Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care seeking approval to engage in the DfE RAA programme, attached.

DECISION MADE: (CAB 16/17 18649)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To agree in principle that Southampton Adoption Service should  transfer to the Adoption South Central Regional Adoption Agency (ASC RAA) on 1st April 2018, subject to recommendation (v) below. 

(ii)  To agree in principle that ASC RAA will operate via a shared service model with Hampshire County Council operating as the host authority.  All four local authorities will have equal executive representation in governance arrangements to be determined and agreed. 

(iii)  To agree in principle to make a financial contribution to the operating cost of ASC RAA.  Determination of the contribution will be based on two key principles:

-  Authorities’ financial contributions to the RAA will be calculated using a ‘fair funding model’ based on the level of service provided to each, and approved by each authority.

-  Authorities’ financial contributions to the RAA in the first two years will be capped and will not exceed the agreed budget spend of 2016/17 (including fee subsidy, Adoption Support Fund or other grants).

(iv)  The set up costs for the ASC RAA will not exceed the development grant allocated by the DfE for this purpose.

(v)   A further report setting out the financial, staffing and governance implications will be brought back to Cabinet for agreement prior to entering into any final arrangements to deliver the service through an RAA.