Agenda item

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

Further to Minute No. 24 of the Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision Making meeting held on 6th June, 2016, consideration was given to a report, presented jointly by the Deputy Leader and the Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services, concerning the consultation on the proposal for a planned closure of the Silverwood (East Herringthorpe) and the Cherry Tree House (Masbrough) residential homes for children and also the relocation of the Leaving Care Service from Nelson Street to Hollowgate in Rotherham.

The submitted report stated that the consultation period had begun on Thursday 9^th June, 2016 and had concluded at 12.00 noon on Friday 29^th July, 2016. The affected stakeholders had been fully engaged during the consultation period and the report outlined the robust approach to the consultation and the subsequent outcomes and options, which were based on feedback from a range of key affected stakeholders.

Discussion took place on the report about the outcome of the consultation on the proposed closure of these Children’s Residential Care Homes and the relocation of the Leaving Care Service.  It was noted that the effective date for closure of the Homes was 31st December 2016.

Members discussed the following salient issues:-

: ensuring sufficient capacity to accommodate vulnerable children, whenever possible, within the Rotherham Borough area;

: the difficulty of accessing placements for vulnerable children, sometimes at very short notice and at different times of day or night;  the continuing use of children’s residential homes;

: the availability and provision of respite care;

: the use of ‘crash pads’, which is a comparatively expensive service provision;

: the placement of children at times when their foster care arrangements break down;

: the specific arrangements for the placement of children formerly resident in the two residential care homes – ensuring that there are better quality placements for these children, which will meet their needs and also ensure value for money;

: the preference that vulnerable children should have family-based placements, rather than accommodation within residential homes;

: the use of the sufficiency strategy to ensure that there are enough family-based placements available, as well as emergency or short-term placements for children;

: discussion about the media reporting in the ‘Rotherham Advertiser’ newspaper (Friday 2nd September 2016 edition) concerning children in care;

: confirmation that both of the children’s residential homes (Cherry Tree House and Silverwood) are now empty, but have not yet been decommissioned;  the redeployment of employees affected by the closure of these homes;

: discussions between Children and Young People’s Services and Housing Services about accommodation for young people leaving the care of the Local Authority;

: arrangements for the future use or sale of the closed and decommissioned children’s residential homes; the possible use of capital receipts realised from any sale of these properties;

: meeting the needs of children whose vulnerability may include complex issues such as learning and/or physical disability, special educational needs, emotional difficulties, mental health difficulties, etc.;

: the role of this Authority’s Corporate Parenting Panel;

: ensuring (by means of the sufficiency strategy) that there are placements for vulnerable children within the Rotherham Borough area or within a maximum distance of twenty miles from the Rotherham Borough area;

: a comparison of in-house service provision and provision by private sector agencies and organisations; the use and monitoring of services provided by organisations other than the Council.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the outcome of the targeted consultation with affected stakeholders, as described in the submitted report, be noted and the forthcoming Cabinet and Commissioners’ meeting be informed of the following comments of this Board on the issues described:-

(a) the service proposals shall include provision for emergency placements for vulnerable children and young people, including the provision of ‘crash pads’;

(b) a service review ought to be undertaken, as soon as practicable, to ensure that vulnerable children and young people have foster placements, appropriate to their individual care needs, which are situated either within the Rotherham Borough area or within a maximum distance of twenty miles from the Borough area boundary.

(3) That, in accordance with the options appraisal and giving due regard to the feedback elicited from the consultation, the planned closure of both children’s homes by the end of December 2016 be supported insofar as this Board is concerned.

(4) That the proposed budget transfers outlined within the submitted report be supported insofar as this Board is concerned.