The warm spaces programme supports residents through the winter months to find somewhere warm to sit, receive a warm drink and/or meal, access to charging points, Wi-Fi and some information about support services available to them.
This charter is to provide warm spaces providers with information about the standards and requirements of joining the warm spaces programme supported by Chorley Together and Chorley Council.
We recommend that the warm spaces grant is suitable as an enhancement to existing provision, and will be unlikely to sustain new activity without other funding sources being sought.
- the provider will display on all publicity that includes reference to warm spaces the warm spaces branding as provided by Chorley Council
- the provider will register the provision on the warm welcome website and ensure details are kept up to date
- the provider will offer at least 1 hour of warm spaces provision per week. If the provider is enhancing existing provision, this can be 2 hours of their current programmed activity advertised and badged as a warm space
- provision should run between 1 November 2024 and 28 February 2025
- the provider will offer warm beverages and/or a meal free or at very low cost to all participants
- the provider will, wherever possible, offer participants the opportunity to charge their devices for free and access free Wi-Fi
- the provider will agree to allow services to attend the warm spaces activity to provide guidance and signpost participants into relevant support
- the provider will agree to utilise and distribute any guidance and support documentation provided by Chorley Council to participants, signposting into relevant support services
- the provider will facilitate a Chorley Council officer visiting their provision to conduct a ‘Chorley Conversation’ session, a consultation exercise to better understand residents experiences around cost of living
- the provider will refer to their own policies and procedures in terms of health, safety and safeguarding, as well as using the warm spaces provider Resources information sheet (to follow) as a point of reference. Providers should seek support from Chorley Council to meet these requirements where needed, and at the earliest opportunity
- the provider will agree to the monitoring requirements as detailed below.
Terms and conditions
- the provider will ensure that the funding is spent on services in Chorley and for the benefit of Chorley residents
- the provider is expected to comply with all applicable laws including but not limited to health and safety legislation
- the provider is expected to comply with all equality legislation (including the Equality Act 2010 and relevant Codes of Practice and Human Rights Act 1998)
- the provider should consider maintaining adequate insurance in an insurance house of repute in respect of employment and public liability claims and shall produce evidence of such insurances to the council on request
- the provider will comply with all child protection legislation, including having a safeguarding policy in place and obtaining DBS disclosure for staff / volunteers where appropriate, such DBS disclosure to be enhanced if appropriate. This also applies to vulnerable adults
- notwithstanding any other term of this agreement, the provider hereby gives its consent to the council to publish this agreement in whatever form the council decides.
Monitoring
- the provider may make use of support drop-ins arranged by Chorley Council throughout the warm spaces programme to ask questions, seek clarification and support, and provide ad-hoc insights into who is accessing the provision
- a short monitoring form will be shared at the start of the programme with providers, requiring them to report numbers of participants and key themes of support offered, which should be completed and returned monthly
- providers signing up to the warm spaces programme will be eligible to receive a one-off grant payment of up to £1,000 per warm space. Grants will be allocated on a tiered basis as outlined below:
- grants of up to £600 will be available for warm spaces that offer a warm beverage and/or light refreshments (such as toast, biscuits, etc)
- grants of up to £1,000 will be available for spaces offering a warm meal (such as soup and a bread roll).
- Providers accessing this fund must:
- meet the requirements of the warm spaces charter, terms and conditions and monitoring requirements
- deliver with support from a member of the communities’ team a Chorley Conversation session. This is to discuss with residents their issues and support they are receiving to shape our services over the years to come
- spend the funds between 1 November 2024 and 28 February 2025, to enhance their warm spaces provision in line with the charter, and for the benefit of Chorley residents
- respond to changes to the emphasis and requirements of the warm spaces charter, terms and conditions and monitoring requirements as the programme progresses.