Issue - meetings

Report of Head of Regeneration and Housing

Purpose of report

To advise Executive of the proposals recommended by the District Councils, the County Council, and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) as endorsed by the Health Improvement Board, to work jointly to provide housing related support services and accommodate single homeless from across the county for the next 3 years commencing from 1 April 2017.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To support the new proposals which provide a plan and include a financial contribution from Cherwell for a period of 3 years as calculated and recommended by the Oxfordshire Districts, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) and Oxfordshire County Council.

1.2         To note and support the proposal for a new joint governance structure to procure and manage services through senior officer representation withdelegated authority.

1.3       To approve a financial contribution of £62,700pa (as calculated on Cherwell’s current use of hostels with 24 hour care) and required to be paid from Cherwell for 3 financial years commencing from 1 April 2017.

1.4       That Executive note that a further report on the longer term sustainability of single homeless pathway arrangements across the county be submitted within the 3 year period covered by this report.

Resolved

(1)          That the new proposals which provide a plan and include a financial contribution from Cherwell for a period of 3 years as calculated and recommended by the Oxfordshire Districts, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) and Oxfordshire County Council be supported.

(2)          That the proposal for a new joint governance structure to procure and manage services through senior officer representation withdelegated authority be noted and supported.

(3)          That a financial contribution of £62,700pa (as calculated on Cherwell’s current use of hostels with 24 hour care) and required to be paid from Cherwell for 3 financial years commencing from 1 April 2017 be approved.

(4)          That it be noted that a further report on the longer term sustainability of single homeless pathway arrangements across the county would be submitted within the 3 year period covered by this report.

The of Head of Regeneration and Housing submitted a report to advise Executive of the proposals recommended by the District Councils, the County Council, and the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) as endorsed by the Health Improvement Board, to work jointly to provide housing related support services and accommodate single homeless from across the county for the next 3 years commencing from 1 April 2017.

Resolved

(1)          That the new proposals which provide a plan and include a financial contribution from Cherwell for a period of 3 years as calculated and recommended by the Oxfordshire Districts, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) and Oxfordshire County Council be supported.

(2)          That the proposal for a new joint governance structure to procure and manage services through senior officer representation withdelegated authority be noted and supported.

(3)          That a financial contribution of £62,700pa (as calculated on Cherwell’s current use of hostels with 24 hour care) and required to be paid from Cherwell for 3 financial years commencing from 1 April 2017 be approved.

(4)          That it be noted that a further report on the longer term sustainability of single homeless pathway arrangements across the county would be submitted within the 3 year period covered by this report.

Reasons

The new proposals have been a significant achievement and demonstrate excellent joint working across all partners. Officers have made considerable efforts to negotiate across the County to reach this stage and form these proposals. All parties have considered a full range of options to retain hostel beds for complex case with 24 hour support in Oxford, also to maintain and hopefully expand local service delivery to provide housing related support. This proposal provides a full overview of the preferred recommendations which will maintain the commitment to provide the current level of housing related support funding already allocated to Cherwell to be continued during the period of the agreement. This means that although Cherwell will need to contribute £62,700 per year to maintain the service for complex needs in Oxford, this also means housing related support investment will continue to be received in Cherwell during the next 3 years.

Alternative options

Option 1: Not to agree the joint county plan and financial contribution as recommended for the next 3 years. This would result in Cherwell needing to fully fund and make its own arrangementsfor rough sleepers with multiple and complex needs. It would also result in the withdrawal of the housing related support funding currently received from the County and spent within the district.