Decision details

Proposed Decision:

Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services to:

 APPROVE, subject to review and assessment of any terms and conditions associated with the funding), the acceptance of the Year 4 Family Hub grant award; and the deployment of the grant funding in accordance with the grant conditions and the adopted service model..

Reason for the Decision:

Within the Autumn Budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a further year of funding for existing Family Hub authorities. A series of Key Decisions by the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services accepted the original transformation grant funding for FAMILY Hubs and adopted our new Family Hub service model.

The existing Key Decisions do not extend beyond the initial transformation period which end on 31 Mach 2025. Therefore, a new Key Decision is required to accept the additional year of grant funding and to utilise that funding in line with the service model adopted under the Family Hub Model Key Decision.

Background

In October 2022 the Cabinet Member for  Integrated Children’s Services took decision 22/00094 and Kent County Council (KCC) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department for Education (DfE) which accepted the initial 3-year transformation grant funding. This decision set out the requirement for the development of detailed proposals, public consultation and appropriate governance ahead of a further Key Decision on the Family Hub model.

In November 2023, after the development of detailed proposals, public consultation and appropriate governance, KCC Cabinet took decision 23/00092 to implement the Family Hub model across the county.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

The option to not take accept the grant money has been considered. If the announcement related to the specific amount of money to be allocated to each Local Authority and the conditions on how the grant is to be used is made in quarter 4 of financial year 2024/25 (i.e. in February 2025) it will likely impact on the Local Authority’s ability to mobilise resources to implement additional service requirements or procure services. This in turn, will pose a risk to the delivery of services and cause a reputational risk for Kent County Council.

While understanding the risks associated with a late announcement we have discounted the option of not accepting the additional funding in recognition that children, families and communities in Kent will benefit from additional support.

Final determination of whether the funding can and should be accepted would be dependent on the terms and conditions associated with the funding – these will be reviewed at the point of decision.

As Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Public Health (subject to receiving confirmation from the DfE), I agree to:

a) APPROVE, the acceptance of the Year 4 Family Hub Grant Award and the deployment of the grant funding in accordance with the grant conditions and the adopted service model;

(b) DELEGATE authority to the Director of Operational Integrated Children’s Services and Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health to agree the terms and conditions to enter into the necessary grant agreements; 

(c) DELEGATE authority to the Director of Operational Integrated Children’s Services and Director of Public Health to deliver the requirements of the grant; 

(d) DELEGATE authority of required expenditure to the Director of Operational Integrated Children’s Services and Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to be managed in line with Council procurement rules; 

(e) DELEGATE authority to the Director of Operational Integrated Children’s Services and Director of Public Health, to take other necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement the decision.