Decision details

A report seeking approval for Sheffield to become the accountable body for an ESF funded programme – Pathways to Success – was presented to Cabinet on 21^st November 2018 (agenda Item 13)

Detail of the Executive Functions Decision Record from the meeting and of Cabinet’s approval to proceed is below:

13.2 RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

a)     approves that Sheffield City Council will act as the accountable body for the Pathways to Success programme on behalf of the South Yorkshire local authorities (Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham) and thereby accept the European Social Fund (ESF) grant offer of up to £5,119,800, subject to the final terms and conditions being the same as those summarised in the report;

b)     approves the use of the city’s employment programmes, Sheffield Working and Sheffield 100, as match funding (£1.472m) for the life of the programme - 2019 to 2021;

c)     approves agreement being entered into with Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Councils and payments of ESF grant being made thereunder; and

d)     delegates authority to the Executive Director of People Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, the Director of Finance and Commercial Services and the Director of Legal and Governance, to:-

                      i.     agree the terms and conditions and accept the South Yorkshire Pathways to Success fund in the event that the final terms and conditions are not the same as those summarised in the report; and agree the procurement strategy and award contracts as required to deliver the outcomes’

Subsequent to the approval by Cabinet to accept the terms of the ESF grant offer and to enter into agreements with Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Councils and prior to the DWP issuing a funding agreement for the Pathways to Success programme, Doncaster MBC decided to withdraw from the Pathways to Success programme.

The effect of Doncaster’s decision to withdraw was a reduction in the scale of the project, leading to a reduction in the overall project value and therefore the amount of ESF that could be claimed.

Sheffield had devised Pathways to Success with a core project management and accountable body team funded through ESF and responsible for project management, financial management and compliance.  Doncaster’s withdrawal led to a re-profiling of project funding and delivery targets, including changes to each partner’s contribution to the costs of the core project management and accountable body team.  These changes were necessary to maintain the project management and accountable body team at the level proposed but without Doncaster’s involvement. 

The revised funding and delivery profiles including the amended match funding contributions were submitted to the DWP. Following further appraisal, a funding agreement reflecting the new values was issued by the DWP (received 23^rd August 2019).  The new values in the DWP funding agreement therefore no longer match those approved by Cabinet in November 2018.

By making an additional match funding contribution of £81,298 over the 3 year lifetime of the Pathways to Success project it will be possible to enter into the Funding Agreement with the DWP, securing posts in the project management and delivery and allowing the project to continue thus assuring the wider benefits outlined in the original Cabinet report.