Agenda item - Future Resettlement Pathway – Building Independence (17:51)

This report seeks Executive approval to expand the current in-house service to incorporate the services in the scope of the Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract, with smaller commissioned work packages where needed and to agree the principles of a new Resettlement pathway and develop a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy to be reported to a future meeting of the Executive.

Resolved:

i. Agreed the principles of the new Resettlement pathway and develop a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping strategy to be reported to a future meeting of the Executive;

ii. Approved the insourcing of services previously contracted under the Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract, and to implement the new Resettlement pathway to develop residential and support/care solutions for adults based upon early intervention and personalised support;

iii. Approved the short-term extension of the current Adult Community Wellbeing Support Service contract by way of a variation to enable a smooth transition to an in-house service, to run absolutely no later than 31 December 2024, and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to determine and conclude the terms of such a variation;

iv. Approved the commissioning of support services as needed by the pathway following the transition of the residential elements of the current contract, and to delegate authority to the Director of Housing, Economy and Regeneration in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to take such steps as are necessary to procure, award and enter into the resulting contracts (and any subsequent modifications and/or extensions thereto);

v. Agreed to appoint a temporary project team from existing budgets to manage the service transition and develop a detailed service transition model, and approve the establishment of a governance board to oversee the transition to the new pathway and engage city partners;

vi. Approved the commissioning of the Young People’s Community Wellbeing and Support Service following a review of the specification, and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance to take such steps as are necessary to procure, award and enter into the resulting contracts (and any subsequent modifications and/or extensions thereto);

vii. Approved that 89/91 Scarcroft Road, currently part of the Adult Wellbeing contract but owned by the council, is registered with OFSTED for the provision of support services for those young people who need supported accommodation as part of their pathway to independence.

Reason: To develop a new resettlement pathway and bring services in house.

Cllr Kilbane left the meeting during this item due to his prejudicial interest which is recorded under minute 120 Declaration of Interests.

Corporate Directors of Adult Social Care introduced the report highlighting the work done across the Council to bring forward a future resettlement pathway that would be run as an in house multi-disciplinary system. She noted that a fixed contract to deliver services would limit flexibility of the Council, while noting that the Council would continue to seek to work with and support partner organisations.

The Corporate Director Children’s Services noted that the current system had many hand off points for young people. He confirmed that a in house multi-disciplinary approach would create a better more streamlined pathway for young people moving into adulthood independence.

The Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities welcomed the report as a key part of the Executive’s aim to reduce homelessness and an elimination of rough sleeping. He highlighted the success a rapid housing programme could have in supporting people to live independent lives. He also thanked the University of York’s Centre for Housing Policy for there support in providing research to show the effectiveness of rapid housing programmes elsewhere.

The Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education thanked the work of foster cares in the city and confirmed that the policy would be a family first approach. He highlighted the work undertaken on 16 to 25 accommodation pathway which provided clarity of what was needed in supporting young people.

The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care welcomed the report and highlighted the collaborative work undertaken to improve outcomes for disadvantaged people in the city. She welcomed the additional £600,000 additional funding that had been identified from housing benefit that would support the in house work on resettlement.