Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Social Care and Health

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Social Care and Health in relation to the Development of Family Wellbeing Centres.  The report referred to Council approval in March 2017 of the proposed development of locality working in light of community feedback gathered in recent years and extensive research into early intervention prevention models.  As part of this work the Director of Social Care and Health had worked with others to develop a draft strategic approach for Family Wellbeing Centres, taking into consideration Children Centres, Family Centres, School Readiness funding and the childcare subsidy.  The report provided an update including the public consultation feedback, an equalities analysis and presented options considered and discounted and recommendations for consideration and decision.

Report of the Director of Social Care and Health

The Committee considered and pre-scrutinised the report of the Director of Social Care and Health in relation to the Development of Family Wellbeing Centres that would be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 7 December 2017. The report referred to Council approval in March 2017 of the proposed development of locality working in light of community feedback gathered in recent years and extensive research into early intervention prevention models. As part of this work the Director of Social Care and Health had worked with others to develop a draft strategic approach for Family Wellbeing Centres, taking into consideration Children Centres, Family Centres, School Readiness funding and the childcare subsidy. The report provided an update including the public consultation feedback, an equalities analysis and presented options considered and discounted and recommendations for consideration and decision.

In developing the proposals relating to locality working and the proposed Family Wellbeing approach the Council had actively listened to the views of the community and the recommendations in the report reflected this. The community clearly supported the principles of the 0-19 Family and Wellbeing approach and Officers would progress the implementation of this strategic approach, subject to the Cabinet considering the information in the report. However, the community did not support the development of three 0-19 Family Wellbeing Centres, and the recommendations in the report took account of this feedback.

If the recommendations were to be approved, how the change was implemented would be explored and reviewed within the Council and with Head Teachers and Governing bodies. The potential decisions and changes, if approved were:-

• The three 0-19 Family Wellbeing Centres not being developed, and early help being wholly delivered by the Children Centres;
• Seaforth not being relocated;
• A new funding methodology to be introduced in 2018 that considered:

o   The reach (geography) that Family and Children Centre management were responsible for, thereby impacting on their budgets;

o   All early help being within Children Centres;

o   A possible impact on the number and type of activities taking place;

o   A possible reduction in opening hours for a number of Family and Children Centres;

o   Management and staffing; and

• Officers would work with Health colleagues to look at the potential development of Health and Wellbeing Centres.

As the locality model developed and the 0-19 strategic approach was implemented the Council and partners would continue to explore future opportunities. The Council was keen to work with partners to ensure that positive approaches were put in place that would help all members of our community to live happy and healthy lives, with positive approaches in place for those that needed that bit of extra support from time to time.

In the future and once current service delivery had been redesigned and the duplication of current Council activity removed, a more integrated model with NHS partners could be reconsidered. Through existing work it was clear that they had an ambition to explore the development of Health and Wellbeing Centres.

The report indicated that over the last 6  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27