Agenda

Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Children, Education & Young People’s Services - Wednesday, 12 February 2025 3.00 pm

Venue: Room 3 - County Hall, New Road, Oxford OX1 1ND. View directions

Link: video link https://oxon.cc/DDCMCEYPS12022025

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

See guidance below.

 

2.

Questions from County Councillors

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am two working days before the meeting, ask a question on any matter in respect of the Cabinet Member’s delegated powers.

 

The number of questions which may be asked by any councillor at any one meeting is limited to two (or one question with notice and a supplementary question at the meeting) and the time for questions will be limited to 30 minutes in total. As with questions at Council, any questions which remain unanswered at the end of this item will receive a written response.

 

Questions submitted prior to the agenda being despatched are shown below and will be the subject of a response from the appropriate Cabinet Member or such other councillor or officer as is determined by the Cabinet Member, and shall not be the subject of further debate at this meeting. Questions received after the despatch of the agenda, but before the deadline, will be shown on the Schedule of Addenda circulated at the meeting, together with any written response which is available at that time.

 

3.

Petitions and Public Address

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

 

Requests to speak must be submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting.  Requests to speak should be sent to committeesdemocraticservices@oxfordshire.gov.uk .

 

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that if the technology fails, then your views can still be taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9 am 2 working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

 

4.

Minutes of Previous Meetings pdf icon PDF 281 KB

To approve the minutes of the meetings held on 6 November 2024 and 21 January 2025.

 

Additional documents:

5.

Homes 2 Inspire - Contract Extension and Amendments pdf icon PDF 318 KB

Cabinet Member: Children, Education and Young People’s Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2024/341

Contact: Caroline Kelly, Lead Commissioner – Start Well (Caroline.Kelly@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

 

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CMDCEYPS).

 

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a)    agree the extension of the Residential Children’s Homes Contract with Homes to Inspire for a term of 2 years from 1 April 2025 to the value of £7.024m; and

 

b)    delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Head of Procurement and Contract Management, to finalise the required Contract documentation for that extension.

 

6.

Formal Approval of Early Years Funding Formula 2025/26 pdf icon PDF 225 KB

Cabinet Member: Children, Education and Young People’s Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/036

 

Contact: Jane Billington – Strategic Finance Business Partner (Jane.Billington@Oxfordshire.gov.uk)

 

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CMDCEYPS).

 

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to

 

a)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers (after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2025-26 Early Years funding formula for 3- and 4-year-old provision with an underlying hourly rate of £5.53 (excluding the supplements, SEN Inclusion Fund and Contingency).

b)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers and approve the 2025-26 Early Years funding formula for 2-year-old working parent provision at an hourly rate of £8.05.

c)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers and approve the 2025-26 Early Years funding formula for 2-year-olds of families receiving additional support at an hourly rate of £8.05.

d)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers and approve the 2025-26 Early Years funding formula for 9 Months to 2-year-old provision at an hourly rate of £11.05.

e)    Pass on the additional 15 hours for entitled “2yrs olds” & “9-months to 2 years old” (new entitlement from 1 September 2025).

 

7.

Joining the South East Regional Care Cooperative (RCC) pdf icon PDF 277 KB

Cabinet Member: Children, Education and Young People’s Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/018

Contact: Caroline Kelly, Lead Commissioner – Start Well (Caroline.Kelly@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

 

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CMDCEYPS).

 

  1. The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to:

 

a)    agree to Oxfordshire County Council joining the Department for Education (DfE) approved pathfinder for the South East Regional Care Cooperative (RCC) for a period of three years from 1 April 2025–31 March 2028; and

 

b)    contribute financially to the RCC at a total cost of £625,000 for the three-year commitment.