Agenda item - Brighton and Hove City Council Rough Sleepers Social Impact Bond

Report of the Executive Director for Adult Social Care & Health (copy attached).

RESOLVED:

1)     That the Committee agrees to delegate authority to the Executive Director Health & Adult Social Care, following consultation with Executive Director Finance & Resources, to procure and enter into a contract to secure effective delivery of a service to reduce numbers of entrenched rough sleepers, in accordance with the requirements of funding made available to the Council by the DCLG. The proposed service will be delivered in partnership with Hastings Borough Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Arun District Council and Adur and Worthing Council.

2)     That the Committee notes that the procurement will be aligned with priorities within the Council’s Rough Sleeping Strategy 2016, the Council’s Housing Strategy 2015, Homelessness Strategy 2014-19, and the Council’s priorities for the integration of social care and health through Better Care.

145.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Adult Care & Health in relation to Brighton and Hove City Council Rough Sleepers Social Impact Bond. The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) invited funding bids from local authorities interested in commissioning a Social Impact Bond programme to drive innovative approaches to tackling entrenched rough sleeping. The Council, in partnership with Hastings Borough Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Arun District Council and Adur and Worthing Council, submitted a successful bid and was awarded funding in December 2016 of £983,792 to address a cohort of 150 entrenched rough sleepers each individually identified. The report requested delegated power to progress the tender process and to award a contract for the provision of services to the successful tenderer in that process.

145.2    Councillor Janio welcomed the principle in the report, but argued that there was not a lack of funding to address homelessness, but the work needed to be better coordinated and managed.

145.3    In response to Councillor Sykes it was explained that the DCLG had very stringent guidelines on verification of outcomes for this payment by results model – the Council would implement these guidelines as part of the scheme.

145.4    In response to a series of questions from Councillor G. Theobald the following was explained. The guidance from DCLG did not specify that those being housed needed to have a connection with the local area. The allocated funding had been assessed and was based on a similar cohort in London. The type of housing could be very flexible as part of the programme.

145.5    It was confirmed for Councillor A. Norman that the Housing Department worked closely with the Civil Military Partnership Board with success.

145.6    In response to a series of questions from Councillor Wealls the following was explained. The DCLG had undertaken learning from the Thames Reach Scheme, and used that to make this programme a firm outcome based model; how this was achieved by entirely down to the provider to give flexibility. In terms of addressing behaviours, this model sought to focus on the individuals and designing services around their specific needs. This would give the Council the mechanism to commission services differently, and the accommodation based services gave greater flexibility.

145.7    The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.

145.8    RESOLVED:

1)     That the Committee agrees to delegate authority to the Executive Director Health & Adult Social Care, following consultation with Executive Director Finance & Resources, to procure and enter into a contract to secure effective delivery of a service to reduce numbers of entrenched rough sleepers, in accordance with the requirements of funding made available to the Council by the DCLG. The proposed service will be delivered in partnership with Hastings Borough Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Arun District Council and Adur and Worthing Council.

2)     That the Committee notes that the procurement will be aligned with priorities within the Council’s Rough Sleeping Strategy 2016, the Council’s Housing Strategy 2015, Homelessness Strategy 2014-19, and the Council’s priorities for the integration of social care and health through Better Care.