Members considered the progress of the workstreams relating to Delivery of Children’s Services, including identification of support service functions. The Lead Member reminded Cabinet that at its meeting on 29 September 2016, approval was given to enter in partnership with Richmond and Kingston councils for the delivery of children’s services through Achieving for Children. The report set out the progress on implementation, leading to a 1 April 2017 transfer, together with an update on the matters reserved to the councils to agree and the volume and value of the Royal Borough’s shareholding in the company.

There has been considerable progress on implementation across the three councils and nine workstreams, including communications, finance and HR.  In addition, officers had been working through the level of resource required for support functions to support children’s services when transferred into Achieving for Children.  A consistent methodology had been applied across the council to ensure that the appropriate resources, whether staff or cash equivalent, were transferred as well as to secure the right level of support services retained in the local authority.

There were currently 16 reserved matters for the owners of Achieving for Children.  The Royal Borough would adopt the same reserved matters but had requested additional reserved matters for any developments which may impact on existing pan-Berkshire or East Berkshire arrangements or decisions significantly affecting two or more wards.

Richmond and Kingston had agreed that the Royal Borough could join the partnership taking a 20% shareholding, on the basis that they wanted to grow the company to include five local authorities.  Each new partner would take a 20% shareholding until all five partners, including the founding councils, owned 20% each.  If it proved impossible to grow the company to five local authorities, the Royal Borough would be given the opportunity to increase its shareholding to 33%.  The timeframe for this expansion was likely to be over the next three to five years.  The report requested Cabinet to delegate authority to the Leader, Lead Member for Finance and Managing Director/Strategic Director Adult, Children and Health Services to negotiate and agree the value of the shares.

In relation to the statutory function of the Director of Children’s Services, it was proposed that recruitment to this post should take place in February/March 2017 from an internal pool of the Deputy Director Health, Early Help and Safeguarding and the Head of Schools and Educational Services.  The Managing Director/Strategic Director Adult, Children and Health Services would continue to deliver the statutory function of Director of Children’s Services until the end of June 2017 to enable a three month handover an ensure stability.

The Chairman referred to a decision taken earlier in the week in relation to York House which, subject to planning permission, agreed to refurbish and expand the building for completion in mid 2018. Royal Borough, AfC and Optalis staff would be located there once works were complete, with offices and IT facilities befitting their importance. The Lead Member for Highways and Transport commented that he had this week heard positive news from the Crown Estate which would increase parking in the town centre.

The Lead Member for Finance commented that the transformation required to bring three organisations together needed to be handled with extreme care. Transformational risks were often underestimated. Focus would ensure improved resilience once the destination was reached, and no loss of resilience during the journey.

The Chairman congratulated both officers and the Lead Member. Councillor Jones echoed these comments and commented that reports coming through gave evidence and reasoning.

The Lead Member commented that an LGA peer review had been undertaken the previous week. She reassured residents that the move to AfC was not a handover; the borough would be equal partners and would take its learning with it. The Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel would continue to receive a report on the peer review in January 2017.

The Managing Director was asked to send a letter to Richmond, Kingston and AfC explaining the decisions taken at the meeting.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Cabinet:

i.       Notes the progress on workstreams and high level implementation plan. 

ii.      Notes the progress on identification of the level of resource required for support functions to support Children’s Services within Achieving for Children.

iii.    Approves the reserved matters in the Inter-Authority and Members’ Agreement with London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames and The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, the co-owners of Achieving for Children.

iv.    Approves the consideration for purchase of shareholding a 20% stake in Achieving for Children and recommends to Council that this is funded from the 2016/17 capital programme, delegating authority to the Leader, Lead Member for Finance and Managing Director/Strategic Director Adult Children and Health Services to negotiate and agree the value of the shares.

v.     Confirms that the current Managing Director/Strategic Director Adult, Children & Health Services will continue to deliver the statutory function of Director of Children’s Services for a three month period to 30 June 2017. 

vi.    Approves the recruitment of a Director of Children’s Services to take effect from 1 July 2017 from the internal pool of Deputy Director Health, Early Help and Safeguarding and Head of Schools and Educational Services.