Agenda item

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Deputy Leader – Children’s Services and Neighbourhood Working

Strategic Directorate:           Children and Young People’s Services

Consideration was given to a report concerned with proposals for the implementation of Phase Two & Phase Three of the Early Help Strategy 2016-2019, following the 90 day public, partner, staff and young people’s consultations which began in April 2018 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 had informed the final proposals. The report also covered the approved savings considered at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board on 14 December 2017.

Councillor Cusworth providing the following feedback from the Improving Lives Select Commission who had looked at the issues in details:-

·         Members were assured around children centres that de-registration would not lead to loss of service. Examples were provided to Members of different and improved delivery models

·         Members had sought assurance that service level agreements would be in place with schools in respect of youth service provision (once approval had been given)

·         Members were assured that rationalisation of job descriptions would not have detrimental impact on service users and that there was a good focus on staff development

·         Members were assured that team would have blend of skills/specialisms

·         Members had raised concerns whether asset transfers could deliver savings in timescales, as this was considered an ambitious target

·         Members expressed concerns about lack of engagement with children and young people and other service users – want to review in September 2019 – with focus on seeking children and young people/service users views

·         Members questioned the exit survey as a measure, specifically whether this had captured views of Early Help users who had been escalated to social care

·         Member raised no concerns in respect of the equality impact assessment

Members sought reassurances that the public were fully on board with proposal. In response, the Cabinet Member explained that whilst the proposal was to de-register Children’s Centres, the buildings would remain in place and this would not cause an issue because 70% of contacts with families were not in the Council’s own buildings, but in other community locations. The essence of the proposals was to take the service to families, rather than binding it to specific buildings or locations.

Following on, Members sought clarification in respect of the future use of the buildings. The Cabinet Member again reiterated that the Children’s Centres were proposed to be de-registered, rather than closed. The Acting Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment confirmed that where buildings were surplus to the requirements of the service, they would return to the corporate landlord estate.

Reflecting on the fact that the vast majority of young people would grow up without intervention from the service, the proposed move to a targeted service model was considered to make sense, but Members sought further assurances in respect of how targets would be detected in future.  In response, the Cabinet Member indicated that neighbourhood working would help with the process by enabling services to work closer together to provide and share intelligence. The bottom up and local intelligence model would be critical to establishing this.

Councillor Napper referred to consultation that had taken place in Silverwood ward which had identified youth provision as the biggest issue for local residents. He further explained that young people have to travel by bus and use buildings for youth activity in the ward and specifically referred to the reluctance of academy schools to have anything take place after school hours. In response, the Cabinet Member offered to meet with Councillor Napper in due course to continue discussions on options available.  

Assurances were sought that the proposal for integrated youth offending teams would work, as Members considered that these had been more effective when operating separately. In response, it was explained that officers were trained to deal with a whole family, rather than just an individual so that the influencing factors can be considered and provide an added advantage. Furthermore, the Cabinet Member for Waste, Roads and Community Safety, who was also the Chair of the Safer Rotherham Partnership, referred to that body’s statutory oversight of Youth Offending services. The Board had also scrutinised and questioned the proposals and felt that the direction of travel was very positive.

Resolved:-

1.      That Cabinet be advised that the recommendations be supported.

2.      That Improving Lives Select Commission keeps a watching brief on the implementation of Phase 2 & 3 of the Early Help Review.

3.      That an update be 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.

4.      That an update be provided in September 2019 to reflect how the service is capturing the child/young person’s voice in the work of the Early Help service.

5.      That the Cabinet be requested to revisit the exit survey and number of assessments completed by partners as performance measures.

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