Agenda item

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

Recommendations:-

1.    That the management of Council provided advice services be consolidated under the management of Housing Services within the Adult Social Care & Housing Directorate and co-location within Riverside House by September 2019.

2.    That the role of partnership working through the Advice in Rotherham Partnership (AiR) be enhanced to provide full alignment and added value across advice services in Rotherham through the introduction of a new “Single advice model.”

Consideration was given to the report which detailed how continuing austerity and the impact of welfare reforms including the roll out of universal credit was having a significant effect on many of the most vulnerable Rotherham residents especially people with disabilities and families with children.

The provision of good quality advice services therefore, provided essential support particularly for those individuals and families experiencing difficulties and there was a need to secure a responsive and effective service across the Borough to meet growing demands and complex cases that were developing.

The review of the service was set in the context of significant need for advice services by the residents of Rotherham and the first phase of the review was to bring together arrangements for Council supported open door advice provided in the voluntary sector.

The second phase of the review included advice services provided directly by the Council and the enhancement of partnership working through Advice in Rotherham Partnership.

Proposals now included bringing together under one management Council provided advice services and enhancing partnership working and referral systems. This would provide a more efficient set of inter-related services and improve access and referral routes for clients through a new “Single Advice Model”.

It was projected that bringing services under one management could be achieved by September, 2019. 

Some of the components of the “Single Advice Model” including a new referral system were now being introduced. Further enhancements to partnership working would be developed in discussion with partners and the changes could be achieved within existing budget and staffing allocations.

Phase 3 would require much better partnership working. The Council remained committed to supporting its most vulnerable residents and it was important that it ensure it was provided the full service.

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 a monitoring report on the implementation of Phase 2 being brought back to a sub-group of the Management Board, along with outline proposals for Phase 3.

Cabinet Members were fully supportive of the proposals within Phase 2 of the Advice Services Review and believed co-location of relevant staff was a valuable development.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the management of Council provided advice services be consolidated under the management of Housing Services within the Adult Social Care and Housing Directorate and co-located within Riverside House by September, 2019.

(2)  That the role of partnership working through the Advice in Rotherham Partnership (AiR) be enhanced to provide full alignment and added value across advice services in Rotherham through the introduction of a new “Single Advice Model.”