Decision Details

Birmingham Children’s Trust provides statutory children’s social care services on behalf of the Council.  Face to face conversations in the right accommodation are central to relationship based Social Care, this is a human service.  The previous investment in Trust accommodation has successfully split contact with children and child protection conferences (which were inappropriately collocated) as well as improving the quality of the wider accommodation offer.

In a wider context, a number of drivers have changed: the legislation nationally limiting unregulated placements meaning the creation of more internal Children Home capacity; a significant programme of readjustment from Covid coupled with the introduction of agile working to release major assets such as Lancaster Circus; resolving a historical structural unfunded maintenance programme for existing sites impacting on the quality of accommodation for children and families. 

Cabinet is therefore asked to approve the proposal for the establishment of a Trust capital programme front loaded to manage the required estate changes to support agile working; increasing capacity in the children’s homes due to changing legislation; improving the condition of child focused accommodation.

The programme is made up of a 5-year rolling programme of maintenance, major works, capital investment in new accommodation, resourcing and dilapidations

• Capital in excess of £1m

• Significant effect on communities in two or more wards

On 22 March 2022, Cabinet:-

(i)       Approved the proposal for the establishment of a Trust capital programme front loaded to manage the required estate changes to increase capacity in the children’s homes due to changing legislation; improving the condition of child focused accommodation. This requires capital investment of £1.650m 2022/23, £1.300m in year two and an ongoing maintenance programme of £1.100m business as usual position from 2024/25 until 2026/27, a total of £6.250m;

(ii)      noted that the programme is made up of a 5-year rolling programme of maintenance, major works, capital investment in new accommodation, resourcing and dilapidations;

(iii)     delegated authority to approve the procurement strategy and award of contracts for the improvement of property estate to the successful provider(s) will be managed in line with the current delegated authority between the Children’s Trust and Council;

(iv)     authorised the Acting City Solicitor to negotiate, execute and complete all necessary documents to give effect to the above recommendations.

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