Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Children & Family Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/071

Contact: Vince Clark, Interim Service Improvement Lead Tel: 07586 478703

Report by Director for Children’s Services (CA13).

The report describes the Family Safeguarding Plus (FSP) model and sets out a business case supporting implementation in Oxfordshire. This includes examination of the key features and benefits of the model alongside the costs of implementing it. It also explores how FSP will contribute to the wider transformation of children’s services.   

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to support the implementation of the Family Safeguarding Plus (FSP) model as part of Children’s Service transformation programme; and in doing so:

(a)          approve additional funding to meet project costs in 2019/20 of £0.8m to be met from corporate contingency

(b)          agree   that funding required for 2020/21 and beyond will be included in the proposed Budget for 2020/21 and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the Service & Resource Planning process;

(c)          acknowledge that there will be a shortfall in savings against the MTFP that will be achieved in 2019/20 of £0.8m and to fund this from corporate contingency

(d)       that the profile of savings in the existing MTFP for 2020/21                     and beyond will need to be amended in the proposed                          Budget for 2020/21 and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP)                  as part of the Service & Resource Planning process.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet had before it a report which outlined the Family Safeguarding Plus (FSP) model and set out a business case supporting implementation in Oxfordshire. This includes examination of the key features and benefits of the model alongside the costs of implementing it. The report further explored how FSP would contribute to the wider transformation of children’s services.

Councillor Gill Sanders, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services spoke in support of the proposals. It was necessary to invest to keep high risk families together. Partnership working was a vital part of the model and it was vital to ensure that partners were able to share information. Councillor Sanders believed that schools should be able to access safeguarding information.

Councillor Steve Harrod, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services introduced the contents of the report and moved the recommendations. Lucy Butler, Director for Children’s Services added that she was delighted to be bringing the proposals forward. They were based on the Hertfordshire model but would be a uniquely Oxfordshire model. She was excited about working with CDC partners and wanted to work closely with families.

Cabinet in welcoming the proposals:

·         Highlighted the phenomenal job done by school nurses and that they often were one of the places where problems were first spotted.

·         Referred to the innovative nature of the proposals. It was based on getting the best people across a range of bodies to work across a range of issues. It would give a lead to OCC’s partners and allow them to be involved earlier.It was a focus on prevention rather than cure and if successful would lead to real benefits.

RESOLVED:to support the implementation of the Family Safeguarding Plus (FSP) model as part of Children’s Service transformation programme; and in doing so:

(a)      approve additional funding to meet project costs in 2019/20 of £0.8m to be met from corporate contingency;

(b)      agree   that funding required for 2020/21 and beyond will be included in the proposed Budget for 2020/21 and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the Service & Resource Planning process;

(c)       acknowledge that there will be a shortfall in savings against the MTFP that will be achieved in 2019/20 of £0.8m and to fund this from corporate contingency;

(d)      that the profile of savings in the existing MTFP for 2020/21 and beyond will need to be amended in the proposed Budget for 2020/21 and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) as part of the Service & Resource Planning process.