Select Committee Task and Finish Group Scoping Document

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1 s Select Committee Task and Finish Group Scoping Document The process for establishing a task and finish group is: 1. The Select Committee identifies a potential topic for a task and finish group 2. The Select Committee Chairman and the Scrutiny Officer complete the scoping template. 3. The Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee reviews the scoping document 4. The Select Committee agrees membership of the task and finish group. Review Topic: Supporting Families Select Committee(s) Children and Families Select Committee (lead) Adults Social Care Select Committee Communities Select Committee Education Select Committee Health Scrutiny Committee Relevant background The Prime Minister has described the Troubled Families Programme as his Government s second highest priority after the national deficit. The Government has defined Troubled Families as those who meet all the following criteria: are involved in crime and anti-social behaviour; have children not in school; and have an adult on out of work benefits. The intention is to target interventions at those families who have the most problems and cause the most problems in their local communities. The Government estimates that 9 billion is spent each year on these families and this programme will reduce these costs and will seek to ensure that the children of these families do not lead the same disruptive and harmful lives as their parents. The Government plans to turn around the lives of 120,000 troubled families nationally by May In Surrey, we have been given a target of turning around the lives of 1050 families by May 2015 with a requirement to be working with 350 families by April Feedback from staff and partners has indicated a strong dislike or misunderstanding of the phrase Troubled Families. Therefore, in Surrey we are calling the local approach the Family Support Programme to give a clearer description of what we are setting out to do and to avoid stigmatising those families that take part. 1

2 Why this is a scrutiny item The Troubled Families Programme is a key Government priority and funding is linked to its successful implementation. Surrey County Council and its partners can potentially receive up to 3.5 million over three years through a system of payment by results. The Government strongly believes that its new approach will realise efficiencies and deliver better outcomes for the families involved. At the same time, the local approach will contribute to Council priorities such as: organising our services to make them more local and joined up with partners to ensure that support is offered at the earliest opportunity; providing targeted support to families with low incomes to increase access to employment, training and support networks; and working with partners to develop our safeguarding, targeted and early help services. Members from across a number of Select Committees have expressed a desire to work alongside the Head of Family Services as an advisory board during the design of the Surrey Family Support Programme. Key Issues The cross-committee task group will scrutinise the development of the Surrey Family Support Programme during the final quarter of 2012, develop its understanding of some of the key debates during this early stage, and report back on any outstanding issues. Objectives To consider the high-level objectives of the Surrey Family Support Programme; To recommend how families should be prioritised for inclusion within the local project; To identify what is being done to simplify and rationalise the multi-agency service offer to families within the Programme; To assess how sustainability of outcomes is being built into the Programme s design; To consider how defined outcomes for families will be monitored; To review how the local business case for Surrey agencies is being developed and what systems are being put in place to identify cash savings; To consider current governance of the Family Support Programme and recommend governance and scrutiny arrangements going forward for the Surrey Family Support Programme. Out of scope The Supporting Families Task Group is aware of the work of the Communities Select Committee task group which is reviewing engagement with high needs areas within Surrey. It will continue to take account of the work of the Communities Select Committee task group but will not attempt to review the work of community-focussed initiatives. This task group will address the way that partners work together to support families but it will not scrutinise the services provided by partners. 2

3 Milestones Give planned dates of: Start of review Scoping Report to Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee 18 October 2012 Completion of evidence gathering 15 February 2013 Completion of draft report 1 March 2013 Consultation on draft report 4-15 March 2013 Final report to Select Committee Children and Families Select Committee 27 March 2013 Final report to Cabinet 23 April

4 Methodology Initial Witness list: Sean Rafferty, Head of Family Services Mary Angell, Cabinet Member for Children and Families Caroline Budden, Assistant Director for Children and Safeguarding Services Nick Wilson, Strategic Director for Children, Schools and Families Mary Orton, Chief Executive, Waverley BC Julie Shaw, Manager of Waverley Families Support Team Representatives of agencies taking part in the Family Support Programme A second phase of witness sessions may encompass some or all of the following: District/Borough Council representatives Housing officers Anti-Social Behaviour officers District Police Officers/Police Community Support Officers Youth Offending Team GPs Mental Health Trust Health visitors Parenting workers Education Welfare Officers Headteachers Social workers Youth services Voluntary, Community and Faith sector organisations Local Members Further research: Officers will gather information on how the Troubled Families programme is being designed and implemented in other areas. The Head of Family Services will be consulted throughout the project. Useful documents: Casey L. (July 2012) Listening to Troubled Families ( Department for Communities and Local Government (2012) Troubled Families: Case Studies ( Department for Communities and Local Government (March 2012 (The Troubled Families programme: Financial framework for the Troubled Families programme s payment-by-results scheme for local authorities ( Rafferty S (3 July 2012) The Surrey Family Support Programme ( 4

5 Potential barriers to success The task group will need to work alongside a Programme that is being actively developed and implemented. The Head of Family Services will keep the task group alert to changing circumstances. The local approach when finalised will be the result of close collaboration and joint working across the key Surrey public agencies. There will be some limitations on Members influencing all of this outcome. The timescales are tight with elections in the first half of Members will need to be flexible with regard to meetings and witness sessions. Not all Members will be expected to attend every witness session but notes will be circulated quickly. Equalities implications The Surrey Family Support Programme seeks to target support at those families who have a multiplicity of problems. As the programme and its priorities are developed, consideration will need to be given to the equalities profile of the families targeted through the programme and the success of family participation. The task group will review the equalities impact assessment undertaken as part of developing implementation plans. Task Group Members Spokesman for the Group Scrutiny Officer/s Clare Curran (Children and Families Select Committee) Sally Marks (Adults Social Care Select Committee) Steve Cosser (Communities Task Group) Clare Curran Cheryl Hardman Simon Griffin Tim Hall (Education Select Committee) Peter Hickman (Health Scrutiny Committee) 5