This meeting of the Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Children and Young People was scheduled to discuss declarations of interest, questions from county councillors, petitions and public addresses, and the extension of contracts for Young People Supported Accommodation. Councillor Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, was expected to delegate authority to the Director of Children's Services to extend the YPSA contracts. The meeting was open to the public, with options for in-person or virtual attendance.

Young People Supported Accommodation (YPSA) Contract Extensions

A report by the Director of Children's Services recommended that Councillor Sean Gaul delegate authority to extend the Young People Supported Accommodation (YPSA) contracts for 24 months, from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2027.

The YPSA provides a mix of services for young people aged 16-21, including shared accommodation, self-contained single accommodation, and accommodation for parents and children. The contracts under consideration were for support services, with accommodation provided under separate tenancy agreements between the young person and the provider. The young person typically funds the accommodation costs via Housing Benefit.

The aim of the YPSA is to help young people in Oxfordshire to develop independence skills, access education, employment, or training, and gain the knowledge to make informed choices about their future accommodation.

The council commissions the majority of its YPSA services for young people aged over 18 (16+ for parents) from five providers, delivering 144 units of support and accommodation across Oxfordshire. These services commenced in October 2020, following a full procurement exercise.

Extending the contracts would allow sufficient time to remodel and recommission these services, with recommissioning work scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2025. The extension would also provide time to engage with stakeholders, including district and city councils, young people, service providers, and social care staff. Some minor variations were scheduled to be made to the contracts, including revised age range changes to cap the age limit from 25 to 21 years of age.

The report noted that all services are largely working well, with all rated 'green' by the quality improvement team following annual monitoring reviews, and occupancy rates are good across the services. It also warned that if the contracts were to end on 30 September 2025, many young people would have no alternative accommodation options, risking homelessness or placement in more expensive framework or spot placements.

The collective annual budget for 2025/26 is £1,996,000.27. The contracts allow providers to receive an uplift of 2% for the preceding 12 months.

The contracts that were scheduled to be extended for 2 years are:

The report also outlined the legal implications of the contract extensions, noting the council's statutory duties to provide support services and accommodation for young people under the Children Act 1989¹, the Care Act 2014² and the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000[^4]. It also acknowledged the need for partnership working between the council and city and district councils, as outlined in central government guidance on the Care Act 1989. From a procurement law perspective, the contract extensions are permitted under the terms and conditions of the original contracts and compliant with the council's Contract Procedure Rules and the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (as amended).

The report also included a risk management assessment, outlining the benefits and risks of extending the contracts versus doing nothing.

Questions from County Councillors, Petitions and Public Address

The agenda for the meeting also allowed for questions from county councillors, petitions, and public addresses. Members of the public could attend the meeting in person or virtually to speak on agenda items or present petitions.