Issue - meetings

Report CS17065

The Care Services Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining the findings of a detailed assessment of the needs of school-age children in Bromley.  This assessment had identified some areas of risk and it was proposed that two new services be commissioned from 1^st April 2017 comprising a health safeguarding function for school age children (including targeted safeguarding of vulnerable groups) and a new nurse-led team to provide strategic health support and training to schools. 

Since the decision in February 2016 not to re-procure the School Nursing service from 1^st April 2016, work had been ongoing to identify and prioritise the ongoing health needs of school-age children and to determine appropriate services to meet these needs.  This work included a Risk Assessment and a Child Wellbeing Needs Assessment which was led by Public Health and involved key partners including Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group and schools.  Through this work, a range of issues had been identified including the number of children with complex health needs who did not have an Education, Health and Care Plan or Statement, young people identified as being in need of support to address emotional health concerns, and child safeguarding concerns for vulnerable groups, including those at risk of child sexual exploitation and children missing from home, care and school. 

Two options had been developed in response to the assessment, and it was recommended to progress Option 2, which proposed the development of a Strategic Health Team and Safeguarding Nursing Support Team during 2017/18 and 2018/19 to ensure that specific vulnerable groups were appropriately safeguarded and that strategic health support was given to schools to minimise the risks of children with health conditions not being adequately supported.  During the first year of the proposed new delivery model, both functions would be fully evaluated and discussions would be held with schools to establish how the services could be funded beyond the initial period.

In considering the report, the Chairman noted that schools valued the School Nursing service and that work would be undertaken with schools to sustain the provision of this service beyond the initial period of funding.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Agree that the services be funded for a period of up to two years from the Better Care Fund up to a maximum of £606k; and,

2)  Agree the drawdown of the funding for 2017/18 from the Better Care Fund, with any funding required for 2018/19 being subject to a further report to the Council’s Executive.