Purpose

The County Council has a duty
to take steps to secure, so far as reasonably practicable,
sufficient accommodation within its area which meets the needs of
children within its care. Sourcing stable placements which
adequately meet the requirements of children and keeps them within
county borders and close to their family, friends and communities
is a particular challenge, and this picture is reflected
nationally.
 
The County Council has been
working with providers from a range of sectors including those
already operating in residential and semi-independent care, to
identify potential solutions to these issues. The culmination of
this work is to propose a new approach, developing services in
partnership with providers, to deliver residential care provision
for children we care for, including those with complex needs, and
better support sufficiency in West Sussex. 
 
The intention is to direct
award contracts for the delivery of 3 new residential homes
consisting of 2 or 3 bedrooms each, thereby increasing placement
availability within or close to West Sussex.

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young
People, Learning and Skills has approved:-
 

(1)The Direct Award of
three contracts to the following providers for the provision of
three new residential units to provide placements for children we
care for:-
•             
Cranmead
•             
BEST Project
•             
Bespoke Guardians
Issuing of contracts is
dependent on Ofsted registration. The first two are expected to be
issued in early December 2024 and the final one in Spring 2025. All
contracts will come to an end on the 30th June 2026.