The document provides guidance notes for applying to the Community Support Fund, which aims to support individuals affected by the closures of Remploy factories. The fund can support projects that help individuals play a more active role in their community or make the transition from sheltered to mainstream employment. Applications will be assessed based on how well the proposed project meets the fund's objectives, is based on evidence of local need, involves partnership with other organizations, and can be successfully delivered. Awards will be made in a series of rounds with closing dates published online.

1. Community Support Fund
Guidance Notes
July 2012
Thank you for considering applying to the Community Support Fund. To assist
you in completing the application form we have created these guidance notes.
Please read these guidance notes before you complete your application form.
They contain useful information about the Community Support Fund.
Accessible versions of the application form and the guidance notes (including
versions with no tables) are also available. All of these can be found on our
website, along with more information about the Community Support Fund at:
http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/communitysupportfund
If you have any questions about the Community Support Fund please contact
us by emailing odi.businessperformance@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.
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2. Contents
1. Introduction....................................................................................................3
2. Aim of the Community Support Fund.............................................................3
3. Objectives of the Community Support Fund..................................................4
4. Principles informing the operation of the Community Support Fund.............4
5. How much can I apply for?
...........................................................................................................................5
6. When will a decision be made on my application?........................................6
7. What the Community Support Fund can support .........................................6
8. Exclusions and limitations to the Community Support Fund.........................7
8.1 Fund Exclusions...................................................................................................7
8.2 Fund limitations ...................................................................................................8
8.3 State Aid...............................................................................................................8
9. Assessment criteria......................................................................................10
9.1 Qualification criteria...........................................................................................10
9.2 Essential criteria.................................................................................................10
9.3 Scoring criteria...................................................................................................12
12. Frequently Asked Questions......................................................................13
13. Terms & Conditions...................................................................................13
Annex 1: Other support available to individuals affected by the Remploy
factory closures................................................................................................14
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3. 1. Introduction
In the UK Government’s response to the Sayce Review, the Minister for
Disabled People, Maria Miller MP, announced a comprehensive £8m people
help and support package for disabled Remploy employees affected by the
Remploy factory closures. The help and support package contained a mixture
of individual and community support. £1.5m of this has been allocated to the
Community Support Fund.
In July 2012, the Minister formally opened the Community Support Fund for
bids from disabled people’s user-led organisations (DPULOs) and voluntary
and community sector (VCS) organisations1.
The overall aim of the Community Support Fund is to make a positive
difference to the lives of the individuals and families affected by the Remploy
factory closures.
It will do this through financial support to local DPULOs and VCS
organisations to deliver support and services. The Community Support Fund
will be focussed around the geographical areas affected by the Remploy
factory closure. DPULOs and/or VCS organisations that are locally based or
have local knowledge are able to apply for a modest amount of funding to
support individuals affected by the Remploy factory closures to become
actively involved in their local communities or/and support individuals to make
the move from sheltered to mainstream employment.
Applications received from organisations working in collaboration that can
develop and demonstrate effective partnership working, will be particularly
encouraged. See Section 9.2 – Area 3 below.
In addition to the Community Support Fund there is a range of support
available for people affected by the Remploy factory closures including, for
example, Personal Budgets. For your information, further detail on this People
Help and Support Package is included in Annex 1 below.
2. Aim of the Community Support Fund
1
Please note: by DPULOs and voluntary and community sector (VCS)
organisations we mean all non-profit distributing organisations, including:
disabled people’s user-led organisations, voluntary and community sector
organisations, charities, social enterprises, Community Interest Companies,
non-profit organisations and employee- or member-owned organisations
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4. The overall aim of the Community Support Fund is to make a positive
difference to the lives of the individuals and families affected by Remploy
factory closures.
3. Objectives of the Community Support Fund
The objectives of the Community Support Fund are to:
Support individuals affected by the Sayce announcement to:
• Support individuals to play more of an active role in the local community,
by taking part in a variety of group activities. These could include
maintaining relationships with ex-work colleagues from Remploy, or
creating new friendships within the community.
And / or
• Support individuals to move from sheltered to mainstream employment.
This could include taking part in learning and development activities to
develop new skills.
Furthermore, projects supported through the Community Support Fund
should:
• Cover local areas affected by Remploy factory closures
• Clearly demonstrate how disabled people affected by the Remploy factory
closure have been involved in developing the proposed activity / project
• Appropriately cover all disabled people and impairment groups, i.e.
learning disabilities, long-term health conditions, mental health conditions,
physical impairments and sensory impairments.
• Appropriately cover all people with protected characteristics under the
Equality Act 2010
• Support a range of levels of innovation in the activities funded.
• Maximise other resources – both financial and non-financial – that can
encourage participation in mainstream employment or activities in the
community.
4. Principles informing the operation of the Community
Support Fund
The principles which inform the operation of the Community Support Fund
were co-produced with key stakeholders and are presented below.
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5. • The Community Support Fund is accessible, inclusive and approaches this
work from the social model of disability
• It aims to be proportionate and light touch, as applied to:
o The application process
o The approach to accounting for spending
o The approach to monitoring
• It aims to be open:
o Decisions will be clearly communicated with applicants, including
the reasons why a bid was / wasn’t successful
o General information that is not bound by the Data Protection Act will
be made available, including assessment criteria and general
information on awards made (e.g. average values, types of work
supported, coverage etc.)
5. How much can I apply for?
We are keen to encourage applications such that the Community Support
Fund is appropriately distributed across all of the areas affected by Remploy
factory closures.
To this end, we have provided some guidance on how the broad amounts of
financial resource could be distributed. There is also, however, a “common
pot” available to reflect particular demand where it can be suitably evidenced.
Before developing or submitting any application, we strongly suggest you
make contact with your local Ambassador to discuss how much can be bid for
from the Community Support Fund. You can find out who your local
Ambassador is and what their contact details are here:
http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/communitysupportfund
Key points:
• There is no minimum amount you can apply for. However, applications
will be considered by the board to ensure a fair geographical spread in the
areas affected by the Sayce Announcement.
• There is no maximum amount you can apply for, however the Board is
likely to request more detailed information about outcomes and value for
money for any application at the higher end of the range of awards
available for each area affected by the Sayce announcement.
• More than one application from an organisation – for example, if an
organisations proposes to work in partnership across several geographic
areas, applications will be considered as long as:
o The application differs from any other application
o There is a proven need for the funding
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6. o Capacity to deliver across all the applications is proven
o Funds are still available having taken into account the funds
distributed to date.
• More than one application from an area will be considered as long as:
o There is no duplication with any other application
o There is a proven need for the funding
o The number of bids is proportionate with the scale of activity
anticipated (see Annex 2 for further information)
o Demand in all other areas has been met
o Funds are still available having taken into account the funds
distributed to date.
6. When will a decision be made on my application?
The decision to award funding will be made by the Community Support Fund
Board. This decision making group will be drawn from DPULO Ambassadors
and representatives from VCS organisations. It will be jointly chaired by the
DPULO Programme National Leads.
The Board will consider applications in a series of rounds. The closing dates
associated with each round are published on the website:
http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/communitysupportfund
Alternatively, you can contact odi.businessperformance@dwp.gsi.gov.uk to
find out the dates.
7. What the Community Support Fund can support
We strongly suggest you make contact with your local Ambassador to discuss
what the Community Support Fund can support. You can find out who your
local Ambassador is and what their contact details are here:
http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/communitysupportfund
The Community Support Fund will provide one-off or short-term payments
which will support organisations to support individuals affected by the
Remploy factory closures which will:
• Deliver focused outcomes that make a positive difference to the lives of
the individuals and families affected by the Remploy factory closures.
• Support individuals affected by the Remploy factory closures to play an
active role in their local communities
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7. • Support individuals affected by the Remploy factory closures who want to
make the transition from sheltered employment to mainstream
employment.
By short term, we mean typically less than 18 months. Examples of activities /
projects that can be supported include (but are not limited to) the following:
• Enabling disabled people affected by the Remploy factory closures to have
more choice and control over their lives
• Providing disabled people with support to participate and have a voice in
their local community
• Developing a range of projects and activities that build skills, offer
volunteering opportunities and provide training to support disabled people
moving from sheltered employment into mainstream work.
• Empowering individuals to understand and take control of the support
available to them, including funding packages.
8. Exclusions and limitations to the Community Support Fund
We strongly suggest you make contact with your local Ambassador to discuss
what the Community Support Fund can’t support. You can find out who your
local Ambassador is and what their contact details are here:
http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/communitysupportfund
8.1 Fund Exclusions
For the purposes of the Community Support Fund the following which is not
exhaustive list will not be funded:
• For ongoing running costs including day to day wage/salary costs, but this
exclusion shall not apply to funding required for day to day wage/salary
costs for a project which the Community Support Fund wholly or partly
funds
• To buy ongoing or regular services from a third party (note: one-off or
short-term services are permissible)
• To reimburse travel/childcare costs
• To pay for rent/estates
• To fund IT equipment in excess of the £1,000 capital threshold
• To pay for refreshments
• To pay for gifts
• To fund working capital or retained to cover future running costs and
expenditure
• To fund contributions in kind
• Interest payments or service charge payments for finance leases
• To fund any other UK Government Department or anybody funded from
central government.
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8. 8.2 Fund limitations
Any funding given to support individuals affected by the Remploy factory
closures which might be novel or contentious, or which could potentially bring
the UK Government into disrepute, requires advance approval by the Office
for Disability Issues.
Funding can only be agreed and made to organisations that have auditable
accounts. The only exception to this rule may be where an organisation is
being set up to deliver Community Support Fund outcomes.
If a problem arises after funding has been awarded, ODI reserves the right to
recover any funding that has been fraudulently claimed. A fraudulent claim for
these purposes includes:
• Submitting false receipts
• Submitting receipts for purchases that are unassociated with the
Community Support Fund
• Submitting receipts that are not duly reflected in the organisations’
auditable accounts.
The decision to award funding may be revoked if the organisation closes
before funding is awarded, or where an invoice is not submitted within three
months of the decision notification and no reasonable explanation is given for
the delay.
The Office for Disability Issues has discretion not to reimburse costs where a
receipt, or invoice shows any materially misleading, or inaccurate information.
DWP/ODI may also recover funding in the following instances:
• When the Organisation does not spend the grant within 3 months of the
payment (where applicable) and has failed to provide the Community
Support Fund Board with a reasonable explanation for delay;
• The Organisation obtains duplicate funding from a third party for the same
costs;
• The Organisation ceases to operate for any reason within a period
deemed reasonable by the Community Support Board and proportionate
to the level of funding awarded.
8.3 State Aid
The Community Support Fund is classified as State Aid as defined under
Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
and is granted as ‘de minimis’ aid under the De Minimis Aid Regulation.
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9. Where a public body provides financial support to an organisation engaged in
commercial and economic activity, it is necessary to consider whether such
support constitutes State aid.
State aid applies to your organisation if:
• Aid is granted by a Member State, or through its resources
• It favours certain undertakings, or the production of certain goods
• It distorts, or threatens to distort competition
• It affects trade between Member States.
If all four questions are satisfied State Aid applies and we would need to
consider details of any/all State Aid funding your organisation has received.
Grants offered under the terms of the state aid de minimis regulations, funding
will not be awarded where the Organisation has received funding, in three
years, in excess of the ‘de minimis’ limit of 200,000Euro.
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10. 9. Assessment criteria
Applications to the Community Support Fund will be assessed against two
sets of criteria:
• Qualification criteria
• Essential criteria.
These are explained in more detail below.
9.1 Qualification criteria
The information below explains each of the qualification criteria and which
questions (in bold) we will consider to determine if your application meets
these criteria.
Your application must be able to meet each of the qualification criteria below
(unless stated otherwise).
Qualification criteria Evidence
The lead organisation is a DPULO or VCS organisation Question 2.1
If you are not the
lead organisation
you cannot apply
The proposed activity / project takes place within one Questions 3.1, 3.2
or more local community / communities affected by the
Remploy factory closures
The application is for a piece of work / project that is Question 4.1a, 4.1b,
not already funded by the UK Government or any of the 4.1c
Devolved Administrations
The organisation has regularly audited accounts Questions 4.2, 4.3
(unless it is an organisation in the process of being set
up) and can receive payment of any award
Declaration received from DPULO that ‘de minimis’ aid Questions 4.4, 4.5,
in excess of €200,000 in past three year period has not 4.6, 4.7
been awarded (Evidence from)
9.2 Essential criteria
The information below explains each of the essential criteria areas and which
questions (in bold) we will consider to determine if your application meets
these criteria.
Essential criteria Evidence
Area 1: Individual outcomes – The proposed activity / Questions 5.3, 5.4,
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11. Essential criteria Evidence
project will: 6
• Meet the aim and objectives of the Community
Support Fund
• Support people affected by the Remploy factory
closures to be actively involved in their local
communities and / or to provide support for
individuals to move from sheltered to mainstream
employment
• Enhances options for relevant support, such as
peer support or emotional support
Area 2: Based on evidenced demand – The Questions 7.1, 7.2
proposed activity / project:
• Is strongly based on demand or evidence of need
identified by people affected by the Remploy factory
closures
• Has a strong focus on what people affected by the
Remploy factory closures want
• Clearly demonstrates how disabled people have
been involved in developing the proposed activity /
project
• Takes appropriate account of impairment-specific
issues
• Takes appropriate account of wider equality and
diversity issues
• Ensures groups who are not well engaged / on the
margins of DPULO / VCS activity have the
opportunity to be involved
• Must demonstrate a clear understanding of the
social model of disability
Area 3: Partnership working – The proposed activity / Questions 7.3, 7.4,
project: 7.5 plus any
• Is delivered through partnership working with supporting
appropriate relevant organisations. documentation
• Demonstrates evidence the lead organisation has
considered or liaised with appropriate stakeholders
• Provides a compelling reason why partnership
working isn’t required
• Includes letters of support
Area 4: Ability to deliver the project on time and to Question 5.4 and
budget – The application contains: Schedule 1 – project
• Clear explanation of what the activities are plan
• Clear explanation of how the activities will deliver
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12. Essential criteria Evidence
the anticipated outcomes
• Clear timescales by which the activities will be
finished
Area 5: Value for money – The application contains: Questions 5.2, 5.5
• Total cost of the project and Schedule 2 –
• Evidence that this represents value for money Budget breakdown
Area 6: Capturing impact, sustaining involvement Questions 8.1, 8.2,
and sharing learning – The proposed activity / project 8.3
has a clear approach to:
• Capturing the impact it has on each individual
supported
In addition, the following areas will not be scored,
though we would like information on them
• There is information on how involvement of
individuals could be sustained beyond the formal
project
• Wider learning from the project is captured for the
benefit of DPULOs and Voluntary and Community
Sector organisations more generally, especially in
working with disabled people
9.3 Scoring criteria
Applications to the Facilitation Fund will be scored against the essential areas
above as follows:
• 3 points – answer clearly meets the criteria and provides good evidence to
support this
• 2 points – answer partly meets the criteria and provides some evidence to
support this
• 1 point – answer hardly meets the criteria and provides little/no evidence
to support this
• 0 points – no answer to the question
The scoring criteria:
• A score of 18 will indicate the essential criteria are met in full
• A score between 13 and 17 will indicate a strong application
• A score of 12 will indicate an acceptable application
• A score below 12 will indicate a weak application
Please note: Decisions will be made based only on the information provided
in the application form, supporting letters and any clarification answers
provided in response to questions from the ODI.
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13. 12. Frequently Asked Questions
The Community Support Fund was launched in July 2012. We will update
these Guidance Notes with Frequently Asked Questions based on the
questions and queries we receive.
13. Terms & Conditions
1. The decision to award funding will be made by the Community Support
Fund Board. Decisions will be made based on the quality and detail
provided in application. The Organisation will need to demonstrate how
they meet the aims of the fund.
2. The Organisation will be advised in writing once the decision is made. If
funding is awarded, the Organisation will then have the responsibility for
purchasing the items agreed and submitting an invoice and associated
receipts to the Office for Disability Issues for reimbursement within a 3
month period from the date stated on the award letter (where applicable).
Schedule 1 should be completed and returned with the application form to
provide a breakdown of the proposed spend.
3. DWP/ODI forbids use of its DWP logos or imagery/copyright material or
any Intellectual Property by Organisation and/or indication to any affiliation
to the DWP/ODI by references in documentation or spoken words unless
through express written consent granted by ODI.
4. Details of financial fund limitations are included in this guidance at section
9.
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14. Annex 1: Other support available to individuals
affected by the Remploy factory closures
The people help and support package is designed to be flexible so that
support can be tailored to meet each individual’s specific needs, including
providing support to help people who have difficulties fitting into mainstream
employment. The support package will consist of the following key elements:
• One to one sessions with employees and families to offer work and
financial advice, a skills audit, and identification of any barriers to
employment;
• Local Rapid Response Service teams will provide initial information and
signposting sources of help to meet employment, financial, tax and benefit
advice and support needs. This will include identification and referral to
suitable job and work related opportunities;
• A Personal Case Worker to act as the central point of contact for the
duration of the support period (up to 18 months). They will help each
disabled person develop individual action plans to address their specific
range of needs, assist them select the most appropriate route back to work
and signpost them to appropriate support;
• Referral to mentoring and befriending services, supplied by local charity
and third sector organisations. Mentors will support individuals adjust to life
outside of Remploy and provide support, advice and encouragement to
help them find alternative mainstream employment;
• Referral to existing back-to-work support the Department offers such as
Work Choice, Work Programme, Access to Work, Disability Employment
Advisers and Work Psychologists.
• A personal budget to use on services not covered by other funding
streams. We expect the average personal budget to be in the region of
£2500.
• Support from locally available Remploy Employment Services, who work
with many individuals with similar disabilities to those who may be
displaced from the factory network.
• Access to other work related opportunities available from Remploy and
Jobcentre Plus employer networks. Remploy found 20,000 jobs for
disabled and disadvantaged people last year and hold around 600 - 700
vacancies a week.
• Referral to local Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations, charities and
third sector provision of social and care support functions. This will include
personal assistance to access local provision and funding streams.
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15. • Work is also be taken forward with employers and the Employers Forum
on Disability to offer targeted work opportunities for those affected by
these announcements.
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