Agenda item

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

Recommendations:-

1.    That Cabinet agree to the implementation of Phases Two and Three of the Early Help Strategy incorporating;

(a)  The development of locality Family Hubs, (Early Help Team bases with staff co-located alongside RMBC services, social care and health partners and provide delivery points for the 0-19 Offer).

(b)  The introduction of a borough wide Intervention Hub which will expand upon the current evidenced based programmes used by Early Help practitioners across the borough.

(c)  An expansion of the Family Group Conferencing (FGC) provision to ensure that children and families receive high quality, cost effective interventions.

(d)  A reduction in the number of Heads of Service posts from four to three.

(e)  The creation of Early Help Service Manager Posts.

(f)   Greater integration of the Youth Offending Team (YOT), bringing interventions into localities so that young offenders are integrated more effectively into their communities and enhancing the multi-agency response from Education, Schools and social care.

2.    That Cabinet agree to continue to deliver a targeted youth offer for young people in localities and relocate staff, surrendering leases at;

•     Herringthorpe (Central Locality)

•     Treeton (South Locality)

•     Kiveton (South Locality)

•     Maltby Linx (South Locality)

•     Swinton (North Locality)       

3.    That Cabinet agree to de-register the three Children’s Centres whilst ensuring the Children Centre offer is provided to families within the designated locality.

•   Park View

•   Broom Valley

•   Wath Victoria

Consideration was given to a report which detailed the proposals for the implementation of Phase Two and Phase Three of the Early Help Strategy 2016-2019, following the ninety day public, partner, staff and young people’s consultations which began in April, 2018 (following 12th March, 2018 Cabinet report) and which concluded in July, 2018. 

The report provided a summary of the ninety day consultation activity, feedback on the proposals from staff, Service users and partners and an overview of how the responses have informed the final proposals. The report also covered the approved savings considered at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board meeting on 14th December, 2017.

The proposal was for Phase Two and Phase Three of the Early Help Offer to be delivered in a way that strengthened existing partnerships and neighbourhood working, developed new and innovative joint working arrangements and was targeted effectively to support the most vulnerable children, young people andfamilies.

This would lead to the development of locality Family Hubs, (Early Help Team bases with staff co-located alongside RMBC services, Social Care and health partners and provide delivery points for the 0-19 Offer) and was an objective within Phase Three of the Early Help Strategy and informed by the rationale contained within; Family Hubs, A Discussion Paper, The Children’s Commissioner, October 2016.

The introduction of a Borough-wide Intervention Hub would expand upon the current evidenced based programmes used by Early Help practitioners across the Borough to achieve better and more sustained outcomes for children, young people and families in Rotherham.

An expansion of the Family Group Conferencing (FGC) provision would ensure that children and families received high quality, cost effective interventions.

Greater integration of the Youth Offending Team would bring interventions into localities so that young offenders were integrated more effectively into their communities and enhancing the multi-agency response from education, schools and Social Care.

This meant there would be a proposed reduction in the number of registered Children Centres from twelve to nine, whilst ensuring the Children Centre Offer within the locality was retained by delivering universal and targeted services from a range of sites better suited to the needs of families.   However, despite deregistration, intervention and support would be retained for children and families in the localities that the named centres served. Deregistration of a Children’s Centre meant that the building would no longer be used solely for Children’s Centre Services.  Children’s Centre activity would continue in the area, but would be delivered from a range of other suitable venues.   The venues affected were:-

·                Park View (CentralLocality).

·                Broom Valley (Central Locality).

·                Wath Victoria (North Locality).

The three centres proposed to be de-registered would continue to deliver Early Years services and Early Help would still retain access to the buildings to deliver sessions for up to ten hours per week through a Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Further, there would be a proposed reduction in the number of Local Authority maintained Youth Centres and Early Help Team bases from eleven to six.  The proposed Young Centres and staff team bases were:-

·                Herringthorpe (Central Locality).

·                Treeton (South Locality).

·                Kiveton (South Locality).

·                Maltby Linx (South Locality).

·                Swinton (North Locality).

In some instances there was a perception from the public that closing a Youth Centre meant that the Services were also ceasing – this was not the case. The Early Help Service would continue to provide a 0-19 outreach and engagement offer and this would be incorporated into a targeted and detached ‘youth offer’ in localities based on demand and need.

The Leader, therefore, confirmed the proposals incorporated the approved savings to be achieved through the rationalisation of a range of properties whilst protecting the services being delivered.

Cabinet Members sought further information on the new model of service and assurances that local groups could continue to operate in the affected buildings.

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process, but also the Improving Lives Select Commission, who were in support of the recommendations, but were asking Cabinet to consider:-

·                For Improving Lives Select Commission to keep a watching brief on the implementation of Phase 2 & 3 of the Early Help Review.

·                That an update was provided in March, 2019 in respect of the progress in establishing Service Level Agreements with schools for youth service provision and related transfer of assets.

·                That an update was provided in September, 2019 to reflect how the Service was capturing the child/young person’s voice in the work of the Early Help Service.

·                That the exit survey and number of assessments completed by partners as performance measures be revisited.

·                That Ward Members be consulted on the transfer or disposal of assets.

The Cabinet accepted all the recommendations as part of the pre-scrutiny process.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the implementation of Phases Two and Three of the Early Help Strategy be approved, incorporating:-

(a)       The development of locality Family Hubs, (Early Help Team bases with staff co-located alongside RMBC services, Social Care and health partners and provide delivery points for the 0-19 Offer).

(b)       The introduction of a Borough-wide Intervention Hub which will expand upon the current evidenced based programmes used by Early Help practitioners across the Borough.

(c)       An expansion of the Family Group Conferencing (FGC) provision to ensure that children and families receive high quality, cost effective interventions.

(d)       A reduction in the number of Heads of Service posts from four to three.

(e)       The creation of Early Help Service Manager Posts.

(f)        Greater integration of the Youth Offending Team (YOT), bringing interventions into localities so that young offenders are integrated more effectively into their communities and enhancing the multi-agency response from Education, Schools and social care.

(2)  That a targeted youth offer be approved and continue to be delivered for young people in localities and relocate staff, surrendering leases at:-

•           Herringthorpe (Central Locality).

•           Treeton (South Locality).

•           Kiveton (South Locality).

•           Maltby Linx (South Locality).

•           Swinton (North Locality).     

(3)  That the three Children’s Centres be de-registered whilst ensuring the Children Centre offer was provided to families within the designated locality at:-

•        Park View.

•        Broom Valley.

•        Wath Victoria.

(Councillor Alam declared a personal interest in Minute No. 43 (Implementation of the Early Help Strategy) on the grounds that his daughter attended the Broom Valley Assessment Centre)