Agenda item

To understand current progress in implementation and any associated improvement in the outcomes for young adults and to review plans for the future.

The Committee heard initially from a witness, Kathy Liddell, a family carer with a 26 year old daughter with learning disabilities.  The family had first experienced Oxfordshire’s social care services when Ms Liddell’s daughter was 15.  Ms Liddell spoke about joining the co-production group to help other families which included officers delivering services and young people who used the services.  A key aspect which came out of the group meetings was having a named individual who could take families through the process from teenage years through to the age of 25.  This did not just relate to educational needs but also included where the young person was going to live and how he/she was going to work and earn money.  The group looked at best practice at other county councils. Ms Liddell added that she was now working with Oxfordshire Family Support Network.  The Moving into Adulthood Service (MiA) was invaluable for young people and their families.

Members also heard from Victoria Baran, Interim Deputy Director Adult Social Care, Karen Fuller, Interim Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Kevin Gordon, Director for Children’s Services, in relation to this item.  Ms Baran confirmed in her presentation that the MiA Service had been developed in response to recommendations made by the co-production group, referred to by Ms Liddell.  The Service worked with young people from 18 to 25 years of age, with an in-reach into Children’s Services from the age of 16.  Having a named link worker from the age of 16 enabled the young person and their family to build a relationship with the Service from an early point and provided them with consistency through their journey into adulthood.

There had been a big focus on improving accessibility of information.  For instance, webinars were being delivered to schools and colleges, young people and their families.  A Moving into Adulthood guide would be published later this year and would assist in understanding a complex system.  Young people were being encouraged to identify their own aspirations with the option of chairing their own review meetings.  The Council was working collaboratively with Oxfordshire Employment Service and Community Connections to support young people to achieve their outcomes.

There was an emphasis on improving co-ordination between teams and partners, including operating a Multi-Agency Placement and Commissioning (MAPaC) forum with a single route for all young people needing funding from more than one team.  Also, Children’s and Adults’ Social Care teams were undertaking joint training in areas such as Mental Capacity, the role of social care in SEND and, the Working with Families training delivered by the Oxfordshire Family Support Network.  Quarterly Health Transitions meetings ensured that the health care of young people was taken into account during their transition alongside the social care aspects.

Ms Baran advised that the Service was currently actively supporting 385 young people to plan for their journey into adulthood. Since the service launched in June 2021 it had worked with a total of 560 young people.  85% of young people open to the Service had had an assessment by their 18^th birthday and there was confidence this would increase in the future.  There was also confidence that the figure of 21% of all referrals to the Service being 16 year olds would increase given the working with partners.  The earlier identification and planning helped to avoid making decisions in crisis situations. 27 young people had been supported to move out of residential education establishments back into the family home or into supported accommodation in a planned fashion.

Future plans included expanding the “Chair my own review” initiative, giving the young person choice and control and ensuring they were able to voice their aspirations for the future and aligning MiA planning with the SEND Planning Lives Process which takes place at age 14. This would further improve early planning and would enable young people to develop a single future plan that would take into account their education, health, and care support requirements.

Other key points included that no new money was invested in the development of this service. It was formed through a realignment of pre-existing funding in Children’s and Adults Social Care, which enabled the re-organisation of how we support young people through their journey into adulthood.  Also, since the implementation of the team the number of children in relatively high-cost residential placements that move into residential placements as an adult was reducing.

The Committee noted in the presentation that longer term strategic activity, in partnership with Housing and Planning, included development of a joined up Housing Needs Assessment (5-10 years) across all needs working with the District Council to ensure the County Council would be better linked to district plans and Section 106 funding.  The Committee considered that there was a need for senior officers to have a more co-ordinated approach in order to identify opportunities for Section 106 funding in terms of housing needs.  There was also an opportunity for more joined up working with the District Councils on how best to use the S106 funding to ensure the right mixture of housing for vulnerable residents.  Members of the Committee sought clarification that there was an appropriate strategy in place for the spending of S106 money and Community Infrastructure Levy receipts.

It was recognised that the old model of residential care and education provision outside the county was not tenable in the longer term.  It was noted that steps were being taken to address this, including an additional 50 supported living placements being delivered in county in 2022/23.

Overall, the Committee considered that there was progress and a vision in place as a result of the establishment of the Moving into Adulthood Service.

The Committee recommended the following:

Recommendation 1: That senior officers work in a holistic and co-ordinated fashion in order to identify the potential opportunities for Section 106 capital funding in terms of housing needs.