Agenda item

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Children & Young People’s Services and Neighbourhood Working

Strategic Directorate:           Children and Young People’s Services

Consideration was given to a report which was due to be considered at the Cabinet and Commissioners’ Decision Making Meeting on 6 August 2018 that sought approval to develop an evidence-based programme to reunify young people who are looked after.

It was reported that MST-FIT made a positive case for a model of intervention where young people could learn to behave differently whilst their families learn and are supported to resume leading their case, with the service enabling residential care to be used as an intermediate step on the journey to parents fully caring for their children.

It was noted that the Life Chances Fund provided local authorities with support to explore opportunities provided by social impact bonds and outcome based commissioning. It was further reported that the Council had been awarded a grant in principle of £85k for a five year period, subject to a final project submission on 31 July 2018.

The project would close the gap in provision for existing children in care by providing a focused treatment programme with the aim of placing children back in a family environment. It was anticipated to complement the work of the Right Child Right Care Board and the suite of services which formed part of the Rotherham Edge of Care offer. Members noted that the total estimated cost of the MST-FIT service was £1.120m per annum, of which £570k was for residential provision in stage 1, which would be funded from the existing out of authority residential placement budget. The balance of £550k for the MST community team and programme management would be funded from gross savings achieved in-year. The exact amount that the Council would need to fund would depend on the financing option selected.

It was reported that the final project proposal to the Big Lottery Fund, who administer the Life Chances Fund Grant, was submitted on 15 June 2018 and a decision regarding the award would be made in early August. It was expected that the service would commence in January 2019.

In response to a query from Members concerning the risk of not receiving monies from the Life Chance Fund, it was confirmed that it was a very small risk and the Council expected to receive confirmation of the award of funding in the near future. It was for this reason that a recommendation had been made to delegate the final decision in respect of the financing method to the Section 151 Officer.

Assurances were sought in respect of the commissioned MST service with Barnsley MBC and officers explained that work had been ongoing for over six months, with a programme board in place to oversee the shared service. It was further noted that the approach was expected to deliver ongoing efficiencies and there may prove to be opportunities to spot purchase places for looked after children in future.

Members indicated some recognition that the proposals were intended to be an investment for the future and sort assurances in respect of confidence that savings would be achieved in the longer-term. In response, reference was made to the proposal being an evidence based programme, which meant that it followed a specific model, that was already operational in Leeds and had demonstrated a 75% success rate, which was being further built upon. Further assurances were provided that savings would be made based on the 12 places identified within the programme.

Members sought clarity as to whether any children across the two authorities that had implemented the model had not been able to return to their home setting and gone back to residential care. Officers confirmed that there had been cases where this had occurred and advised Members that, even if the headline outcome of returning to their birth family was not achieved, better holistic outcomes would be expected and life chances would be improved.

Members were supportive of the second option outlined in the report and indicated their support for the recommendations in the report, despite expressing some unease at delegating authority on the financial method to be used.

Resolved:-

1.    That Cabinet be advised that the recommendations be supported, subject to the separation of recommendation 2 to read:

(a)  That approval be given to progress with plans to set up the MST-FIT service.

(b)  That the most appropriate method of financing be delegated to the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services when the grant award from the Life Changes Fund is confirmed and reported back to Cabinet.

2.    That Cabinet be advised that option 2 in the report ‘Delivery via an outcome based contract in partnership with a social investor (using a Social Impact Bond) and with funding support from the Life Chances Fund’ be supported.