Issue - meetings

Report of the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services

Cabinet Member:     Councillor Watson (in advisory role)

Commissioner:         Bradwell

Recommendations:

1.    That an extensive 90 day consultation period (60 day public and 30 day Staff) on the proposed implementation of Phase Two and Phase Three of the Early Help Strategy 2016-2019 be approved.

2.    That the proposed timeline for consultation and implementation of the Early Help Strategy Phase Two and Phase Three, as set out at paragraph 6.1 of this report, be approved.

3.    That a further report comes back to the Commissioner in October 2018 with recommendations following the consultation.

Consideration was given to the report outlining proposals for Phase Two and Three of the Early Help Strategy with the aim of ensuring that Early Help practitioners and managers had the right skills mix to respond to the needs of families and that the workforce was supported with the right levels of management support and oversight.

The proposed redesigned services would provide targeted, evidenced based interventions through a variety of delivery points and negotiated spaces (community buildings, Youth Centres and Children Centres) relevant to the diversity of the community and would be flexible enough to meet changing patterns of current and future demand, not fixed or bound to buildings that were no longer fit for purpose, to deliver outstanding outcomes for children, young people and families in Rotherham.

A robust ninety day consultation would involve meetings with all staff as well as formal communication via letter and the offer of individual support through Human Resources (HR) and Early Help managers. The consultation would involve the Trade Unions and be delivered through a combination of public meetings, online surveys and would seek the views of  parents, young people, Members, partners, stakeholders, professionals and members of the community through a series of consultation events across the Borough.

Whilst there would be some loss of buildings as part of the proposals, there would still be some minimal impact in the review to staffing structures which would seek to reduce management capacity as the Early Help offer became further embedded across the wider Early Help Partnership.

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-Scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations, subject to, following the consultation, the final proposals being submitted to the Board prior to consideration by the Commissioner.

Commissioner Ney agreed:-  (1)  That an extensive ninety day consultation period (sixty day public and thirty day staff) on the proposed implementation of Phase Two and Phase Three of the Early Help Strategy 2016-2019.

(2)  That the proposed timeline for consultation and implementation of the Early Help Strategy Phase Two and Phase Three as set out in the report be approved.

(3)  That a further report be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board in October 2018 following completion of the consultation prior to any consideration by the Commissioners/Cabinet.

Consideration was given to a report which was due to be determined at the Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting on 12 March 2018 that sought approval to consult on the proposals for the implementation of Phase Two and Phase Three of the Early Help Strategy, which would deliver savings of around £500k over the next two financial years by redesigning services and introducing a borough wide Intervention Hub to deliver a more sustainable and cost efficient service in the future.

Members expressed frustration that the report did not include a diagram outlining the structural changes expected from the implementation of the proposal. It was explained that structural charts would be made available as part of the consultation. Furthermore Members sought clarity in respect of the timescales for consultation with the public and with staff. It was explained that there would be 90 days of consultation and staff  would have the same opportunity to inform proposals during the consultation period, just as the public would. In reality, the public consultation last for 60 days and a further 30 days would follow for staff consultation.

Clarification was sought in respect of the proposal to co-produce new service specifications that would reflect the alternative approach. It was explained that the authority sought to examine the potential for greater involvement with the community and voluntary sector to identify where partnership arrangements could be strengthened and where the market could be developed. Such an approach would require a different approach to procurement and commissioning to work with partners to improve outcomes with streamlined services and co-delivery.

Members sought clarification in respect of the equalities analysis detailed within the report and suggested that the Equality Act had been misrepresented. It was recommended and accepted that the equality impact assessment required review as certain protected characteristics had been listed incorrectly or misinterpreted.

Further assurances were sought that a reduction in the number of heads of service would not impact on the quality of service provision. It was confirmed that the proposal had already been tested and proved to be manageable due to a head of service being absent from work on grounds of ill health for a period of time.

 Resolved:-

1.    That Cabinet be advised that the recommendations be supported, subject to the following insertion being made:

That consultation with staff be undertaken over 60 days to coincide with the period of the public consultation.

2.    That, following the consultation, the final proposals be submitted to Overview and Scrutiny Management Board prior to consideration by the Commissioner.