Agenda item

To consider PowerPoint presentation.

This item will be led by the Council’s Strategic Manager, Daniel Moncrieff.

Note – the Chair will allow 20 minutes for this agenda item.

For information – link to article on national award for groundbreaking children’s home partnership

The Committee received a presentation on the homes and horizons strategic partnership.

The Committee congratulated all the team on the national award for the Children’s home partnership.

Supported officers in the discussions with the DfE to allow the good work to continue.

Would like to hear about outcomes for young people – i.e. the impact having on their lives, noting the role of the Corporate Parent Board.

The Chair welcomed the Council’s Strategic Manager – Strategic Partner Development, Daniel Moncrieff to the meeting. Mr Moncrieff gave a presentation providing a detailed progress update on the homes and horizons strategic partnership. This is the Strategic Partnership between SomersetFT, the Council and The Shaw Trust, supporting children with complex needs including homes, high needs fostering and therapeutic education.

Mr Moncrieff highlighted the following:

·      The progress on purchasing 6 homes and 1 further home in progress and are searching for 8^th home.

·      4 young people in the first 4 homes and next 2 children move shortly – the next home is due to open in about months’ time.

·      Registered Manager recruitment and support workers trained – 67 staff recruited and 55 staff trained through joint model.

·      Therapeutic education staff in place and all young people engaged with some education activity.

·      Hearing the voice of young people.

·      Therapeutic education provision – best mechanism to provide this with an Academy school and going through the free school presumptive process - Misterton site is 1^st of the 2 planned locations – mentioned the registration discussions with DfE Regional Director – awaiting DfE sign-off and cannot start building works until receive that – interim education package therefore until up and running.

·      High Needs Fostering – led to increase in fostering and high need fostering with 8 potential foster carers identified.

·      Finances and fiscal savings.

·      Some risks and issues / management and mitigations, including the education provision not able to open (also impacts on fostering) – continuing to negotiate with the Regional Director, whilst developing interim provision.

The Committee asked a number of questions and made a number of comments which were responded to at the meeting:

·      Had undertaken very careful work when selecting Shaw Trust and wonder if there is anything can do to help in the discussions with the DfE – doing what can and hope can be resolved before need to consider next steps.

·      Support the need to apply pressure appropriately to allow good work to continue.

·      Do like that young people’s voices are included and would also like to hear about outcomes for young people (i.e. the impact this work is having on their lives) - all the young people who moved into the homes had experienced numerous placement breakdowns and confirmed are tracking that with data (noting the role of the Corporate Parent Board in receiving that sort of detail).

·      Engagement with the community when open homes – confirmed is ongoing – meet with local members initially, then parish councils and have community engagement event for the people in the immediate vicinity of the home, so they can meet the Manager and staff of the home and see what the homes is like before a young person moves in. The vast majority of the people we meet through those events at all the homes have been really positive and constructive. The process go through in terms of community engagement allows people to have regular correspondence with the managers and the Executive member has been to the community engagement events as well.

·      Importance of taking the community ‘with us’ in this recognised.

The Committee congratulated Mr Moncrieff and the whole team on the recent national award for the Children’s home partnership. In conclusion, the Chair thanked Mr Moncrieff for the detailed update and to continue building on the success of the homes and horizons partnership.