Purpose

This report seeks approval to accept Grant Funding of £195,000 from the DFE following the submission of an Expression of Interest process . The grant funding is aimed at improving the support for children and families affected by parental imprisonment.

Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the Corporate Director has decided to:

1)    Accept the Grant Funding award of £195,000 to provide support for children and families affected by parental imprisonment.

2)    To enter into a Grant Funding agreement with DFE.

Alternative options considered

This report is seeking approval to accept a grant that will allow Children’s Services to pilot a new initiative. The alternative option is to do nothing for this cohort of children and families. This is not a viable option as the children and families in this cohort have additional support needs and vulnerabilities and without a targeted and cohesive offer are more likely to present in social work services. This initiative is also essential to offer the support needed to improve long term outcomes.