Decision details

Decision details

Household Support Fund 6 - Free School Meals provision (2024/10/09A)

Decision Maker: Deputy Chief Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Approval for the funding of Free School Meals (FSM) from the Household Support Fund 6 grant of £6.453m allocated to the Council by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Decision:

The Deputy Chief Executive approves the funding and administration of Free School Meals (FSM) from the Household Support Fund 6 grant of £6.453m allocated to the Council by the Department for Work and Pensions.

 

The funding to be allocated to FSM is £2.64m and covers the autumn half-term (£660k), the Christmas holidays (£1.32m) and the Spring half-term (£660k).  This will support circa 44,000 qualifying children.

 

In addition this funding will support the the Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) from the Household Support Fund 6 grant for the autumn half-term (£95k) and spring half-term (95k) total funding of £190k.This will support circa 6000 children.

 

The lateness in the provision of guidance for the allocation of the HSF6 grant, means there is insufficient time to seek a decision from the Executive and therefore may potentially compromise the welfare of vulnerable residents in the city.  If it were to progress through the standard Key Decision process, the Council would be unable to fund FSM for the autumn half-term and it is likely the welfare of vulnerable residents with children in Manchester may be compromised.

 

As such the Chair of the Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee has agreed to this being an urgent Key Decision and in addition exempts the decision from Call In.

Publication date: 09/10/2024

Date of decision: 08/10/2024

Accompanying Documents: