Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service (JACS): Continuation of funding for Outreach Advice Service

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A decision made 27 November 2015:

Decision Reference: MD-S-2015-0098
Decision Summary Title:	Grant to continue JACS Outreach Advice Service		Date of Decision Summary:	27 November 2015
Decision Summary Author:	Policy Principal		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	NA
Written Report Title:	Grant to continue JACS Outreach Advice Service		Date of Written Report:	27 November 2015
Written Report Author:	Policy Principal		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service (JACS) – Continuation of funding for Outreach Advice Service
Decision(s): The Minister decided that funding should be provided to JACS as part of its annual grant to enable it to continue providing an outreach advice service.
Reason(s) for Decision: The JACS outreach advice service was established as a pilot scheme in September 2013 (MD-S-2013-0074) based on indications that some businesses, particularly small businesses, would benefit from additional support to help them address their responsibilities under the Employment (Jersey) Law 2003. The outreach officer contacts employers to offer impartial, in-house advice and assistance in producing and reviewing essential employment documentation, including employment contracts, pay slips, policies and procedures. The service is available at times and places to suit the employer and is typically offered to those employing ten or fewer employees. Feedback from businesses on the pilot scheme has been very positive and demand for the service is expected to continue. Rather than treating the outreach service as a separately funded service, from 2016, the JACS annual grant will include funding for the outreach service. The service level agreement that applied to the pilot scheme will be subsumed into the general service level agreement that exists between the Department and JACS. That agreement makes provision for financial reporting and controls that meet the requirements of the States of Jersey Financial Directions for the Purchasing of Goods and Services (FD 5.1) and for the Management of Grants (FD 5.5).
Resource Implications: JACS will continue to receive a grant to fund an outreach service by increasing the overall annual grant received. It has been agreed that the total JACS annual grant will be reduced by 2% for each of the 4 years of the Medium Term Financial Plan, leading to a recurring reduction of 8%. Therefore, the portion of the annual grant that is paid to JACS each year in respect of the outreach service will reduce as follows: 2016: £49,000, 2017: £48,000, 2018: £47,000, 2019: £46,000.
Action required: Policy Principal to prepare a purchase order for the JACS annual grant for 2016 and prepare a combined service level agreement in conjunction with JACS. Chief Officer to approve the advance payment of the grant upon receipt of an invoice from JACS.
Signature:		Position: Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):