Agenda, decisions and minutes

Forward Plan Ref: 2014/184

Contact: Diane Cameron, School Organisation Officer Tel: (01865) 816445

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CMDCEF4).

New school for Barton, Oxford : approval of preferred provider. 

The Cabinet meeting of 4 September 2012 approved a process for the identification of sponsors for new academies to meet the needs of population growth such as this which requires a new primary school for 2016. In July 2014 Cabinet agreed that the decision on the preferred option could be delegated to the Lead Member for Children Education and Families.  

This process has been followed and has now reached the point where a preferred provider has been identified from a group of 2 short-listed bidders which were assessed against criteria.

The Lead Member is asked to agree the preferred provider which will be submitted to the Regional Schools Commission for a final decision.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Families is RECOMMENDED to agree The Cheney School Academy Trust as the recommended provider to be submitted to the Regional Schools Commissioner for final agreement.

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/021

Contact: Nancy Kurisa, Complaints & Information Manager Tel: (01865) 323572

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CMDCEF5).

Volunteer Independent Visiting and Advocacy Service (VIVA) is a Council run service providing Independent Visiting and Advocacy to young people who are either Looked After by Oxfordshire County Council or have been in receipt of Council services. VIVA has been approached by a Private Residential Home to provide up to four Independent Visiting Sessions per year to support privately placed young people who are not Looked After by the Council but who may benefit from advocacy to ensure that their voice is heard in matters relating to their care and support.

The Care Act 2014 has put a much bigger emphasis on the importance of ensuring that advocacy is available to strengthen the voice of people who use services and we anticipate that VIVA will be approached by other private residential homes to provide a similar service. To provide this service VIVA would have to charge a fee to cover staffing costs, travel expenses and administration costs.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families is RECOMMENDED to agree that VIVA can charge costs including overheads of providing independent advocacy services to Private Residential Homes.  The Cabinet Member is also asked to agree in principle to the provision of the service as outlined in this paper.