Issue - meetings

Disabled Children's Family Support and Short Breaks

Meeting: 26/01/2017 - Executive (Item 104)

104 Disabled Children's Family Support and Short Breaks pdf icon PDF 181 KB

Decision:

That:

1)        the development of a new short breaks preferred provider list leading to more effective quality assurance and market management be approved;

 

2)        the 2-year period of phased transition from the existing arrangements to the new model, to enable change whilst not impacting service delivery, be supported;

 

3)        the phased introduction of pre-paid cards to enable families to take control of the purchasing of short breaks care for their children be approved;

 

4)        full and detailed consultation, with parents, young people and providers, on the proposed changes be supported.

 

Minutes:

The Executive considered a report relating to proposals for a new commissioning infrastructure for the provision of disabled children’s family support and short breaks.

 

The Executive Member for Children’s Services advised the meeting that the Disabled Children’s Family Team currently supported approximately 200 children and families and within the Borough the CAN network supported about 928 families and as demonstrated in the recently carried out Reach survey it was understood that many of those families did not actually access all of the services offered.

 

As a result of parents identifying gaps in services eg more weekend breaks, overnight stays and early morning term time support the proposals therefore were to move towards a new commissioning model which would mean that families would have a personalised budget and pre-paid cards.  This proposal would provide families with much more control about how they spent their funds, provide broader choice, help to address some of the gaps in service and be more efficient.   It would also increase the opportunities for the market to develop to meet the needs of families leading to increased choice and innovation.

 

Members were informed by Councillor Haitham Taylor that the intention was for the transition to the new arrangements to be phased over 2 years and it for INVOLVE to provide support to providers. 

 

An opportunities fund was planned within the proposal in order to try and mitigate issues for providers; particularly for smaller groups trying to transform into a commissioned service with a pre-paid payment system.

 

Councillor Haitham Taylor advised that the intention was to go out to consultation in March and it was hoped that as many families and providers as possible would respond to the consultation.

 

Councillor McGhee-Sumner advised that Adult Social Care had been through a comparable exercise 18 months ago when similar concerns were expressed about direct payments and pre-paid cards and he felt that these concerns had been ironed out and it had been found that this system had led to more control and more choice.

 

RESOLVED That:

1)        the development of a new short breaks preferred provider list leading to more effective quality assurance and market management be approved;

 

2)        the 2-year period of phased transition from the existing arrangements to the new model, to enable change whilst not impacting service delivery, be supported;

 

3)        the phased introduction of pre-paid cards to enable families to take control of the purchasing of short breaks care for their children be approved;

 

4)        full and detailed consultation, with parents, young people and providers, on the proposed changes be supported.