Funding of voluntary organisations

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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY R.G. LE HÉRISSIER OF ST. SAVIOUR

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 12th JUNE 2012

Question

Which voluntary organisations receive funding from the Minister, what are the annual amounts and what policies and procedures are in place to ensure that the use of such funds accords with Departmental and States policies?

Answer

The table at the end of this answer details the voluntary organisations which receive an annual grant from the Home Affairs Department. The table shows the amount of the grant in 2011; how the organisations contributed to the achievement of the States strategic objectives; how they aligned, where appropriate, to Home Affairs Departmental policies; whether a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is in place; and the type of accounts produced.

All Grants made to voluntary organisations by the Home Affairs Department during 2011 were made in accordance with Financial Direction 5.4 – Obtaining Value for Money from Grants. It should be noted that the Financial Direction relating to grants has recently been reissued (April 2012) and is entitled Management of Grants (Financial Direction 5.5). Any future grants will be made in accordance with that Financial Direction.

Financial Direction 5.5 provides that all grants over £10,000 must be supported by a Partnership or Service Level Agreement which establishes and clarifies the basis of the partnership between the [Home Affairs] Department and the organisation concerned. It further provides that the Service Agreement will contain, as a minimum:

• Name of the grantee;
• Name of the grant scheme (where applicable);
• Purpose of the grant;
• States strategic aims and objectives supported;
• Amount of the grant;
• Payment terms and timing;
• Treatment of top-up grants;
• Arrangements for repayment of surplus grant monies;
• Explanation of the corporate governance framework;
• Explanation of disclosure of the grant(s) in the States of Jersey annual Accounts;
• Clear explanations of what each party is expected to provide, including any reports and/or statements;
• Any conditions attached to the grant and criteria for measurement of whether grant conditions have been fulfilled;
• Arrangements for repayment of grants in the event of non-performance or non- compliance;
• Rights of access for departmental officers and the Comptroller and Auditor General; Arrangements for the purchase and disposal of any assets to be acquired using the grant

The table indicates where Service Level Agreements or Partnership Agreements are in place.

Financial Direction 5.5 stipulates that in respect of grants between £25,000 and £100,000, unaudited, signed accounts must be provided within 6 months of the organisation's year end. In respect of grants of less than £25,000 an unaudited, signed Income and Expenditure Statement must be provided within 6 months of the organisation's year end. The table contains details of where accounts or income and expenditure statements have been received.

In addition, the Minister may make one-off grants in exceptional circumstances such as those agreed for Safer St Helier Community Partnership for the funding of the Q-Safe Taxi Marshal Scheme. (MD-HA-2011-0023 and MD-HA-2012-0041 refer)