Agenda item

This report updates the Committee on the annual refresh of the statutory Sufficiency Statement.  The Sufficiency Statement 2017 sets out how Medway Council will meet the needs of Looked After Children and Care Leavers in such a way as to ensure improved outcomes.

Discussion:

The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence introduced the annual Sufficiency Statement which outlined the extent to which the Local Authority complied with their statutory duties to provide sufficient accommodation for Children in Care and Care Leavers, as well as plans to address the gaps in the provision.

The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence drew the Committee’s attention to the work undertaken by other service areas which had assisted in reaching more sufficient accommodation, including the Fostering Service. She added there had been improvements in permanency planning and the number of child and family placements had increased.

In referring to complexity of need, the Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence advised the largest cohort of Children in Care was 5-9 and 10-15 age group and in particular, the 10-15 cohort would require more specialist provision.

With regards to future priorities, as set out in Section 7 to Appendix 1 to the report, the Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence highlighted the key requirements for commissioning for Looked After Children included the utilisation of the Council’s estate, procurement of a new Independent Fostering Agencies (IFA) Framework and working with fewer providers and other Local Authorities.

The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence advised that the Children and Social Care Act 2017 had been introduced which placed additional responsibilities on Local Authorities to provide care leavers with support. She advised further that practical and resource implications were not yet known.

Members raised a number of questions and comments, which included:

·         Supervision of young people – A Member raised concerns over local provision and the impact it has had on local residents. The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence expressed regret and explained that in instances where children had been placed in Medway from other Local Authorities, Medway Council had no monitoring powers, the responsibility for monitoring lied with the Local Authority which placed the children with that provider. The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence added that Medway Council had put in place embargoes against the use of specified facilities; these had been respected by other Local Authorities and the cooperative relationship had improved. 

·         Regulation of the Sector – In response concerns from a Member in relation to the lack of regulation of the Sector and monitoring of young people which had also been raised with the Director of Children and Adults Services, the Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence advised that the Local Authority had monitored providers against a quality assurance framework and where the Local Authority had not been satisfied with the outcomes for young people had issued a warning, however, it was recognised more must be done in the absence of a formal regulator. The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence undertook to add this to the work programme of her team and report back to the Committee the actions to be taken to improve monitoring of providers.

At the request of a Member, the Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence also undertook to report back to the Committee on the future provision of supported accommodation for Children in Care and Care Leavers.

·         Integration into the wider community – In response to a comment from a Member concerning the value of local people to support Children in Care and Care Leavers, the Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence agreed with this point. 

·         Communication with Ward Councillors – At the request of a Member the Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence undertook to ensure Ward Councillors were appraised of both positive and negative developments in the sufficiency of supported accommodation for Children in Care and Care Leavers.

·         Transforming Care – In response to a question from a Member on what would happen in March 2019 following the end of the three year Transforming Care Programme, the Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence explained that the principle of Transforming Care would remain. However, it was likely that the additional funding from NHS England would end. This was a small amount of funding and supported the provision of a care coordinator to manage cases and work with children and adults social workers. The Assistant Director, Commissioning, Business and Intelligence added that by 2019, the Service would have a good understanding of the cohort and would have commissioned community provision working across a Kent and Medway footprint, noting that the adult cohort added to budget pressures.

·         Regional Adoption Agency – Asked by a Member for an update on the Regional Adoption Agency (RAA), the Deputy Director, Children and Adults, advised the RAA was in the next planning stages with the London Borough of Bexley and Kent County Council. In addition, it was suggested that a funding bid would be submitted to facilitate progress.

·         Medway care applications – A Member commented that the reduction in Medway care applications was positive. 

·         The independent fostering sector – In response to a question regarding the independent fostering sector, the Partnership Commissioning Programme Lead for Looked After Children explained that the framework that was being procured would have two layers, this included working with a smaller group of agencies to develop relationships and remove competition.

Decision:

The Committee noted the 2017 Sufficiency Statement, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.