Witnesses:
Frank Offer, Head of Market
Strategy
Chris Tisdall, Senior Commissioning Manager
Early Help
David Izatt, Co-Chair of the Steering
Committee, Family Voice Surrey
Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children and Families
Wellbeing
Mel Few, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Wellbeing and
Independence
Declarations of interests:
Pauline Searle declared a non-pecuniary interest as a
trustee of a charity that was a provider of play and leisure Short
Breaks.
Key
points of discussion:
-
Officers highlighted that the service had opened up
live engagement with the market on 9 January 2017. It was noted
that the service was seeking input from the Board regarding its
direction of travel before it formalised its approach with the
Cabinet. It was also pointed out that the service was keen to work
in collaboration, noting that it had worked closely with Family
Voice, Surrey and had adopted a creative approach to feedback. It
was highlighted that this co-designed approach had involved several
workshops, and engagement with families, family groups and focus
groups to gather information.
-
It was explained by officers that the service was
timetabled to deliver the recommissioning of the Short Breaks service on the
1 December 2017.
-
Officers explained that there was a rising demand
for Short Breaks in conjunction with more complex need
requirements. It was noted that the service was aiming to use
currently available resources for delivery.
-
Officers highlighted that they were aiming to
provide a better SEND outcome and that the aim was to create a more
inclusive provision for children and the parents of children with
SEND.
-
The Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, Family Voice
Surrey highlighted that this project was the culmination of 15
months of co-design work, noting that the project was, from the
perspective of Family Voice, Surrey, the most successful
co-designed project that they had worked with.
-
The Co-Chair of
the Steering Committee, Family Voice Surrey noted that this work
was supported by the families of children with SEND. It was
expressed that there was more support required for the family of a
child with SEND and that parents valued the inclusive approach that
this strategy takes.
-
It was suggested
by the Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, Family Voice Surrey that
the service could utilise
under-used
resources to provide short breaks services and improve
outcomes.Members questioned whether youth
services and other underutilised facilities, such as school halls,
could be deployed in the provision of short breaks. It was
particularly stressed that more work could be undertaken to improve
links with youth centres, to improve provision for short breaks
locally. Officers noted that the service was seeking to use youth
services facilities more and that this was a good opportunity for
partnership work with youth centres and that better links were
being forged as part of this.
-
The Board questioned whether the service could
establish closer links with Districts and Borough authorities to
provide an improved local service and improve partnership links.
Members also questioned whether the service took into consideration
the social value aspect to provide everyday inclusive opportunities
for children with SEND.
-
The Board questioned the frequency of the short
breaks for children with SEND. Officers noted that the frequency
was dependent on the requirements of the individual child. Officers
also explained that many families appreciated a structured approach
to short breaks and that they were also popular during school
holidays.
-
Officers highlighted that the next stage for the
service was the procurement bidding process, which concluded on the
10 February 2017.
-
The Cabinet Member for Children and Families Wellbeing
stressed that many children take such activities similar to short
breaks for granted. It was emphasised
that children with SEND should be able to access similar inclusive
opportunities, which this offer could provide.
-
The Cabinet
Member for Children and Families Wellbeing highlighted that the
Ofsted/CQC report of SEND services in 2016 noted the collaborative
nature of the short breaks initiative as a positive
development.
-
The Board questioned the directorates spending for
recommissioning short breaks and which
aspects of provision were a statutory requirement. Officers
explained that the provision of short breaks was a statutory
requirement. It was explained that this provision was approximately
£3.1 million and that all funding allocated was for
individual statutory needs. However, it was noted that the service
was looking to expand provision to less utilised resources in order
to reduce overall costs.
-
Members questioned the market conditions regarding
the recommissioning of short breaks and
what opportunities there were available. It was explained by
officers that the service was seeking to attract new providers to
provide short breaks and continue to work with existing providers
to improve service. It was highlighted that the directorate was
asking that providers work closely with the community in order to
provide inclusive provision.
-
The Board questioned whether there was consistent
delivery of short breaks across the county. Officers highlighted that there was at least one play and youth
scheme per district and borough and that most providers expand
provision during peak times to meet with demand across
Surrey.
-
Officers highlighted that there was a charge to
parents for short breaks services, but that schemes were priced at
a heavily subsidised average rate of £20. It was noted that
the service offered bursaries or reduced charges for families who
could not afford this charge to ensure that no child was
excluded.
-
Officers explained that the tendering process for
short breaks recommissioning was
outside of the £3.1 million budget, and was included in the
overall directorate budget. However, it was highlighted that the
service was keen to ensure best value for money and best outcome in
its tendering process, noting that services
were commissioned for three years.
Recommendations:
The Board strongly supports the
approach taken to commissioning short breaks, and notes the
endorsement of Ofsted in its approach to co-design with
families.
The Board endorses and
recommends:
-
That the link of local need to locally available
opportunities is emphasised during the commissioning process, where
possible and appropriate;
-
That officers explore working with district and
borough Members to help realise local opportunities;
-
That the Council Overview Board consider an item on
how the social value charter has been applied to other
commissioning and procurement processes across the council;
and
-
That officers meet with representatives of the Board
during the consultation process to hear how schools have been
engaged about identifying ways in which they can support and expand
the short breaks offer.