Agenda item

(Report of the Interim Director of Children’s Services. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children). The report seeks agreement to a proposed strategic direction and framework for engaging a strategic partner to support transformation of Children and Young People’s Services and to note the estimated costs for the programme.

Cabinet considered a report, introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children, which sought agreement to a proposed strategic direction and framework for engaging a strategic partner to support transformation of Children and Young People’s Services and to note the estimated costs for the programme.

In response to a question Cabinet was advised that the Children’s Trust was an executive body, and it is  most appropriate that the Cabinet Member for Children was on the Children’s Trust.  The Sector-Led Improvement Board was different from the Children’s Trust in that its’ function was to monitor the progress of the transformation programme.

RESOLVED:

        i.            That the recommendation in the ‘Summary of strategic options for CYPS transformation’ paper (in Appendix 1) to adopt a CYPS Commissioning Model be approved.

      ii.            That it be agreed that Haringey moves to Phase 3 of the transformation programme as set out in the paragraph 5.7 of the report;

    iii.            That allocation of £1.052m (as per paragraph 6.5 of the report) from a LACSEG refund to fund Phase 2 extension and contribute towards funding Phase 3 be approved;

     iv.            That the allocation of £1.946m (as per paragraph 6.5 of the report) from the Transformation Reserve to fund Phases 3 and 4 be approved;

       v.            That the procurement of a strategic partner to enable the delivery of the transformation programme, while supporting and building capacity within the service be approved;

     vi.            That it be noted that the award decision, as well as the proposal for allocating funding towards the additional capacity necessary to implement the transformation programme, will be recommended to the Leader of the Council for approval (currently scheduled for 7 January 2014);

   vii.            That the proposed changes to the terms of reference and membership of the CYPS Sector-Led Improvement Board set out in paragraph 5.21 of the report be approved.

Alternative options considered
The option to ‘do nothing’ was explored and evaluated as not viable, primarily due to the fact that it would not provide a suitable or safe enough platform which will continue to deliver services for the foreseeable future.

Reasons for decision

i.               The recommendations set out in this report underpin the plans for the transformation of services to children, young people and families in Haringey.

ii.             The report sets out the proposals of how the transformation of services to children, young people and families in Haringey, will allow redirection of investment in improving services over the next 5 years to bring its performance trajectory to above and beyond that of benchmark authorities.

iii.           The transformation programme, in conjunction with a number of core strategies, aims to measurably improve outcomes for Haringey’s children, young people and families over a ten-year period by refocusing services to provide early help and interventions to prevent escalation of problems, while ensuring robust safeguarding to those children and young people who need it.  If successfully implemented, Haringey will have more children ready for school, more children prepared for the transition to secondary school, more young people equipped for further education and ready for work, and more young adults prepared to make their full contribution to the community’s well-being.