Agenda item

To consider a proposal for the continuation of the Bass Connection service until it moves to the new Salisbury Campus at 5 Rivers Leisure Centre.

The Chairman gave the positive news that new venues had been found for most of the groups which had been using Grosvenor House and Wilton Road Activity Centre; however this did not include Bass Connections, who would need somewhere temporary to operate until the new Campus was built in 2015.

The proposal for consideration by the Board was to allow Bass Connections to continue to use Grosvenor House until the Campus was available. They would do this with the support of theSound Emporium, a local company set up and run by professional musicians and music enthusiasts with backgrounds in teaching, training and production.

The proposal contained two options:

Proposal Option 1:  The Sound Emporium proposed to open Grosvenor House between the hours of 7pm and 9pm on a Tuesday and Thursday (the same as the current sessions) and provide two qualified DBS checked and insured members of staff to run the Bass Connection activities. The Council would be required to ensure that the building was maintained in a safe state and that services were maintained – as was currently proposed until any sale was considered.  Further information was detailed in appendix 1 of the report attached to the agenda.

Proposal Option 2:  In return for access to the building at other times to run additional activities – such as the Salisbury School of Rock after school club - The Sound Emporium proposed to open Grosvenor House for Bass Connection sessions between the hours of 7pm and 9pm on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and provide two qualified DBS checked and insured members of staff to run the centre. This would be on similar terms as set out under option 1 and subject to legal agreement with the Council.  Under this proposal Bass Connection would benefit from an additional session, extending the current offer to more young people.  The Sound Emporium would benefit from an additional City Centre venue from which to provide its activities.

Decision

In view of the legal guidance received today and explained to the Board, Salisbury Area Board recommends that Wiltshire Council waives the requirements of the Leader’s Guidance in this case in order that the Board may award a grant to The Sound Emporium to support Option 2 as set out in the proposal, subject to appropriate legal and property agreements being in place and to the following conditions:

·         Any use of Grosvenor House would be subject to final legal agreement with the Council incorporating a termination clause should the Council wish to pursue disposal of the building.

·         Funding would be subject to satisfactory performance and evaluation after 6 months as outlined in this report.

·         Payment would be staged into £6,000 for the first 30 weeks and subject to satisfactory evaluation a further £6,000 to cover the remaining 30 weeks (subject to reasonable summer holiday closures/reductions).

·         The grant would cover the provision of the sessions agreed and not the setting up and taking down of equipment prior to or after sessions.

·         The Sound Emporium would be required to assist with the migration of the Bass Connection service to Salisbury Campus when that facility became available.

·         The Sound Emporium would provide to the Community Officer:

o   Details of training undertaken and the date of DBS checks to ensure these remain current until the transition from Grosvenor House to the Campus.

o   Clarification that existing policies referring to ‘children’ cover young people between 11 and 19 (up to 25 in the case of young people with a learning disability).

o   A risk assessment relating to the proposed activities covering the following:

§  The maximum number of users per session

§  How child protection and safeguarding policies will operate in practice taking account of the Council’s current policy /practice on early warning and prevention as set out in the common assessment framework (CAF).

o   Evidence that any permanent electrical equipment installed into the building by The Sound Emporium has been or will be PAT tested.

·         The Sound Emporium would meet on site with the Community Youth Officer prior to the commencement of the service to discuss and agree operational arrangements.”