Councillor Community Fund

Isabell Procter Director of Resources

Francis Fernandes Borough Secretary

What we will cover• Councillor Community Fund• Financial Regulations• Standards• Legal Duties• Prohibitions on the of the fund• Authorised uses of the Fund• Support to Members• Support to Applicants• Filling out the Form• Questions

Councillor Community Fund• Part 1 of the Local Government Act 2000 gives Councils

broader powers to promote the social, economic and environmental well being of its area.

• This power brings with it benefits for Authorities and local communities through more effective relationships with partners and the public, greater freedoms and flexibilities and the ability to be innovative and creative.

• It is of particular relevance to promoting Councillors’ community leadership role and the development of Empowering Councillors and Communities Schemes.

• £3,000 per Councillor agreed as part of the 2012/13 budget

Financial Regulations

• Financial Regulations provide the framework for managing the authority's financial affairs and ensure the efficient, effective and economic use of resources.

• They are supplemented by financial instructions and processes and apply to every Member and Officer of the Authority and anyone acting on their behalf.

• All Members and employees have a general responsibility for taking reasonable action to provide for the security of the assets under their control, and for ensuring that the use of these resources is legal, is properly authorised, provides value for money and achieves best value. 

Financial Regulations• The Chief Finance Officer has a statutory responsibility

for ensuring that adequate systems and procedures exist to account for all income due and expenditure and disbursements made on behalf of the Council and that controls operate to protect the Council's assets from loss, waste, fraud or other impropriety.

• No‐one may incur expenditure which cannot be met from the approved budget.

• Breach of this Regulation can be considered a serious breach of duty

Standards• The Monitoring Officer is responsible for promoting and

maintaining high standards of conduct by both Members and Officers.

• The highest standards of probity are required of all employees and Members involved in the procurement, award and management of Council contracts.

• All Council Members, employees and third parties engaged on the Council’s behalf must also ensure that any conflicts of interest are avoided.

• Members comply with the Model Code of Conduct for Councillors

Legal DutiesFiduciary Duties• Trustees of Council Assets• Public interest not private interest

Bribery Act 2010• Offering, promising, giving of an advantage etc

Fraud Act 2006• Using position for financial interest

Register up to date?• Registration of interests (28 days) if change• Conflict with interest?

Prohibitions on use of the FundAnything: • That is unlawful• That breaches the Council’s constitution.• That breaches the Code of Recommended Practice on Local

Authority Publicity• That breaches statutory provisions relating to elections and

referendums• Which is contrary to the Council’s commitments to local people.• Which commits the Council or partners to ongoing funding without

explicit approval.• Which advocate positions of Political Groups.• Which does not directly benefit residents within that Councillor’s

ward• Which exclusively support or promote religion or religious belief.• That is proposed by profit making organisations, businesses, Local

Authorities or statutory bodies.

Examples of prohibited expenditure • Proposals which have started before the application has been

agreed. Grants cannot be given retrospectively

• Expenditure that would improve a Councillor’s financial position

• On a project that relates to a function which is the legal responsibility of another statutory body or organisation, e.g. highways or education matters.

• Funds should only be granted to Organisations and Groups that are properly constituted and able to provide bank account details. Payment will be issued directly to the organisation or Group.

• Any person or body who employs or has appointed you;

• Any person or body who has a place of business or land in your authority's area, and in whom you have a beneficial interest

• A company of which you are a remunerated director.

Authorised Use of the Fund• Any purpose which in the opinion of the Councillor concerned

will enhance their community representation role

• Providing information to constituents, or seeking the views of constituents, whether in the whole ward or a part thereof and whether about the Council or about any other matter affecting the economic, social or environmental well-being of the ward or that part of the ward

• Any other purpose which in the opinion of the Councillor will enhance the economic, social and environmental well-being of their ward or part thereof.

• Councillors may co-operate with other Councillors on any authorised use and may pool their fund allocations for this purpose.

• Should a Group feel that a decision against an application has been unfairly made, concerns can be raised with the statutory officers.

Support to Members• See your spending decisions through the processes to

payment

• Obtain signed acceptance of any offer of a grant to an external organisation which will include, when required, reporting requirements.

• Where another organisation will not be leading the requested work, directly co-ordinate the work and manage the funding.

• Monitor progress to ensure satisfactory completion

• Assist you in taking account of local priorities identified through the ongoing Neighbourhood Management programme of consultation with local residents and front-line partners.

Support to Applicants At your request, your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator

can support organisations you wish to help as follows:

• Help with the preparation of funding proposals where a community group or similar requires assistance.

• Ensure that the grantee submits a short financial and narrative account of spend to the Member upon completion of the activity and assist them in doing so.

• Ensure that the organisation benefits from contact and partnership with other organisations working in the same field.

Publicity

• Include information/spend details in your Ward Action Plan

• Post details in the Ward section of the My Council web page on a “live” basis

• Liaise with Communications to initiate press releases etc

IF IN DOUBT ASK US!!