Issue - meetings

This report presents the Children in Care (CiC) Invest to Save Proposal, a targeted programme to deliver savings against the 2026/27 Children in Care budget of £54.84m by reducing the number of children in care and lowering the overall cost of placements, while maintaining strong outcomes and stability for children and young people.

The programme will accelerate delivery of strategic and operational actions to safely manage demand and secure sustainable cost reductions. It provides a structured approach to delivering both immediate savings and longer-term financial resilience within Children’s Services.

Approval is sought to procure specialist support over a six-month period to support implementation of a phased delivery strategy. An investment of £0.561m is required. The programme is expected to deliver at least £2.0m savings by 2027/28 and establish a sustainable platform for the continued reduction in demand and cost.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approved the procurement of an external transformation partner to support the delivery of Phase one of the Children in Care Transformation Programme over a period of 6 months with a total cost of £0.561m, funded from Children’s Services revenue budget to deliver service improvements and Children in Care savings projected at £2million by the end of 2027/28.

Voting: Nem.Con (1 abstention)

Portfolio Holder: Children, Young People, Education and Skills

Reason

The recommended option supports the identification and delivery of sustainable reductions in Children in Care numbers and costs, while ensuring value for money and positive outcomes for children. Commissioning specialist external support through a formal tendering process provides the Authority with the capacity and expertise required to implement a Children in Care Transformation Programme.

The Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People, Education and Skills presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the report presented the Children in Care (CiC) Invest to Save Proposal, a targeted programme to deliver savings against the 2026/27 Children in Care budget of £54.84m by reducing the number of children in care and lowering the overall cost of placements, while maintaining strong outcomes and stability for children and young people.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that the programme would accelerate delivery of strategic and operational actions to safely manage demand and secure sustainable cost reductions, and that it provided a structured approach to delivering both immediate savings and longer-term financial resilience within Children’s Services.

Further to this Cabinet was advised that approval was sought to procure specialist support over a six-month period to support implementation of a phased delivery strategy, and that an investment of £0.561m was required.

Cabinet was informed that the programme was expected to deliver at least £2.0m savings by 2027/28 and establish a sustainable platform for the continued reduction in demand and cost.

Cabinet comprehensively discussed the report, and whilst largely supportive of the report itself some members expressed concern with regards to going to one particular supplier and felt that this should be subject to a formal tendering process.

The Portfolio Holder stressed the additional time and resources that would be necessary in order to go to tender within what was a very specialist area.

The Leader emphasised that the Cabinet needed strong oversight of this and stressed the importance of remaining fully briefed as this moved forward.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approved the procurement of an external transformation partner to support the delivery of Phase one of the Children in Care Transformation Programme over a period of 6 months with a total cost of £0.561m, funded from Children’s Services revenue budget to deliver service improvements and Children in Care savings projected at £2million by the end of 2027/28.

Voting: Nem.Con (1 abstention)

Portfolio Holder: Children, Young People, Education and Skills

Reason

The recommended option supports the identification and delivery of sustainable reductions in Children in Care numbers and costs, while ensuring value for money and positive outcomes for children. Commissioning specialist external support through a formal tendering process provides the Authority with the capacity and expertise required to implement a Children in Care Transformation Programme.