Issue details

Proposed decision –

The Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services is asked (subject to selection by the DfE as an appropriate Pathfinder region) to:

A)   Agree to become a Regional Care Co-operatives Pathfinder authority (if selected)

B)   Enter into relevant agreements with the DfE to join/lead a Pathfinder Region for the delivery of a Regional Care Co-operative (Agreement to include the acceptances of relevant Memorandums of Understandings and associated funding and partnership agreements)

C)   Delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, to take other relevant actions, including but not limited to, finalising the terms and entering into required contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary to implement the decision.

Reason for the decision

The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking Local Authorities (LAs) to engage in designing and piloting the Regional Care Co-operatives (RCCs), as set out in their strategy Stable Homes, Built on Love.

There is funding for successful Local Authorities that wish to be Pathfinders; no LA’s have been identified yet so no potential financial amounts have been allocated. However, we are seeking approval to engage in progressing these projects, identifying the funding that would be allocated and implementing the requirements, including spending the money in line with the conditions.

Background

The Stable Homes, Built on Love strategy sets out a vision to re-balance children’s social care away from costly crisis intervention to more meaningful and effective early support.

The DfE states it will reform in phases, investing £200m over the next two years. After two years they will refresh this strategy, scaling up new approaches that have been tested and bring forward legislation (subject to parliamentary time).

DfE are looking to run two regional pathfinders to test Regional Care Cooperatives. The regions taking part will play a key role in shaping future delivery. DfE want the region to be big enough to start seeing savings through economies of scale and anticipate an appropriate size would be eight to 12 LAs, although LAs with large Children in Care populations, the number of LAs might be smaller.

Pathfinders are voluntary and confirmation of interest is required. Financial support will be provided to support Pathfinder regions to get started.

Options (other options considered but discarded)

To not put KCC forward to contribute as a Pathfinder for RCC – this was decided against because of the significant pressures and challenges finding affordable placements for Children in Care.

How the proposed decision supports the Strategic Statement:

The proposed decision supports Framing Kent’s Future Our Council Strategy 2022-2026, Specifically Priority 4 New Models of Care and Support

1.Explore all opportunities to integrate our commissioning of services to improve health and care outcomes.

It also supports delivery of the Kent Sufficiency Strategy 2022-2027