Decisions

see attached officer decision record

To approve the following application for grant funding from the Members Ward Budget 2021/22:-

a. Doncaster Street Hub
Reference No: 08/DCF/21-22/Town
Supported by: Councillor Cobby, Councillor Kearsley & Councillor Shaw
Cost £600.00 (£200.00 x 3 Councillors)

b. Stainforth Community Resource Centre
Reference No: 09/DCF/21-22/St&BD
Supported by: Councillor Farmer
Cost £200.00

c. Mexborough Athletic FC
Reference No: 10/DCF/21-22/Mex
Supported by: Councillor Gibbons
Cost £1000.00

See attached Officer Decision Record

To approve the following application for grant funding from the Members Ward Budget 2021/22

a. St Paul’s Community Church – Family Fun @ 4pm
Reference No: 03/DCF/21-22/WH&Int
Supported by: Councillors Daniel Barwell, Jane Kidd, Emma MuddimanRawlins
Cost £400.00 (£133.33 x 3 Councillors)

b. The Peoples Focused Group
Reference No: 04/DCF/21-22/Int
Supported by: Councillors Daniel Barwell, Jane Kidd, Emma MuddimanRawlins
Cost £617.76 (£205.92 x 3 Councillors)

c. Raghbir Singh
Reference No: 05/DCF/21-22/Bess
Supported by Councillors Gemma Cobby, Jake Kearsley, Majid Khan,
Dave Shaw
Cost £1,000.00 (£250.00 x 4 Councillors)

d. John England
Reference No: 06/DCF/21-22/Th&Moor
Supported by: Councillor Mark Houlbrook
Cost £287.00

e. Conisbrough Community Events
Reference No: 07/DCF/21-22/Con
Supported by Councillor Lani-Mae Ball
Cost £1,000.00

The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the establishment of a Children’s Resilience and Recovery (Improvement) Programme, which in turn has
impacted on resources, in particular at leadership level, therefore in order to ensure continuity In key areas of work across portfolios a number of temporary resources are required on a fixed term and interim basis.

The roles identified below will manage the Directorate’s business, change and transformation programme work to ensure that key directorate priorities continue to be met. The roles will also support the work of the review programme, including operating models and restoration programme, underway across Libraries and Heritage, Archives and governance reviews.

Due to the above this ODR seeks to extend the term for the interim roles previously established below until 31st December 2021:
• Business Change and Transformation lead - (5 days per week).
• Business lead – (4 days per week).
• Inspection Lead – (5 days per week)

The interim roles will continue to be managed under Leanne Hornsby, Assistant Director Education, Skills, Culture and Heritage.

To extend existing arrangements with the 3 interim posts identified below to assist LOSC DLT in managing the response to the pandemic, improvement, inspection programmes and wider key priorities, including operational support for the Libraries and Heritage Service and request funding of £72k from the Social Care Transformation Fund Reserve funding allocated.

The BCF is a programme spanning both the NHS and local government. Its aim is to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society by placing them at the centre of their care and support and providing them with ‘wrap around’ fully integrated health and social care, resulting in an improved experience and better quality of life.

The council carried out a Black and Minority Ethnic Health Needs Assessment that people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities face access issues in Doncaster with primary care and dentistry services in particular. These workers will facilitate more accessible health and wellbeing services. Additionally, and more immediately these workers will contribute to mitigating the impact of the COVID pandemic on our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller citizens.

Following the recommendation from Joint Commissioning Operational Group, approved by Joint Commissioning Management Board on 29 October 2020, this decision is to agree to provide Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with a total of £87,862 over a two-year period to enable them to employ a Gypsy Traveller Link Worker. Funding would be due to commence from 1 April 2021, from the Non Recurrent BCF Earmarked Reserve allocated to the Place Plan.

During 2020/21 financial support for local authorities was made available from the Government by way of grants under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 to deliver key activities to respond to local outbreaks of COVID, provide containment interventions and support residents most impacted by COVID. The Council received Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) £2.495m and £5.527m both approved via a Rule 16 on 9th November 2020 and 23rd December 2020 respectively. Both approvals delegated to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Public Health future decision making regarding these funding streams. Current guidance stipulates that this funding must be spent by 31st March 2022.

As the result of the COVID pandemic with its disproportionate impact on our minority ethnic citizens a number of community link workers have been employed to support the implementation of the COVID outbreak management plan. To better meet the needs of these communities it was decided to recruit two Gypsy Roma and Traveller link workers, over a two-year period.

This decision requires and adjustment of the initial funding decision with respect to its start date. Specifically, funding of £87,862 from 1st April 2021 from the COVID contain grant and funding of £82,862 from 1st April 2022 from the Non Recurrent BCF Earmarked Reserve allocated to the Place Plan.

Additionally, although these posts are directly employed by the CCG they are embedded within a cohort of council employed community link workers and are supervised by the COVID Community Link Coordinator.

The impact of covid-19 has highlighted a number of health inequalities across England as referenced in the Build Back Fairer Covid-19 Marmot review (2021) and has also exacerbated the obesity rates in our borough. As part of PHE’s national recovery plan for obesity, local authorities have been allocated funding to provide services to support the obesity recovery including the funds to support Tier 2 weight management services . As we de-commissioned our Tier 2 weight management service for adults in 2016 we are proposing to use the funds to set up a community based pilot using an existing weight management provider and in-house teams to develop a service for those individuals with a BMI > 30 until 31st March 2022 due to the tight timescale and covid-19 implications. The decision was made not to tender due to the timescale and the fact that we want to join up our current Tier 3 /Tier 4 weight management services to extend the weight management offer , to keep it local and also to use it as a pilot to test potential demand and uptake.

Details of the proposed service are available on request and the programme (Be Well, Feel Good) will be live in autumn 2021. Referrals into the service will be via primary care and self -referral. A communications plan will be developed prior to mobilisation by the provider.

A Rule 16 Urgent Decision was approved on 23rd April 2021 by Mayor Ros Jones to accept the grant allocation from Public Health England (PHE) for £329, 546 for the commissioning of a new Tier 2 weight management service (adults) as part of the covid-19 recovery planning. £255k will be allocated to the commissioning of the service and the remainder £74,546 will be used in house to recruit a Be well coach post to support the programme and infrastructure and provide a food education/peer support element as part of the food poverty work.

The Adults, Health and Wellbeing (AHWB) directorate vision is for people in Doncaster to live in the place they call home with the people and things that they love, in communities where they look out for one another, doing the things that matter to them. To help us achieve this vision, we need to invest in developing practice to ensure our ways of working adhere to national legislation, policy and best practice, and are shaped by local people with lived experience of seeking and drawing on support.

The Practice Development Team is an important resource with a wide remit, including shaping the vision and purpose of the directorate, ensuring our vision is at the heart of all we do, developing an authentic approach to coproduction, and supporting AHWB staff by developing clear principles and practice guidance, offering ongoing support to embed and develop the new Mosaic case management system and removing as much bureaucracy as possible to make things better for us and better for the people we serve.

It is particularly relevant that a proportion of the reserve earmarked for transformational projects in Social Care is earmarked for this purpose, as the team will play a key role in ensuring improved experience and outcomes for people in Doncaster and increased morale and job satisfaction for our own staff, which will in turn have a positive impact on our budget.

To agree the funding for three temporary posts in Adults, Health and Wellbeing from the transformational projects in Social Care earmarked reserve:
• 1 x Strategic Lead for Practice Development – Grade 12 – FTE – Temporary until 31 March 2023
• 2 x Subject Matter Experts – Grade 9 – FTE – Temporary until 31 March 2022

An overarching Doncaster COVID Testing Strategy is in place which aligns to the objectives of Doncaster’s outbreak control plan. It outlines the wide range of testing approaches including symptomatic testing and asymptomatic testing. The opportunities for accessing testing is constantly evolving and therefore necessary that our approach is flexible and reactive to the Government’s developments.
Doncaster Council has been providing asymptomatic community testing since 14th December 2020. Approval was provided to accept funding up to £2.8m via a Rule 16 on the 14th January 2021 and delegated to the Director of Public Health in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Public Health future decision making regarding the Community Testing funding. In total, still covered in the key decision, the Council has received so far £566k (Jan-Mar 2021) and circa £750k (Apr-Jun 2021) to provide asymptomatic testing.

To remodel and extend the delivery of Community Testing until 31st March 2022 with a more targeted focus on disproportionally impacted groups and underrepresented groups.
To accept receipt of funding to deliver our Community Collect Testing proposals circa £531,888.

See attached ODR for full details

To proceed with the appointment process for 2 Ambition Coaches at Grade 8 to deliver The Pathways to Progression Programme. The cost of each role will be £27,049 - £30,564 per annum

See attached ODR for full details

Secondary schools collaborative school improvement and grant funding St Wilfred’s Academy to lead on a wellbeing and alternative provision project with Doncaster schools.

Enterprise Co-ordinators help schools to plan careers strategies and develop their careers plans. They also establish relationships with volunteers from business, known as Enterprise Advisors who support the schools on their careers strategies but also support with careers
interventions in schools.
Doncaster has two Enterprise Coordinators, based on the number of secondary schools in the borough. They are match funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company, who have a
responsibility for supporting schools in delivering high quality careers advice and guidance.
These two posts currently sit in Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, the decision to base them there was taken as the Chamber have been developing linkages with businesses and schools on the Council’s behalf.

This move would give the Enterprise Coordinators the opportunity to make links within the Council and share best practice. The Council would gain additional knowledge, expertise and capacity by directly employing the Enterprise Coordinators.
We propose the transfer of staff take place as quickly as possible, which is likely to mean in
September 21.

To move TUPE transfer 2 Enterprise Co-ordinators currently situated in the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce to Doncaster Council; to expand their roles to meet additional
Council specific requirements aligned to their current role and to recruit an additional Enterprise Coordinator to backfill this additional responsibility.

To comply with the Secretary of State’s Academy Order of 8th July 2021.

Further to the academy order of the Regional Schools Commissioner issued on 8th July 2021, the Council is now required to execute all formal documentation necessary to complete the conversion to academy status.
This decision record approves the appropriate instruction to the Council’s Legal section to complete and seal the appropriate documentation in order for Castle Hills Primary School to convert to academy status (date to be confirmed) as a converter academy. It is proposed that Castle Hills Primary School will join a Multi Academy Trust - Leger Education Trust.

Please see table in the attached Officer Decision Record detailing requests for uplifts from Providers for out of authority education requested for the year from 1st April 2021.
The uplift request relates to the cost of places prior to the 2021 framework for the Council being put in place. For these placements the contract with the providers states that; ‘The Provider may in assessing their need for an annual, inflationary, fee request consider information derived from a number of sources such as RPI/Teachers Pay award, but at all times must pay due heed to working in partnership with Local Authorities to attain Value for Money and to achieve efficiency improvements’. Both parties will have regard to the actual costs incurred by the Provider. If the Provider proposes to increase the Price and/or Additional Service Fee, then such increases must be demonstrated by the Provider as being justified.

For transparency, the main reasons for the requests of uplifts from the below providers is due to unavoidable cost pressures such as inflation, National Living Wage increases and statutory pension contributions of staffing.

To consider the annual uplift request from providers of Out of Authority Education placement Provision.

Bid submitted and agreed by MHCLG and discussed within accommodation flow meetings. Other posts agreed for transition workers within the team although applied for 3 workers and MHCLG agreed 2 workers.

Decision made due to increased number of rough sleepers presenting with mental health as well as those at risk of rough sleeping and placed in temporary accommodation.

Part of the wider bit from Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI) bid included funds for a 12 month mental health social worker to be based within the Complex Lives Team.

As British and US Forces are leaving Afghanistan the situation for the Afghan nationals that were employed, mainly as Interpreters, has become dangerous, with them being at increased risk. In December 2020, due to the deteriorating security situation in the country, the Government announced the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). This is a new scheme that offers relocation or other assistance to current and former Locally Employed Staff, and their families, in Afghanistan to reflect the changing situation.

Under the new scheme, those current, or former, Locally Employed Staff, assessed to be at serious risk of threat to life, are being offered priority relocation to the UK, regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served. It is estimated that this will involve around 4000 Afghan nationals. They will receive a 5 year visa which includes the right to work, social housing and free access to Health services; they will apply for Habitual Residency status on arrival.

As with the initial Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme (SRRP), the Home Office has expressed a preference for a regionalised approach to ensure strategic coordination and, in Yorkshire and Humber, the regional programme will continue to be coordinated by Migration Yorkshire (part of Leeds City Council). The ARAP project will be funded by the Government via Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire) and the implications for Doncaster are that the scheme should be cost neutral for the Authority.

In May 2021, the Home Office, through Migration Yorkshire, asked Local Authorities to support the voluntary scheme and welcome families and individuals into their communities. Doncaster has volunteered to take 3 families, likely to total around 15 individuals. The initial dates for families to arrive were confirmed within August, however due to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan this has been brought forward with the first tranche of families coming into the UK having already arrived in Calderdale and Leeds and undertaking the required Covid19 isolation period.

The first family due to arrive within Doncaster is now scheduled for the 26th of July with the remaining 2 families following at intervals within August. Accommodation has been located and confirmed via St Leger Homes, one within Balby and the remaining two within Bentley. An element of the funding, supplied through the scheme, is to establish these properties as homes which is currently underway in regards to furnishings, household goods and day to day equipment.
Integration support will be provided by the Refugee Council as with our other resettlement schemes. It has been confirmed that due to the nature of the work undertaken for the British Forces, the lead adult will have English language skills which will support their longer term integration, albeit the wider family will need additional support via ESOL and within schools.

As part of the ARAP programme arrangements are already in place for the children of the first family through Learning and Opportunities colleagues regarding school placements and language

support in school in line with normal placement processes and this will be the case for all subsequent families. Within school settings the expectation is for the use of existing funding allocated to support the provision such as the Pupil Premium. Wider ESOL provision for additional adults in the family or to support gaps in provision is to be arranged by the Refugee Council and the Local Authority as required.
Although the confirmed funding arrangements are still be received, the proposed funding guidance has been issued, as seen in Table 1 below, which outlines the ARAP Scheme will run in the same way as the UK Resettlement Scheme (previously Syrian Refugee Resettlement Scheme) and will be paid in 3 payments. It is likely that 40% of the funding will be available to be claimed on arrival in Doncaster, a further 30% at the end of month 4 and the final 30% at the end of month 8. However, the final arrangements are expected to be confirmed and shared with Local Authorities’ week commencing the 19th July 2021.

The Scheme aims to fund costs in a similar way to the existing UK Resettlement Scheme, with the exception of school education and health costs which are expected to be met by School establishments via their existing funding, and health costs via the Health service directly.
The majority of the funding from the Home Office will be in place for 12 months with the funding the Council receives being used to establish the family homes and providing what is needed to support their integration into the wider community.

The families will receive a weekly allowance, paid by the Refugee Council, which ends once they qualify for benefits or they become employed or up to 4 months, which they will be supported to do. In addition the rent payments allocated to each individual will also run for 4 months. However, due to the support that will be provided and the professional level the lead adult will have due to their previous roles in Afghanistan, it is anticipated that employment or benefit entitlement will be sorted within that time period which will support ongoing rent payments.

It is currently outlined that the Refugee Council will charge around £3500 per person for integration, although Migration Yorkshire are continuing to discuss this amount as it is a higher amount that has been previously seen in other resettlement schemes.

See attached Officer Decision Record regarding current funding information received.

To extend the partnership arrangements in place with Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire), who act as the accountable body and administer the funding, to support the resettlement of up to 3 Afghan family units within Doncaster over a 12 month period as part of the Home Office’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)

To approve receipt of funding circa £104k as part of the funding arrangement.

See attached Officer Decision Record for details.

To extend the partnership arrangements in place with Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire), who act as the accountable body and administer the funding, to support the resettlement of up to 3 Afghan family units within Doncaster over a 12 month period as part of the Home Office’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)

To approve receipt of funding circa £104k as part of the funding arrangement.

Doncaster Council commissions scheduled care and 24/7 services at the following extra care housing schemes for older people:
• Charles Court
• Rokeby Gardens
• Swallowdale
The current contracts for each scheme, provided by Housing and Care 21, were established in 2015 following mini-competitions undertaken using a previous extra care framework. All three contracts are due to expire on 30 June 2020.

Extensive work has taken place to review the current provision including:
• analysis of care packages across the schemes
• engagement with tenants of current extra care schemes to inform review and development of future specification
• liaison with scheme managers to complement findings from tenant engagement
• cost modelling to determine value for money floor and ceiling rates for re-procurement (informed by benchmarking with Yorkshire and Humber LA’s) to determine budgetary impact of re-procurement options
• market engagement event regarding future intentions in respect of establishing a framework of providers
• development of procurement timeline for framework and subsequent call-offs for existing schemes. This ODR seeks approval to award the framework agreement and subsequent call off contracts for Charles Court, Rokeby Gardens and Swallowdale, following procurement of the framework
and based upon the framework procurement evaluation results.

Future schemes are to be called off through the running of mini competitions between appointed
framework providers. The right to re- open the framework to new providers will be reserved.

To seek approval to award a framework agreement and subsequent call off contracts following procurement of a provider framework for extra care housing care and support services.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the adult social care provider market. A Special Urgency Report to the Mayor dated 5th November 2020 resulted in certain recommendations being made which included the following:

• Agree an extension to the programme of financial support in response to the COVID 19 crisis. This extension will be from the 1st July 2020 to 31st October 2020 for adult social care providers who are commissioned by the Council to provide care services across the borough.

• As the impact of COVID 19 on care providers was likely to continue beyond 31st October, the decision to extend any further financial support to the adult social care provider sector up to the 31st March 2021 was delegated to the Director of Adults Health and Wellbeing in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Adults Health and Wellbeing. Subject to future direction from central government and the movement of the COVID-19 crisis, in line with any grant conditions.

To grant supplier relief for costs when applied for under the Supplier Relief Scheme to Adult Social Care providers for costs incurred between 1st July 2020 and 31st January 2021 in line with the Rule 16 report dated 5th November 2020 and the subsequent ODR signed 16th March 2021.

The Better Care Fund (“BCF”) is a programme spanning both the NHS and local government to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, placing them at the centre of their care and support, and providing them with ‘wraparound’ fully integrated health and social care, resulting in an improved experience and better quality of life. The Improved Better Care Fund (“IBCF”), and Disabled Facilities Grant are additional elements to the Better Care Fund, which are paid as direct grants to Councils, but must be pooled into the local BCF plan and regulated by a Section 75 Agreement pursuant to partnership arrangements permitted under the NHS Act 2006.

The varied Clause 2.3 of the Agreement allows the existing fund transfer arrangement and the related budget and governance arrangement of various schemes to be extended for a further 12 month period by the agreement of Doncaster Council and DCCG through the Better Care Fund Partnership Board.

This ODR concerns the BCF, IBCF and Disabled Facilities Grant pooled budgets between DCCG and Doncaster Council for the financial year 2021/22.

To vary the Agreement as follows:
a) To vary clause 2.3 to allow the extension of the Agreement for one further period of 12 months for the period 1st April 2021 – 31st March 2022;
b) To update the terms of reference in schedule 2 of the Agreement;
c) To update Schedule 5 of the Agreement to reflect post COVID 19 systems of working;
d) To update the policies attached at schedule 7 to include the Council’s Work, Experience, Internship and Volunteer Worker policy;
e) To allow the option of further variations to schedule 5 and schedule 6 to reflect future published governmental guidance regarding the operation of the Better Care Fund.

To extend for a period of 12 months the existing 2020/2021 Section 75 Better Care Fund and Improved Better Care Fund Framework Partnership Agreement relating to the pooling of funds between DCCG and Doncaster Council for 2021/2022 in accordance with the proposed varied clause 2.3 of the Agreement and ODR Decision - Reference AHWB.056.2019_S75_Council_CCG_2019-20 2020_21

On the 29th January 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) provided guidance for the Workforce Capacity Fund for adult social care. This fund has been put in place following the government commitment in September 2020 to support local authorities and social care providers to maintain safe staffing levels over the winter period and to continue working with the care sector to ensure there is sufficient workforce capacity across services.

The Workforce Capacity Fund was subject to a Mayor’s rule 16 decision dated 23rd February 2021, which approved the recommendation to allocate up to £573.593 to the Registered Adult Social Care providers in Doncaster following an expression of interest process completed on the 10th February 2021.

To allocate a proportion of the Workforce Capacity Fund to the Registered Adult Social Care Sector as outlined within the Mayor’s rule 16 decision dated 23rd February 2021

The Department of Health and Social Care recently announced an extension to the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund. The fund was put in place to support adult social care providers to reduce the rate of transmission in and between care homes and support wider workforce resilience. The initial tranche of grant monies were used to help providers pay for additional infection control measures including but not limited to: additional staff and /or maintain the normal wages of staff who, in order to reduce the spread of infection need to reduce the number of establishments in which they work, reduce the number of hours they work, or self-isolate.
Within the initial tranche of the fund, Councils were required to pay 75% directly to care home providers and use the 25% to support other provision. The 25% in Doncaster was distributed to Council and CCG contracted registered community care providers.
Within the second allocation of funding Councils are required to pay 80% directly to Care Home and Community Care providers registered within their boundaries (regardless of whether they are contracted with either the Council or CCG). Of the 80%, 71% must be awarded to Care Homes and 29% to Community Care. The remaining 20% is at the discretion of the Council to award and distribute.
The total amount of funding for Doncaster within the second tranche of the fund is £2.935m and therefore the discretionary 20% total amount is £587k.

To allocate the 20% discretionary amount of Infection Control Fund Grant as outlined within this report in line with the rule 16 Mayor’s decision 4th November 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the adult social care provider market. A Special Urgency Report to the Mayor dated 5th November 2020) resulted in certain recommendations being made which included the following:

• Agree an extension to the programme of financial support in response to the COVID 19 crisis. This extension will be from the 1st July 2020 to 31st October 2020 for adult social care providers who are commissioned by the Council to provide care services across the borough.

• As the impact of COVID 19 on care providers was likely to continue beyond 31st October the decision to extend any further financial support to the adult social care provider sector up to the 31st March 2021 was delegated to the Director of Adults Health and Wellbeing in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Adults Health and Wellbeing. Subject to future direction from central government and the movement of the COVID-19 crisis, in line with any grant conditions.

To extend the financial support to the Adult Social Care provider market to the 31st March 2021 including the void payments and supplier relief scheme as outlined within the Rule 16 Special Urgency Report to the Mayor dated 5th November 2020.

To grant supplier relief for costs when applied for under the Supplier Relief Scheme to Adult Social Care providers for costs incurred between 1st July 2020 and 31st October 2020.

The BCF is a programme spanning both the NHS and local government to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society, placing them at the centre of their care and support, and providing then with ‘wrap around’ fully integrated health and social care, resulting in an improved experience and better quality of life.
The Place Plan is one of the major transformational change programmes that makes up the Doncaster Growing Together portfolio. Work is focussed around areas of opportunity as the
starting point for creating and testing new models of care; these include First 1001 days – conception to 2 years of age and Vulnerable Adolescents. It remains critical that projects are delivered individually but more importantly avoid unnecessary duplication and missed opportunities for learning. Leadership and project capacity is required to
support and challenge the transformation across all areas, ensuring pace and consistency.

Following the recommendation from Joint Commissioning Operational Group (JCOG) and virtual approval from the Joint Commissioning Management Board (JCMB) to agree to provide Children’s Services with a total of £97,710, so that the existing transformational programme and leadership capacity, which was originally approved in April 2019, can be extended to ensure that it aligns with the revised end date of the 1001 days pilot.

The funding would support existing resources employed by Doncaster Council comprising:
- 1 FTE Transformation Manager to September 2022 (extension of 6 months)
- 1 FTE Project Officer to September 2022 (extension of 18 months)

Funding would be due to commence from 1st April 2021, from the Non Recurrent BCF Earmarked Reserve allocated to the Place Plan.

This is in accordance with recommendations made in a Cabinet Report dated 27th March 2018, which approved the spending plan for the non-recurrent BCF Ear Marked Reserve, as set out in the report, and delegated detailed spending decisions for the implementation of the Doncaster Place Plan £3m, other Integrated Functions £0.7m and unallocated balance £0.7m, to the Director of People in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and relevant Portfolio Holder.

The alleyway to the rear of The Grove, Thorne Road and Armthorpe Lane within the Wheatley Hills and Intake Ward, has for a number of years been facilitating continual anti-social behaviour including alcohol and drug misuse where drug paraphernalia is being discarded. The area is also a magnet for use by sex workers, nuisance youths, and has regular instances of criminal damage, fly tipping and reports of burglaries and attempted burglaries.

This has had a fundamental effect on the wellbeing of the local residents, the majority of them being elderly or vulnerable which has resulted in a decline in the community spirit that was once abundant in the area, ultimately effecting their quality of life.

The installation of alley gates at this location will also help to greatly reduce the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour for local residents; in turn, this will raise the community confidence of those residents who live within the area the alley gates will cover. This will in particular support improved wellbeing outcomes for the several elderly and vulnerable residents who have suffered in recent years due to the steady decline in the local area, with it no longer looking or feeling like the community they have lived in for many years. It will instil a refreshed level of confidence in services and help reduce the overall fear of safety currently witnessed.

To install 2 x alley gates at the rear of The Grove, Wheatley Hills to prevent Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and criminality in the area and to create a safe environment for the residents.

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (‘DoLS’) team has an allocated assessment budget to ensure that the Council’s statutory duties (pursuant to the DoLS framework) are met. To authorise a deprivation of liberty as lawful and proportionate, each client that has been referred to the team requires six assessments.

Pursuant to Doncaster Council’s DoLS process, the BIAs complete 4 of the 6 assessments and the Mental Health Assessors (‘MHA’) complete 2 of the 6 assessments. All MHA assessments are completed by independent MHA’s via Reed agency and the assessor is paid per assessment. BIA assessments are completed via a combination of BIA trained staff employed by Doncaster Council and a cohort of independent assessors via Reed. Reed assessors are paid per assessment and Doncaster Council employed staff members receive a graded salary.

Reed sourced the independent assessor team and continue to manage the project against a set of deliverables, ensuring resource availability (where possible) in line with our weekly requests. This project was set up via an order against the overarching contractual framework agreement that Doncaster Council has with Reed. This order was placed in January 2019 and is to run for a period of three years.

On 22 March 2021 Doncaster Council will change its adult social care case management system and the Council is taking steps to increase its internal BIA workforce. On that basis, and for the remainder of the contract duration, the number of BIA referrals will gradually be reduced and phased out (with the project continuing to its end date providing MHA assessments only).

On that basis, and over a period of 12 weeks starting w/c Monday 5 April 2021, the number of BIA assessment requests will be reduced on a weekly basis. The gradual reduction will be confirmed via email on a weekly basis (and a week in advance of the assessors being required) so that Reed can confirm that it has a sufficient supply of assessors to meet the current demand.

During this 12 week transition period it is not anticipated that the number of MHA assessments as predicted in the original order will increase/ decrease. If the position does change, Doncaster Council will provide Reed with 2 weeks’ notice of any change.

A variation to the order placed has been completed in writing and signed by both parties confirming the above.

To utilise the team’s assessment budget in an alternative way; to procure fewer Best Interest Assessor (‘BIA’) assessments via Reed agency (pursuant to the current DoLS team order against the overarching framework) and instead use the available budget to employ more BIA staff in the team on fixed term contracts.

An ODR2 has been completed as the value of the change equates to approximately £74,000 of the budget that will be used to employ members of staff within the team, and will not be used to pay for BIA assessments procured via Reed.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the adult social care provider market. A Special Urgency Report to the Mayor dated 5th November 2020 resulted in certain recommendations being made which included the following:
• Agree an extension to the programme of financial support in response to the COVID 19 crisis. This extension will be from the 1st July 2020 to 31st October 2020 for adult social care providers who are commissioned by the Council to provide care services across the borough.
• As the impact of COVID 19 on care providers was likely to continue beyond 31st October, the decision to extend any further financial support to the adult social care provider sector up to the 31st March 2021 was delegated to the Director of Adults Health and Wellbeing in consultation with the Director of Corporate Resources and the Portfolio Holder for Adults Health and Wellbeing subject to future direction from central government and the movement of the COVID-19 crisis, in line with any grant conditions.


An Officer Decision Record was signed on the 16th March 2021 to extend the financial support to the market to the 31st March 2021 in line with the delegated decision noted above. This ODR is to grant relief for costs incurred during this period: the 1st July 2020 to the 31st January 2021.

See attached Officer Decision Record for further details.

To grant supplier relief for costs when applied for under the Supplier Relief Scheme to Adult Social Care providers for costs incurred between 1st July 2020 and 31st January 2021 in line with the Rule 16 report dated 5th November 2020 and the subsequent ODR signed 16th March 2021.

Initially the South Yorkshire Region partners worked together to secure an innovative funding offer to support Veterans and this was agreed in format and tendered out in 2020. There were no suitable applications for the total funding which was £65,000 to be rolled out across the region. The individual authorities’ members therefore discussed with the South Yorkshire funding, successfully granted through Dan Jarvis office and requested the opportunity to ensure we still used this money across the region for supporting veterans on a more localised basis.

This was agreed and each local authority had to complete a framework for how we would utilise our local share of this funding, for Doncaster this was £16,250 for them to agree an alternate allocation and use. This proposal was submitted, agreed and authorised by the South Yorkshire Region office as viable to draw down our initial allocation.

Consideration of utilising this money purely alongside the Housing provision with SLHD did not progress as it was felt that basing this money closer to the community / voluntary and wider partners in the steering group would make it more accessible and create more innovative applications for support elements that would contribute towards the more formal housing support offers in place for Doncaster but would not be limited by them.

For Doncaster Council to accept a funding contribution from the South Yorkshire Region of £16,250 to provide innovative support to help either sustain housing tenancy, prevent homelessness or to support a homeless veteran back into housing provision, specifically aimed at Veterans of our Armed Forces.

The purpose of this funding will be an innovative localised approach to fulfil support to veterans, not otherwise met in existing community / voluntary / charity or housing support aid and grant systems to be trialled and evaluated on behalf of The South Yorkshire Armed Forces Region Partnership. This arrangement will be replicated in each of the partner local authorities, including Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield.

The funding will be utilised in collaboration with the Doncaster Armed Forces Steering Group Partners, who have all committed to the delivery of the National Armed Forces Covenant and in conjunction with the Doncaster housing provider, St Leger Homes of Doncaster (SLHD).

Additional collaboration will be further developed with dedicated homelessness and housing support to improve reach, impact and accessibility of the funding, including: Complex Lives, private housing providers, housing support teams and the community / voluntary sector

The funding allocated to Doncaster, will be placed within the Stronger Communities Service, where the borough wide Veterans Lead Officer for the Doncaster wide partnership and the Veterans Support Officer sit.

The Veterans Innovation Fund, will be available through 2021 to facilitate the purchase of items to support sustainability in housing. It will be delivered by using a tested, audited and agreed financial method of distribution of monies for individuals through a simple application process with purchase made direct by the Council on behalf of the individual for successful applications. This process of application, funding and monitoring of spend an outcomes is already well established in the service for such as the Stronger Families and Wellbeing Innovation Funds.

The funding needs to be spent by March 22 and a Quarterly report is required on impact of funding. Any unspent money will be considered at March 2022 and may require the authority to return any element not spent – no risk for larger clawback of monies already spent in delivery throughout the year. We have made individual agreements so the successful or failure of any element of the funding within other South Yorkshire region Local Authorities has no financial impact on Doncaster’s
element. ( information attached in background papers).

The Council have received notification from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner that the Safer Stronger Doncaster Partnership (SSDP) will receive a Community Safety Grant of £129,391, which is allocated every year to fund initiatives and projects agreed by the partnership and linked to Partnership and OPCC priorities.

The Safer Stronger Communities service within Doncaster Council administers the grant funding on behalf of the partnership, gaining approval from the OPCC for proposed activity; submitting bi-annual financial returns and monitoring underspends. The use of underspends from the grant requires approval from the OPCC and any unspent funds have to be returned in line with the terms of the grant from Central Government.

At this stage the SSDP have proposed the activity below for the 2021-22 funding allocation. This is a similar approach to last year, which worked well and has been discussed and agreed informally with the OPCC:
• The continuation of the Workforce Development Officer post - £36,507;
• The continuation of the OCG Co-ordinator post - £31,800
• Support to strategic theme groups within the SSDP structure - £50k (£10k per group to allow them to respond to emerging issues throughout the year);
• Retention of an initiatives pot to allow the wider partnership access to funding for any initiatives/activity that may be required throughout the year - £11,084

To approve the receipt of grant funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), which will enable the Safer Stronger Communities Service to administer this fund on behalf of the Safer Stronger Doncaster Partnership (SSDP).

On 25 February 2020 Cabinet approved changes to a range of fees and charges and charging practices in Adult Social Care.
In total 9 individual proposals were agreed with an implementation date of April 2020. The proposals related to the following areas:
1. Home alarm service
2. Care at home
3. Day opportunities provided by the Council’s SMILE service
4. Safeguarding personal assets
5. Arrangements for people who pay for their own care in full
6. Maximum weekly charge for non-residential services
7. Enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
8. Financial Assessments for Residential Respite

The proposals are explained in detail in the Adult Social Care Charges - Cabinet report 2020 Final

Due to the Council’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic some of the implementation was suspended until October 2020.

It was recommended that the wording in the policy was reviewed, arising from the ASC charges Cabinet decision, and for the policy to fully document Doncaster Council’s agreed approach to charging and financial assessment for adult social care and support.

The policy details the principles and guidance for decision making around charging and financial assessments for adult social care and support, ensuring legal compliance with the Care Act 2014.

To approve changes to the Charging policy so that it aligns with the Cabinet decision taken on 25 February 2020 (Adult Social Care Charges - Cabinet report 2020 Final )

This is further to the key decision taken by the Cabinet Member for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment on 16th March 2021 which gave approval for:
a) the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Safe Accommodation Duty and accepts the £732,742 grant funding;
b) that the funding will be spent on the areas detailed in the report at paragraph 10;
c) approves to delegate authority to the Director of Adults, Health & Wellbeing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment, to amend the spend subject to completion of consultation, a needs assessment and the development of a new Domestic Abuse Strategy for Doncaster (and in accordance with the grant conditions).

See attached Officer decision Record for further details.

1) To agree the proposed plans for spending the MHCLG safe accommodation grant for victims of domestic abuse, with permission given for variation in the amounts

2) For the 2021-2022 financial year only, to use MHCLG funding to pay for commitments currently being funded by Doncaster Council funds, and to ensure that Doncaster Council contracts will revert back to being paid for Doncaster Council if there is insufficient money from MHCLG in 2022-2023.

3) To agree to roll forward any underspend from the grant into 2022-2023