Issue - meetings

Report by Director of Children’s Services

10.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services regarding the findings of the public consultation on the draft Early Help Strategy for 0 – 19 year olds and proposed revisions to the Strategy together with comments from the Early Help Reference Group and written representations from Councillors Beaver and Ungar.

10.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) note the findings of the public consultation which took place between 20 May and 29 July 2019 and the resulting revisions to the draft Early Help Strategy;

2) note the Equality Impact Assessment;

3) agree to implement the revised Early Help Strategy to support vulnerable

families in East Sussex and help manage the demand for statutory social care,

including:

a. Continued keywork, group work and focussed interventions with

vulnerable families at risk of needing social care interventions – aiming

to maintain at least 75% of baseline levels;

b. Retention of a network of 16 children’s and youth centres, plus

provision of services in Council and other community buildings when

needed;

c. Continued universal and universal plus 0-5 early help services where

that is fully funded by East Sussex County Council Public Health and/or

external partners. This will include early years family support services,

which would continue to be integrated with Health Visiting services and

delivery of the Healthy Child Programme;

d. Continued evidence based youth work with vulnerable young people;

e. Continued open access or drop-in youth work when it is externally

funded;

f. Delivery of the remodelled service within the planned budget of £4.4m

achieving £2.6m savings.

4) agree as part of the strategy to de-designate 14 children’s centres while aiming to support ongoing local early years and education services as follows:

a. Discussions with partners about taking over 10 of the centres will

continue, and be subject to approval by the Lead Member for Resources

in January 2020;

b. Services at Hampden Park Children’s Centre would be relocated to

Shinewater Children’s Centre.

5) agree to delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services, in

consultation with the Chief Operating Officer, to consider any viable proposals

to take over the running of these ten children’s centres, and report to the Lead

Member for Resources; and

6) agree that as part of the Strategy Rainbow and Cygnets nurseries in Bexhill

will no longer be operated by the Council and that the Council will work with

other providers to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, an offer of sufficient nursery places in the area.

Reason

10.3      The revised strategy will enable the Council to support the most vulnerable

families to tackle triggers of social care need, preventing escalation of risks and the

requirement for social care intervention, enabling families to look after their children. For young people at risk of social care intervention, it will increase school attendance, support online safety and young people’s emotional and mental wellbeing, and reduce their risk of becoming victims of crime or exploitation. In addition, the wider offer, funded  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10