Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director, Housing and Social Care Commissioning

Purpose of report

To set out proposals for continuing to deliver the Oxfordshire Adult Homeless Pathway which is a partnership between the District Councils, the County Council and Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and provides housing related support services and accommodation for single homeless people. The report seeks agreement to Cherwell District Council’s funding contribution from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2022.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To agree Cherwell District Council’s continuing contribution to the Oxfordshire Adult Homeless Pathway for a further 2 years at a level of £83,930 per annum in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

Resolved

(1)            That Cherwell District Council’s continuing contribution to the Oxfordshire Adult Homeless Pathway for a further 2 years at a level of £83,930 per annum in 2020/21 and 2021/22 be agreed.

The Assistant Director, Housing and Social Care Commissioning submitted a report to set out proposals for continuing to deliver the Oxfordshire Adult Homeless Pathway which was a partnership between the District Councils, the County Council and Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and provided housing related support services and accommodation for single homeless people. The report sought agreement to Cherwell District Council’s funding contribution from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2022.

Resolved

(1)            That Cherwell District Council’s continuing contribution to the Oxfordshire Adult Homeless Pathway for a further 2 years at a level of £83,930 per annum in 2020/21 and 2021/22 be agreed.

Reasons

The Housing Related Support Joint Management Group is now working to formalise its plans and requires agreement from all district/city councils that they are supportive of continuing the partnership and will increase their annual contributions from April 2020.

This new proposal ensures CDC continues to have access to supported accommodation for rough sleepers and remains within the countywide partnership for 2 further years.

Looking to the future there will be work done by the JMG to re-commission services beyond 2022 to ensure integrated and countywide provision, without the need for districts to commission separate provision to supplement what is available through the joint commissioning arrangements. 

Alternative options

Option 1: Not to be part of the Housing Related Support Joint Management Group from April 2020 and stop making financial contributions to the pooled Budget – this option would result in Cherwell losing access to 24 units of supported accommodation.  Cherwell would need to procure and identify new accommodation independently and would likely result in increased costs to the council

Option 2: To continue to be part of the Housing Related Support Joint Management Group but to maintain its existing funding contribution – this option would ensure that some supported accommodation continues to be available but would result in a reduction in the number of beds available to support single homeless people from Cherwell.