Issue - meetings

Minded to Grant Decision:- 

1. That further borrowing of funding be approved of approximately £550k for each of the next 3 years, £1.65m in total, to continue to provide home extensions and adaptations to the homes of foster carers and adopters in line with the scheme originally approved by Cabinet in April 2012.

2. That the use of funds borrowed in line with this scheme to part fund home purchases for foster carers and adopters where to do so would be more cost effective for the Council in meeting the needs of children than extending or adapting an existing home, be approved.

3. That the new criteria set out within this report to be applied in determining which applications for extensions and adaptations will be approved and funded, be approved.

Reason:-  That further funds are made available to continue to provide home extensions and adaptations for foster carers and adopters in line with the proposal agreed by Cabinet on 25^th April 2012.

          Date of Publication of the Minded to Grant Decision:- 12^th May, 2015.

Representations upon the decision are invited from Councillors, members of the public, partner agencies and any interested body or individual within five working days from the date of publication and must be received by Richard Bellamy richard.bellamy@rotherham.gov.uk no later than 5.00 p.m. on 19^th May, 2015.

Date Representations Received:- 

Representations Received:- 

Date of Commissioner Newsam’s Final Decision:-  20^th May, 2015.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services, requesting that further funds be made available to continue to provide home extensions and adaptations for foster carers and adopters in line with the proposal agreed by Cabinet on 25th April 2012 (Minute No. 197 refers). The report set out a proposal to increase capacity within the in-house Fostering Service through funding extensions and adaptations to foster carers’ and adopters’ homes, in order to allow carers to care for additional children and young people. Details were shown of the costs which the Council would avoid, during the next three years, by adopting this proposal.

Information was provided about the method of approval of funding for projects within the scheme, as well as confirmation that the agreed projects will all be subject to legally binding contracts between the carers and this Council.

It was also clarified that the calculations shown in the submitted report are based on funding for ten project approvals at a total cost of £550,000 in each of the next three years.

Appended to the report was the policy (criteria) for funding extensions and adaptations to the homes of Local Authority foster carers and adopters.

The Strategic Director was able to confirm, verbally, that officers of both Financial Services and Legal Services had been consulted on and had agreed with the appropriate information contained within the submitted report.

Minded to Grant:- (1) That the report be received and its content noted.

(2) That approval be granted for further borrowing of funding of approximately £550,000, for each of the next three years, £1.65 millions in total, to continue to provide home extensions and adaptations to the homes of foster carers and adopters in line with the scheme originally approved by Cabinet on 25th April, 2012.

(3) That approval be granted for the use of funds borrowed in line with this scheme, to part fund home purchases for foster carers and adopters where to do so would be more cost effective for the Council in meeting the needs of children than extending or adapting an existing home.

(4) That approval be granted for the new criteria, set out within the submitted report, to be applied in determining which applications for extensions and adaptations will be approved and funded.

This item was deferred for inclusion within the Forward Plan and resubmission to the Commissioner.

It was noted that this item had not been included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions. 

Resolved:-  That this item be deferred for inclusion in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions and resubmission to Commissioner Newsam upon completion of the 28 days.