Agenda item

Options Paper for Medway Children's Assessment Unit

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report outlined the options available to Medway Council to develop an Assessment Unit to support with the reunification of children back with families or into more suitable and longer-term arrangements.

 

The report explained that due to the high levels of vulnerability of the young people undergoing assessment, one Assessment Unit would support no more than 4 young people at a time. The unit would be run as a children’s home and there would be a methodology behind the support programme to the young people that would run on a cyclical basis. The home would be staffed by a wrap-around multi-professional support team and additional support brought in as required by the care plans for the young people.

 

The options were considered by the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 7 January 2021, details of which were set out in an addendum report. The addendum report also provided an analysis of the Committee’s recommendation.

 

During the discussion of this item, the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member) explained that the preferred option was to progress 4b, as this option would meet the requirement to deliver an Assessment Unit at pace and would offer the greatest flexibility.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

The Cabinet noted the comments of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

5/2021

The Cabinet agreed to proceed with option 4b, as set out in section 3 of the report and in doing so agreed to:

·       commence procurement of a four-bed Children Assessment Unit for 14-17 year olds at the Old Vicarage site;

·       delegate authority to the Chief Legal Officer, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services (Lead Member), to acquire two alternative units and obtain all necessary consents for their use for the future provision of the service, for the purposes as set out in paragraph 3.4.8 of the main report;

·       delegate authority to the Chief Legal Officer, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources, to declare surplus and to dispose of the Old Vicarage site, on best terms reasonably obtainable, once the property is no longer needed;

·       delegate authority to the Chief Legal Officer, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources, to lease the Old Vicarage and the two new properties as part of the letting of the outsourcing contracts;

·       recommend to Full Council that it adds £1,500,000 to the capital programme to fund the purchase and related fees and costs for the purchase and conversion of the 2 alternative properties.

 

Reasons:

 

Option 4b delivers the most cost-effective service in the shortest timeline while placing the management of our vulnerable and complex children in the hands of experts well-resourced to do the job, by operating two units after a two-year period.

 

Option 4b builds in the opportunity to improve outcomes for a larger number of Medway’s young people over time, whilst delivering value for money and the greatest cost savings of the options examined. It offers a long-term opportunity to contribute towards savings in public money and protect the Council from reputational risk. 

Supporting documents: