ITEM EX11

EXECUTIVE – 22 JANUARY 2002

QUALITY PROTECTS MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN 4

Report by Director of Social Services

1. The Quality Protects Management Action Plan (MAP) is an Annual Plan setting out achievements, targets and proposals for the use of government funding through its Quality Protects initiative. The funding that is allocated is specifically linked to the government’s 11 key objectives for Children’s Social Services. A summary of the key objectives for Children’s Services is attached at Annex 1.
2. The Department of Health (DoH) requires that the MAP is submitted by 31 January 2002. Three previous Quality Protects Management Action Plans have been submitted and approved by the Department of Health. As in previous MAPs an assessment will be undertaken by the DoH to determine whether the content meets the priorities for this programme.

Content of the MAP

3. The MAP is required to reflect both Departmental and also inter-agency service planning and development; it is important that any proposals link with other government initiatives such as the Surestart programme aimed at areas of disadvantage, to work with young children and their families to prevent the need for intervention later in their childhood. Connexions, another government initiative, is a targetted programme to support young people, particularly those who have been in public care. It is intended to support the young person with the transition from care and school to further/higher education and future employment. The MAP is a key strategic document for all agencies involved in the provision of children’s services.
4. Each year the government sets out specific priorities for the strategies and plans within the MAP. This year there is particular emphasis on consultation and participation with children and carers, services to children and families from ethnic minorities, and services to children with disabilities and their carers.

Financial Allocation

5. The funding available has increased each year since Year 1, allowing for maintenance of existing services and development of new ones. The allocation for the financial year 2001/02 was £1,112,000 after specific allowances for leaving care and disability had been deducted.
6. This year’s grant of £3,420,000 specifically allocates £2.130m to leaving care services, £119,000 to disability and £75,000 for IT for children looked after. It should be noted the allocation for Leaving Care is to fund new statutory duties. The SSA has been reduced to reflect the allocation of this grant for Leaving Care responsibilities. The specific allocations provide opportunity for maintaining and developing services as follows:

• Leaving Care – A separate report will be submitted to a future Executive meeting outlining how the grant is to be utilised in order to meet new statutory duties.

• Disability – This grant will sustain the financial framework that maintains the three Disability Resource Centres now operated by Barnardo’s under a Service Level Agreement.

• IT – This provides an opportunity to develop and provide more opportunities for children looked after to access and use information technology.

7. The balance is £1,095,000 is £17,000 less in the general grant. This restricts the opportunity for development and therefore the MAP will show that some previous developments will either end or receive reduced funding, allowing £100,000 for new developments.

The MAP

8. The document is in electronic form, set out very prescriptively, and running to over 60 pages. It was made available to local authorities on 5 December 2001, and due to the detail and complexity involved will continue to be completed during January and available for presentation at the Executive on 22 January 2002.
9. A copy of the MAP, completed up to 10 January 2002 has been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre, together with a copy of how the grant has been allocated.

Agreement and Endorsement

10. The Department of Health requires that prior to submission, the MAP is endorsed by the Director of Social Services, the Chief Education Officer, the Chief Executive of the County Council, and the Chief Executive of the Health Authority and the PCTs. The MAP will be sent to members of the Children’s Strategic Partnership and considered at their next meeting on 31 January 2002, the day the plan will be submitted to the DoH.

Approval for Submission

11. The Quality Protects Management Action Plan is one of those documents which Regulations made under the Local Government Act 2000 require to be approved by the full Council. It is therefore subject to the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules in the Constitution, which require that the Executive’s proposals for any such document be submitted together with the results of any consultations to the relevant Scrutiny Committee for comments, and that the Executive consider those comments before the document is submitted to Council for approval.
12. The timetable prescribed by the current Quality Protects Management Action Plans Regulations clearly do not allow for this, and it is therefore suggested that the MAP be sent to DoH on a provisional basis to meet the Regulations deadline, with the promise of a confirming submission when the processes have been completed. This would mean referring the Plan to a Special Meeting of the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee (to be arranged), reporting their comments to the Executive on 19 March, and making a recommendation to Council on 2 April.

RECOMMENDATIONS

13. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. agree the draft discussed in the report as the Executive’s initial proposals for the Quality Protects Management Action Plan;
2. refer the draft to the Social & Health Care Scrutiny Committee, to make any comments in time for report to the Executive on 19 March 2002;
3. agree that in the meantime the draft agreed under (a) above be sent to the Secretary of State for Health, on the basis outlined in the report, by the 31 January 2002 deadline.

MARY ROBERTSON

Director of Social Services

Background Papers: Nil

January 2002

Return to TOP