Departments Directions Social Fund Guide

Part 2 - Community Care Grants

Direction 40 - Responsibilities of the Area Decision Makers

The Department directs that

40.The nominated Area Decision Maker must carry out the following functions:

(a) make a planned profile of the level of grants expenditure for the relevant Decision Makers throughout the period of the allocation and monitor actual expenditure against it;

(b) issue and monitor the effect of, guidance which specifies the level of priority which may be met from the allocations for grants under direction 4

(d) on at least one occasion during every month review review the planned profile made under paragraph (a), the guidance under paragraph (b) and the information under paragraph (c)

(e) revise the planned profile, guidance and information reviewed under (d) above as is necessary to ensure that actual expenditure does not exceed the planned level of expenditure for the period of the allocation.

(f) notify the relevant Decision Makers of the most recent Northern Ireland baseline figure issued by the Department to be applied when determining the maximum available to each budgeting loan applicant under Direction 52 (in order to manage spending of the Northern Ireland loans budget).

(g) notify the relevant Crisis Loan Decision Makers of any Northern Ireland guidance issued by the Department about constraints on the loans budget for Crisis Loans and monitor their observance of it.

3400The Area Decision Maker’s role is to help Decision Makers to control and manage the budget. Part of this role includes issuing guidance to Decision Makers on the level of priority that can be met from the CCG budget. See Article 36(2) of the Social Security (NI) Order 1998 and the Instrument of Authorisation and Nomination.

3401The Area Decision Maker
- identifies the level of priority which may currently be met from the budget, taking into account profiled expenditure
- reviews and, if necessary, revises the guidance monthly

3402The Area Decision Maker's functions under Direction 40 are set out in paras 7253. In exercising these functions, the Area Decision Maker will ensure that information on the budgetary position is available to the Decision Maker

See para 7250 for a full explanation of the Area Decision Maker's role and responsibilities.

3403-3449