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Welcome to the NAG and SOPO newsletter for 6 November 2020. Feel free to circulate to your colleagues.
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COVID stories
Lockdown two: Economic support
Earlier this week the Government published guidance for local authorities on distributing support to businesses during the period of national restrictions. This covers both the Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG) and the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). This guidance sets out the eligibility criteria, operation and delivery details for each scheme.
The Chancellor also announced an extension to the coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) to the end of March. Furloughed employees will receive 80 per cent of their usual salary for hours not worked, capped at £2,500 per month. The Chancellor said that the policy would be reviewed in January to determine whether employer contributions would be increased at that point. A reminder that we have collated information on the CJRS on our website. In addition, self-employed income support grants will increase to 80 per cent of average profits, up to £7,500 until the end of January.
Elsewhere the application deadlines for businesses accessing direct support have been extended. This applies to the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), which provides financial support to larger businesses affected, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), which enables smaller businesses to access finance more quickly during the coronavirus outbreak, and the Future Fund, which provides government loans to UK-based companies. The new deadline is 31 January 2021. The Government has gathered all the information on Government support for businesses on its website.
Cabinet Office colleagues have advised that they are not minded to issue any further guidance on PPN02/20 or PPN04/20 relating to supplier relief. Councils are, of course, at liberty to consider this with their supply chains as appropriate. Contracting Authorities are reminded that they should have transition plans in place to exit from any contractual relief as soon as reasonably possible. These plans should be kept under review to reflect the changing situation. Where appropriate, transition plans should be captured in contract variations and/or there should be an agreed route to termination. Contracting Authorities are recommended to consider the impact of additional local or national COVID-19 restrictions on their transition plans.
Personal Protective Equipment
There are a number of providers and services who can access free COVID-19 related PPE from their Local Resilience Forum (LRF) or local council. CQC registered providers can also order and access their COVID-19 related PPE supply through the government’s Online PPE Portal. DHSC have urged any eligible providers who are having issues with the Online PPE Portal to contact their customer services team directly who will try and resolve any issues. The team can be contacted on 0800 876 6802 or ppe-portal@dhsc.gov.uk
National restrictions
The Government has announced initial guidance on the restrictions the nation can expect to be in place from 5 November to 2 December. This covers the stay at home guidance, social distancing and meeting with others. It also includes the restrictions governing businesses and venues, weddings and funerals, religious services, going to work, education and childcare, protecting people at more of risk of infection, visiting relatives in care homes, travel and financial support.
Adult social care: guides for councils
The following may be helpful to your adult social care teams:
Schools, early years and childcare
Schools will remain open to all pupils for the duration of the lockdown and will only be closed as a measure of last resort. The Department for Education’s guidance for schools sets out what school leaders, teachers and school staff need to be aware of. This includes safe working and protective measures, remote education and online learning, SEND, and the day-to-day running of a school.
Waste and recycling
MHCLG continue to advise that Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) should remain open during the period of national restrictions. As always, the decision on whether to open a recycling centre rests with the individual local authority, taking into account the safety of staff and managing the risks on a site-by-site basis. Last month, MHCLG published non-statutory guidance aimed to provide some advice on the operation of HWRCs in line with public health requirements. MHCLG has confirmed this is still the correct guidance to follow.
Non-COVID stories
Free support available for English councils on electric vehicles and sustainable travel
Energy Saving Trust’s Local Government Support Programme is fully funded by the Department for Transport and helps local authorities in England deliver their ambitions on decarbonising transport and cleaner air.
For more details, please email please email anna.cuckow@est.org.uk.
Grant funding for electric vehicle charge-points in residential areas, and free help with your application
Funding is available to increase access to electric vehicle charge-points for residents without off-street parking. Local authorities can apply for up to 75 per cent of the capital costs of procuring and installing charge-points in residential areas without off-street parking.
For more information, visit Energy Saving Trust’s website or email onstreetchargepoints@est.org.uk
Webinars
National Social Value Conference for Wales 2020
17 - 18 November 2020
Social Value Portal’s upcoming digital event sees the launch of The National TOMs for Wales. This new measurement framework, with the Future Generations Act and the Community Benefits Toolkit in mind, will allow organisations to report their social contribution to society in terms of the benefits they bring as well as the total value they create in a consistent and robust manner. There will also be a series of surgeries and workshops designed to help organisations maximise their social value, covering procurement, evaluation and contract management.
LGA Webinar: Irrecoverable losses on income generating contracts
27 November 2020
COVID-19 has impacted councils’ ability to generate revenues in several service areas as a result of lockdown, government restrictions and social distancing measures, related to the pandemic.
In addition to other compensation packages aimed at businesses, Government made some funding available as a one-off income loss scheme that will compensate councils for irrecoverable and unavoidable losses from sales, fees and charges income generated in the delivery of services, in the financial year 2020/21.
The webinar will discuss how councils are making use of the scheme, what can be claimed and how they are dealing with those items excluded from the funding.
CIPFA: It’s About Time - reviewing and updating Contract Standing Orders/ Procedure Rules
2 December 2020
Contract Standing Orders (CSO)/Procedure Rules (PR) are critical to the proper procurement function of contracting authorities and must reflect current legislation and best practice. Failure to comply can prevent delivery of value for money and result in legal action and disciplinary investigations. This webinar will address common areas which need updating and bring you up to speed with recent developments.
LGA Webinar - Modern slavery in local government supply chains
16 December 2020
In response to the Home Office’s announcement that changes to the Modern Slavery Act (MSA) will include local authorities in the supply chain provisions (Section 54) of the new MSA, the LGA is hosting a webinar dedicated to helping councils, at all stages in their modern slavery journey, to prepare and improve their supply chain practices and procedures.
This webinar will provide an update on the latest changes to legislation and how they affect the sector, as well as updates on the key high-risk areas: construction, IT and social care.
Decarbonisation of transport webinars
In relation to the Decarbonising transport briefings, the LGA is hosting a webinar to accompany each briefing. See the full list below:
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