Proposed decision: Extend the current contract for Wellbeing Services in the Community for People with Sensory Impairments, for a period of one year from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027
Reason for the decision:
The Care Act sets out local authorities’ adult social care responsibilities under law. These include promoting individual wellbeing, preventing needs for care and support, providing information and advice, assessing needs, meeting needs, charging, safeguarding, and care market development.
Kent County Council (KCC) has statutory obligations regarding preventing, delaying, and reducing needs for care and support of adults and carers in Kent. It fulfils these obligations through a wide range of interventions which are not limited to Wellbeing Services in the Community, Community Navigation, and other initiatives funded and delivered by adult social care. Health and other partners in Kent also deliver services which contribute to the achievement of the same objectives. KCC will continue to discharge its statutory functions through a wide variety of approaches and initiatives. KCC is, furthermore, undertaking a longer-term, system-wide review of its approach to prevention.
Background – Provide brief additional context
Officers have undertaken a review of certain adult social care preventative services, namely the Wellbeing Services in the Community, and Community Navigation Services, funded by KCC and delivered through contractual arrangements with partners in the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. KCC arranges for the delivery of a wide range of Wellbeing Services in the Community.
The purpose of the review was to refocus and redesign the delivery of Wellbeing Services in the Community with a view to achieving four strategic objectives:
However, certain Wellbeing Services in the Community were not included, particularly those which support people with specific needs such as dementia, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, and mental health needs, as they already met elements of the strategic objectives and to minimise any deterioration of health or disability.
The prevention landscape in Kent is multi-faceted, in that manyKCC services and activities that contribute to prevention sit outside adult social care, and include the involvement of public health, children’s services, leisure, transport, housing services, and libraries.
The Wellbeing Services in the Community for People with Sensory Impairments support people who are aged 18 and over with a sensory impairment, such as people who are blind and/or deaf, including people that use British Sign Language (BSL), providing support with information and advice, equipment and training and rehabilitation.
Kent Association for the Blind (KAB) delivers this on behalf of KCC in partnership with Hi Kent and British Sign Language Community CIC (Community Interest Company). 22,834 people accessed these services in the 2024/25 and the annual budget £1.06million. The current contract is due to end on 31 March 2026, with no further extensions available.
Extending the Wellbeing Services in the Community for People with Sensory Impairments contract for a further year, and aligning the end of the contract with other Wellbeing Services that were out of scope of the Proposed Changes to Wellbeing Services in the Community, will allow a full review and redesign of services to take place should the Prevention Framework be adopted.
When setting up the Wellbeing and Community Navigation contracts, the focus was on whole population, providing preventative support to people across the county with different levels of need. This approach was taken to support as many people as possible. However, since these contracts started the support offer has developed and there needs to be a focus and response to individual needs and those of diverse communities, areas
Options (other options considered but discarded)
Do nothing. stop funding for the Wellbeing Services in the Communityfor those with Sensory Impairments. This option was not taken forward as this will not achieve the strategic objectives (set out above).
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
The proposed decision supports Priority 4 New Models of Care and Support ensuring a strong focus on preventative services.
How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery Strategy.pdf
The proposed decision supports the Adult Social Care Prevention activity as detailed in Securing Kent’s Future.
Financial Implications
The table below shows the current contract value.
|
Service |
Annual contract value |
|
Wellbeing Services in the Community for people with Sensory Impairments |
£1,030,000 |
The service budget allocation covers the contract value included above.
Legal Implications
KCC has statutory obligations regarding preventing, delaying, and reducing needs for care and support of adults and carers in Kent. It fulfils these obligations through a wide range of interventions which are not limited to Wellbeing Services in the Community, Community Navigation, and other initiatives funded and delivered by adult social care.
The initial notice (i.e. Notice No: 2020/S 025-058108) advertised in EU Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) stated that contract would be for a duration of five years, comprising an initial three year term of the contract from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2024 followed by two 12 month extensions.
The extension of the contract for a further period of 12 months, from 1 April 2026 to 31st March 2027, is permissible, under Schedule 8 (1) (Additional Goods, Services or Works) of the Procurement Act 2023, which provides what is set out in Appendix 1.
The modification of the contract will result in the extension of service provision beyond the original contract term and therefore constitutes the supply of services in addition to the services provided for in the contract.
The use of a different provider to deliver the service for a further period of twelve months, would result in the provision of services which are different or incompatible with those already provided in the contract, as a new provider may have to deliver the service from a new location/premises, systems and approaches.
Given the cohort of people who draw on care and support involved, i.e. people with sensory impairment, the Council considers that the difference or incompatibility that a new provider may bring, may cause significant inconvenience to people and may result in a substantial duplication of costs for the authority, where people are not confident in using a service provided by a new provider.
The proposed additional 12 months will not increase the overall value of the contract by more than 50%. The original contract value over all years, was £5,251,532. The additional 12 months contract is £1,030,000, which is 19.61% of the original contract value.
Therefore, in the opinion of the Commercial and Procurement Division, Regulation 8 (1) (a) to (d) is satisfied.
As the modification would increase the value of the contract by 19.61 percent and would increase the term of the contract by 20 percent, a contract change notice must be published setting out that the Council intends to modify the contract
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
Decision published: 02/10/2025
Effective from: 10/10/2025
Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health I agree to:
A) EXTEND the current contract for Wellbeing Services in the Community for Adults with Sensory Impairments, for a period of one year from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027; 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.
Lead officer: Simon Mitchell
Proposed decision
To approve changes to the Community Wellbeing Services, including service redesign, contract updates and funding changes.
A review of certain adult social care preventative services has been undertaken, namely the Wellbeing Services in the Community, and Community Navigation services, funded by KCC and delivered through contractual arrangements with partners in the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. KCC arranges for the delivery of a wide range of Wellbeing Services in the Community, in addition to Community Navigation.
KCC consulted on proposed changes to its preventative services from 26 November 2024 to 27 January 2025. The consultation proposals were to reduce the funding and redesigned the Wellbeing Services in the Community for older people (55+) delivered by Social Enterprise Kent (SEK), Involve Kent and Imago Community. The consultation explained that the service redesign would incorporate elements of the Community Navigation activity and consequently the separate Community Navigation contract would be ended. The redesigned Wellbeing Service would focus on people assessed as needing medium to higher levels of support. The proposals also included ceasing to fund the Innovation Fund and back-office support and removing unallocated spend in the Shaw Trust in the Mental Health Community and Wellbeing Service.
There are services which would not be affected by this decision which are:
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
The consultation proposals align with priority 4 of Framing Kent’s Future – Delivering New Models of Care and Support and our commitment to reshaping our commissioning practice to ensure we build strategic partnerships with our providers, through earlier engagement, more consistent and proactive commissioning practice, and a stronger focus on co-designing services.
Options (and options considered but not taken forward to consultation)
The table below shows the different options considered.
|
Alternative option considered |
Why the option has not been taken forward to consultation |
|
Maximise potential savings by ending KCC’s investment in all Wellbeing Services in the Community and Community Navigation contracts.
Total saving: £8.74million This is based on the Adult Social Care contribution for the financial year 2024-2025 as outlined in section 3 of the consultation document.
|
Ending all Wellbeing Services in the Community and Community Navigation without an alternative approach and support would have a significant negative impact and increase the risk in more people needing social care more quickly.
This would also require KCC to consider how to fulfil the statutory responsibility for carers as the commissioned services undertakes carers’ assessments. Therefore, this has not been taken forward.
|
|
To stop funding the Community Navigation Contracts and reduce funding for the Wellbeing Services in the Community that support people 55+, to only support people assessed as needing medium to higher levels of support. And stop the Innovation Fund, back-office support and remove the unallocated spend of the Shaw Trust. This would save a total of £3.45million.
|
In discussions with providers in scope of the proposal it was felt that elements of Community Navigation need to be incorporated into the Wellbeing Services in the Community for people aged 55+ as it supports some of the most vulnerable and socially isolated people in Kent, and often people with multiple and complex needs, including frailty. Therefore, this option has not been taken forward. |
|
Do nothing. |
This option has not been taken forward as this will not achieve the strategic objectives of:
|
Financial Implications
An estimated £3.45million full year saving were attached to the consultation proposals, achieved by:
The table below shows the current contract values and funding that would be available to the organisations if the proposal is implemented.
|
Service |
Annual contract value (million) |
Proposed funding (million) |
|
Wellbeing Services in the Community for older people (55+) |
||
|
Involve Kent (West Kent) |
£0.99million |
£0.42million |
|
Involve Kent (North Kent |
£0.66million |
£0.28million |
|
SEK (East Kent) |
£1.24million |
£0.52million |
|
Imago Community (Ashford, Canterbury and Swale) |
£0.98milion |
£0.41million |
|
Total |
£3.87million |
£1.63million |
3. Mental Health Wellbeing Services in the Community (Live Well Kent) - delivered by Porchlight and Shaw Trust.
Innovation Fund: This would be a saving of £0.28million.
Back-office support: This would result in a saving of £0.04million.
Removal of Shaw Trust unallocated spend: A total of £0.04million is the spend that is unallocated.
Together, this would total £0.36million. The rest of the services commissioned with Live Well Kent and Medway are not affected by this proposal.
However, there are potential costs to social care which could reduce the anticipated savings. The consultation explained that KCC estimated that these costs would be between £18,000 to £180,000 (full year costs), based on modelling the potential demand and financial impact on adult social care. This has been informed by professional knowledge, experience and data provided by providers.
Intended decision
Following the consultation, there has been consideration to consultation feedback and further work and analysis on the proposals undertaken. It is now intended that the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health will take a key decision regarding the future of the relevant services, i.e.: Community Navigation Services for older people (55+); Wellbeing Services in the Community for older people (55+); and Mental Health Wellbeing Services in the Community (Live Well Kent).
It is intended that this decision will be taken at the same time as a decision on the adoption of KCC’s draft Adult Social Care Prevention Framework: 2025-2035. The Cabinet Member will be asked to consider the papers relevant to both decisions before taking either decision.
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
Decision published: 02/10/2025
Effective from: 10/10/2025
Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree to:
a) APPROVE the following changes (which were subject to public consultation) to the Community Wellbeing Services,
· Cease to commission the Community Navigation services for older people (55+) delivered by Involve Kent, Imago Community and South East Kent (SEK). Three months’ notice to be given to providers.
· Reduce funding and redesign the Wellbeing Services in the Community for older people (55+) delivered by SEK, Involve Kent and Imago Community. This would be achieved by varying each of the three contracts and incorporate elements of community navigation. The service to focus on supporting people needing medium to higher levels of support, support for people assessed as having lower-level needs would stop. Work on this will start as soon as any decision has been taken, involving discussions with providers on the design and key performance indicators of the services, to be implemented three months after the decision. The varied Wellbeing contracts to end on 31 March 2027.
· Mental Health Wellbeing Services in the Community (Live Well Kent and Medway) - delivered by Porchlight and Shaw Trust. The proposal is to undertake a contract modification to each provider’s contract, removing the requirement to deliver the Innovation fund. Reduce the contract value for the Innovation Fund and back-office supportand remove Shaw Trust unallocated spend; 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.
Lead officer: Georgina Walton
Proposed decision – The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills is asked to:
a) APPROVE the allocation of £7,173,774 in funding from the Children Young People and Education Services High Need Capital Budget to fund the second phase of works to permanently expand Nexus Foundation Special School.
b) DELEGATE authority to the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the General Counsel and Director of Education to enter into any necessary contracts or other legal agreements as required to implement this decision.
c) AGREE that the Director of Infrastructure be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements, with authority to enter variations as envisaged under the contracts. Variations to contract value to be no more than 10% above the capital funding agreed by the Cabinet Member without requiring a new Record of Decision.
Reason for Decision
In July 2024, the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills approved (via key decision 24/00060) to permanently increase the Designated Number of places at Nexus Foundation Special School from 228 to 330 from September 2024 and to release capital to fund the first phase of works to permanently expand the school
A further key decision is now required to approve the second phase of capital works. This phase will provide the necessary physical capacity and facilities to support the increased pupil numbers on a permanent basis and ensure appropriate accommodation for children with profound, severe and complex needs.
Background
Kent County Council (KCC), as the Local Authority (LA), has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available. The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent (KCP) is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out our future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent. A copy of the plan can be viewed from this link:
Commissioning Plan for Education Provision - Kent County Council
Since the academic year 2021/22 Nexus has temporarily increased its intake to an average of 16 on its main campus and to 6 for the Wouldham satellite to meet the commissioned demand. The demand for places at Nexus is set to remain for the foreseeable future and therefore the proposed scheme provides the physical capacity to continue to admit the increased intakes on a permanent basis and ensure the school has the appropriate facilities and accommodation support provision for children with profound, severe and complex needs.
Options
Do nothing - Nexus is the only special school for children with profound, severe and complex needs in Tonbridge and Malling and without the delivery of the phase 2 accommodation, the school would not be able to permanently continue to admit as many pupils as it has done on a temporary basis and the number of places available each year would decrease.
Currently, the school has 294 pupils on roll (as at June 2025) and have been commissioned to support 330 from September 2025. The school is utilising non-teaching and shared/communal spaces and facilities on a temporary basis to support the children but this approach is restricting how and where staff can undertake planning and preparation and also non-teaching activities, which cannot be sustained in the longer term.
If phase 2 was not progressed the school’s designated number would have to reduce from 330. This would also involve the initiation of a statutory process, including public consultation and require KCC to pay for independent places when otherwise it would not need to.
The number of places the school could accommodate on a permanent basis without further accommodation would be greater than 228, detailed work would need to be carried out to determine the final figure, it is however estimated at approximately 260.
This would mean 70 fewer permanent places would be available within the state-maintained sector and KCC may then be required to place those children within the independent sector, with places likely to be further away from children’s homes and at a significant cost to KCC, including placement and transport costs.
The annual cost of a state-funded special school place is approximately half the cost of an independent school place. The resulting impact of not providing the permanent additional places would be an increase to the on-going financial revenue pressure on the High Needs Block, of up to £1.75m per year. Along this cost there would be additional transport costs which would be dependent on where children are placed.
Proposed Decision: Progress with phase 2 - this is the recommended proposal as it will permanently increase capacity at the school and avoid further pressure of placements in the independent and non-maintained sector, and a potential revenue cost avoidance of up to £1.75m per year. Whilst the capital cost of delivering phase 2 of the construction is significantly greater than previously estimated, it is in line with market prices, within the budget available and will provide value for money to KCC whilst improving the provision for children with some of the most complex needs in the local community.
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
This proposal will help to support Framing Kent’s Future – Our Council Strategy (2022-2026) Priority 1 - Levelling up. ‘To maintain KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in Kent to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for all families.’
How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026
The 'Securing Kent's Future' strategy outlines the measures that KCC intend to take to ensure that Kent remains financially stable, now and into the future. It describes the statutory priorities, one of which being the statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available to any child or young person who requires one. This duty applies to SEN provision, as well as mainstream settings.
This proposal is necessary for KCC to continue to deliver the statutory duty, in a cost-effective way, in line with the guidelines described in the Securing Kent's Future strategy. It will help to maintain KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in Kent to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for all families.
Financial Implications
Comprehensive feasibility and design work has been completed in preparation for progression through the planning process for phase 2. This phase will provide the school with the main additional accommodation required to accommodate a total roll of 330 pupils on a permanent basis. It entails a single storey standalone traditional construction build, consisting of 4 general classrooms and a specialist science room. It also includes a calm space/room, 2 small group rooms paired with the classrooms, accessible toilets via a cloakroom between classrooms, a hygiene suite and suitable circulation space along with other ancillary accommodation to meet the needs of the pupils using the accommodation. Along with accommodation delivered in Phase 1, this will add teaching space to the school and enable the school to stop using space it has temporarily converted to teaching space.
The type and amount of accommodation proposed is based on the findings of a space needs assessment against BB104, which is Department for Education (DfE) guidance for space standards in special schools.
A detailed cost plan has been produced estimating that £7,173,774 of High Need Capital Budget funding is required to complete phase 2 of the project. The previous initial high-level feasibility, completed prior to phase 1, estimated that £2.88m would be required for Phase 2. However, this proved to be an underestimation when the more detailed feasibility work was completed taking into consideration specific site and operational constraints.
The revised cost estimate represents a significant increase from the original projection. To ensure accuracy, the County Council commissioned independent verification from chartered quantity surveyors, who confirmed that the figure of £7,173,774 aligns with current market expectations.
The cost increase can be attributed to three principal factors:
· Macroeconomic Conditions: Rising labour and material costs, coupled with global economic uncertainty, have contributed to higher inflationary pressures, which are now being reflected in contractor pricing.
· Project-Specific Developments: Detailed design and site investigations have progressed since the initial estimate, including assessments of building placement, ground conditions, site logistics and planning and environmental requirements. This has revealed additional cost elements that were not considered in the initial estimate.
· Initial Estimation Optimism: The original cost estimate was subject to a greater degree of optimism bias than was appropriate by the contractor that produced it.
The original estimate was independently prepared by contractors who were requested to produce realistic project estimates, albeit at an early stage of the project’s development. This was informed by market rates and information available at the time (4Q 2023). Officers within the Infrastructure Division have since introduced improved processes to reduce the likelihood of similar issues arising in future projects.
The combined cost of Phase 1 and 2 construction works would be £8,433,774; which is £82,684.06 per place across the 102 additional places. This is slightly below the average of £85,738 per place based on 74 schemes completed nationally and included within the June 2025 National School Delivery Cost Benchmarking Report, which was compiled by Local Authorities and the DfE.
The proposed expenditure enables delivery of the Council’s statutory services and requirements at a minimum possible level as set out in KCC’s Spending Control Guidance and avoiding the need for Independent Placements will support the County Council to prevent the current situation from getting worse.
Revenue Funding: Should the scheme progress, £6,000 per new learning space would be provided towards the cost of furniture and equipment. This would be provided to the school to purchase required equipment. In addition, an allowance of up to £2,500 may be payable to outfit each new teaching room with appropriate ICT equipment, such as touch screens or projection equipment. The school would receive funding for the additional pupils that it admits in line with the funding allocated to special schools through KCC’s funding formula. This is a total of £42,500 one-off revenue costs. All school related revenue costs highlighted will be met from the Dedicated Schools Grant, a ring-fenced grant from the Department of Education.
Both the Capital and Revenue funding requirement are expected to be met in full from DfE specific grants. The Capital funding will come from the High Needs Capital Grant with a combined allocations totalling over £70m (between 2023-26). The cost avoidance outlined in above also impacts expenditure funded from the high needs block, a specific grant from the DfE which the Council is currently overspending and is aiming to recover through the implementation of the Safety Valve Agreement, of which this proposal will support this plan.
There is no direct General Fund costs or savings associated with this proposal. However, if this was not to proceed, any feasibility costs to date would be classed as “abortive” and could no longer be classed as capital expenditure, therefore these costs would become a one-off revenue costs on the General Fund. The estimated costs to date with phase 2 are £0.4m.
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
Decision published: 01/10/2025
Effective from: 09/10/2025
Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I agree to:
a) APPROVE the allocation of £7,173,774 in funding from the Children Young People and Education Services High Need Capital Budget to fund the second phase of works to permanently expand Nexus Foundation Special School.
b) DELEGATE authority to the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the General Counsel and Director of Education to enter into any necessary contracts or other legal agreements as required to implement this decision.
c) AGREE that the Director of Infrastructure be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements, with authority to enter variations as envisaged under the contracts. Variations to contract value to be no more than 10% above the capital funding agreed by the Cabinet Member without requiring a new Record of Decision.
Lead officer: Nick Abrahams
Proposed decision
The Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport is asked to give approval to accept the Consolidated Active Travel Fund (CATF) grant and take the projects through their various stages of scheme development and delivery:
Reason for the decision
A key decision is required to accept the Capital & Revenue Grant because it is over the £1m threshold (£4,453,591m Capital & £1,304,625 Revenue totalling £5,758,216).
Background – Provide brief additional context
The Consolidated Active Travel Fund has combined two previous Grants – the Active Travel Fund and the Capability Fund, both annual awards to support local transport authorities with developing and implementing walking, wheeling and cycling facilities in England.
This funding is based on Kent's population size and its capability rating in delivering active travel projects, which influences future government funding. The council's current rating is Level 2, indicating visible local leadership and an emerging active travel network.
Options
Not to accept the direct grant. KCC would not be able to fund active travel projects that areshown to have health, environmental, accessibility, community and economic benefits for Kent residents.
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
Infrastructure for Communities – The schemes that will be delivered with the funding are consistent with principles of accelerating the delivery of key transport infrastructure and enhancing leverage of external infrastructure investment within the districts and boroughs from central government. The scheme will also contribute towards providing viable and attractive travel options that focus on both road and active travel modes.
How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery Strategy.pdf
The schemes will be solely funded by the Active Travel Grants, therefore the scheme will not compromise Objective 1. No funding is required from the Council’s feasibility reserve which is relevant to Objective 2. The close alignment of the scheme to Framing Kent’s Future is therefore consistent with Objective 3.
Financial Implications
The funding is ring-fenced and the Council must commit to spend the revenue grant funding by the end of the funding period, 31 March 2026 and delivered within 18 months by September 2026).
The capital grant funded schemes should be committed by the end of March 2026 and all construction schemes should be completed within two years (by the end of March 2028)
The estimated costs of each scheme will be revisited in line with internal governance and good project management practices. The detailed costings for construction schemes will be revisited as the projects progress through the various design stages and will be using the Highway Term Maintenance Contract (evidencing best value). The costings include an element to cover risk and contingency and use of the existing procured contracts reduces any cost uncertainty to ensure it is affordable within the funding envelope.
All staff costs spent on bid submission, designs, design reviews and supervision of construction schemes will be charged to the grants.
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport
Decision published: 01/10/2025
Effective from: 09/10/2025
Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport I agree to:
6. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport to take other necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement the decision.
Lead officer: Jamie Watson
Proposed decision
Approval to continue to operate the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme Courses (NDORS) in partnership with Kent Police to 31 March 2030.
Reason for Decision
The previous Key Decision (Decision - 17/00139 - Memorandum of Understanding for The Kent Police Driver Diversionary Partnership) has expired and therefore a key decision is required to approve the continued delivery of the NDORS courses, in line with the existing Memorandum of Understanding which runs until 2030.
Background
This proposal is for service continuation, since the service is currently operating very successfully, delivering to more clients than ever before and having received high praise from UK Road Offender Education (UKROEd) who are the governing body to course providers in the recent Annual Provider Review 2025.
The primary focus of the service is to re-educate low-end driving offenders, in order to reduce road casualties, through delivery of National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme Courses.
Options considered but discarded
Not to extend the contract and for Kent Police to outsource Some Police Authorities commission courses from the private sector, however Kent Police works in the strategic partnership with KCC to reduce road casualties and there is a desire to retain services within this partnership directly supporting Vision Zero, Kent County Council’s Road Safety Strategy. Working within the partnership also provides opportunities to extend the benefits of road safety education and training to the wider community across Kent.
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
The proposal supports Infrastructure for Communities and specially to deliver the ambition to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on Kent’s Roads
|
Quarter 4 comparison |
||||
|
|
Fatal |
Serious |
Slight |
Total |
|
2024/25 |
9 |
189 |
686 |
884 |
|
2023/24 |
15 |
141 |
586 |
742 |
How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery Strategy.pdf
The decision is cost-neutral to KCC and any surplus income is reinvested in road safety schemes.
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport
Decision published: 01/10/2025
Effective from: 09/10/2025
Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport I agree to:
continue to operate NDORS in partnership with Kent Police to 31 March 2030 in line with the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Lead officer: Mark Bunting
Proposed decision
The Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport is asked to give approval to accept the Active Travel Fund Grant (ATF5) and take the projects through their various stages of scheme development and delivery as listed below:
1. APPROVE the acceptance of the Active Travel Fund (ATF5) Grant award and the deployment of the grant funding in accordance with the grant conditions to take the ATF5 projects through their various stages of scheme development and delivery.
2. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport and the S151 Officer to agree to enter into the necessary grant agreements.
3. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport to deploy and manage the grant allocation funding to take the ATF5 projects through their various stages of scheme development and delivery.
4. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member and S151 Officer, to accept and deploy future years funding allocations of the grant, providing it is on similar terms.
5. DELEGATE authority to Director of Infrastructure to progress and complete all relevant construction property and Compulsory Purchase Orders as necessary to deliver the schemes.
6. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport to take other necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement the decision.
Reason for the decision
A key decision is required to seek approval to accept the Capital & Revenue Grant because it is over the £1m threshold (£1,671,054m Capital & £215,011 Revenue totalling £1,886,065) and to deploy and manage the grant in accordance to grant funding conditions.
Background – Provide brief additional context
Kent County Council has been awarded a Capital and Revenue Grant totalling £1,886,065 by Active Travel England to develop and construct active travel schemes across the county. This funding is based on Kent's population size and its capability rating in delivering active travel projects, which influences future government funding.
Local authorities are rated from Level 0 to Level 4 based on leadership, support, and network development for active travel. KCC is at level 2 indicating visible local leadership and an emerging active travel network
Options
Not to accept the direct grant. KCC would not be able to fund active travel projects that areshown to have health, environmental, accessibility, community and economic benefits for Kent residents.
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
Infrastructure for Communities – The schemes that will be delivered with the funding are consistent with principles of accelerating the delivery of key transport infrastructure and enhancing leverage of external infrastructure investment within the districts and boroughs from central government. The scheme will also contribute towards providing viable and attractive travel options that focus on both road and active travel modes.
How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery Strategy.pdf
The schemes will be solely funded by the Active Travel Grant awarded, therefore the scheme will not compromise Objective 1. No funding is required from the Council’s feasibility reserve which is relevant to Objective 2. The close alignment of the scheme to Framing Kent’s Future is therefore consistent with Objective 3.
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport
Decision published: 01/10/2025
Effective from: 09/10/2025
Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport I agree to:
6. DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and Transport to take other necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into contracts or other legal agreements, as required to implement the decision
Lead officer: Jamie Watson
Cabinet is asked to:
a) NOTE the revenue and capital forecast outturn position for 2025-26 as detailed in the report, and accompanying appendices
b) AGREE the revenue and capital budget adjustments which will be detailed in the report
c) DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Finance to take required actions as necessary to implement the decision
d) DELEGATE authority, in consultation with the Deputy Leader, for the management of the Extended Producer Responsibility Grant (held in reserves) to the Corporate Director of Finance in 2025-26 – subject to relevant government guidance or requirements.
Reason for the decision
The capital and revenue forecast outturn position for the Council needs to be noted by Cabinet.
In line with usual practice at this stage of the year, some revenue budgets have been realigned to reflect a reallocation between Key Services in light of the 2024-25 final spend and activity levels and the latest service transformation plans. Adjustments to both capital and revenue budgets require approval from Cabinet.
Background – Provide brief additional context
The report on the Council’s latest financial position in 2025-26 will be reported to Cabinet on 25 September 2025. The report provides detail of our revenue and capital forecast outturn positions.
Options (other options considered but discarded)
- N/A
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
Framing Kent’s Future (FKF), the KCC Strategic Statement, was approved at County Council in May 2022 and sets out the council’s ambition and strategic priorities until 2026. FKF acknowledged the significant financial and demand pressures the council would be facing over the coming four years, whilst concurrently delivering an ambitious agenda for Kent residents, businesses, and local communities. The Securing Kent's Future plans and this related Finance Monitoring report 2024-25 reflects the need to confirm a re-prioritisation of Council business within the framework of Framing Kent's Future.
How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future
Securing Kent’s Future (SKF) acknowledges that given the significance of adults and children’s social care within the council’s budget, and that spending growth pressures on the council’s budget overwhelming (but not exclusively) come from social care, that the priority of delivering New Models of Care and Support must take precedence over the other priorities in Framing Kent’s Future. This creates an expectation that council services across all directorates must collectively prioritise delivering the new models of care and support objective as a collective enterprise.
The forecast outturn report for 2025-26 provides the detail of the financial position and the relevant information on the delivery of savings and monitoring of reserves.
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision published: 25/09/2025
Effective from: 03/10/2025
Decision:
The Cabinet agree to:
a) NOTE the revenue and capital forecast outturn position for 2025-26 as detailed in the report, and accompanying appendices
b) AGREE the revenue and capital budget adjustments detailed in the report
c) DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Finance to take actions as necessary to implement the decision
d) DELEGATE authority, in consultation with the Deputy Leader, for the management of the Extended Producer Responsibility Grant (held in reserves) to the Corporate Director of Finance in 2025-26 – subject to relevant government guidance or requirements.
Lead officer: Cath Head
Proposed decision:
To adopt the Adult Social Care Prevention Framework 2025-2035
Reason for the decision
Even though the authority has several activities which offer different types of preventative support (primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention), the approach is not codified in a single document. The development of the Prevention Framework is intended to satisfy these objectives and to express our ambitions clearly in respect of the fundamental statutory requirements of the Care Act 2014, and the Care and support statutory guidance.
Background – Provide brief additional context
The Government acknowledges through its five Missions and the Cassey Commission that Adult Social Care in England is facing unprecedented challenges due to rising demand, increased costs of care and support and budget pressures. Adopting a prevention-first approach has emerged as a one of the sustainable solutions, helping people live independently while easing the financial strain on local authorities, benefiting both residents and providers. The plethora of recent reports on prevention such as Future of Prevention Programme Interim Report and https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/earlier-action-and-support-case-prevention-adult-social-care-and-beyond underlines this fact.
We have worked collaboratively with Kent Analytics and the Kent Public Health Observatory to adopt a robust data collection and analysis approach. By leveraging the Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR) and the Johns Hopkins Risk Stratification Tool, we have gained valuable insights into how people who draw on care and support may transition between different levels of need. This has enabled us to identify key drivers of demand and explore projections to understand how these may evolve over the next ten years, and gain insight into how we sustainably meet that growing and changing demand.
The Framework has been co-designed in collaboration with Voluntary Community Sector Enterprise (VCSE), Kent residents and system partners and reflects a shared commitment to preventative working. It will serve as a practical tool to support the design, planning, and delivery of preventative initiatives over a ten-year period. The Framework will be reviewed on a regular basis, to ensure it remains relevant and responsive to emerging needs.
The Framework aligns with key strategies that prioritise prevention, early intervention, and community-based support. These include Making a Difference Every Day, the Kent Adult Carers’ Strategy, and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Strategy, as well as Framing Kent’s Future, Securing Kent’s Future, the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, Social Prescribing, Commissioning Intentions, and the Civil Society Strategy. Together, these strategies support a shift towards proactive, preventative approaches that reduce demand, promote wellbeing, and help people remain independent for longer.
Options (other options considered but discarded)
It was discussed and agreed by the Corporate Management Team on 24 September 2024 that the Framework would be an Adult Social Care document, rather than Council-wide.
If we follow a ‘do nothing’ approach to alter the trajectory of the need for care and assume costs remain at 2024 levels, then by 2035 the costs associated with meeting the needs of the over 65 population alone, will rise by at least 48%.
How the proposed decision supports the Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
This proposed decision is aligned with Priority 4 within the Strategic Statement to work within the system to ensure a strong focus on preventative community services, building a strong strategic relationship with the social sector in Kent and their role in supporting a system-wide focus on prevention.
How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery Strategy.pdf
The proposed decision supports securing Kent's future by delivering service transformation opportunities to identify risk in the population and design effective preventative interventions before needs develop and people present with multiple complex needs, which drives significant increase in cost of placements. Whilst this may reduce demand for social care, it also has the potential to reduce demand to health services, including hospitals, which then will reduce the risk of inappropriate placement decisions through the hospital discharge pathway.
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
Decision published: 19/09/2025
Effective from: 27/09/2025
Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Social Care and Public Health, I agree to:
a) ADOPT the Adult Social Care Prevention Framework 2025-2035; and
b) DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health to refresh and/or make revisions as appropriate during the lifetime of the Framework and to take relevant actions, including but not limited to finalising the terms and entering into required contract or other legal agreements, as necessary to implement the objectives of the Framework.
Lead officer: Meg Vest