Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

1.    Cabinet approves a 90-day Consultation Exercise to establish the views and needs of users of the REACH Day Service, their families, and carers and younger people preparing for adulthood, regarding the new service offer.

2.    Cabinet to agree to a further report detailing an options appraisal, with recommendations for Cabinet approval on the location; building design; capital spend; delivery plan and service offer in September 2022.

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval to commence a 90 day consultation exercise to establish the views and needs of users of the REACH day service, their families, and carers and younger people preparing for adulthood, regarding the new service offer.

As part of the Learning Disability Transformation Programme that had been agreed by Cabinet in May 2018, the Council had agreed to continue to provide a Complex Needs Day Service offer and this was currently delivered by the REACH service at the Elliott Centre in Rotherham Town Centre and Maple Avenue at Maltby.

The proposal being consulted on was to replace the two existing premises that the REACH day service used with modern, accessible and fit for purpose facilities. The facility at the Elliott Centre was leased from NHS Property Services and the wider site in which it was situated was being redeveloped. This meant the daily operation of the Service was a challenge, particularly in relation to maintaining a safe environment. The facility at Maple Avenue was an old children’s home that did not meet modern accessibility standards.

Appendix 1 to the report provided more detail on the current arrangements and the risks associated with those arrangements.

Capital funding of £2.1m had already been secured and as such, the recommendation only related to the consultation. The people directly affected by the potential changes were to be engaged with throughout the consultation process and a final report would be brought back to Cabinet in September 2022 setting out the proposals.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approve a 90 day consultation exercise to establish the views and needs of users of the REACH day service, their families, and carers and younger people preparing for adulthood, regarding the new Service offer; and

2.    That a further report detailing an options appraisal, with recommendations for Cabinet approval on the location, building design; capital spend; delivery plan and service offer be brought back to the Cabinet meeting in September 2022.