AGENDA ITEM 9
BOROUGH OF POOLE
CABINET
14 JULY 2009
AIMING HIGH FOR DISABLED CHILDREN: SHORT BREAKS
PART OF THE PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN YES
STATUS: Service Delivery
1. PURPOSE
1.1 To inform Members of the allocation of £176,900 capital funding received from the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) for Short Breaks for Disabled Children from April 2008 to March 2010.
1.2 To seek approval to allocate the capital resources provided as part of the ‘Short Breaks’ initiative in accordance with the priorities set out in this report.
2. DECISION REQUIRED
2.1 To approve the ‘Short Breaks’ capital funding as follows:-
a) that up to £100k of the funding is distributed via a grants process, where organisations involved in the delivery of short breaks are invited to bid for money to achieve certain aims;
b) that up to £30k is used in a joint venture with Leisure Services to purchase a single specialised piece of mobile play equipment. This is made by a company called Zig Zag and is a multi-sensory, multi-activity portable piece of interactive play equipment. It will provide children and young people with disabilities with a greater range of activities for them to access at events such as fun days;
c) that any remaining funds are held against a planned joint funding arrangement with Dorset and Bournemouth and a local voluntary sector provider to purchase a specially adapted fixed-site caravan. The caravan will be used by families, who will be able to access additional support during their holiday/short break, or by paid carers, who can provide a child or young person with a holiday experience away from their family.
3. BACKGROUND/INFORMATION
3.1 Aiming High for Disabled Children, launched in May 2007, is the transformation programme for disabled children’s services. Short Breaks is a strand of this programme.
3.2 Poole has been allocated a total of £176,900 capital funding across 2008/09 and 2009/10 to improve short break opportunities for disabled children.
3.3 The purpose of the funding is to help local authorities and their Primary Care Trust partners create access to short break provision through providing new equipment, adaptations and facilities.
3.4 The primary conditions for how the funding can be used are:
· Single or grouped pieces of equipment must cost over £2,500 and have a life span of over 12 months.
· The money cannot be used to fund adaptations that would meet DDA requirements.
· The Borough will remain the owner of the assets unless agreement to the transfer of ownership is granted by the DCSF.
4. PROPOSED FRAMEWORK FOR ALLOCATION OF FUNDING
4.1 Bid Process: it is proposed that up to £100k of the funding is distributed via a grants process, where organisations involved in the delivery of short breaks will be invited to bid for money to achieve certain aims (as detailed in Appendix I).
4.2 All local agencies involved in delivering services to disabled children will be invited to bid. Applications will be assed by a panel of officers. Members will provide final approval and oversight.
4.3 Equipment Purchase: it is proposed that up to £30k be used in a joint venture with Leisure Services to purchase a single specialised piece of mobile play equipment.
4.4 Joint work with Pathfinder Partners: it is proposed that any remaining funds are held against a planned joint funding arrangement with Dorset and Bournemouth and a local voluntary sector provider to purchase a specially adapted fixed-site caravan. The caravan will be used by families, who will be able to access additional support during their holiday/short break, or by paid carers, who can provide a child or young person with a holiday experience away from their family.
4.5 The intention is for the voluntary agency to maintain the asset and run the administrative processes of bookings etc. on behalf of the 3 local authorities.
5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
5.1 Failure to spend the allocated grant will result in a lost opportunity for Poole residents.
5.2 A charge will be placed on any property that benefits from adaptations or building improvements in order to help comply with the Grant conditions.
5.3 Allocations will be cash limited with additional costs being met by the grant recipient.
6. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
6.1 Poole will need to maintain any assets purchased with the capital grant on its own assets register.
6.2 Significant investment in a fixed capital asset will for third party use will use legal agreements to claw back residual value should the item or property be sold or no longer used as intended.
7. RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
7.1 No identified high-level risk.
8. EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
8.1 Aiming High for Disabled Children is a major government policy initiative that seeks to improve the lives of disabled children, their families and carers.
9. CONCLUSIONS
9.1 The Borough of Poole has been given £177,000 of capital money to support the Aiming High for Disabled Children short breaks programme. Members are asked to approve a plan to use and distribute this money, which is based on a mix of open bidding and investment in identified programmes and equipment.
Vicky Wales
Head of Children and Young People’s Integrated Services
Contact officer:
David Gillespie
Strategy Manager (Children with Additional Needs)
01202 261955
Councillor Mike White
Portfolio Holder for Delivering Major Projects (including Schools for the Future) and Transportation
APPENDIX I
BID CONDITIONS
1) Bids are invited for equipment or adaptations that meet the following conditions:
2) The money shall be used to create, improve or enhance short break experiences for disabled children resident in the Borough of Poole.
3) Short break experiences will, as a priority, ensure that children are safely cared for by competent staff, who involve the children in activities that provide opportunities to enjoy and achieve.
4) For a definition of ‘Short Breaks’ and more detail on the capital funding conditions reference should be made to “Aiming High for Disabled Children: Short Breaks Guidance” (DCSF & DoH 2008)
[See http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ahdc]
5) Money must be spent by the end of March 2010
6) The upper limit for any one bid will be £100,000.
7) Bids for equipment will be for amounts greater than a minimum of £2500. This will be for single items or several items ‘grouped’ (as defined in AHDC: Short Breaks Guidance page 48 para. 11). The item or items must give continuous service for at least one year.
8) Bids for adaptations or building improvements will only be considered if the work exceeds DDA compliance.
9) Decisions regarding the allocation of resource in response to bids will be made by a panel of officers the Borough of Poole and Poole and Bournemouth PCT, with this process overseen by elected members.
APPENDIX II
WORKPLAN
TASK
/DUE DATE
1) Produce Report and Outline Plan / 27 March2) Establish Pan-Dorset position / 10 April
3) Plan agreed at PCP / 18 April
4) Plan agreed at Officers Board / End April
5) Plan presented to Children’s Services Capital Programme Board / 21 May
6) Plan agreed by Cabinet / 2 June
7) Publicise Process – Write to local providers / Early June
8) Purchase Zig Zag / June/July
9) End of bid submissions & panel decisions / July
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