Issue - meetings

Report from the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People  

Councillor Lucy Smith, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People provided members with an overview of the report on acquiring properties for Children’s homes in Bury.

Members discussed the costs and how this decision will result in better quality outcomes for children and keeping them within their communities.

A member raised the importance of consulting with communities in prospective areas so they nurture the children. Councillor O’Brien confirmed that political leadership is needed on this issue and good engagement is required.

Decision:

Cabinet:

1. Approved the proposal to enter into negotiations for the in-principle purchase of two 5/6-bedroomed homes to be converted as required to residential children’s homes for residential placements for up to 6 children and associated staffing sleeping and office quarters.
2. Approved capital expenditure of up to £1.5m (assuming no external grant funding becomes available) for the purchase and refurbishment of the homes in (2.0) alongside associated operational management and transformation activity within Children and Young People’s Services to implement the proposed improvements and new management model.
3. Should grant monies be identified, prior to implementation, Cabinet agreed to provide delegation to the Executive Director of Children and Young People’s Services and Director of Finance to accept any grant funding for the acquisitions should it become available following this approval.
4. Agreed to delegate authority to the Executive Director of Place in consultation with the Executive Director of Children and Young People’s Services and Director of Finance, alongside the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People to oversee selection of property for new children’s homes and associated legal agreements.
5. Noted that the Council will undertake a procurement in respect of necessary refurbishment works at the purchased properties to appoint contractors and enter into legal agreements for the refurbishment of the premises. The value of these works is such that they may be awarded in accordance with the officers’ scheme of delegation.
6. Noted the introduction of proposed operational service changes which will require authorisation through standard HR processes alongside the implementation of the overall project. This will include creating the proposed staffing structure (subject to Job Evaluation) and resources alongside prevention-based transformation activity.

Reasons for recommendation(s)

• The purchase of a maximum of 2 new homes within the locality of Bury to accommodate placements up to 6 Care Experienced Children and enable the Council to play an active role in the lives of its cared for children and meet its duty as Corporate Parents.
• Deliver Bury’s Children’s and Young People’s plan Outcome 3 to allow Children, young people and families to get the support they need locally to where they live.
• The approach will improve quality of provision by giving more effective control to Bury Council over all aspects of service delivery, whilst also reducing the unit cost of the operation substantially.
• Reduce the dependence of Bury Council on Private Sector residential provision, whilst establishing greater competitive tension in the market more generally. It is hoped that provision of this additional capacity will influence Private Sector providers to adjust unit costs to more  ...  view the full minutes text for item 258