Cabinet Member decisions

Background

Following discussions in 2015/16 with all district housing authorities and within Kent County Council (KCC), it was agreed that KCC would coordinate the support provision for refugees resettled in Kent under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme, with the exception of those to be settled in Ashford and Canterbury.

In order to respond in a timely manner to the need to resettle refugee families, KCC entered into grant agreements with providers that were able to provide the required support.  It has been decided that the resettlement casework support provided to individual families and property set-up aspects of the scheme should now be formally commissioned in order to put the requirements of the scheme on a firm contractual basis, to give all potential providers the opportunity to bid and to ensure the specification covers all current and future refugee resettlement schemes.

At present the service is solely focused on the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (VPRS). However, it is the intention to include in the tender the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (almost identical to the VPRS) for arrivals up to Spring 2020 and from then the new UK Resettlement Scheme which will absorb and extend the existing resettlement schemes going forward. Any future similarly arranged and funded schemes will also be covered by the tender. The proposed contract with providers will allow additional local authorities to be added if needed.

It is the intention to retain within KCC the coordination and management of the scheme and for the district housing authorities to remain, as now, responsible for decisions on the number of refugee families to be resettled and for the housing to be used.

Options considered

The options considered for the delivery of the resettlement support included to maintain the status quo (that is to continue to use the existing three providers and to pay them via annual grants), to provide the support from an in-house KCC team, to devolve the responsibility and budget back to the districts or to externally commission the support (either via one external provider for the whole of Kent, via a Dynamic Purchasing System or via a Framework Contract with Lots according to geographical area).

Alignment with the Strategic Statement

The proposed decision will enable KCC to deliver support to resettled refugee families in Kent in a way that meets the objectives of each of the three strategic outcomes in the Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020).

Outcome 1 – Children and young people in Kent get the best start in life: almost all the families resettled through the scheme contain children and young people.  They have all had to flee their country of origin following the witnessing of traumatic events; they have usually spent a few years in one of the countries surrounding Syria living an insecure existence where access to education, health care and other services is poor.  Settling in Kent enables children and young people to have their needs fully assessed and addressed where at all possible, thus enabling them to dramatically improve their life chances.

Outcome 2 – Kent communities feel the benefits of economic growth by being in work, healthy and enjoying a good quality of life:  a fundamental objective of the scheme is to enable all adults for whom it is appropriate, to access full-time employment and to eventually not require support from the benefits system.  To this end the scheme supports English language and skills training to enable individual refugees to secure employment. The support is very tailored to individual needs as the cohort of refugees arrive with very varied levels of education, qualifications and skills (e.g. there are craftsmen, manual workers, architects, teachers, people skilled in the hospitality trade, care professions etc).  In addition to benefitting the families themselves, the skills many of the refuges bring with them are a significant asset to the communities in which they are settled.

Outcome 3 – Older and vulnerable residents are safe and supported with choices to live independently:  all the refuges are vulnerable to an extent, having experienced trauma and displacement. On top of this a significant proportion have physical and mental health problems that need addressing once they arrive in the UK.  The support provided through the scheme enables them to access the services they require and to live as independently as possible in the community.  To date none of the refugees have had to access residential care or, if children, been taken into care.

Decision:

To commission via a competitive tender the refugee resettlement support service in Kent. Decisions about the commissioning process and the implementation of the new contracts to be delegated to the Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education.

Background:

The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2019-23 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:

http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/strategies-and-policies/education-skills-and-employment-policies/education-provision

KCC forecasts indicate a growing demand for Year 7 places in Gravesend from the start of the 2019-20 academic year.  The Gravesend and Longfield Non-Selective Planning Group is forecast to have a deficit of 74 Year 7 places (2.5FE) from 2019-20 that increases to a deficit of 316 places (10.5FE) by 2023/24.

Thamesview School has a Published Admission Number of 150, but offered 30 extra places in 2016, 2017, 2018 and for the September 2019 intake.

KCC propose increasing the amount of school social space including, dining, recreational and circulation space over the next twelve months.  Without this building work, the school considers it may be unable to offer 180 places for September 2020. It is therefore proposed that for the September 2020 intake Thamesview maintain their PAN at 150 but will consider whether they can offer an additional 30 places nearer the time.

KCC propose planning and building a new block at the school, together with other infill work.  This work would be completed before the September 2021 intake.  This build would enable the school to offer 210 Year 7 places for September 2021.

Decision:

To publish a Public Notice on a proposal to expand Thamesview School, Thong Lane, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 4LF by increasing the Published Admission Number (PAN) from 150 places to 210 places from September 2021; and support further resources being expended to enable the scheme to proceed to planning stage.

Proposed Decision:

To agree the extension of collaborative partnership arrangement with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) until at least March 2025 and ongoing delivery of Public Health services through this approach. Public Health services included within the current arrangement are listed below:

·         Health Visiting

·         School Health Services

·         Sexual Health Services

·         Lifestyle Services and NHS Health Checks

·         Oral Health Services

·         Postural Stability Services

Background:

Kent County Council took the decision to enter into an innovative partnership with Kent Community Health Foundation Trust (KCHFT) in September 2017, with the aim to maximise the opportunity to improve the health of Kent residents, deliver common objectives and accelerate delivery of the Sustainability Transformation Plan (STP), known as the Sustainability Transformation Partnership.  This arrangement was also designed to offer the flexibility to align to new local care arrangements.

This decision recognised that KCHFT was integral to the delivery of the STP and recognised that both KCC and KCHFT faced significant challenges which could be better managed through a joint open and transparent approach. The original decision put procurement in “abeyance” until at least March 2020 and a further decision is required on how best to deliver these services in the future. Legal advice taken at this time confirmed that the approach was permitted within the Procurement Regulations.

The Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation structures are more advanced than in 2017 and local leaders are working to deliver the local plan, Case for Change. This includes a series of commitments which have been supported by KCHFT. Kent and Medway STP is developing a five-year plan in response to the national LTP and is required to become an Integrated Care System (ICS) in the coming months. Services and health providers will need to align to these changes and work with commissioners to determine how they can best integrate and support acceleration of local care.

Kent continues to face a series of significant demographic pressures alongside budget constraints and pressures, e.g. long-term clarity on national NHS pay and uncertainty on future funding arrangements for the Public Health grant.

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree to the extension of the collaborative partnership arrangement with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, until at least March 2025, and ongoing delivery of Public Health services through this approach.

Public Health services included are listed below:

• Health Visiting
• School Health Services
• Sexual Health Services
• Lifestyle Services and NHS Health Checks
• Oral Health Services
• Postural Stability Services

Background

Sunny Bank Primary School was established on 1 September 2016 when Murston Junior school and Murston Infant School and Maintained Nursery amalgamated. The new primary school opened in the existing accommodation of both schools and it wasenvisaged that in the longer term the Local Authority would pursue opportunities to bring the school together on one site that was in the ownership of KCC and support the school’s operation as an all-through primary school.

The KCP 2019-2023 identifies the need for additional places in the Sittingbourne East primary planning area. The expansion of Sunny Bank Primary by 0.5FE was identified to meet this need. A full feasibility was commissioned in 2018 to relocate the infant department and Nursery to the junior department site and provide the infrastructure to expand by 0.5FE to a 2FE primary school. This ensures that there are adequate places for children from new housing that is already being built out in close proximity to the school, as well as the future financial viability of Sunny Bank.

The current infant department was originally established in the 1860s and additional buildings were added over subsequent years. The buildings are in poor condition and the cost of maintaining the infant school site in order to ensure the buildings are fit for purpose would be considerable. The Infant buildings are on a site that is in the ownership of a local Diocesan Trust that comes under Canterbury Diocese. The lease costs are in the region of £ 20,000 per annum and are currently paid by KCC as the school would not be able to meet these costs and remain viable.The most cost-effective option is therefore to relocate the infant department to the junior site which is in the ownership of KCC and is of a sufficient size to accommodate all the buildings required for a 2fe primary school plus nursery.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education is asked to:

(i)            Allocate £4.2M from the Children, Young People and Education Capital budget;

(ii)          Authorise the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the General Counsel (Interim) to enter into any necessary contracts/ agreements on behalf of the County Council; and

(iii)         Authorise the Director of Infrastructure to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into 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.

This proposal is also subject to Planning agreement.

Background

Previously, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) used to assess how well Local Authorities were performing in Adult Social Care.  They no longer do this, and as part of national changes, all Local Authorities are now asked to produce a document, in partnership with their residents to enable them, to hold the authority to account.  As a result, the Local Account for Adult Social Care has been produced.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health is asked to APPROVE the Local Account document– ‘Here for you, how did we do?’ (April 2018 – March 2019) (attached at Appendix 1).

Decision:

Approval to award a contract for the delivery of Facilities Management Services in East Kent and to delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services to agree final terms and enter into any necessary contractual documentation.

Background:

The Southborough Hub Project is a joint project between Kent County Council (KCC), Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) and Southborough Town Council (STC) to deliver a Community Hub scheme which has been a long-term aspiration for Southborough Town.  Two previous key decisions (15/00041 and 15/00024) were taken authorising the inclusion of the library and the funding/land transactions required  to facilitate the project.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a Collaboration Agreement were signed between KCC and TWBC and STC. The land with the benefit of consent for the 69 residential units was

sold to Crest Nicholson, which along with the NHS and FA grant, has provided the budget to fund the project.

The terms of the Collaboration agreement have facilitated detailed development of the next stages of the project. This includes the negotiation and execution of funding agreements with the NHS and Football Foundation, together with the negotiation of a final tender sum for the construction works.

Proposed decision:

To authorise to the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services and the Corporate Director for Finance to enter into the necessary legal documents to enable the construction of the Southborough Hub development.

Alternatives considered:

Part retention of the existing buildings on the site with relevant refurbishment instead of total rebuilding was considered and this was noted as part of the formal consultation in 2015/16.

Further information on alternatives and other details considered may viewed online as part of the previous consultation materials.

As Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, I approve the progression of the Southborough Hub Development project and authorise the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the Corporate Director for Finance to enter into the necessary legal documents to enable the construction of the Southborough Hub development.