Cabinet Member decisions

Proposed decision –to reduce the value of the core contract with The Education People in 2026/27 by £1.633m through changes to the service specification.

Reason for the decision

KCC’s contract with the Education People has been in place since 2018/19.  It provides for delivery of a range of KCC’s statutory functions, and to a much lesser extent, the provision of discretionary service. 

The County Council needs to respond to a range of challenges – financial, legislative, policy based and quality related.  It needs to ensure its resources are focused on delivering its statutory duties to suitable standard, and on meeting the changing policy objectives of both Government and the County Council.

The contract with TEP currently totals £9m.  Changes are required to reduce the contract cost to match the funding envelope available.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

The option of not looking closely at the TEP contract for efficiencies and service deliver changes to secure a contribution to the savings needed by KCC was discarded.  The services commissioned from it by KCC need to continue to evolve to meet the current demands and requirements of KCC.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

The proposals align with Framing Kent’s Future, KCC’s strategic framework, in particular:

•    our commitment to maintaining KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in Kent to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for all families, and
•    our commitment is to see significant improvements in the economy, connectivity, educational attainment, skills and employment rates and public health outcomes for deprived communities in coastal areas so that they improve faster than the rest of Kent to reduce the gaps.

The proposed decision supports “Securing Kent’s Future – budget recovery strategy”.  It contributes towards delivering the Service’s MTFP savings target, ensures value for money, and a sharp focusing of the available resources to delivering the Council’s statutory duties.

Decision:

As Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, and in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I agree to:

a) reduce the value of the core contract with The Education People by £1.633m during 2026/27 through the changes to the service areas set out in the decision report; and

b) delegate authority to Interim Deputy Director Effectiveness, Sufficiency and Skills to take the necessary actions, including but not limited to, entering into and finalising the terms of relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the above decision.

Please note – updated title:

The title of this decision has been amended from "SEN Funding Model - The Banding system" to "Special Educational Needs (SEN) Funding – 2026-27 Payments Uplifts" reflecting the updated key purpose of the proposed decision. The original intention was to bring forward proposals for changes to the current SEN model and proposed rates for 2026-27. In light of the ambiguity in funding of SEN services, planned proposals to introduce the second phase of changes to the Special Educational Needs funding models in Kent for state-funded schools covering mainstream, specialist resource provisions (SRPs) and special schools (as set out in below) has been postponed and will be subject to a separate future decision, with current funding arrangements continuing during 2026-27. This decision will therefore focus solely on the confirmation of rates to be paid under the existing SEN payment model for schools, early years & post 16 providers in 2026-27 as set out in the proposed decision and supporting report

Proposed decision

To approve the approach to an inflationary uplift to SEN payments rates funded from the High Needs Block including payments made to mainstream schools (top up funding and SRPs), early years providers (SEN Inclusion Fund), Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), alternative provision, special schools and Post 16 providers (FE colleges and specialist post 16 institutions) from 1 April 2026. With the final decision to be taken following further consultation with the Schools Funding Forum on 13th February 2026. The decision will agree to either:

1.         Freeze SEN payment rates at 2025-26 rates for 2026-27

2.         Apply an inflationary uplift, up to 2% to SEN payment rates for 2026-27

To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education, to make any necessary changes to the SEN rates once final affordability is known and the outcome of future funding announcements.

Reason for the decision

The current Special Educational Needs funding arrangements for state-funded schools have been in place since 2010 and are based on need types and average payment rates, which overtime has resulted in inconsistencies and operational challenges for both Kent County Council and educational settings. The proposed banding system introduces a more transparent and equitable approach by allocating funding according to the level of support required rather than diagnosis. This second phase of the proposed SEN funding model aims to replace the current three separate funding mechanisms for Mainstream Schools, Specialist Resource Provisions (SRP), and Special Schools with a single, overarching model for children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Adoption of the Banding system aligns with Department for Education guidance and reflects best practice already implemented by other local authorities for the distribution of High Needs Funding across state-funded schools.

The decision will also confirm any uplifts proposed to Special Educational Needs payments with the final approach to be confirmed at the point the decision is taken and will be informed by Central Government announcements on the High Needs Block for 2026-27. 

Background – Provide brief additional context

Kent County Council (KCC) is responsible for distributing Special Educational Needs (SEN) funding to schools and colleges to enable pupils and students with high needs to access education or training. This funding is currently allocated to schools through a combination of place funding (up to £10,000) and High Needs Funding (HNF) top up funding (or Element 3) as prescribed by the Department of Education (DFE). Payments to schools are expected to be fully funded through the High Needs Block (HNB) of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) from the DfE.

In January 2025, Cabinet approved the first phase of the new SEN Funding Model, introducing the Communities of Schools and associated budget allocations, which have been in place since September 2025 (Key Decision: 24/00120 - Special Educational Needs Funding System). The second phase is intended to focus on the development and implementation of a banding system to allocate funding for our most complex children, based on the level of support required rather than diagnosis. This approach is intended complement the Community of Schools funding model and together, replace the three separate funding mechanisms with a single, consistent model for children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The intention of the overall model is to reduce the administration burden from the current models of funding for both for the Local Authority and Schools, increase certainty and transparency on funding allocations for individual provisions and ensure available funding is apportioned proportionally to the level of support required.

The proposed banding system is supported by funding descriptors that have been developed with schools. Feedback from the consultation completed last year, on the proposed SEN funding model, has been used to inform the future approach. Along with gathering further feedback across the sector including the Schools Funding Forum. To support this work, an extensive sampling exercise has also been undertaken to map a statistically representative group of children and young people across special schools, Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs), and mainstream schools. The purpose of this exercise was to:

1.    Estimate costs based on the proposed SEN banding model.

2.    Evaluate the impact at both individual setting level and across the Local Authority.

3.    Help inform future implementation planning to transition all eligible children and young people onto the new banding system.

The DfE has delayed the DSG funding announcements for the HNB and detailed HNF guidance until the Autumn (and had been not published at the time of writing). This will inform the funding approach for all payments for SEN services in 2026-27.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

1.    Do Nothing: Maintain the current three separate funding mechanisms for mainstream schools, Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs), and special schools. However, this approach would conflict with KCC’s future direction and priorities, given financial pressures and the requirements of the Safety Valve agreement. 

2.    Implementation of individual funding agreements with each school: This would involve individual negotiations with each school, SRP and mainstream school. This approach would be time consuming to implement and lead to inconsistency in funding arrangements for similar schools.  

3.    Introduce the new proposed banding system in September 2026: This would replace the current three separate funding mechanisms for mainstream schools, SRPs and special schools. Implementing the Banding system would align with DfE guidance and reflect best practice already established by other local authorities for High Needs Funding. However, fully implementing the system in September 2026 would be significantly labour intensive and could not be implemented required time scales. It could lead to short term financial instability in schools.

Alignment with Reforming Kent 2025 - 2028 (draft) Strategy

Aim 2: Reforming Kent County Council

Objective 5: Ensure the council focuses on delivering better outcomes that make a difference, not just managing processes.

Aim 3: Supporting Residents that Need Help

Objective 6: Improve processes and outcomes for our SEND services while tackling unsustainable growth in demand.

Financial Implications

Total revenue spending on mainstream top-up and SRP & Special Schools Places is forecast to be approximately £241m in 2025-26. Top-up funding for mainstream schools is forecast to be approximately £54m and includes funding for SEN support services for individual children (equating to approximately 39% or £21m) along with funding for children and young people with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). Total funding for SRPs & Special Schools places is approximately £187m of which £86m (46%) relates specifically to Element 3 top-up funding, whilst the remainder relates to core placement funding (not the subject of this proposal). This is funded from the HNB of the DSG which is a specific ring-fenced education grant from the DfE.

The costs of the new proposed revenue SEN funding model and any general rate increases for SEN payments are expected to be fully met from the DSG and is not a cost to the General Fund. However, whilst the intention is for recommended increases to be met from grant funding, it should be noted, in relation to High Needs, the Council has agreed to fund £82m from General Fund towards the accumulated High Needs deficit (estimated to be £222m by 2027-28) arising from the total spend on SEN services exceeding the annual Grant received from the DfE for High Needs services since before 2018-19

KCC is one of a number of Local Authorities which have a DfE Safety Valve Agreement to support with the highest overspends on SEN services to achieve a financially sustainable longer-term position. The agreement means the DfE would make additional contributions of £140 million, alongside an £82 million contribution from KCC itself, to pay off the estimated accumulated deficit and help to balance the high needs budget. In return for this, KCC must implement actions intended to resolve the in-year overspend and achieve future financial sustainability. The Safety Valve agreement has avoided the need for KCC to otherwise impose up to £222 million of spending reductions on SEN services over the equivalent period. Whilst Central Government has recently announced the intention to take back HNB deficits from Council balance sheets from 2029 there is currently no detail on how this will be implemented and any ongoing responsibilities of the local authority. Therefore the Council continues to still be bound by the agreement at the time of writing.

The Kent Safety Valve agreement states: “The authority agrees to implement the DSG management plan that it has set out. This includes action to:

·   3.1. Implement a countywide approach to ‘Inclusion Education’, to further build capacity in mainstream schools to support children and young people with SEND, thus increasing the proportion of children successfully supported in mainstream education and reducing dependence on specialist provision

·   3.7. Ensure there is sufficient and consistent capacity across the county to support children with severe and complex needs in their local area where possible

·   3.8. Develop a school/area-led approach to commissioning of SEN support services (Locality Based Resources), to better respond to the needs of children and young people with SEND”

Kent must implement a sustainable approach to HNF to meet the DfE Safety Valve agreement and to ensure financial sustainability in this area moving forwards; the proposed SEN funding model in conjunction with the wider Community of Schools model is expected to build the robust governance and monitoring processes required to implement the necessary new approaches outlined in the agreement through the use of one overarching funding model  across mainstream, SRP and special schools.

Legal Implications

Local Authorities must follow government guidance on distribution of their HNF Block and work under the SEND Code of Practice 2015, these guidance documents were used in the development of the funding model proposed^[1]. Links are provided below in the ‘Supporting Documents’ section. The Code of Practice states that:

“Schools are not expected to meet the full costs of more expensive special educational

provision from their core funding […] the responsible local authority, usually the authority where the child or young person lives, should provide additional top-up funding where the cost of the special educational provision required to meet the needs of an individual pupil exceeds the nationally prescribed threshold”.

In addition to the Code of Practice, the DfE has also published operational guidance for the administration of LAs HNF budgets (the “Guidance”). The Guidance states that LAs should plan for HNF budget, gives advice on what can be provided, and information on which costs LAs are not expected to contribute to as part of any HNF allocation.

Under the Children and Families Act 2014 KCC has a duty to ‘to support the child and his or her parent, or the young person, in order to facilitate the development of the child or young person and to help him or her achieve the best possible educational and other outcomes’.

As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills I agree to:

•           APPROVE a 1% inflationary uplift to SEN payments rates funded from the High Needs Block including payments made to mainstream schools (top up funding and SRPs), early years providers (SEN Inclusion Fund), Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), alternative provision, special schools and Post 16 providers (FE colleges and specialist post 16 institutions) from 1 April 2026.

•           DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education, to make any necessary changes to the SEN rates once final affordability is known and the outcome of future funding announcements, to implement the decision

Proposed decision:

To approve changes to the Kent County Council local funding formula for schools and early years providers that is used to calculate school budgets and early years rates from 1 April 2026. 

Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to make any necessary changes to the Local Funding Formula rates once final affordability is known and outcome of any Secretary of State dis-applications.

Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to agree the distribution method for new school and early years specific education grants during 2026-27 provided by the Department of Education, in line with grant conditions.  

Reason for the decision:

·   The Government has confirmed the Council continues to be responsible for operating a Local Funding Formula for Kent maintained schools (and this formula is also used by the Education and Skills Funding Agency for calculating Kent academy budgets) during 2026-27. 

·   The Council is also responsible for setting the Early Years Local Funding Formula which is used for setting the rates paid to early years providers for the Free Entitlement offer for children aged between 9 months and 4 years attending nurseries or childminders, for up to 30 hours of free childcare a week (dependent on eligibility).

·   This decision will confirm how funding will be distributed to schools and early years in line with Government guidelines. In addition, during the year, the Department of Education can sometimes announce additional grants that must be paid directly to schools or early years providers (for example: contributions towards teachers’ pay award, pension increases or national insurance changes) to ensure these grants are paid to schools and early years providers in a timely manner, the proposal extends the delegation to distribute these specific grants during the year.

·   The final budget approach will be confirmed at the point the decision is taken.

Background:

·   The Department of Education provides Local Authorities with a specific ring-fenced grant each year to fund the school budgets (mainstream primary & secondary schools), early years free-entitlements for children under 5, high needs (Special Educational Needs Education Placements including special schools) and central services for schools. It is the Local Authority responsibility to distribute this funding to schools, eligible early years and to provide SEN services and other services for schools in Kent. 

·   The Department of Education has delayed the Dedicated Schools Grant funding announcements and detailed guidance until the Autumn (and had not been published at the time of writing). A policy document outlining the principles on which Local Authorities can set the schools funding formula for primary and secondary mainstream schools was published during the Summer confirming that Local Authorities will remain responsible for setting the schools budgets and outlining the parameters in which Local Authorities must operate. No further guidance has been given at the time of writing on the setting the early years rates for 2026-27.

·   A consultation is taking place with schools during October – November on the principles of setting the school budget, in line with the Governments policy document (ahead of Government funding announcements). A consultation with early years providers will take place, if required, when further guidance is published.

·   The Schools Funding Forum is a statutory body made up of a representative group of headteachers, governors or other senior members of staff (i.e. school finance manager) within Kent schools including academy trusts, maintained schools, primary, secondary and special schools. Along with Post 16 and Early Years providers. The Local Authority is required to consult with the Schools Funding Forum on the school budget and early years rates prior to the key decision being taken. 

·   In previous years, the Local Authority has taken the decision to transfer funding from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block to fund services for SEN Support in mainstream schools, alongside adjusting the schools funding formula (by reducing all factor rates including the minimum per pupil funding level) to help afford this. If the proposed decision recommends to continue with this approach, a dis-application from the Secretary of State will be required. (This has been agreed in previous years.)    

Options (other options considered but discarded):

·   School Budgets: The options considered for setting the primary and secondary school budgets will be outlined in the consultation document to schools and the preferred option will be set out at the point of decision. This will include:

1.    Whether a transfer of 1.2% should continue to be made from the Schools Block (funding for primary and secondary mainstream budgets) to support the cost of SEN Support Services funded from the High Needs Block (in 2025-26 this equated to £16,500,000).

2.    The basis on which the school budget formula is calculated and rates are set including whether to reduce the statutory minimum per pupil level.

However, the option to deviate excessively from the National Funding Formula (NFF), used by Government to allocate school funding to local authorities for distribution to primary and secondary schools, was discarded at an earlier stage.

This is in line with previous recommendations from both schools & the Schools Funding Forum who have supported the general principle that “our Local Funding Formula should move towards the NFF, but at the same time continue to utilise local flexibility to address areas of local concern”.

·   Early Years Payments: The options will be set out at the point of key decision and considered in line with DfE guidance when published.

Links to Securing Kent’s Future and the Council’s Strategic Statement:

·      

·     Whilst the decision relates to the distribution of ring-fenced grant, this decision is linked to achieving the overall objectives of ‘Securing Kent’s Future – Budget Recovery Strategy’ whereby proposals will support the financial recovery of the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant. 

Financial Implications

·     The costs of the new proposed funding formulas will be fully met from the Dedicated Schools Grant, a specific ring-fenced grant from the Department of Education, used to fund primary & secondary school budgets and Early Years Free Entitlement, and will not be a further cost to Council funding.

·     This decision will impact the High Needs Budget for 2026-27. The agreement to transfer funding from the schools block to the high needs block will increase the funding available to help support SEN Support Services provided by the Council and reduce the overspend on this block of funding. Overspends on the High Needs Block have led to an annual deficit on the Dedicated Schools Grant since 2018-19.This has arisen where the total spend on SEN services is exceeding the annual grant received from the DfE for High Need Services. As a result the Local Authority is part of the Safety Valve Programme, a DfE initiative to support Local Authorities with highest deficits, of which the Council has agreed to fund £82m from General Fund, between 2022-23 and 2027-28, to help reduce the accumulated High Needs deficit, alongside an extra £140m from DfE. The transfer of funding from the schools block to support the High Needs block is part of the plan to avoid higher overspends during this period.

Legal Implications

·     The Local Authority is required to set the schools budget in accordance with the Education Act 2002 and the Conditions of DSG Grant 2026-27. School Budgets and Early Years funding rates must be published by 28th February of each year.  

·     Proposals will be made in accordance with the prevailing grant conditions for the Dedicated Schools Grant set by the Department of Education. Where relevant, Secretary of State approval will be sought if recommendations require a dis-application of these conditions.

·     Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, provides that “…a public authority must in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to a) eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act, b)  advance equality of opportunity… c) foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it..” 

As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I agree to:

·         Approve changes to the Kent County Council local funding formula for schools and early years providers that is used to calculate school budgets and early years rates from 1 April 2026 as set out below:

1. Transfer 1.2% of the Schools Block (equates to approximately £17.4m) into the High Needs Block for 2026-27

2. In relation to the Kent Local Funding Formula for primary & secondary schools in 2026-27:

i.             Set the local Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) percentage at 0.0% for primary & secondary schools

ii.            Increase the following factor values as set out in the table below to reflect the incorporation of grants (which were previously received separately) including the full year effect of the Schools Budget Support Grant (SBSG):

*National Insurance Contributions (NICs) grant; Schools Budget Support Grant (SBSG)

iii.          Set the Minimum Per Pupil Level (MPPL) as per the values in the table below. This is equivalent to 99.1% of the National Funding Formula Rate

iv.          All other factors within the current local funding formula to increase in line with the National Funding Formula by approximately 2% (after grant funding has been added).

3. In relation to the Kent Early Years Local Funding Formula for 2026-27:

i.              The base rates for the Free Entitlement offer will increase in line with grant changes (subject to final affordability checks*):

ii.            Increase the 3- and 4-year olds quality supplement by £0.06 per hour to £1.40 per hour for settings with a nominated leader with a qualified teacher status and employed on & paid under the Statutory Teachers’ Terms & Conditions.

iii.          reduce the proportion of the Early Years Block retained by the Council to fund services for early years from a maximum of 4% to 3% in line with government guidance (total estimated budget of £8.3m)

iv.          Remove the contingency for variations in demand for payments for children aged 2 years.

v.            Early Years Pupil Premium and Disability Access Fund to be set in line with nationally prescribed rates.

·         Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education, to make any necessary changes to the Local Funding Formula rates once final affordability is known.

·         Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to agree the distribution method for school & early years specific education grants during 2026-27 provided by the Department of Education, in line with grant conditions.

Proposed decision: Recommission the Kent Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Detoxification Service

Reason for decision

Kent County Council has statutory responsibility as a condition of its Public Health Grant to provide specialist Substance Misuse Services aimed at reducing the harm caused by drugs and alcohol and to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Kent. 

The current contract under the Kent Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Detoxification Service is due to expire on 31 March 2026 and therefore a key decision is required to plan for beyond this date.

Background

The provision of drug and alcohol services aligns with local and national strategies. Locally, the services are designed to achieve best value and align to the Council’s Strategic Statement. They support residents that need help, work with care providers and the NHS to ensure that the care system is more sustainable, and work towards the improvement of the local treatment and recovery system as outlined in the Kent Drug and Alcohol Strategy, 2023-2028.

Nationally, drug and alcohol services support the Government’s 10-Year Drug Strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ (2021). The strategy is supported by a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Recovery and Improvement Grant (DATRIG), the level of which has been confirmed for four years, whilst the remaining six await confirmation. One of the conditions of receiving DATIRG funding is that Local Authorities MUST be part of an Inpatient Detoxification (IPD) Consortium (although it is not currently known whether this will remain a condition of receiving funding in future years). Kent County Council lead on the Kent Consortium, under which this contract sits. Current members of the Consortium are Kent County Council, Surrey County Council, Oxfordshire County Council, and Medway Council.

The current consortium receives priority access to two beds within a nine-bed unit. Priority access is defined as having access to the next bed from the two beds purchased that becomes vacant at the site (subject to need and meeting the referrals criteria). Where there is a wait list from spot purchasing authorities, authorities in the consortium have access to the bed before the spot purchasing authority up until the total number of bed nights within the allocation has been reached.

The contract for the Kent Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Detoxification Service is currently delivered by Kent and Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT) via Bridge House, an Inpatient Detoxification Service in Maidstone.

Options

An options appraisal was developed and the preferred option identified was to procure the Kent Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Detoxification Service under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) via a consortium arrangement. This is the preferred option of all consortium members. The contract will be in place for an initial period from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 with the option to extend for up to two additional one-year periods, ending no later than 31 March 2031, which is in alignment with the 10-Year Drug Strategy.

Advantages include:

·         Supporting sustainability of local provision by purchasing a set amount of bed nights in advance

·         Local provision reduces travel time and logistical barriers for patients and their families, making it possible for Kent drug and alcohol service providers to transport patients to and from the facility, and to visit patients during their stay to carry out recovery planning.

·         Patients are able to attend for aftercare support, which is more feasible for a facility located within the county

Options considered but rejected included:

·         Let the contract come to an end when it expires on 31 March 2026 and return to spot-purchasing bed nights. Decommissioning the service comes with a risk that OHID will keep to the grant conditions which state that Local Authorities MUST be part of an IPD Consortium in order to receive the IPD element of the DATRIG funding. Spot-purchasing means Kent County Council would no longer have priority access, which could result in longer waiting times for Kent residents.

·         Discontinue the current arrangement and invest any remaining funds in the existing Hampshire Consortium (this is a separate consortium arrangement, led by Hampshire County Council, which Kent County Council is already a member of). This would require patients to travel to Fareham and would mean there is no local inpatient detoxification provision.

·         Join another Consortium nearby, such as West Sussex. Whilst this would provide an option closer than that offered through the Hampshire Consortium, it would not offer the convenience of a Kent-based facility.

Regardless of which option was explored, there would be no major changes to the specification as the service model only requires inconsequential refinements.

Note: each consortium group member (Surrey, Oxfordshire, and Medway) will be following their own governance processes to enable the continuation of the consortium arrangements.

Procurement

The recommissioning of the Kent Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Detoxification Service falls under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) for procuring health care services in England by organisations termed relevant authorities, including NHS bodies and Local Authorities.

The PSR was introduced under the Health and Care Act 2022 with the intent to: introduce a flexible and proportionate process for deciding who should provide health care services; provide a framework that allows collaboration across systems; ensure that all decisions are made in the best interest of patients and service users.

Following approval of the key decision, a PSR-compliant procurement process will be run to select suppliers for the new service.

Financial Implications:

The funding for this contract would be from OHID additional grant funding, the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG), should this continue beyond March 2026. The funding is linked to the 10-year national drug and alcohol strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ and would constitute a continuation of the activity currently funded by the existing OHID grant.

The financial commitment will be circa £2,452,191 for a 5-year contract for the Kent Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Detoxification Service (three years with two additional one-year extension options), however, the contract will reflect only the money available through known grant funding at that time.

The above values reflect the potential for a year-on-year increase in the cost of bed nights (set by the provider) and the potential to increase the number of bed nights each consortium member (Kent, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Medway) may purchase. Annual allocations will be agreed subject to availability of the grant and in line with demand.

Should the funding not be continued, or grant conditions are amended, the current contract could be allowed to end and Kent drug and alcohol services will return to spot-purchasing bed nights on an ad-hoc basis, using any funding already allocated within the existing contracts (covered under key decision 24/00055). This would represent a reduction in activity as no additional funding would be available, and would not support market sustainability, best value, or national policy).

A key decision (22/00041) has already been taken to accept and deploy the additional OHID grant money received, therefore a further decision would not be required for deployment of further OHID funding, provided it is received on similar terms and conditions.

Legal Implications:  

Under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, Directors of Public Health (DPH) in upper tier (UTLA) and unitary (ULA) local authorities have a duty to take such steps as they consider appropriate for improving the health of people in their area and such steps can include providing services or facilities designed to promote healthy living (whether by helping individuals to address behaviour that is detrimental to health or in any other way).  

Kent Drug and Alcohol Services aim to reduce the harm caused by drugs and alcohol and improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Kent. The local authority’s Public Health Grant requires the Authority to “have regard to the need to improve the take up of, and outcomes from, its drug and alcohol misuse treatment services.”

The recommissioning of this service will fall under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) introduced under the Health and Care Act 2022.  Appropriate legal advice will be sought in collaboration with the Governance, Law and Democracy team and will be utilised to ensure compliance with relevant legislation; the Provider Selection Regime is still in its infancy and so commissioners will be working closely with this team as well as the Commercial and Procurement Team.

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health I agree to:

I.        APPROVE the recommissioning of the Kent Drug and Alcohol Inpatient Detoxification Service for an initial period from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 with the option to extend for up to two additional one-year periods, ending no later than 31 March 2031, subject to confirmation of OHID funding.

II.       DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health to take relevant actions, including but not limited to, entering into, finalising, and varying the terms of relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the above decision.

III.      DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, the exercise of any extensions permitted in accordance with the extension clauses within the contract, subject to confirmation of OHID funding.

IV.      CONFIRM that, in accordance with Key Decision 22/00041, the Director of Public Health, following consultation with the Cabinet Member and Corporate Director of Finance, retains delegated authority to accept and deploy any future OHID grant funding on similar terms to support this area of work under the national Harm to Hope strategy.

As Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, I agree to give: 

(i)    APPROVE the contract award for the processing of concessionary travel cards for a period of 2 years,

(ii)   DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport, to take relevant actions including but not limited to awarding, finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the decision.

Proposed decision –Adopt the Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention Strategy 2026-2030.

Reason for the decision

·       The Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention Strategy 2026-2030 is a continuation of the existing strategy (2021-2025) and combines local data about who is dying by suicide in Kent and Medway with national research and policy direction.

·       Implementing this strategy will mean that efforts to reduce the number of people dying by Kent and Medway can continue with an informed and dedicated focus, led by the Kent & Medway Suicide Prevention Programme.

Background – Provide brief additional context

·       The Strategy has been developed by the Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention Programme team, which is hosted by KCC’s Public Health department and funded by the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board.

·       The new strategy was developed in conjunction with the Suicide Prevention Network which is the stakeholder group for the strategy. The stakeholder group consists of well-established partnerships made up of over 250 agencies, including statutory and voluntary / community sector organisations as well as individuals living with experience of suicidal thoughts, self-harm or who have been bereaved by suicide.

·       The new Strategy was out for public consultation between 23rd July 2025 and 6th October 2025 and yielded 149 responses.  Feedback received is currently being woven into the draft strategy, and is informing the strategy but does not amount to any significant change to what it is proposed in the current draft. The public consultation is overwhelmingly supportive of the eight priorities and gave good guidance for the specific objectives and suggested actions that be featured in the programme’s plans.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

No other options were considered as the Strategy is necessary to the Kent & Medway Suicide Prevention Programme.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

The new Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention Strategy 2026-2030 clearly aligns with the commitment to work with our partners to hardwire a preventative approach into improving the health of Kent’s population and narrowing health inequalities, improving safeguarding and preventing death.  It aims to work with partners across the System to improve residents’ mental health and reduce the risk of people dying by suicide.

The Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention Strategy for 2026-2030 supports the Council toachieve best value by embedding a preventative approach to suicide and self-harm among adults and children. Research from the Samaritans suggests that each individual suicide costs the state an average of £1.46 million, highlighting the positive financial impact of a focused suicide prevention strategy as well as making the system more efficient and responsive.

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree to:

APPROVE the adoption of the Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention Strategy 2026-2030

Proposed decision – To approve an extension of the council’s Support Service for people bereaved by suicide (SC20060) from 1 August 2026 until 31 March 2027 (8 months). 

Reason for the decision

The contract for a Support Service for People Bereaved by Suicide, known as AMPARO,which is currently delivered by Listening Ear, is due to expire 31 July 2026. This contract has been live for five years (as per key decision 20/00132).

There is still a consistently high need for specialist support to people bereaved by suicide, and a recent review of AMPARO to date clearly demonstrated the value and impact of the service, highlighting its responsiveness, effectiveness and positive outcomes that it delivers for individuals and communities affected by suicide. This service supports delivery of both the National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2023–2028) and the draft Kent and Medway Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy (2026–2030), which recently underwent public consultation.

An eight-month extension (from 1 August 2026 until 31 March 2027) is proposed to maintain continuity of service and allow time to consider options for future commissioning. Legal advice has been sought and extending the current contract by eight months is legally viable.

Any decision on the long-term arrangements, from April 2027, will be subject to a future Key Decision through the appropriate governance process.

Background – Provide brief additional context

In 2019, the NHS committed £36 million over a period of 10 years to support the roll out of suicide bereavement support services across England. This funding is received by Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) to deliver the core Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention Programme. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets out the financial relationship between KCC and the ICB for this programme, which is hosted by KCC, ensuring governance and accountability. This MoU will be refreshed for 2026-27.

Specialist suicide bereavement support has been delivered in Kent and Medway by Listening Ear’s ‘AMPARO’ service. The service provides timely emotional and practical support to anyone affected by suicide, an experience which differs to bereavement through natural or accidental means as it usually comes with senses of guilt and stigma, which often leads to social isolation and the increased risk of suicide mentioned above.

The need for such support is backed by evidence that suggests up to 135 people can be impacted by an individual case of suicide (Cerel et al, 2018).  People bereaved by the sudden death of a friend or family member are also 65% more likely to attempt suicide if the deceased died by suicide than if they died by natural or accidental causes (Pitman et al, 2016).

Options (other options considered but discarded)

The following options have been explored

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

Maintaining a support offer for individuals bereaved by suicide supports KCC’s Reforming Kent 2025-28 commitments through the delivery of preventative well-being support, this can avoid escalation into more intensive, expensive care and foster stronger, more resilient communities.

Timely postvention, aligned with Kent & Medway suicide strategies, can avert escalation into services that drive overspend, thus supporting the delivery of Securing Kents Future.

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Public Health, I agree to:

1.       APPROVE implementation of an extension to the council’s Support Service for people bereaved by suicide (SC20060) delivered by Listening Ear, from 1 August 2026 until 31 March 2027 (8 months).

2.       DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Public Health to take relevant actions including but not limited to awarding, finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the decision.

Proposed decision: Award contracts for the Kent Carers’ Support Service to the successful provider(s) identified as part of the procurement process, approve a direct award of the Carer’s Short Breaks contract for a period of four months (from 1 April 2026 to 31 July 2026) and approve a modification in the form of a contract extension for a period of four months (from 1 April 2026 to 31 July 2026) for Community Navigation Services (Part B)

Reason for the decision

A key decision (decision number 24/0113) was taken on 31 January 2025 to start the procurement exercise for a new Carer’s Support Services Contract, combining the current Carers’ Short Breaks and Community Navigation (Part B) services.

The new Carers’ Support Service Contract is split into two Lots – Lot 1 for East Kent and Lot 2 for West Kent.

Procurement for the Carers’ Support Service was undertaken and tenders were given from 30 June and 1^st August to submit.  Following formal evaluation of the bids submitted as part of the procurement exercise identified neither tenderer met the individual minimum thresholds required for specific quality-related questions submitted for Lot 1 (East Kent), therefore Lot 1 was deemed not successful. Procurement for Lot 2 (West Kent) was successful.

Advice from the council’s Commercial and Procurement division is that a further procurement exercise will need to be undertaken for Lot 1.

Kent County Council has statutory responsibilities under The Care Act 2014 which include assessing the needs of any adult (cared for or carer) with an appearance of need for care and support, and arranging services where appropriate to meet the unmet eligible needs of adults living in Kent. Currently the Community Navigation Services (Part B) and Carers’ Short Breaks contracts support the council to meet this duty until 31 March 2026.

This decision seeks to award contracts to successful providers for Lot 2 and extend the current contractual arrangements for Community Navigation Services (Part B) and Carers’ Short Breaks for a four months (from 1 April 2026 to 31 July 2026) to allow a further procurement exercise to be undertaken for Lot 1 (East Kent).

Background – Provide brief additional context

The Kent Adult Carers’ Strategy 2022 to 2027 describes how Kent County Council will work with all partners to make changes to improve the experiences of unpaid adult carers in Kent. It was developed in partnership with carers, people who draw on care and support, carers organisations, staff, and county councillors.

Kent’s strategy for Adult Social Care – ‘Making a Difference Every Day Kent Adult Carers’ Strategy sets out the vision: ‘Making a difference every day by supporting and empowering you to live a fulfilling life whilst being a carer, as long as you are willing and able’

Building on the Kent Adult Carers Strategy the Carers’ Support Service aims to deliver an improved offer introducing a single point of access for carers which will be promoted and marketed. Carers told us this is important. The Carers’ Support Service ensures a greater focus on the benefits of completing a carers assessment so we can better understand the needs of carers, it will also introduce a wider reach into all parts of the community across Kent resulting in better outcomes and positive impact for protected groups.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

Following the unsuccessful procurement for Lot 1 the option of ‘doing nothing’ was considered, however it was quickly dismissed.  Without a new contract in place to support carers across the county it will have a negative impact on carers put the council at risk on both a financial basis and with regard to meeting statutory duties.

• Option 1

Undertake a negotiation and direct award for Lot 1 with one of the bidders for Lot 2 who met the minimum quality threshold.  This would be a short process.

• Option 2

Undertake a competitive process, in the form of a procurement exercise, for Lot 1. 

Option 2 is the preferred option as it will ensure KCC is achieving best value and the required level of quality for this contract.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

The proposed decision aligns with Priority 5 of Reforming Kent – the Council’s Strategic Statement by recognising and supporting the needs of carers and engaging with carers’ support groups around the support and recognition carers can be provided

Financial Implications

The four month extension to the existing contracts would be on the same terms and conditions at the same price.  Therefore, no increase in cost.

The annual price for Lot 2 is £2,647,176 and will be up to £18,530,235 over the lifetime of the contract  (initial three years including the two-two year extension options).

The annual price for Lot 1 will not exceed the maximum value of £3,360,400 and will be up to £23,522,800 over the lifetime of the contract.  The combined lifetime contract value will not exceed £42,053,035.

This is a fixed price contract to ensure budget predictability and prevents overspend. KCC will pay 1/12 of the budget each month to avoid large upfront payments, which is also in line with other prevention contracts. Providers are encouraged to use resources efficiently to meet the high demand for services, ensuring value for money.

The use of the Supplier Incentive Programme has been utilised in this procurement.

Legal Implications

KCC has statutory responsibilities under The Care Act 2014 include assessing the needs of any adult (cared for or carer) with an appearance for care and support and arranging services and where appropriate meeting the unmet eligible needs of adults living in Kent.  Where it appears to the local authority that a carer may have needs for support (whether currently or in the future), a carer’s assessment must always be offered.

In summary, the services are necessary and have allowed KCC to recommission a new carers offer that better meets the needs of carers.

A short term contract extension will be awarded to the incumbent suppliers of the Carers Short Breaks contract, and Community Navigation (Part B) contract for a period of 4 months. The short term extensions enable KCC to complete the re-procurement of a joint service. By awarding the short term extension, it mitigates any loss in the provision of service while the re-procurement is underway. In addition, it will also enable ample mobilisation time for the winning bidder.

A contract extension of the Carers Short Break contract for a period of 4 months from 01 April 2026 to 31 July 2026 is in accordance with the relevant justifications set out in Regulation 72(1)(b)(c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

A contract extension of the Community Navigation (Part B) contract for a period of 4 months from 01 April 2026 to 31 July 2026 is in accordance with the relevant justifications set out in Regulation 72(1)(b)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015

Procurement Regulations Implications

Regulation 72 (3) of PCR2015, requires Contracting authorities which have modified a contract in either of the cases described under Regulation (1)(b) and (c), as is recommended in this paper, should send a notice to that effect for publication, in accordance with Regulation 51. The risk to the council is that an alternate service provider may bring a legal challenge, arguing that the modification of the services does not satisfy Regulation 72. Officers will mitigate the risk of such a challenge by publishing a VEAT Notice on the central government "Find a Tender Service". This will notify the market of the council's intention to extend these contracts under Regulation 72 while a re-procurement for the failed lot is carried out. A 10 day standstill period will then commence before formally awarding the contract extensions.

Commissioners will follow the procurement regulations and Spending the Council’s Money in relation to any procurement that is undertaken.

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree to:

a) APPROVE the contract award for the Kent Carers’ Support Service;

b) APPROVE a direct award of the Carers’ Short Breaks contract, for a period of up to four months, from 1 April 2026 to 31 July 2026, in accordance with the relevant justifications set out in Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015;

c) APPROVE a modification in the form of an extension of the contract for a period of up to four months for Community Navigation Services (Part B), from 1 April 2026 to 31 July 2026, in accordance with the relevant justifications set out in Regulation 72 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015;

d) DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director, Adult Social Care and Health to take other relevant actions including, but not limited to finalising the terms of and entering into required contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary to implement the decision; and

e) DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director, Adult Social Care and Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Corporate Director, Finance, to agree the relevant contract extensions for the Kent Carers’ Support Service Contract as required.

Proposed decision –Approve the Adult Social Care Provider Fee Uplifts for 2026/2027

Reason for the decision

Kent County Council  (KCC) commissions a broad range of Adult Social Care services, including home care, residential and nursing care, supported living, extra care, and community support.

The Council must fulfil its statutory Care Act duties, maintain market stability, protect continuity of care for vulnerable adults, and also ensure the prudent, sustainable and financially viable use of public funds in accordance with the Council’s Best Value and financial management obligations.

The Council has had significant engagement with providers and taken into account feedback from both the Kent Integrated Care Alliance (KICA) and the National Care Association (NCA) Feedback from KICA and the NCA highlighted significant cost pressures and operational challenges across the sector.

The detail of the uplift proposals will be set out in the formal decision report

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree to:

a)     APPROVE the fee uplifts for Adult Social Care Providers for 2026/2027; and

b)     DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director, Adult Social Care and Health to take relevant actions within the approved budget allocation to implement the decision.

Proposed decision –Extend the Learning Disability, Physical Disability and Mental Health Needs Residential Care Contract for a period of two years (from 15 June 2026 to 14 June 2028)

Reason for the decision

Work is underway to commission a contract which encompasses both residential and supported living options, to allow a flexible transitional pathway to support people to maximise their independence.

The extension will maintain service continuity for people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health needs while the Council undertakes recommissioning to implement a more integrated and sustainable model of care. This approach avoids disruption, supports value for money, and provides flexibility during the transition.

The current Supported Living Contract is due to end on 14 June 2026 and in order to align the recommissioning activity it is proposed to extend the Learning Disability, Physical Disability and Mental Health Needs Residential Care Contract for a further two years, using the permissible contract extensions, to support development of the new joint Supported Accommodation Contract.

The new Supported Accommodation Contract is expected to commence by June 2027. On this basis, it is anticipated that only one year of the proposed two year extension for the Residential Care Home Services (Learning Disability, Physical Disability and Mental Health Needs) will be required.

However, approval of a two-year extension provides the necessary assurance and flexibility, ensuring continuity of care in the event of any delays to the implementation of the new contract.  This approach mitigates the risk of service disruption and avoids the need for a further key decision, while supporting a stable and well-managed transition to the new  Supported Accommodation model.

Background

The current Learning Disability, Physical Disability and Mental Health Needs Residential Care Contract covers residential homes for working age adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or mental health needs. Residential care provides 24 hour support for daily living activities, personal care, medicines management and social inclusion. Nursing homes on this contract also offer clinical support which is provided by registered nurses.

The models of delivery for both supported living and residential care will be reviewed to inform current delivery and future commissioning arrangements, to ensure the Council is achieving value for money and commissioning the least restrictive support options in line with the Care Act 2014.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

The Council can choose not to extend the contract, however this would not give sufficient time to establish a new model of delivery, which would be sustainable for both the Council and social care providers.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategic Statement

The proposal to extend the current Learning Disability, Physical Disability and Mental Health Needs Residential Care Contract will support development of the new joint Supported Accommodation Contract, to meet the priorities set out in the Council’s Strategic Statement by providing a  new delivery model to support the use of technology and digitally enabled care to meet people’s support needs, provide opportunities to explore jointly commission services with Integrated Care Boards and develop an outcome focused model to support people to achieve their aims and develop their independence.

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree to:

a) EXTEND the Learning Disability, Physical Disability and Mental

    Health Needs Residential Care Contract for a period of two years from

    15 June 2026 to 14 June 2028; and

b) DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director, Adult Social Care and

    Health to take other relevant actions, including but not limited to

    finalising the terms of and entering into required contracts or other

    legal agreements, as necessary to implement the decision.