northlincs.gov.uk

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) launched a new initiative on 15 December 2011 to work more effectively with and address the needs of families with multiple problems and in doing so reduce the long term financial impact of these families on both local and national government services.

The Department had pledged additional funding of up to 40% to be made available to councils who were able to demonstrate an impact on these families as measured through levels of:

• Anti social behaviour
• Truancy rates and attendance at school
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Worklessness

The work undertaken by the DCLG had estimated that there were 365 families in North Lincolnshire.  The council had applied for the £20,000 funding, which was available to all authorities to undertake the local needs analysis to validate and identify the families locally.  The work was required to be done by March 2012.

The DCLG was offering every council additional funding per year for three years to appoint a senior officer ‘to grip the programme locally’.  The officer would be required to ‘champion, co-ordinate and trouble shoot the effort of the council and its partners to ensure success locally’.  All programmes were expected to go live on 1 April 2012.

Resolved – That the post of Strategic Co-ordinator, to lead the work locally for the Trouble Families Initiative, be approved.

62        (62) GRANTS FOR VOLUNTARY YOUTH GROUPS – The Director of Children and Young People’s Services submitted a report seeking approval of grants to voluntary youth groups.

The Youth Service budget had an allocation to support voluntary youth groups in the delivery of youth work by helping to meet their operational costs.  A Cabinet Member approved process was in place for the allocation of funds to be undertaken in partnership with a Voluntary Sector Funding Panel.  The panel had considered funding applications at their meeting on 28 September 2011 and 11 January 2012.

Resolved – That the grants detailed at Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

63        (63) REGIONAL ADOPTION MANAGER – The Director of Children and Young People’s Service submitted a report seeking approval to create an Adoption Manager to manage the regional adoption business model hosted by North Lincolnshire.

The council had played a key role in the development of the Yorkshire and Humberside Adoption Consortium.  All 15 authorities in the area and two Voluntary Adoption Agencies had agreed to sign up to the contractual arrangements.  The contracts were being signed and returned during February 2012.

The adoption consortium would enable the region to develop a financial model to underpin the recruitment and provision of adopters.  The ambition was to create a cross region recruitment strategy and increase the number of adopters available and at a competitive rate.

The work would require an experienced and capable adoption manager who could shape and influence the development at a regional level, and with the innovation to build a new provision and one that could further extend the role of regional commissioning to meet the crucial aspect of the council’s work to provide families and services to children who needed adoption, adults who wished to adopt and services to birth parents.

Resolved – That the post of Regional Adoption Manager, to lead the regional project, be approved.

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