Agenda item

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

Recommendations:

1.    To approve the following changes to the children’s residential development plan across phases one to three:

a)    Register one bed emergency accommodation children’s home with flexible Statement of Purpose (SOP) to meet a variety of current and future sufficiency need.

b)    Change phase three from 2 x 4-bed homes to 4 x 2-bed homes to better meet current demand, improve occupancy rate and cost efficiency.

To agree to receive a further report regarding, a potential fourth phase of the children’s residential development, which incorporates:

c)    A potential further 2 x 2-bed homes (Subject to Open Children’s Homes DfE funding bid – Decision due Mid-October 22).

2.    That the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport be authorised to negotiate the remaining acquisitions required and complete necessary transactions, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer, Strategic Director Children’s and Young Peoples Services, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, and the Assistant Director of Legal Services.

Consideration was given the report which provided an update on the in-house children’s residential development that had been agreed by Cabinet on 17th February, 2020. A number of updates had previously been reported to Cabinet. The children’s residential development responded directly to Rotherham Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS) strategic intention to reduce the number of external residential placements for children and ensure more Rotherham Looked After Children (LAC) and young people were placed within the Borough, close to their family and community networks.

          Updates on Phase one to three were provided in the report. Three new children’s homes and one emergency home had been purchased or acquired; 4 managers and 44 staff members had been recruited; 3 homes had been rated as “Good” by Ofsted and 8 beds had been utilised by 9 children since the settings opened. A further 2 children and young people had been supported to “set down” from residential care into foster care settings.

There were also proposals to change the children’s residential development plan across those phases to address demand and feedback from Ofsted. A one bed emergency accommodation children’s home with flexible Statement of Purpose would be provided. It was proposed that instead of 2 x 4-bed homes, 4 x 2 bed-homes would be purchased. It was also proposed that a further report be brought back to Cabinet detailing a potential 2 x 2-bed home purchase (subject to Department for Education funding.) A decision on that funding was due in mid-October 2022.

The new provision, along with foster care, third party placements, semi-independent provisions, and other family-based placements, would provide a mixed economy of arrangements which would seek to effectively meet Rotherham’s statutory duties, outlined in the Sufficiency Strategy 2019-2022.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approve the following changes to the children’s residential development plan across phases one to three:

a)    Register one bed emergency accommodation children’s home with flexible Statement of Purpose (SOP) to meet a variety of current and future sufficiency need.

b)    Change phase three from 2 x 4-bed homes to 4 x 2-bed homes to better meet current demand, improve occupancy rate and cost efficiency

2.    Agree to receive a further report regarding a potential fourth phase of the children’s residential development which incorporates:

c)    A potential further 2 x 2-bed homes (Subject to Open Children’s Homes DfE funding bid – Decision due Mid-October 22)

3.    Approve that the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport be authorised to negotiate the remaining acquisitions required and complete necessary transactions, in consultation with the Council’s Section 151 Officer, Strategic Director Children’s and Young Peoples Services, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services, and the Assistant Director of Legal Services.