Agenda item - Youth Contracts

Report of the Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning together with an extract from the proceedings of Children Young People and Skills Committee meeting held on 3 October 2016 (to follow).

RESOLVED:

(1)     That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning: to enter into a competitive procurement process to secure the provision of youth services on a neighbourhood open access based model and youth work supporting vulnerable young people for a period of three years commencing on 1 April 2017 in order to secure the continuity of service provision in the shorter term.

(2)     That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning to award and let the contracts for this procurement for a period of three years which contracts shall contain a provision providing for the transfer of those contracts to the Youth and Employability Trust in the event that the Trust is established in due course.

53.1       The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning in relation to Youth Contracts. The purpose in the report was to receive a recommendation from the Children, Young People and Skills Committee made on 3 October 2016 that this Committee approve a procurement process to secure the provision of youth services on a neighbourhood open access based model and youth work supporting vulnerable young people for a period of three years commencing on 1 April 2017. This would secure the continuity of service provision. The Children, Young People and Skills Committee considered a report on 3 October 2016 on the development of a new delivery model for the provision of services to vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the form of a Youth and Employability Trust. The Committee were approving of the direction of travel but have requested further information on a number of aspects thus deferring a decision on a number of recommendations.

53.2       Councillor Daniel highlighted the goal of moving towards an independent trust, and noted that the relationship to the trust required a new way of working. At the meeting of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee it was felt that the report lacked some of the information Members needed to make a fully informed decision. Both the Labour & Co-Operative Group and the Conservative Group had made strong indications that they were supportive of the work, and it was felt that the risks of not doing this would be significant. It had been agreed that a Member oversight group would be created to further development the proposals. However, it had been acknowledged that the commissioning of Youth Services in the city could not be delayed, the report before the Committee made it clear that the contracts would belong to the Trust when it was set up.

53.4       Councillor Wealls noted that he had been of the view there was scope to reform the model of the youth collective work for some time. He highlighted that the Children, Young People & Skills Committee had not felt it was able to take the decision without seeing a business plan. Whilst the Conservative Group were supportive of the proposals they wanted this to be backed up with a sound financial plan. Councillor Wealls noted that the view from the Lead Member was the funding stream would come from brokering apprenticeships, but there was no firm financial plan currently.  He went on to state that increased Member oversight should help to ensure that all strands of this work were brought together effectively.

53.5       Councillor Sykes agreed that both the business plan and financial could be improved.

53.6       In response to Councillor Janio it was explained that the proposed direction of travel was towards a trust that was outside of the organisation in the long-term, but one which the Council had oversight of. Councillor Janio noted that he would like the final decision to come before Members.

53.7       The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.

53.8       RESOLVED:

(1)     That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning: to enter into a competitive procurement process to secure the provision of youth services on a neighbourhood open access based model and youth work supporting vulnerable young people for a period of three years commencing on 1 April 2017 in order to secure the continuity of service provision in the shorter term.

(2)     That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning to award and let the contracts for this procurement for a period of three years which contracts shall contain a provision providing for the transfer of those contracts to the Youth and Employability Trust in the event that the Trust is established in due course.