Purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek approval
from the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding to:

1. Receive the Extended 2025/26 HSF Funding (amounting to
£6,507,891) that is being provided by the Department of Work
and Pensions (DWP) for allocation in the period 1st April 2025 to
31st March 2026.

2. Agree the distribution of this funding in line with the
DWP’s grant conditions, operational funding model and
distribution processes, and the specific recommendations outlined
below.

Decision

That the Cabinet Member for
Children’s Safeguarding rejects the alternative options and
take the recommended decision to:
 

Approve the allocation of the Extended 2025/26 HSF
Funding (amounting to £6,507,891) received from the DWP as
follows:

 
(a) 
£325,395 to the
recruitment and remuneration of council staff to provide
administration services and sustainability support in relation to
the distribution of the above funding to qualifying households
during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 as well as meet
other necessary administration costs;
 
(b) 
£1,424,000 to
the six District Councils in Gloucestershire to be apportioned
between them in proportion to their populations, for the purpose of
them each providing their own localised
schemes to target the needs of the most vulnerable during the
period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 (whilst complying with the
grant conditions set by the DWP for delivery of the Extended
2024/25 HSF Funding i.e., to provide support with food, energy and
water bills, household items & other essential
items);
 
(c) 
£300,000 to be
allocated to the council’s Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF)
team to fund, during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026,
costs incurred in providing food for vulnerable children and young
people who would not otherwise be eligible under the criteria set
under the national HAF programme as described in the Holiday
Activities and Food Officer Decision paper dated 12th February
2024; 
 
(d) 
£400,000 to be
allocated to Severn Wye Energy Agency for the provision of energy
related support including provision for the Warm and Well Scheme to
Gloucestershire residents to attend to energy hardship and those in
need following a referral by Gloucestershire County Council’s
(GCC’s) HSF team and/or any of the District Councils during
the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026;
 
(e) 
£500,000 to be
allocated to Age UK Gloucestershire for the provision of food,
energy and advice related support attending to winter hardship
during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026;
 
(f)   
£991,200 to be
allocated to funding the supply and/or distribution of food
vouchers, fuel vouchers, white goods, and household emergency
support during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 under
the call-off contract for which delegated authority to award is
sought under Recommendation 2 below;
 
(g) 
£1,625,258 to be
allocated to provide food vouchers to those eligible for free
school meals during the school holidays under the call-off contract
for which delegated authority is sought under Recommendation 2
below; and
 
(h) 
£942,038 to be
allocated to Preventative Support – by reserving this amount
from the Extended 2025/26 HSF Funding for future allocations to
preventative support provisions following discussions with key
partners. This approach will ensure that these reserve funds are
held until they can be distributed in a manner that aligns with the
DWP grant conditions and addresses evolving priorities while
ensuring that the council will be in a
position to provide longer term preventative support which
is a key objective of the grant.
 

Delegate authority to the Executive Director of
Children’s Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Children’s Safeguarding to award a call-off contract,
under the council’s Welfare Support Services Framework
Agreement, to the sole appointed provider thereunder, namely Auriga
Services Limited, for the supply and/or distribution of the
following food vouchers, fuel vouchers, white goods and household
emergency support during the period 1st April 2025 to 31st March
2026

 
(a) 
£991,200 in fuel
vouchers, food vouchers, white goods, and household emergency
support in response to applications received from residents of
Gloucestershire for such vouchers, white goods, and emergency
support; and
 
(b) 
£1,625,258 in
food vouchers to children and young people who are eligible to
receive free school meals, in order to
provide holiday food support during school holidays and direct
targeted support to low-income households. 
 
For the reasons set out in the
report.