Agenda item

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

Cabinet Member:     Councillor Watson (in advisory role)

Commissioner:         Bradwell

Recommendations:-

1.    That Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) become part of the next phase of DfE Innovation Funded Projects to explore the feasibility of developing an alternative housing solution for Care Leavers in Rotherham.

2.    That it be acknowledged that Rotherham Care Leavers will be responsible for the design, development and delivery of the project and will be supported by a range of officers from across the Council to ensure the project is delivered within the principles and practices of RMBC as well as the vision and principles of the project. (Appendix A).

Consideration was given to a report which detailed how the House Project (HP), a Department for Education (DfE) Social Care Innovation Fund Project, looked at creating a new model of supported housing for young people leaving care which had been initiated in Stoke-on-Trent.

The project was the first of its kind for care leavers in the UK and involved young people having a lead role in developing and running the overall project, as well as choosing and refurbishing their own tenancy and identifying the support needed to sustain it. 

The key elements of the project were the offer of suitable, safe and long-term post-care housing alongside a holistic and bespoke package of training and support that focused on increasing young people’s independent living and personal skills and their participation in education, employment and training (EET).

A key aim of the project was to reduce the feelings of isolation and powerlessness that many care leavers could experience after leaving care.

The House Project (HP) was based on a tenant-managed housing co-operative model, run for, and by, young people aged 16-18 who were leaving care.  The aim was to secure 10 properties at any one time, replacing allocated properties when they reverted to the Council alongside a bespoke package of support until the young person was considered ready and able to transition out of the project, at which point they and their home reverted to a standard long-term Council tenancy.

Rotherham had been approached by the DfE to become part of the next phase of Innovation projects and attracted £370,000 of DfE funding so was at no cost to the Council.

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 the governance arrangements being clarified to include provision for oversight by non-executive Members, the Leaving Care Team linked into the Scrutiny Review of Modular Housing Solutions to examine how care leavers could be involved in its development and how care leavers with additional needs were included in the project.

Commissioner Kenny agreed:-

(1)  That Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) become part of the next phase of DfE Innovation Funded Projects to explore the feasibility of developing an alternative housing solution for Care Leavers in Rotherham.

(2)  That it be acknowledged that Rotherham Care Leavers will be responsible for the design, development and delivery of the project and will be supported by a range of officers from across the Council to ensure the project is delivered within the principles and practices of RMBC as well as the vision and principles of the project.

(3)  That the following recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board be accepted:-

(i)        That the governance arrangements be clarified to include provision for oversight by non-executive Members.

(ii)       That the Leaving Care Team links to the Scrutiny Review of Modular Housing Solutions to examine how care leavers can be involved in its development.

(iii)      That consideration be given to how care leavers with additional needs are included in the project.