Agenda item

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet agree to the transformation of Surrey County Council’s community children’s homes that will update the current staffing establishments, approve the specialisation of purpose for each home, implement new job descriptions and scope out the management spans of each home.
2. That Cabinet agree to the transformation of Surrey County Council’s specialist crisis provision for young people with mental health difficulties that will update the current staffing establishment, implement new job descriptions and scope out the management spans of the home.
3. That Cabinet agree to the transformation of Surrey County Council’s residential services for children with disabilities that will update the current staffing establishments to ensure continued legal compliance, implement new job descriptions,  as well as allow development of a new joint-funded crisis provision for children with autism.
4. That Cabinet note the intended funding position, which includes significant health funding contributions and that this investment will enable efficiencies by containing or saving costs on commissioning external placements, therefore having a neutral budgetary effect.

Reason for Decisions:

In order to meet the current and future needs of children who need residential care, transformation and investment in the in-house children’s homes is required. This is 

·         to ensure children receive the best care that is appropriate for their needs, close to their family and communities. 

·         to contribute to meeting the Council’s legal duty to ensure that as far as is possible and consistent with the welfare of the children concerned it has sufficient homes for looked after children in the county, now and in the future

·         to meet the Council’s legal duties to operate children’s homes of good quality

·         to develop services to meet children’s diverse and complex needs in partnership with other statutory agencies 

·         to contain increasing costs and budget pressures

Transformation will ensure the in-house homes are able to specialise in caring for the children with the highest and most complex needs, maximising the occupancy levels in each home and preventing, where appropriate, those young people going to out of county placements at additional cost to the council.  This is an important measure designed to contribute to the Council meeting its statutory sufficiency duty.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee)

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families. The report addressed the vulnerabilities in the current staffing structure and management capacity, strengthening the specialised purpose for each home and developing a new provision for children with autism experiencing crisis. This change was necessary to ensure that children receive the best care appropriate for their needs close to their families and communities. It was explained that the first preference was to put children into a family placement or foster home. However, sometimes residential care was a positive option for children with the highest level of need. Currently a significant proportion of very vulnerable children were placed outside Surrey. This transformation will ensure the in-house homes are able to specialise in caring for the children with the highest and most complex needs. Maximizing occupancy levels in each home. The transformation would require revenue funding which would be offset in part by health contributions.

RESOLVED:

1. That Cabinet agree to the transformation of Surrey County Council’s community children’s homes that will update the current staffing establishments, approve the specialisation of purpose for each home, implement new job descriptions and scope out the management spans of each home.
2. That Cabinet agree to the transformation of Surrey County Council’s specialist crisis provision for young people with mental health difficulties that will update the current staffing establishment, implement new job descriptions and scope out the management spans of the home.
3. That Cabinet agree to the transformation of Surrey County Council’s residential services for children with disabilities that will update the current staffing establishments to ensure continued legal compliance, implement new job descriptions,  as well as allow development of a new joint-funded crisis provision for children with autism.
4. That Cabinet note the intended funding position, which includes significant health funding contributions and that this investment will enable efficiencies by containing or saving costs on commissioning external placements, therefore having a neutral budgetary effect.

Reason for Decisions:

In order to meet the current and future needs of children who need residential care, transformation and investment in the in-house children’s homes is required. This is 

·         to ensure children receive the best care that is appropriate for their needs, close to their family and communities. 

·         to contribute to meeting the Council’s legal duty to ensure that as far as is possible and consistent with the welfare of the children concerned it has sufficient homes for looked after children in the county, now and in the future

·         to meet the Council’s legal duties to operate children’s homes of good quality

·         to develop services to meet children’s diverse and complex needs in partnership with other statutory agencies 

·         to contain increasing costs and budget pressures

Transformation will ensure the in-house homes are able to specialise in caring for the children with the highest and most complex needs, maximising the occupancy levels in each home and preventing, where appropriate, those young people going to out of county placements at additional cost to the council.  This is an important measure designed to contribute to the Council meeting its statutory sufficiency duty.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee)