Purpose

To approve the use of an identified property
from the housing portfolio, by Children’s Services (CYPS) by
way of a formal agreement, to assist with the implementation of the
Looked After Children and Care Leavers Sufficiency Strategy.
 

Decision

 

ROTHERHAM METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

RECORD OF OFFICER EXECUTIVE DECISION

 

Date of Decision:

17th March,
2025
 

Title:

Use of HRA Property for
Children’s Services
 

Decision Maker:
(Including Job
Title)

Ian Spicer,
Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public
Health
 

Details of Specific Cabinet
Delegation
or Delegation contained in the
relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.
 

Section 4c3:
STRATEGIC DIRECTOR OF ADULT CARE, HOUSING AND PUBLIC HEALTH –
DELEGATED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
 
The Strategic
Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health is
authorised
1 to discharge
executive functions
2 through the
commissioning and provision of social services for adults and
public health services for the whole population and delivery of
housing for the Borough, including:-
2. Housing (d)
Housing Options
 

Decision:

To approve the use of a identified
property from the housing portfolio, by Children’s Services
(CYPS) by way of a formal agreement, to assist with the
implementation of the Looked After Children and Care Leavers
Sufficiency Strategy.
 

Reasons for the
Decision:

CYPS have requested to utilise
a property from Housing Services to support the aims of the

Looked After Children and Care Leavers Sufficiency
Strategy. 
 
The Looked After Children and
Care Leavers Sufficiency Strategy was approved by Cabinet in
October 2022 with the intension of reducing the number of external
residential care placements.
 
CYPS have been successful in
acquiring several properties across the borough to assist in
building in-house capacity, and although direct purchase is the
preferred method, the conditions of the current housing market are
proving difficult; suitable properties are limited, and budgets are
not enough to match the increase in house prices.
 
Housing have identified a suitable
property within the Councils Housing (HRA) portfolio which has
become void. The property is void and requires a high level of
investment to bring it up to a lettable standard.
 
Once fully refurbished the
property would meet the requirements of CYPS for a registered 2 bed
children’s home in terms of location and size, therefore it
is the opportune time to consider an alternative use.
 
The purpose of this Officer
Decision is to agree to remove the property from its current use as
council rented accommodation for general needs, to be used, under a
formal agreement by CYPS.
 

Details of alternative
options considered and rejected:

Use of General Fund Council
Assets
All other Council assets have
been ruled out as being suitable for this purpose due to size or
location.
 
Open Market
Acquisition
Alternative properties have
been sought on the open market but suitable properties are limited,
and house prices have increased beyond the existing budget limits
meaning the Council is no longer able to compete on the open
market.
 

Conflicts of interest
declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker
which relates to the decision:

N/A

Dispensations
Granted:
(If any)

N/A
 
 

Reports or parts of
reports considered

N/A

 
I
certify that this is a true record of the executive
decision
 
Signed by the Decision Maker  
 

Dated:         
17/03/2025
 
Name:
         Ian
Spicer                        
Job
Title:    Strategic Director