Funding Principles
Key Principles Which Underpin the Funding Scheme for Regional and Local Voluntary Youth Organisations.
The EA Youth Service key principles for the Funding Scheme fall into three categories:
- Meeting the assessed needs of all children and young people
- Enhancing and supporting the work of youth organisations
- Reducing administration
These are considered in further detail below.
1.1 Child and Young Person Centred
Children and young people are the core of what we do. The promotion of the youth service curriculum, ‘A Model for Effective Practice’, is embedded into the Funding Scheme. This will support the personal and social development of our children and young people.
1.2 Participation and Development of Children and Young People
The voice of our children and young people is central to our planning, delivery and resourcing of youth services. As we move forward, our children and young people would be able to access different types of support and programmes which would meet their developmental and individual assessed needs within available resources. This will be enabled through the various funding opportunities provided within the Funding Scheme.
1.3 Outcomes-based
Children and young people deserve to have opportunities to achieve the best possible outcomes. There is a need for clear evidence in terms of what is working to meet needs identified, based on how our children and young people respond to youth work programmes and interventions. Outcomes Based Reporting (OBR) will be a key element of the Funding Scheme.
2.1 Based on the Assessed Needs of Children and Young People
The needs of children and young people are central to the application process for each youth organisation.
2.2 Best Value
Resources will be used to achieve priority outcomes, as noted in the RYDP, for all children and young people in the most cost effective way and according to best practice principles (public value).
2.3 Quality Services
Children and young people will have access to high quality services which follow best practice, including the highest standards of safeguarding and child protection.
2.4 Equality and Inclusion
There is a clear need to ensure that the Funding Scheme would be responsive to the needs of Section 75 groupings and other groups of children and young people with specific needs. This includes children and young people in rural communities and those experiencing barriers to learning.
2.5 Equality of Access
The Funding Scheme will provide open access for all youth organisations who meet the EA Registration criteria, are eligible to apply and can demonstrate that their services can address the Regional Youth Development Plan (RYDP).
2.6 Partnership Working
The Funding Scheme will support and enhance collaboration and the effective deployment of resources between regional support structures and Regional and Local Voluntary Organisations.
3. Reducing Administration
3.1 Reducing Bureaucracy
Within the Funding Scheme the EA will give due regard to the Code of Practice for Reducing Bureaucracy in Grant Funding to the Voluntary and Community Sector, including making ‘upfront’ payments at the outset and robust qualitative and proportionate reporting systems to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy.
3.2 Benchmarking of Costs
The EA will make use of available national/regional benchmarks to determine levels of funding. Benchmarking will be utilised to determine levels of funding for example salaries will be benchmarked against the latest JNC salary scales at time of funding release.
3.3 Eligible / Ineligible Costs
Guidance on Eligible Costs will be provided to all applicants in the Terms and Conditions for the use of Youth Service Funding by Voluntary Youth Organisations https://eanifunding.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Terms-and-Conditions-for-the-use-of-Youth-Service-Funding-by-Voluntary-Youth-Organisations-v1.3.pdf.
Eligible Costs will fall into three categories; staffing, overheads and programme costs
Ineligible Costs are also outlined within the Terms and Conditions and include Maintenance costs and Capital Cost items. If you are unsure if a cost is eligible or not, please check with your Funding Officer
3.4 Full Cost Recovery
The EA will aim to pay the full costs of a funding opportunity award to an organisation where appropriate, including direct costs, such as project staff salaries, and indirect or shared costs, to include the relevant proportion of overhead costs.
Further information can be found here Full Cost Recovery – EANI Funding
4. The new Funding Scheme should ensure the following are taken forward:
4.1 For Children and Young People
- Raising Standards for all and the delivery of non-targeted/generic youth provision which contribute to achieving the best possible outcomes for all children and young people
- Closing the Performance Gap, providing an inclusive youth service, whilst targeting resources proportionately to the level of disadvantage, based on assessed need for example; Shared Education and CRED.
4.2 For Youth Organisations
- Enhancing the resourcing and delivery of regional and local youth services based on assessed need
- Enabling planned regional priorities to complement and support local and tailored provision
- Being responsive to emerging needs.
4.3 For The Local Community
- An open, transparent funding scheme – enabling access for organisations eligible to apply for funding
- Provision of support for the voluntary sector for the delivery of high quality youth services
- Facilitating collaboration on key themes and areas within community planning
- Supporting the development of a sustainable, contemporary and responsive youth service with effective community engagement.
4.4 For The Youth Service
- Support, delivery and achievement on key actions for youth as set out in DE policy including Priorities for Youth
- Enabling and providing support for effective reporting on the key outputs and outcomes of the youth service.
