Decisions

Arundel House in Banstead is a residential and short breaks service for people with learning disabilities. There are two houses on the site, which provide supported living, one is linked to the main building. Outreach services to people in the community are also provided from a base on the site.

The residential service can accommodate 18. There are nine residents currently living at Arundel House and three in supported living on the site. It has a Care Quality Commission rating of Good.

The service operates effectively with highly trained staff. However, the building has an institutional environment.

We want to ensure that care meets the future needs and aspirations of Surrey residents so that people can lead independent and fulfilling lives for as long as possible. As a county council we’re focused on modernising care, so it’s tailored to people’s strengths and needs and promotes their independence. The strategic shift is away from residential care towards supported living.

Arundel House is no longer able to fully respond to the changing needs and expectations of people with learning disabilities and their families. Commissioners of care are not choosing to place people here due to the institutional environment and the layout of the building.

Repairs and refurbishment would not address the structural changes needed. Remodelling or redevelopment of the site would mean the current residents moving out for an extensive period.

Therefore, in accordance with council’s commissioning strategy for people with learning disabilities, the Joint Executive Director - Adult Social Care & Integrated Commissioning considers that the council should consult publicly on the closure of the services on the Arundel House site.

Decision made:

It was AGREED that:

A public consultation on the closure of Arundel House starts on 24 January 2023 and closes on 18 April 2023.

The decision is to approve the basis of distribution of Homes for Ukraine education and childcare grant, which is allocated to the local authority to distribute to schools or spend centrally on services to support children admitted under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. It can be used for no other purpose. The grant allocated so far is £6.2m but the final sum will depend on the total number of Ukrainian children arriving under the scheme by February 2023 and is expected to be higher.

Cabinet resolved on 20 December:

That authority be delegated to the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning in consultation with the Executive Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, the Executive Director of Resources and the Cabinet Member for Education and Learning to determine the mechanism for funding schools and the use of the proposed contingency from the DfE Homes for Ukraine (H4U) Education and Childcare grant.

Decision made:

That funding is allocated to mainstream schools (both maintained and academies) on the following basis:

·     for spring and summer terms 2022 based on the total cumulative number of H4U pupils arriving before the end of each half term,

• for each half term of autumn 2022 based on the number of H4U pupils in the school at some time in that half term
• for the first half term of spring 2023, based either on the numbers at the start, end or at any time within, to be determined later, having regard to the level of internal movement (of pupils between schools) within Surrey
• for the second half of the spring term 2023, the numbers at 28 February 2023 (DfE will not fund Surrey for pupils arriving in Surrey after 28 February 2023, and so we cannot fund later arrivals, unless there is an underspend at that point)
• we would reserve the right to amend the distribution in case of obvious anomalies
• we will fund pupils in independent schools and FE/sixth form colleges at the same rates (Pro rata if part time) on application
• 20% of whole grant to be held for central costs and SEN costs at least at this stage, (this would include specialist SEND placements). Assistant Director for Systems and Transformation in ELLC to manage both
• any cost of Early Intervention Fund (or other additional costs) for H4U early years pupils, plus hourly rate costs for such pupils not on roll on Jan 2023 census date, to be met from the early years component of the grant.  Early years providers to be invited to apply for funding for additional costs on a case by case basis.
• Half termly funding rates for summer and autumn terms are £855.40 for primary and £1,138.75 for secondary. Both are 78% of 1/6 of the respective DFE annual rates.
• Funding rates to be reviewed once data for number of pupils in autumn term is available and again if necessary during the spring term. If the level of new arrivals is lower than modelled, it may be possible to increase the per pupil funding rates. Any revision to rates to be subject to agreement between the individuals named in the Cabinet approval