Decision details

Additional Funding Allocation for Remodelling of Orchard House Children's Home - CYP04 (21/22)

Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Children and Young People (Cllr Jacquie Russell)

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

Orchard House children’s home in Cuckfield is part of the County Council’s Residential Service and caters for residential placements and short breaks for children with disabilities, with capacity for up to 16 children at one time. The home consists of;

 

            The Main Building, separated into 2 wings,

            Orchard Lodge, a stand-alone building on the premises, and

            The home’s Contact Centre, where supervised contact takes place between children and families

 

As part of phase 2 of the improvement programme to deliver the Residential Service Strategy approved by the Cabinet Member decision in October 2019 (CYP03(19.20)), remodelling and refurbishment works are required to resolve critical issues with the home, modernise the home and improve the facilities for those children resident at the home and those who undertake short breaks there.

 

Capital funding totalling £4.183m has so far been allocated to deliver this project, through a Cabinet Member key decision in March 2021 (CYP04(20/21)). Subsequently, an additional £745k of work has been identified, the majority of which is to deliver additional work which will help this project better meet the aims of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and the commitment to be a net carbon zero organisation by 2030.

Decision:

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People has approved;

 

(1) The allocation of a further £745k of capital funding to the refurbishment and remodelling of Orchard House in order to better support the aims of the Council’s climate change strategy and enable implementation of associated revisions to the original proposed design.

 

(2) The expansion of the scope of the two procurement processes to deliver the works at (a) the Main Building and Orchard Lodge and (b) the Contact Centre to include the additional work items listed in paragraph 2.1 of the report. 

 

(3) The delegation of authority to the Executive Director of Children, Young People and Learning, in consultation with the Director of Property and Assets, to award the contracts.

Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:

None

Publication date: 10/12/2021

Date of decision: 10/12/2021

Effective from: 22/12/2021

Accompanying Documents: