Issue - meetings

This report describes the development of a specialist service for the support of looked after children.  In particular the service will facilitate, at a single venue, supervised and assessed contact arrangements between looked after children and their parents.

RESOLVED:       That, subject to the approval of Cabinet, Option 1 (i.e. the proposed refurbishment of 6 Nursery Drive) be approved, on the understanding that the revenue costs of this prudential borrowing be funded from the Adults, Children and Education (ACE) revenue budget. 

REASON:            The full effect of the service improvement will be achieved by agreeing to option 1 and a single designated site delivering both service improvement and efficiency.

The Cabinet Member considered a report that described the development of a specialist service for the support of looked after children.  In particular the service would facilitate, at a single venue, supervised and assessed contact arrangements between looked after children and their parents.

The Cabinet Member noted that the proposed new arrangements would create a centre of expertise in relation to children’s contact needs.  The dedicated focus would improve the quality of the contact as well as the recording and reporting on this.

The new arrangements would also provide economies of scale in relation to staff time, the utilisation of buildings and savings in transport costs.  The Cabinet Member noted the capital expenditure that would be required to refurbish the building that had been identified for the centre.

The Cabinet Member considered the following options detailed in the report.

Option 1:    Proposed the refurbishment of an existing council property - 6 Nursery Drive.  The estimated cost to carry out the adaptations and refurbishment required was £248k.  A capital grant of £58K had been identified which could be spent on this project.  The remaining £190k would then be funded by prudential borrowing over a period of ten years.  

Option 2:    To continue to provide the service from the many different children centres and other settings in which contact meetings are currently arranged.

RESOLVED:       That, subject to the approval of Cabinet, Option 1 (i.e. the proposed refurbishment of 6 Nursery Drive) be approved, on the understanding that the revenue costs of this prudential borrowing be funded from the Adults, Children and Education (ACE) revenue budget. 

REASON:           The full effect of the service improvement will be achieved by agreeing to option 1 and a single designated site delivering both service improvement and efficiency.