Issue - meetings

The Panel considered the report of the Service Director, Legal and Governance introducing the Cabinet report on the development of an offer for children with disabilities. 

Hilary Brooks, Service Director, Children and Families Services and Sandra Jerrim, Senior Commissioning Manager, Integrated Commissioning Unit were present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.  In discussions with the officers, the Panel noted the following:

·  in the development of the proposals the Council had engaged with a number of groups and organisations, including the Southampton Parent Carer Forum and schools;

·  there was a need to introduce an eligibility criteria to make access to services for children and young people with disabilities more equitable;

·  there was a risk that changes to the eligibility criteria could increase pressure on Council finances as more is understood about the needs of service users;

·  the market had been receptive and there was interest in providing services that meet the needs and requests of surveyed service users;

·  that lessons had been learnt from previous consultation exercises and processes relating to social care provision.  Throughout the extensive pre-consultation engagement activities children and young people with disabilities had been asked what they would like and there had been an open and honest dialogue with stakeholders, including parents and carers;

·  that consultation will commence on 21 November 2017 and finish on 12 February 2018.  The Panel requested details relating to the consultation to be undertaken prior to the proposed Cabinet decision in March 2018.

RESOLVED:

  (i)  That the details of the consultation activities to be undertaken on the proposals were circulated to the Panel.