Decisions

In June 2015 the Department for Education (DfE) published a paper, Regionalising Adoption, which proposed the move to regional adoption agencies in order to:

•        Speed up matching between children and adopters

•        Improve adopter recruitment and adoption support

•        Reduce costs

•        Improve the life chances of vulnerable children.

Since this time West Sussex County Council, in conjunction with Brighton and Hove City Council, East Sussex and Surrey County Councils has developed a proposal to deliver its adoption services via a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA), Adoption South East (ASE).  In October 2017 local authorities were advised of continued ministerial resolve to complete regionalisation by April 2020.  The Adoption South East arrangement now requires formalising to meet the Government’s expectation that all local authorities become part of a RAA by April 2020.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People has:

1.  Approved the establishment of and West Sussex County Council’s participation in a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA), to be known as Adoption South East (ASE), in partnership with Brighton and Hove City Council, and East Sussex and Surrey County Councils as described in this report.

2.  Delegated authority to the Director of Children’s Services to take any action necessary or incidental to the above including entering into and signing the Partnership Agreement and any other agreement between the participating Authorities in order for the Regional Adoption arrangement to be implemented by April 2020.

3.  Delegated authority to the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Director of Finance and Support Services to determine and agree the transfer of the County Council’s contribution to a pooled RAA budget as set out in this report and to settle arrangements for the pooled budget through the Partnership Agreement.

This report provides a summary of the recent review of in-house residential services for children. It seeks approval for a strategic framework and service model which seek to ensure that outcomes for vulnerable children are maximised and that long-term care costs are minimised. The proposed strategy is attached (Appendix 1) and provides a full context and history for the review and a rationale for the proposals.

The Council’s existing children’s residential estate has three open establishments which all have a ‘good’ Ofsted rating and three establishments which are not in use. Proposals for the three closed homes are prioritised in the first phase (September 2019 to December 2020) of the overall plan for the service, with the three open homes to be focused on in the second phase (July 2020 to July 2021).

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People has:

1.     Approved the strategy for the in-house children’s residential service (Appendix 1).

2.     Endorsed the implementation plan and the proposals for the investment required to deliver the strategy.

West Sussex County Council and its partners are delivering a programme of transformational capital projects to deliver efficiencies in the use of the public estate across the County. The County Council is now in a position to progress a project to deliver a new operational fire station and blue-light training centre in Horsham through its detailed design phase and into Planning.

That the Acting Chief Executive approves the award of contract for design services for Horsham Blue Light Centre to Willmott Dixon for a contract period of 8 months commencing from October 2019 at a value of £933,847.00.

The County Council contracts with nine voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations for a range of preventative social support services. Presently all contracts are due to end in March 2020. The services include Home from Hospital, Relative Support, Befriending, Help at Home, Day Activities, PAT Community Service and Information and Advice provision, at a combined value of £1.69m per annum.

The Council with Voluntary and Community Sector partners has agreed a co-production approach in order to best meet our prevention objectives, and as part of the strategic recommissioning process for these contracts to ensure the ongoing stability of current services.

This report seeks to continue a number of interim contracts for Social Support Services for a one year period, from 1^st April 2020 until 31^st March 2021. The full list of contracts is set out in Appendix 1 of this report. The table summarises each of the 21 contracts in place with 9 providers.

The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health has approved:

1)    the re-letting of the specific contracts for social support services as set out in Appendix 1 to the incumbent service providers for a 12 month period to expire on 31^st March 2021 on existing contract terms and conditions including price and within the defined budget; and

2)    the delegated authority to the Director of Public Health to enter into the specific contracts as set out in the Appendix.

Due to growing demand for school places there is a need to expand Shelley Primary School to accommodate additional pupils.  The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills took a decision during March 2019 (Decision ref ES20 (18/19)) to approve the allocation of £2.446m from the Basic Need Capital Programme to fund expansion works at the school.  This will enable the provision of 140 additional places at the school to meet the demand of growing pupil numbers in the Broadbridge Heath and Horsham area. 

As part of the decision the Cabinet Member delegated authority to the then Executive Director Economy, Infrastructure and Environment to award the building contract to carry out the necessary works.  The responsibilities of this role are now being undertaken by the Acting Chief Executive.

The Acting Chief Executive has approved the award of the construction contract to expand Shelley Primary School to Sunninghill Construction for the sum of £1,760,230 which is affordable within the overall budget for this project (£2,808,000).

The Chairman of the County Council referred the Notice of Motion on small schools federation, submitted to the County Council on 1 July 2019, to the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills for consideration. The Cabinet Member met Dr O’Kelly on 11 September 2019 to discuss the Motion.

The aim of the Motion is to ask the Cabinet Member to provide more comprehensive advice and support to small schools about the federation process.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills has considered the Notice of Motion.  Taking into account the support already provided to small schools and the offer available to purchase further officer support where required, the Cabinet Member is minded to propose an amendment to the Motion at the County Council meeting on 18 October 2019

The County Council’s Future West Sussex Plan set out its ambition to minimise the burden of local taxation, delivering the best outcomes for residents with the money it spends, whilst living within its means.  In 2018 the County Council agreed to adopt an Asset Management Policy and Strategy. An objective of the strategy is to acquire, manage, maintain and dispose of property effectively, efficiently and sustainably, together with optimising financial return and commercial opportunities.  In line with this strategy the County Council now proposes to dispose of part of the freehold of land South of the Littlehampton Academy. 

The Cabinet Member has endorsed:

1.   That the County Council commences the marketing of land held by the County Council that is known as land South of The Littlehampton Academy, Near Rosemead, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6DQ as set out in Appendix A; and

2.   Delegates to the Director Property and Assets the authority to carry out marketing on the basis of best value in the market conditions and to complete the sale of the land to the most advantageous bidder, providing the bid meets or exceeds the estimated value.