Content

To approve the refurbishment of the Cumberland
Council Children's Edge of Care Residential Home at
‘Arnwood House 138 Blackwell Rd, Carlisle CA2
4DL’ for a total of up to £316,000, in order to
support the transition to a Residential Children's Care Home.
 
To procure and award a professional services
contract once the tender assessments have been undertaken and the
preferred contractors have been identified via the Professional
Services Framework, to provide all services required following the
RIBA Plan of Work Stages 3-7, including Principal Designer under
CDM Regulations and The Building Safety Act at an estimated cost of
£0.042m.
 
To procure and award a construction contract
once the tender assessments have been undertaken and the preferred
contractors have been identified via a suitable framework or Open
Tender, to undertake necessary refurbishment works to the
Cumberland Council Children's Edge of Care Residential Home at
‘Arnwood House, 138 Blackwell Rd, Carlisle CA2
4DL’ at an estimated cost of £0.274m.
 

Reasons for the decision

The purchase or development of a
replacement children's home within the locality of Cumberland to
accommodate our Cared for Children enables the Council to play an
active role in the lives of its cared for children and meet its
duty as Corporate Parents.

 

It will also deliver on
Cumberland’s Children’s and Young People’s plan
to allow Children, young people and families to get the support
they need local to where they live.

 

The approach may improve quality of
provision by potentially giving more effective control to
Cumberland Council over all aspects of children’s residential
service delivery, whilst also reducing the cost of accommodating
our children and young people in residential care substantially,
particularly when compared to external residential care.

 

The approach should also reduce the
dependence of Cumberland Council on private sector residential
provision, whilst establishing greater competitive tension in the
market more generally. It is hoped that provision of this
additional capacity will influence Private Sector providers to
adjust unit costs to more realistic levels and will build on
activity ongoing in neighbouring Authorities and the Region.

 

This will support the
Council’s duty to find the most appropriate care setting for
each child, by diversifying the current residential offer in the
market-place.

 

Increasing the number of residential
settings across Cumberland should reduce the need to place children
outside of Cumberland leading to better social, education and
economic outcomes, while improving workforce efficiency. It will
enable further improvement in the quality of plans and planning for
children, and greater choice of accommodation for children when
they become cared for.

 

The financial rationale relates to
the opportunity to reduce dependency on private sector delivery of
residential care, recognising the risk of significant price rises
in the private sector; and allow Cumberland to secure a stronger
foothold in the market with a local solution which offers better
value for money.

 

The increase in local provision will
ensure a balance in securing the right accommodation mix for
children in care with associated cost savings as recognised in the
council Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).

 

Future governance and oversight of
the investment in residential accommodation will be provided
operationally via the Children's Services Transformation Programme
Board and strategically via the Assurance and Efficiency Delivery
Board and the Strategic Programme Panel, with updates to Executive
delivered as required..

10.The purchase or
development of a replacement children's home within the locality of
Cumberland to accommodate our Cared for Children enables the
Council to play an active role in the lives of its cared for
children and meet its duty as Corporate Parents.
 

11.It will also deliver
on Cumberland’s Children’s and Young People’s
plan to allow Children, young people and families to get the
support they need local to where they live.
 

12.The approach may
improve quality of provision by potentially giving more effective
control to Cumberland Council over all aspects of children’s
residential service delivery, whilst also reducing the cost of
accommodating our children and young people in residential care
substantially, particularly when compared to external residential
care.
 

13.The approach should
also reduce the dependence of Cumberland Council on private sector
residential provision, whilst establishing greater competitive
tension in the market more generally. It is hoped that provision of
this additional capacity will influence Private Sector providers to
adjust unit costs to more realistic levels and will build on
activity ongoing in neighbouring Authorities and the Region.
 

14.This will support
the Council’s duty to find the most appropriate care setting
for each child, by diversifying the current residential offer in
the market-place.
 

15.Increasing the
number of residential settings across Cumberland should reduce the
need to place children outside of Cumberland leading to better
social, education and economic outcomes, while improving workforce
efficiency. It will enable further improvement in the quality of
plans and planning for children, and greater choice of
accommodation for children when they become cared for.
 

16.The financial
rationale relates to the opportunity to reduce dependency on
private sector delivery of residential care, recognising the risk
of significant price rises in the private sector; and allow
Cumberland to secure a stronger foothold in the market with a local
solution which offers better value for money.
 

17.The increase in
local provision will ensure a balance in securing the right
accommodation mix for children in care with associated cost savings
as recognised in the council Medium Term Financial Strategy
(MTFS).
 

18. 
Future governance and oversight of the investment in residential
accommodation will be provided operationally via the Children's
Services Transformation Programme Board and strategically via the
Assurance and Efficiency Delivery Board and the Strategic Programme
Panel, with updates to Executive delivered as required.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing – This would
mean we continue to operate an edge of care childrens care home
from the existing Blackwell road site. Therefore, this means the
risk that the Council continue to be reliant on external privately
run children’s homes including out of borough placements.
This option was rejected as the Council is currently dependent on
and susceptible to inflated external residential costs, which offer
poor value for money.

 

Refurbish the Existing Property
at Blackwell Road – The existing property at Blackwell
Road has been identified as a suitable property for a
children’s residential care home in co-ordination with
children’s services, property services, PMO and consultancy
support. Refurbishment of the property has therefore been
identified as a more suitable option that the Purchase and
Conversion of an alternative property, as it provides greater value
for money, minimises disruption and the timeline for the
project.

 

Purchase and Conversion of an
alternative property – The existing property at Blackwell
Road has been identified as a suitable property for a
children’s residential care home in co-ordination with
children’s services, property services, PMO and consultancy
support. Refurbishment of the property has therefore been
identified as a more suitable option that the Purchase and
Conversion of an alternative property, as it provides greater value
for money, minimises disruption and the timeline for the
project.

 

Development of a New Build Care
Home – The existing property at Blackwell Road has been
identified as a suitable property for a children’s
residential care home in co-ordination with children’s
services, property services, PMO and consultancy support.
Refurbishment of the property has therefore been identified as a
more suitable option that the Development of a New Build Care Home,
as it provides greater value for money, minimises disruption and
the timeline for the project.