allow auto-processing of the information provided. Without this service all of this would have to be done by trained processing staff acting as data processing operators.

In 2019/20 over 24,600 online forms were completed by customers using this product.

To vary the contract with Govtech by replacing the services currently provided by Govtech’s sub processor Team Netsol Limited with equivalent services provided by Govtech’s sub processor Granicus-Firmstep Limited.

Decision 1
We have received notification from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner that the Safer Stronger Doncaster Partnership (a Partnership comprising of members of the police, Council, NHS and a range of other public sector and voluntary agencies) will receive a
Community Safety Grant of £129,391, which is allocated every year to fund initiatives and projects agreed by the Partnership and linked to Partnership priorities.

The Community Safety Service within Doncaster Council administers the grant funding on behalf of the Partnership, gaining approval from the OPCC, submitting bi-annual financial returns and monitoring information.

The use of underspends from the grant requires approval from the OPCC and any unspent funds have to be returned in line with the terms of the grant from Central Government.

At this stage the SSDP have identified a number of projects, linked to our community safety priorities, which will be funded going forward, as detailed below:

• the continuation of the Workforce Development Officer post (£36,500);
• the continuation of the OCG Co-ordinator post (£25k);
• Further support to the Youth Council in their wider programme of education and engagement across a range of other crime and community safety matters (£10k);
• Support to each of the Community Safety Partnership Strategic Theme Groups (Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour; Domestic and Sexual Abuse; Serious Organised Crime; Substance Misuse and Crime/Re-offending) to assist them in the delivery of their core priorities, particularly enabling a response to any key issues in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. (£10k per group, £50k total)
• In addition to this, the partnership has retained an initiatives fund to enable us to respond to priorities as they arise during the rest of the year (£7,891)

To approve the receipt of grant funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (“OPCC”), which will enable the Council’s Community Safety Service to administer this fund on behalf of the Safer Stronger Doncaster Partnership (“SSDP”).