Issue - meetings

Report by Executive Director – Development and Infrastructure Services

The Committee gave consideration to a report detailing the outcome of work previously undertaken to establish a proposed new model for the delivery of advice services.  The report proposed a strategy and a sustainable and affordable model by which the Council could support advice services for the future. 

Decision

The Policy and Resources Committee –

1.    Approved the new model and implementation of the new arrangements for advice services of mixed economy and support to a single advice provider, commencing on 1 April 2019 (paragraph 5.4).

2.    Agreed that the focus of Council activity should be on the vulnerable and acknowledged the critical role for the Health and Social Care Partnership in delivering this model (paragraph 5.4.a. and picking up discussions at Committee).

3.    Agreed the new Governance arrangements and the changing remit and name of the Welfare Reform Working Group (paragraphs 5.5 & 5.6).

4.    Approved the “no-cost” option for affordable credit (paragraph 6.3).

5.    Endorsed the development of the Council’s website to provide a “single landing page” for advice services which can signpost clients to appropriate services, provide links to national and local advice via other website, and highlight issues relating to advice services across Argyll and Bute (paragraph 6.3).

6.    Requested that a report come back to a future Policy and Resources Committee on the progress made towards the delivery of the mixed economy model.

(Reference:  Report by Executive Director - Development and Infrastructure Services dated 16 August 2018, submitted)