Budget transfer from Treasury and Resources Department: Grant Aid: Caring Hands Limited

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A decision made 4 March 2014:

Decision Reference: MD-C-2014-0032
Decision Summary Title :	Budget transfer to Chief Minister’s Department from Treasury and Resources Department for grant aid to Caring Hands Limited		Date of Decision Summary:	3rd March 2014
Decision Summary Author:	Director, Corporate Policy		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title :	Budget transfer to Chief Minister’s Department from Treasury and Resources Department for grant aid to Caring Hands Limited		Date of Written Report:	3rd March 2014
Written Report Author:	Director, Corporate Policy		Written Report : Public or Exempt? (State clauses from Code of Practice booklet)	Exempt (3.2.a (xi))
Subject: Budget transfer to Chief Minister’s Department from Treasury and Resources Department to support the provision of grant aid to Caring Hands Limited
Decision(s): The Minister agreed to a non-reoccurring budget transfer of £40,000 from T&R Corporate Contingency to CMD’s revenue head of expenditure in 2014, to support the provision of a grant aid payment to Caring Hands Limited in order to provide emergency assistance.
Reason(s) for Decision: Financial Direction 3.6 ‘Variations to Heads of Expenditure’, paragraph 5.1 states that Departments wanting to transfer funds between heads of expenditure must obtain the approval of their minister or of their accounting officer where a scheme of delegation exists. The Assistant Chief Minister in CMD has decided to provide a one-off grant of £40,000 in 2014 to Caring Hands Limited. Caring Hands Limited is a charity that operates two refuges for men in Jersey who are homeless. In addition to providing accommodation, the Charity provides a range of support services with the aim of supporting residents back to independent living including, for example, helping residents access advice and services related to matters such as debt; addiction; domestic violence support; volunteering and job search. These activities are in accordance with the strategic aims and objectives of the States of Jersey. In addition, Caring Hands Limited works directly with a number of States services to provide support to services users as they transition into the community including mental health services and the prison service. The two Caring Hands Limited refuges are located in St Aubin and St Peter. The Charity has previously benefitted from an extended rent free period for the St Peter’s property which has now come to an end. The Trustees of the Charity are of the opinion that this will create a £40,000 shortfall which they will be unable to raise from voluntary donations and which would therefore necessitate the closure of the St Peter refuge which is currently fully occupied. The Assistant Chief Minister has therefore decided to provide an emergency, non-reoccurring £40,000 grant to enable the Charity to continue to run services from the St Peter’s refuge during 2014 whilst the charity finds a long-term sustainable funding solution. In making this decision the Assistant Chief Minister took into consideration the fact that Caring Hands Limited, unlike most other organisations working with homeless people in Jersey, does not currently receive any grant aid, payment for services or rent subsidisation from the States of Jersey. The details of States of Jersey funding to other organisations is set out in the attached report which, because it contains commercially sensitive information, is exempt from publication.
Resource Implications: T&R Corporate Contingency to decrease by £40,000 in 2014 and the CMD revenue head of expenditure to increase by an identical amount. This decision does not change the total amount of expenditure approved by the States.
Action required: CMD to seek the approval of the Minister for Treasury & Resources in accordance with Financial Direction 3.6 (Treasurer’s Delegation) when this decision is approved. Once transfer approved and completed, CMD officers to issue grant agreement to Caring Hands Limited.
Signature:		Position: Chief Minister
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):