Previous Reference: Executive, Minute 55 (2017/18)

The Strategic Director Children’s Services will present a report (Document “X”) which highlights the progress that the Council and partners have made in bringing together existing arrangements for early help and early years services.

The report also advises that, in November 2017, the Executive was asked to approve a period of consultation on a proposed new Prevention and Early Help model. Bradford East Area Committee is asked to consider and comment on the report as part of the formal consultation.

Recommended –

(1)  That it be noted that formal consultation is underway with all interested parties as outlined in appendix 12 to Document “X”.

(2)  That Members consider and comment on the report.

(3)  That it be noted that the Executive will receive a further report in April 2018 following formal consultation.

(Judith Kirk – 01274 431078)

The Strategic Director Children’s Services presented a report (Document “X”) which highlighted the progress that the Council and partners had made in bringing together existing arrangements for early help and early years services.

The report also advised that, in November 2017, the Executive was asked to approve a period of consultation on a proposed new Prevention and Early Help model. Bradford East Area Committee was asked to consider and comment on the report as part of the formal consultation.

The report outlined the need for proposed changes to how services were delivered in order to ensure resources were targeted, at a time of increasing demand, to avoid a detrimental impact on outcomes to children.  It was explained that unprecedented reductions in Government funding meant that the Department of Children’s Services could not deliver services in the way it previously had.  The proposed focus would be on a partnership approach which was more targeted to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities for children and young people across the District.

The Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills addressed the meeting and provided a visual depiction, in diagrammatic form, of the proposed changes to how the children’s centre core offer across the District would be provided.  Members were advised that the proposals would result in a move from separate services (the seven Children’s Centre clusters and five Early Help clusters) to one new Prevention and Early Help Service. The preferred model included a combination of a small group of central services and four new Prevention and Early Help teams.  Based on the Families’ Needs Assessment it was proposed that the four area based teams would cover Keighley/Shipley combined; Bradford East; Bradford West and Bradford South.  There would be two types of teams working in each area dealing with both case management and preventative measures.  The proposals would reduce duplication and implement a whole family approach where families would not receive a series of interventions from different services.

Members questioned if the preferred model would still be seen as better than the existing structure if the financial cuts were not required.  The Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills  explained that the eradication of duplication of service and a move to a family based approach would still have been proposed regardless of financial cuts. In response to that statement it was felt that there could not be £13m of duplication in the service and that the new model would result in reductions in provision.  It was acknowledged that the service did not have the resources to continue as it had previously operated; however, a core offer provided in Children’s Centres would still be a priority.

A Member suggested utilising existing community buildings to provide outreach services rather than opening Children’s Centres for only a few hours per week.   That Member felt that as well as financial savings additional links would be developed within communities. The Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills agreed that, whilst there were no current plans, there may be opportunities in the future to utilise community facilities.  A sub group were working on such issues and it was acknowledged that savings may be made that way. 

A Member referred to links which had been made following community facilities being made available in schools.  Parents taking their children to schools were using rooms in familiar surroundings and benefitting from the relationships being developed.

The report referred to some children and parents in less deprived areas finding it harder to access children’s centre services and that this would be addressed by ensuring that there would be increased activities in targeted areas. Members questioned that statement and what would be implemented to ensure the needs of all families were met.  In response it was explained that with limited resources it would not be possible to provide services in their current form.  Greater flexibility would be required in some areas and a commissioning fund would be available for each area to use according to their needs. Job profiles would also be flexible to respond to changes in demography and demand.   All families with the same threshold of need, regardless of their geographical location, would receive the same level of service.  Strong relationships with childcare and schools would also be maintained in all areas so that vulnerable children and families in all areas could be provided with additional support when needed.

It was questioned if reduced resources would see the threshold of need, before families could access help, increased. Concerns were expressed that children living in difficult circumstances but not reaching the threshold of need would be neglected.  It was also felt that families needing help could slip through the net and it was questioned who would identify those types of families.  In response it was explained that a fine balance would be required between support for key works and prevention activities. The Portfolio Holder, Health and Wellbeing, explained that it was essential for all services to identify families in need and stressed the importance of the evidence which could be provided from the Better Start Bradford Programme discussed earlier at the meeting.  The Police, Fire Service, Housing Associations and Local Authority must all consider the wider determinants of health.

A Member, acknowledging that the Committee did not set the Council’s budget, but that it did consider the effect of the Council’s proposals, expressed concern about the impact of the proposals on a district with an increase in population and in young people with needs.  He stressed the belief that a 50% reduction in staffing must be detrimental to the most vulnerable people.  He referred to a previous meeting which had been told that Key Performance Indicators would be affected and that the level of case loads of case workers would be unmanageable.  It was believed that the threshold of need would be raised to the detriment of vulnerable families and that failure to intervene would ultimately have a greater impact on local authorities.  He explained that his political group had scrutinised social worker case loads and were aware of increases.  Further information on the outcome of that scrutiny process was to follow. 

In response it was acknowledged that the preferred model did include a reduction in capacity but it was maintained that the structure could be adapted very quickly should more financial resources become available. Additional posts could be included without amending the infrastructure. 

A Member questioned what level of response to the consultation was required before it would be agreed that the service should not lose £13m.   It was agreed that it would be wrong not to send the message that the Committee were critical of the reductions which it was felt would impact on vulnerable residents and ultimately cost the Council in the future.

Resolved –

1)    That it be agreed that the Challenging financial backdrop in which these changes are made raises serious concerns regarding the ever increasing threshold of intervention and the impact on young people in the district.

2)    That the loss of universal access be raised as a concern for Members.

3)    That the Executive be requested to consider the cost of maintaining buildings which will be used for only eight hours per week and that the possibility of utilising community space for such purposes be explored.

4)    That reassurances that there will not be a geographical disparity in access to services be welcomed.

5)    That the Executive be urged to reject the huge reduction in staffing levels proposed in the new Prevention and Early Help Model which it is believed will only lead to an increase in the costs to the Council in due course.

Action: Strategic Director Children’s Services

(Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee)