Agenda item

Background:

This report sought Cabinet approval to prepare Medway Integrated Youth Support Services (IYSS) for future outsourcing.  It requested Cabinet approval to commission out these services and commence the development of a specification of an IYSS delivery model, which would provide the Council with savings when outsourced to an appropriate third party provider early in 2017.

The report explained and considered the national position and the need for discretionary youth services to be delivered and resourced differently in the context of reduced national funding to local government. It was noted that several models of delivery had been considered and discussed, with visits made to a number of other authorities.

The report proposed to package the Youth Service and the Youth Offending Service with the YES IAG (Connexions) contract into a commissioning package that was offered out to the voluntary and community sector to an organisation with charitable status. This would provide an opportunity for a new provider to access additional grants and funds which would not be available to the local authority. Details of the work programmes proposed for inclusion in the commissioned model was set out in the report and it was noted that under these proposals, the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme would be retained centrally.

The report explained that the possible models of future delivery had been discussed with IYSS staff and there was general recognition that the outsourced model would provide the opportunities for greater security of service delivery. Details of discussions with chairs of voluntary management committees of Youth Centres, the Youth Justice Board and Youth Offending Team Board were also set out. It was also noted that the Medway Youth Parliament had been informed of the possible model and the proposal was that detailed discussions be held with young people and local residents on the proposals to ensure that their views were considered in the development of the specification for the new service. This consultation would take place in January and early February and reported back to Cabinet in March 2016 at the first stage of the procurement exercise.

The report explained that a concern around the timing of the proposed outsourcing was the expiry of the YES (Connexions) contract in September 2017 and it was noted that discussions would be organised with Medway Youth Trust about the early termination of the YES contract.

A Diversity Impact Assessment on outsourced delivery was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. This considered the impact of the proposed change and actions to mitigate any impact. An exempt appendix provided details of a possible delivery model and information relating to the proposed procurement process.

The Cabinet agreed to consider this as an urgent report. It was noted that it had not been possible to circulate this report earlier, as the proposal to reconfigure and outsource the IYSS with effect from 2017 had been formulated in the context of work to develop 2016/2017 Revenue Budget proposals during late December. Submission to this meeting of the Cabinet would enable the completion of the commissioning process and implementation by January 2017. Given the inclusion of an exempt appendix, and in accordance with The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements)(Meetings and Access to Information)(England) Regulations 2012, the Chairman of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee had also agreed to the submission of this matter (detailed within the Exclusion of the Press and Public report elsewhere on the agenda).

Reasons:

The outsourcing will provide security and continuity for these young people’s services for the next 5 years.