Decision details

Proposed decision:

Authorise KCC to directly employ therapeutic practitioners to operate as part of the multi-disciplinary team that provides post-adoption support services.

Agree to a contingency arrangement for a short extension of the current contract of up to three months to ensure a smooth transition to inhouse provision

Delegate decisions about the establishment of the new service to the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education, or other Officer as instructed by the Corporate Director in liaison with the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services

Reason(s) for decision:

Currently, KCC commissions the Thomas Coram Foundation (known as Coram) to employ and provide clinical supervision for five practitioners who provide family systemic therapy, theraplay, clinical psychology and occupational therapy that forms part of Kent’s post-adoption support offer for adoptive families in Kent. KCC now has the capability and opportunity to bring the therapeutic element of the service inhouse when the current contract expires in March 2021.

Background:

Kent’s adoption services are now part of Adoption Partnership South East, the Regional Adoption Agency for Kent, Medway and Bexley. This means that the therapeutic input will need to be flexible enough to respond to changing needs and potentially to expand the scope of provision to cover Medway and Bexley as and when there is a need and funding is available.

Options (other options considered but discarded):

The main alternative to bringing the service inhouse is to retender the contract before it expires it March. This option would not offer the same level of flexibility to adapt and respond to changing the requirements of Adoption Partnership South East evolve over the next few years. Bringing the therapeutic service inhouse will also mean that KCC will no longer need to pay a management fee to an external provider to manage the service on our behalf.

As Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, I agree to:

A) Authorise KCC to directly employ therapeutic practitioners to operate as part of the multi-disciplinary team that provides post-adoption support services.

B)  Agree to a short extension of the current contract of up to three months to ensure a smooth transition to inhouse provision

C) Delegate decisions about the establishment of the new service to the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education, or other Officer as instructed by the Corporate Director in liaison with the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services