Decision

The Director of Children, Young People and Education has decided to approve the variation of the Family Time Contract between the Council and Active 8 Support Services Limited (Company Number 05680237), to increase the minimum number of Family Time hours delivered by the commissioned provider from 1,000 hours per month to 1,300 hours per month for the period 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

The increase of 300 additional hours per month over the six-month contract term will result in an additional contract value of £65,500, increasing the total contract value from £247,688 to £313,188.

Reasons for the decision

• On 15 July 2026, the Children, Young People and Education Committee approved a direct award to Active 8 Support Services Ltd (Company Number 05680237) for the provision of Family Time services for the period 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, with a contract value of £247,688.
• Since that approval, a further review has identified that more than 300 hours per month of Family Time continues to be delivered in-house by Children's Social Care colleagues.
• Increasing provision from 1,000 to 1,300 hours per month for the six-month contract period will result in an additional cost of £65,500. This additional expenditure is expected to reduce reliance on higher-cost in-house delivery arrangements and make more effective use of social work and family support staff resources.
• The revised delivery model will enable all Family Time sessions to be undertaken by the commissioned provider. Under the current arrangements, Family Time directed by the court that falls outside the commissioned service criteria is delivered by Children's Social Care staff. Transferring this activity to the provider will significantly reduce pressure on social work and family support teams, allowing them to focus on their core statutory responsibilities.
• There is also a significant cost differential between in-house and commissioned delivery. Family Time delivered by Social Workers and Family Support Workers incurs higher costs when employee salaries, on-costs, travel expenses, venue hire and the opportunity cost of diverting professional time away from statutory casework are taken into account. The commissioned service provides a dedicated workforce and delivers Family Time at a lower unit cost.
• Family Time is a key component of supporting looked after children and maintaining safe relationships with family members. The Council has a statutory responsibility to promote and facilitate appropriate contact between looked after children and their families where this is in the child's best interests. The service provides supervised contact arrangements delivered by trained professionals to ensure that contact remains safe, positive and focused on the child's welfare.
• This contract variation will enable the Council to meet increasing service demand and ensure sufficient Family Time capacity is available to deliver all required arrangements through the commissioned service. This will reduce pressure on Children's Social Care staff, improve workforce capacity to undertake statutory functions, support continuity of service, and assist the Council in meeting its statutory duties towards looked after children and their families.

Alternative options considered

• Retender the service
This option was not recommended as the Committee has already approved commencement of a procurement process for a new Family Time service, with a planned contract start date of 1 April 2027.
• Continue with the direct award at 1,000 hours per month
This option was not recommended as it would continue to place additional pressure on Social Work colleagues and divert resources away from statutory duties. It may also result in the provider being unable to meet demand and could affect the financial sustainability of the service, creating a risk to service continuity.
• Deliver all Family Time provision in-house until completion of the retender process

This option was not recommended as it would require significant recruitment and mobilisation activity within Children's Services and would generate additional financial pressures due to the higher cost of in-house delivery when compared with the commissioned model.
Accordingly, the proposed variation is considered the most effective, economical and operationally resilient option for meeting current demand, ensuring continuity of Family Time provision, maximising the availability of Children's Social Care staff to undertake statutory functions, and supporting the Council in fulfilling its duties to looked after children and their families until the commencement of the new contract on 1 April 2027.