Decisions

Doncaster Council has funded Age UK Doncaster, under grant arrangements for in excess of 18 years, for a service known as the Borough Wide Day Service and (lately) also a Dementia Mobile Day Service and is included in the Council’s budget plan for 2020/21 under Better Care Fund. This decision is to cease the current arrangements and move to a one year only grant to help support Age UK through a transition period.

Moving forward Doncaster Council has embarked on a journey that responds to developing further personalisation and choice for individuals. The transformation of the Council’s In house day services has been based on the principle of personalised opportunities in localities. We wish to build upon this approach going forward in a planned way.

A business case was presented and supported by members of the Joint Commissioning Operational Group to seek support for continuing to utilise the budget previously approved from Better Care Fund to support this transition.

To award a grant of £168,000 for 1 year only from Better Care Fund and cease current agreements recently approved in the Council’s budget plan for 2020/21

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. Creative Wellbeing
Reference No: 33/DCF/WBCV19/Mex
Supported by: Councillor Sean Gibbons
Cost £400 x 1 Councillor

To provide mixed arts and craft materials for people during the Covid-19 pandemic which will provide different activities to help relieve stress and improve emotional wellbeing. These will be circulated by volunteers.

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 Dell Café - CIC
Reference 30/DCF/WBCV19/HEX&BN&BS/The Dell Café CIC
Supported by: Councillors Glyn Jones, Sue Wilkinson, Nuala Fennelly and John Healy
Cost: £250 - £83.33 x 3 councillors (Cllrs Sue Wilkinson, Nuala Fennelly and John Healy), Cllr Glyn Jones £0.00.

To purchase ingredients and deliver 100 cream teas to elderly residents who are unable to attend the café due to the COVID 19 Pandemic to lessen isolation amongst elderly groups in the community.

b. Tickhill and District Lions Club – Covid 19 Community Support
Reference 31/DCF/WBCV19/TickWad/Tickhillions
Supported by: Councillors Nigel Cannings and Martin Greenhalgh
Cost: Total £1400 - £700 x 2 Councillors (Councillors Nigel Cannings and
Martin Greenhalgh)

It will help volunteers to provide shopping and support for the elderly and vulnerable with medicine collections and food deliveries providing support throughout the crisis.

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. CRY (Community Reaching You Askern Campsall Norton) - St. Peter’s Hall Foodbank
Reference 32/ DCF/WBCV19/N&A_CRY
Supported by: Councillor Austen White
Cost: £3,000 x 3 Councillors at £1,000 each (Cllrs Austen White, Iris Beech and John Gilliver)

Further to the establishment of a ward Members Budget of upto £3k per Councillor (ODR No: CR/352/04/20,) a number of applications have been received and assessed in line with the application criteria and supported by the relevant ward Councillor (s).

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. Armthorpe Parish Council – Armthorpe Coronavirus Support Fund
Reference 29/DCF/WBCV19/ARM
Supported by: Councillors Sue McGuinness, Chris McGuinness and Frank Tyas
Cost: £3,000 x 3 councillors – Total cost £9,000

Further to the establishment of a ward Members Budget of up to £3k per Councillor (ODR No: CR/352/04/20,) a number of applications have been received and assessed in line with the application criteria and supported by the relevant ward Councillor (s).

See attached Officer Decision Record for full details

To approve the following applications for grant funding from the Doncaster Community Fund – Ward Member Budget.

a. St Francis Church West Bessacarr - Help for Our Community
Reference Number: 24/DCF/WBCV19/Bes Fin
Supported by: Councillors Nick Allen, Majid Khan, Neil Gethin (Bessacarr Ward) and Councillor Steve Cox (Finningley Ward)
Cost: Councillor Allen £1000, Councillor Khan and Councillor Gethin £750 (Bessacarr Ward) and Councillor Steve Cox £500 (Finningley Ward).
Total Cost: £3,000

b. Dominion DN4 Neighbourhood Watch – To provide printing resources Reference Number: 26/DCF/WBCV19/Tic Wad Supported by: Councillor Nigel Cannings and Councillor Martin Greenhalgh (Tickhill and Wadworth Ward) Cost: Councillor Nigel Cannings and Councillor Martin Greenhalgh (Tickhill and Wadworth Ward) £167.50 x 2 Total Cost: £335

c. Community First Support Group (Volunteers)
Reference Number: 27/DCF/WBCV19/RR
Supported by: Councillor Pat Haith
Total Cost: £1,000

d. Askern Neighbourhood
Watch – Supporting a Voluntary Project for the Vulnerable/Older People in Askern, Campsall, Norton and Sutton Area
Reference Number: 28/DCF/WBCV19/N&A
Supported by: Councillor Iris Beech
Cost: To be split between 3 x £1,000 per Ward Councillors (Councillors Beech, Gilliver and White)
Total Cost: £3,000

Further to the establishment of a ward Members Budget of upto £3k per Councillor (ODR No: CR/352/04/20,) a number of applications have been received and assessed in line with the application criteria and supported by the relevant ward Councillor (s).

See attached Officer Decision Record for full details

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

a. Whinfell Community Centre Group – Boredom Buster Pack
Reference No: 20/DCF/WBCV19/Adw&Car
Supported by: Councillors: Rachel Hodson, John Mounsey and David Hughes
Total Cost: £1500 (£500 x 3 Ward Councillors)

b. Conisborough Community Event DN12 Live –
Reference no: 21/DCF/WBCV19/Con
Supported by: Councillor Nigel Ball
Cost: £2,000

C. Bentley Temporary Foodbank
Reference No: 22/DCF/WBCV19/RR
Supported by: Councillors Pat Haith and Kevin Rodgers
Cost: £2,000. .(£1,000 x 2 Ward Councillors)

d. Emergency Essentials - to support the vulnerable and those in need. (Cantley area) Reference No: 23/DCF/WBCV19/Bes Fin
Supported by: 6 Ward Councillors across 2 Wards – these include Councillors Majid Khan, Nick Allen and Neil Gethin (Bessacarr Ward) and Jane Cox, Steve Cox and Richard A Jones (Finningley Ward).
Cost: £3,000. Bessacarr Ward Members - £750 x 3 and Finningley Ward Members - £250 x 3.

See attached Officer Decision Record for full details

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

a.Greenwood TARA Supporting and help whilst self Isolating – ReferenceNo: 16/DCFWBCV19/RomanR
Supported by: Councillor P Haith
Cost: £111.25

b.Love Mexborough – Reference no: 17/DCFWBCV19/Mex
Supported by: Councillor Bev Chapman
Cost: £565

c.Dominion DN4 Neighbourhood Watch - Reference no:18/DCFWBCV19/HexBNBS
Supported by: 4 Councillors across two Wards:–
N Fennelly (£867), G Jones Hexthorpe and Balby North (£399); and
J Healy and S Wilkinson Balby South (£867 each)
Cost: £867 x 3 Councillors = £2601 plus 1 Councillor @ £399
Total Cost = £3,000

d.Helen McCabe – Virtual VE Day Celebrations
Reference no: 19/DCF/WBCV19/Mex
Supported by: Councillor Bev Chapman (Mexborough Ward)
Total Cost = £500

The impact of covid-19 on the health and wellbeing of the Doncaster population is difficult to predict at this stage but is likely to be extensive in terms of both physical and mental health issues. The availability of information and online videos through the Home Goals programme will support and compliment the wider recovery response and will also be flexible in its approach as we move through to the recovery phase.


Weight management continues to be a priority for Doncaster Council as the obesity statistics for Doncaster remains unchanged and could potentially grow further. The impact of increasing obesity levels (and associated long term conditions) on health and social care services would be increased without low level prevention and upstream approaches and the longer term impact on our increasing ageing population would need to be factored in to the future planning of services and budgets.

The Home Goals programme will complement the current healthy weight portfolio and will provide a digital platform for males/ females around weight reduction and behaviour change approaches in the absence of a Tier 2 weight management service and also in the absence of the Fit Rovers frontline service which has had to be suspended due to covid-19. .

The current service has received some short term funding from the Doncaster Clinical Commissioning group in the past (and from Public Health last year) and previously a small grant from the Sport England fund however those funds are now depleting although some CCG funding will continue to support the marketing and wider health benefits of the service and complement the DMBC grant as it will not meet the full service costs. The DMBC grant will support delivery costs only for full year 2020/21 and the funding for 2021 onwards will need further consideration in line with finance planning going forwards in 2021 but there are no formal commitments for this at this stage. As its continuation funding and the service cannot therefore be procured at this stage in its current form it was decided that this would be allocated as a grant and a grant agreement will now be developed.

There is currently no alternative weight management service in Doncaster other than the Tier 3 weight management service which is a pre-bariatric service for the morbidly obese and therefore the Home Goals service currently fills a gap in the lower level prevention (tier 2) weight management services approach.

Current data from the programme demonstrates good uptake, retention and outcomes from males and females and the large waiting list (over 200) indicates the need and demand for such a service in Doncaster.

It has been agreed by the Director of Public Health to provide a grant for 2020/21 (1st April 2020-31st March 2021) to the Club Doncaster Foundation to support implementation and delivery of the Fit Rovers ‘Home Goals’ digital health and wellbeing programme. A grant of £60k would be paid in 4x £15k instalments for 4 periods (April – June 2020; July-Sept 2020; October –December 2020 and Jan-March 2021 respectfully) based on performance reporting/ monitoring and outcome data from the provider. The programme has been refocused and re-designed in view of the covid-19 response and will be flexible to adapt throughout into the recovery phase and will align to other Public health priorities including Get Doncaster Moving, Well Doncaster and the Be Well (Healthier ) Doncaster model currently being developed. .