Agenda item

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

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approve the recommissioning of Post CSE Support Services, through a competitive procurement process, for a three-year term from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028.

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health to award the contracts following the competitive procurement process.

Consideration was given to the report which set out the recommendations for the future of the Post Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Support Services at the end of the current contracts in December 2025. Post CSE Support Services were non-statutory services that were set up to support victims and survivors of CSE to help overcome the impact of the trauma experienced.

The Council first commissioned support services for young people and adults who had experienced CSE in 2016. Following an open tender process which was in line with Public Contract Regulations 2015, contracts were awarded to three local, voluntary sector organisations. The successful providers were Rotherham Rise, GROW and Rotherham Abuse Counselling Service (Rothacs). All developed specialist support for survivors within Rotherham.

The Post CSE support services were recommissioned via a competitive procurement process in 2020 by Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS), following a Cabinet report on 15 June 2020. The services were tendered as three separate lots, with all three incumbent providers being successful and awarded a contract. The contracts commenced on the 1 January 2021 for a three-year term, with a two-year extension option which was utilised.

The three Council commissioned providers work in partnership with the Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) Trauma and Resilience Service (TRS). There were bi-monthly partnership hubs and clinically led consultations. This helped to build bespoke, holistic packages of care for victims and survivors. The TRS also supported across organisations with trauma stabilisation and advice, providing education and awareness of trauma, increasing the availability of professional services where survivors could safely share their stories.

The Post CSE support services were compassionate and accommodating to victim and survivor trauma recovery. The needs analysis showed that victims and survivors could access support from multiple providers, e.g., receive trauma stabilisation from GROW, and then at a later date could receive counselling from Rothacs. The flexible approach of the pathway offered choice for victims and survivors of CSE.

The contract values had remained relatively static over the term of the contracts. It was therefore proposed that an additional 10% was applied to reflect the continued demand on services and the financial challenges which continued to be experienced around cost of living and operating costs. This would represent an overall contract value of £171,600 per annum, an increase of £15,600 on the current contracts. This funding had been identified by the Adult Care, Housing and Public Health directorate. The contracts would be let as three separate lots, as per the current contractual arrangements, following the competitive procurement process.

During the meeting Cabinet Members and officers were keen to stress the importance of listening to the survivors and victims. The Leader stated that the Council had a moral responsibility to keep providing these services and to tailor the services as much as possible.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approve the recommissioning of Post CSE Support Services, through a competitive procurement process, for a three-year term from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028.

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health to award the contracts following the competitive procurement process.