Agenda item

Report of the Director of Children’s and Education Services

Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Children’s and Education Services which set out the progress made so far and sought Cabinet approval to move forward with Coventry City Council being a party to the delivery of the West Midlands Safe Centre project (West Midlands Safe Centre).

A corresponding private report detailing confidential financial matters, was also submitted for consideration (Minute 40 below refers).

The report indicated that secure children’s homes care for some of the most vulnerable young people in society with the most complex needs. They are safe settings for children whose liberty is legally restricted, where they can be supported through trauma aware and psychologically informed integrated care, health and educational services.

Children are admitted to secure children’s homes through one of two pathways: those subject to criminal proceedings for their offending behaviour, but who are usually managed within the youth justice secure estate; and those subject to public law welfare proceedings who are deemed to pose a significant risk to themselves and or others. The facility being planned here is for the latter, welfare cases only.

Children placed in secure children’s homes are likely to have experienced a number of placements that have broken down, missed a lot of education, have unmet emotional and physical health needs and have suffered a great deal of trauma in their lives. There is a national shortage of secure placements for these vulnerable children. The West Midlands currently has no dedicated regional provision creating pressure on the existing secure estate.

In recognition of the national shortage the DfE opened up bids to LA’s in 2019 to provide funding to develop this resource across the country. 14 West Midlands Local Authorities, including Coventry City Council, came together to enter a bid to develop a West Midlands resource formally called “The Safe Centre”. The proposed West Midlands Safe Centre will be the first regionally owned secure children’s home in the country, providing 20 secure welfare beds and high-quality care, health and education to local children.

The report indicated that the risks involved in running and investing in the West Midlands Safe Centre were deemed too great for any one local authority to bear individually. Subject to approval through each local authority’s governance processes and the proposed Partnership Agreement, a separate legal entity in the form of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be created for the West Midlands Safe Centre to operate and manage the secure welfare provision on behalf of the 14 local authorities/Children’s Trusts. 

The key benefits of the West Midlands Safe Centre project are set out in the private element of this report, and include: 

•  Ensuring the most vulnerable children are able to access secure care within the West Midlands and reducing delays in this care being available when they need it

•  Significant investment in the West Midlands region, including a range of job opportunities

•  Reduced risks of high-cost unregulated provision

•  Reduce significant oncosts linked to travel and professionals’ time

•  Support families to engage in reunification and maintain relationships through family time

•  Enable a planned transition back to Coventry through ‘mobility’ and ongoing outreach support once the child has moved on.

Further details on design and build, the project governance arrangements and how the Safe Centre will operate were contained in a Business Case attached as an appendix to the private report.

RESOLVED that Cabinet, (subject to the completion of all necessary due diligence work and following consideration of the additional confidential information contained in the corresponding private report):

1)  Endorse the development of the West Midlands Safe Centre as set out in the business case that has been submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) and appended at Appendix 1 of the corresponding private report.

2)  Endorse the proposed legal formation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) as set out in this report.

3)  Approve the arrangements for Coventry City Council to join the SPV and be part of a formal partnership for governance of the West Midlands Safe Centre with other West Midlands local authorities.

4) Agree that further Cabinet approval would be required for Coventry City Council to continue to participate in the Partnership Agreement at a revised risk / reward share if insufficient local authority members sign up and the share tolerance as set out in the corresponding private report was exceeded.

5) Approve in principle the proposed procurement and property arrangements for the operation of the West Midlands Safe Centre.

6) Delegate authority to the Director of Children’s and Education Services, following consultation with the Director of Finance and Resources and the Director of Law & Governance, to undertake the following:

a) Complete the necessary due diligence required including but not limited to legal and tax due diligence arrangements; and

b) Thereafter to complete all necessary documents to give effect to the above recommendations. The delegation shall also include the power to do anything necessary, incidental or ancillary for the carrying into effect the recommendations set out in this report.