Report by Director of Children’s Services

RECOMMENDATION

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to:

a)    Approve the use of the Families First grant in Oxfordshire to support the delivery of Children’s Social Care reform, in line with the grant conditions set by the Department for Education; and

b)    Delegate authority to the Director for Children’s Services to undertake all necessary activity to utilise the grant funding in accordance with those conditions.

The Cabinet Member considered a report which indicated that the “Families First” programme was a national reform programme focused on delivering earlier, more joined-up support to children and families.

The programme was supported by ring-fenced grant funding of £6.4m (26-28), reducing to £5.5m for 28-29. Grant conditions of use were set by the Department for Education.

The next phase was to move from pilot delivery to full implementation of the Families First reforms across Children’s Social Care. This would bring together early support and statutory intervention into a single, coherent offer for families, deliver family-led planning, and establish strengthened multi-agency arrangements for child protection.

Resolved to:

a)    Approve the use of the Families First grant in Oxfordshire to support the delivery of Children’s Social Care reform, in line with the grant conditions set by the Department for Education; and

b)    Delegate authority to the Director for Children’s Services to undertake all necessary activity to utilise the grant funding in accordance with those conditions.