Issue - items at meetings - Commissioning Strategy for Services for Children with Disabilities: Programme Update

Report of the Strategic Director, People (copy attached)

(1) That the Cabinet Member approves the implementation of a pilot for individual budgets for short breaks (respite) for children and young people with disabilities with an assessed need for social care support; and

            (2) That the Cabinet Member notes that the pilot will be taken forward through established partnership and joint working arrangements between the Council’s Joint Commissioner, managers and staff in the council’s integrated Child Development  and Disability Service, Community and Voluntary Sector organizations, parent carer groups (including the Parent and Carer Council hosted by Amaze), children and young people and other stakeholders.

39.1         The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Strategic Director, People providing a programme update in relation to the commissioning strategy for children with disabilities. The report set out progress on the implementation of that strategy and sought endorsement of the key initiative to pilot individual budgets for short breaks (respite) for children and young people with disabilities who had an assessed need for social care support.

39.2    The report detailed how it was proposed that the pilot would proceed both in the national context and locally. The pilot would seek to assess the levels of social care support and would look at how that could best be delivered within the resources available and also set out what it was hoped to achieve as a result of the pilot and beyond.

39.3    Councillor Marsh sought clarification as to why the pilot was commencing now, the arrangements proposed in instances where there was more than one child with disabilities in the family , how families would be chosen to take place in the pilot and regarding arrangements which would be put into place post 19. Councillor Marsh considered that currently there was a gap in provision for young adults post 19.

39.4    It was explained that the pilot followed from a programme of 6-7 pilots nationally and that a lot of work would be done with individual families as this did represent a radical approach, in that dependent on the needs of individual families, the level of support could equate to direct financial ;provision, provision of “virtual” money or a combination of both. Careful consideration would be given to the level of support given to individual families in order to assist them in the best management of the resources provided to them. Work would also be carried out in conjunction with “Amaze” and the Federation of Disabled People. This was a genuine pilot in that it could be subject to amendment based on operational experience, elements of it, or ultimately the scheme itself would not be proceeded with if it was not considered to be the most effective way of delivering these resources. Councillor Marsh was pleased to note that this was a genuine pilot.

39.5    Councillor Wealls sought further clarification regarding operation of the pilot and whether it was outcome led. It was explained that there were no preconceptions regarding this and that different conversations were likely to take place in respect of the needs of individual families and of individual parents too.

39.6    RESOLVED – (1) That the Cabinet Member approves the implementation of a pilot for individual budgets for short breaks (respite) for children and young people with disabilities with an assessed need for social care support; and

            (2) That the Cabinet Member notes that the pilot will be taken forward through established partnership and joint working arrangements between the Council’s Joint Commissioner, managers and staff in the council’s integrated Child Development  and Disability Service, Community and Voluntary Sector organizations, parent carer groups (including the Parent and Carer Council hosted by Amaze), children and young people and other stakeholders.