Agenda item

Edge of Care Support Service

(To receive a report from Joanne Fox, Commissioning Officer, which invites the Committee to consider and comment on the Edge of Care Support Service, which is due to be considered by the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services on 30 July 2018)

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report from Joanne Fox, Commissioning Officer, which invited the Committee to consider a report on the Edge of Care Support Service, which was due to be considered by the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services on 30 July 2018.

 

A copy of the full report to the Executive Councillor was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

 

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting:

 

·         Joanne Fox, Commissioning Officer;

·         Mark Rainey, Children's Commissioning Manager – Commercial; and

·         Paula Bexon, Team Manager.

 

The Committee was advised that the countywide service currently offered support to struggling families with a view to stabilising these families in times of crisis; preventing the escalation of need, lowering the risk of child abuse and neglect, and reducing the number of children taken into care.

 

It was reported that the service was currently provided by Safe Families for Children (SFfC), a volunteer organisation (currently there were 227 Lincolnshire volunteers) working in the main with local churches to recruit volunteers to carry out an early intervention approach.  It was highlighted that the approach was targeted mainly at secondary prevention, offering support to struggling families with a child under 12 and providing 'edge of care' support as an alternative to a short stay in foster care.  It was highlighted that overall performance indicators for the service were good and that the support provided had been shown to have positive benefits for diverting children from care and successfully supporting families through times of crisis.  Details relating to the performance of Lincolnshire were shown on pages 61 and 62 of the report.

 

Attached to the report were the following Appendices:-

 

·         Appendix A – Equality Impact Analysis

·         Appendix B – Cost avoidance data

 

It was reported that currently the service had funded 60 referrals at a cost of £1,250 per referral (£75k per annum).  It was highlighted that of the 25 families referenced in the joint audit, the estimated cost avoidance for those families for the period of October 2015 to September 2017 had been calculated at £647,730.  It was highlighted further that in comparison, the direct cost to the Service Provider was the equivalent of £187,500, with the Council incurring only limited additional indirect costs in overseeing the contract and the families referred.

 

The Committee was advised that the contract was due to end on 31 March 2019 and that the recommendation was that the contract should be re-procured by means of an Invitation to Tender.

 

During discussion, the Committee raised the following points:-

 

·         The Committee highlighted the excellent work of volunteers currently taking part in the Edge of Care Support Service and stressed the importance of ensuring an effective and seamless transition of volunteers to a new provider;

·         The Committee supported the process of re-procurement by means of an invitation to tender as a way of ensuring the Council achieved value for money;

·         A member of the Committee highlighted the need to ensure there was greater awareness of the edge of care support service.  Officers confirmed that the service was one part of an offer to provide flexibility to locality teams, as early help could prevent cases being open to social care.  Officers highlighted that the Edge of Care Support was a small service with limited resource;

·         The Committee supported the benefits of the service by providing cost effectiveness and wider cost avoidance through working with families in crisis to provide timely and appropriately targeted support as an alternative to a short stay in foster care;

·         The Committee highlighted the need to ensure any future provider had a strong track record of supporting volunteer networks, to promote continued success of the service; and

·         The Committee supported a suggestion that members took part in a service specification workshop for the Edge of Care Support Service.

 

In conclusion, the Committee unanimously supported the recommendations as detailed in the Executive Councillor report; and asked for the comments raised above to be passed onto the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    That the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee unanimously support the recommendations to the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services, as set out in the report.

 

2.    That the following comments be passed on to the Executive Councillor for Adult Care, Health and Children's Services in relation to this item:-

 

o   The Committee highlighted the excellent work of volunteers currently taking part in the Edge of Care Support Service and stressed the importance of ensuring an effective and seamless transition of volunteers to a new provider;

o   The Committee supported the process of re-procured by means of an invitation to tender as a way of ensuring the Council achieves value for money;

o   A member of the Committee highlighted the need to ensure there was greater awareness of the edge of care support service. Officers confirmed that the service was one part of an offer to provide flexibility to locality teams, as early help support can prevent the cases being open to social care. Officers highlighted that Edge of Care Support was a small service with limited resource;

o   The Committee supported the benefits of the service by providing cost effectiveness and wider cost avoidance through working with families in crisis to provide timely and appropriately targeted support as an alternative to a short stay in foster care.

o   The Committee highlighted the need to ensure any future provider had a strong track record of supporting volunteer networks, to promote continued success of this service.

Supporting documents:

 

 
 
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