Staff-led mutuals win funds to run school support and youth services
Janaki Mahadevan
Friday, June 1, 2012
Plans for staff to take over school support and youth services in London and Blackpool are among the first to receive a share of a £10m government fund.
The Cabinet Office’s Mutual Support Programme has awarded nearly £56,000 to a group seeking to run school support services in Hammersmith & Fulham.
The group known as 3BM (the three borough mutual) hopes to eventually expand the service to Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, which have brought their children’s services together under the tri-borough arrangement.
A further £10,000 has been awarded to a staff-led organisation seeking to provide youth services in Blackpool.
Andy Rennison, assistant director for school support services at 3BM, said: “The process for mutualisation is challenging and the support from the Mutual Support Programme fund has been a tremendous help."
The government funding is going towards legal and business support to help the mutuals get off the ground.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: “Fledgling mutuals will get professional expertise and advice that they would otherwise be unable to access. And we will build a valuable knowledge-sharing database of what works, as well as what does not, which other upcoming mutuals can draw upon.”
