Meeting documents

To consider presentation from Ms Helen Price, Assistant Director Commissioning & Performance and Ms Julie Breeze, Strategic Manager.

Note – The Chair will be allowing 50 minutes for this agenda item to allow for discussion.

The Chair welcomed the Council’s Assistant Director Commissioning & Performance, Ms Helen Price to the meeting for this agenda item. Ms Price gave a PowerPoint presentation which updated the Board on homes for children, high needs fostering and therapeutic education, which followed on from the presentation to Members in June 2021.

The Council has now appointed Homes 2 Inspire, Fostering2Inspire and Shaw Education Trust (all part if the Shaw Trust) as the strategic partner to deliver the service and have almost secured home one and are looking for home two. The Council has also been successful in its bid to the DfE for additional capital funding (£1.026m). The Institute of Public Care (Oxford Brooks) are conducting an evaluation, including what worked well and lessons to be learnt. In summary, Ms Price highlighted: -

·         the innovation approach used and rationale for the approach, in terms of rising costs but not outcomes and fragmentation of lives;

·         the involvement of children and young people, and that providers liked the values based approach;

·         will offer different experience of homes and support which is more stable;

·         will offer better value for money, controlling spend, blending care to make effective use of resources;

·         have secured an experienced, diverse and good Not For Profit (NFP) provider, which is also making significant investment;

·         there has been huge interest and are also supporting other Councils to do something similar.

The Chair thanked Ms Price for the update and that the enthusiasm and commitment is self evident and that he was excited about the project.

The Board then discussed the presentation and raised the following – the importance of interpersonal relationships with staff and young people and the recruitment and retention of staff; ages of children and young people in homes, schooling and where homes might be located; contract questions; support around trauma; how placements could work / lived experience; great initiative, imaginative and looks promising.

In response, Ms Price said that will be able to offer strong career pathways for staff. It is a challenging environment to work in and as the provider is a big NFP, will be able to offer something different to staff. With regard to the questions about the contract and its length, Ms Price explained that it is a strategic partnership with integrated management arrangement and the provider has a lot of experience and good track record in delivery and it will be a 10-year partnership. Ms Price also spoke about the proposed model for the service for the children and young people, which will be flexible and will feel a different experience.

The Chair thanked Ms Price for the detailed update and agreed that an update in 6 months be added to the Committee Work Programme.