Issue - meetings

The Council is asked to receive and approve the proposal that Cornwall Council’s to join Adopt South West, as recommended by the Cabinet (8 November 2023) (Minute 414 refers) and replicated below). The Report is attached.

(a) that the proposal by Cornwall Council to become a full member of Adopt South West Regional Adoption Agency, hosted by Devon County Council, from 1 April 2024, be approved;

(b) that the acceptance of the statutory and legal functions relating to adoption services as set out in paragraph 8 of the Report, delegated by Cornwall Council to Devon County Council as the host authority be recommended to Council for adoption;

(c) that the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, the Director of Finance and Public Value, and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services be given delegated authority to finalise and agree a revised Inter Authority Agreement for the purposes of adding Cornwall Council to the existing shared service and updating the financial model as set out in section 7 of the Report; and

(d) that the transfer of staff under TUPE regulations from Cornwall Council to Devon County Council be approved and the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures and the Director of People and Culture be given delegated authority to complete all necessary actions required to support the expansion of the adoption services by the Regional Adoption Agency to the administrative area of Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly.

The Leader of the Council MOVED and Councillor Leadbetter SECONDED that the recommendations of the Cabinet be approved and;

(a) that the proposal by Cornwall Council to become a full member of Adopt South West Regional Adoption Agency, hosted by Devon County Council, from 1 April 2024, be approved;

(b) that the acceptance of the statutory and legal functions relating to adoption services as set out in paragraph 8 of the Report, delegated by Cornwall Council to Devon County Council as the host authority be approved for adoption;

(c) that the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, the Director of Finance and Public Value, and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services be given delegated authority to finalise and agree a revised Inter Authority Agreement for the purposes of adding Cornwall Council to the existing shared service and updating the financial model as set out in section 7 of the Report; and

(d) that the transfer of staff under TUPE regulations from Cornwall Council to Devon County Council be approved and the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures and the Director of People and Culture be given delegated authority to complete all necessary actions required to support the expansion of the adoption services by the Regional Adoption Agency to the administrative area of Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly.

The Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

The Council considered the recommendations of the Cabinet (minute 414 referred) and the Report of the Interim Head of Adopt South West (CS/23/17) on the proposal to integrate Cornwall into Adopt South West.

The Leader of the Council MOVED and Councillor Leadbetter SECONDED that the recommendations of the Cabinet be approved and;

(a) that the proposal by Cornwall Council to become a full member of Adopt South West Regional Adoption Agency, hosted by Devon County Council, from 1 April 2024, be approved;

(b) that the acceptance of the statutory and legal functions relating to adoption services as set out in paragraph 8 of the Report, delegated by Cornwall Council to Devon County Council as the host authority be approved for adoption;

(c) that the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, the Director of Finance and Public Value, and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services be given delegated authority to finalise and agree a revised Inter Authority Agreement for the purposes of adding Cornwall Council to the existing shared service and updating the financial model as set out in section 7 of the Report; and

(d) that the transfer of staff under TUPE regulations from Cornwall Council to Devon County Council be approved and the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures and the Director of People and Culture be given delegated authority to complete all necessary actions required to support the expansion of the adoption services by the Regional Adoption Agency to the administrative area of Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly.

The Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

Report of the Interim Head of Adopt South West (CS/23/17) on proposals for Cornwall County Council to join the Adopt South West Service, attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached for the attention of Members at the meeting.

RESOLVED

(a) that the proposal by Cornwall Council to become a full member of Adopt South West Regional Adoption Agency, hosted by Devon County Council, from 1 April 2024, be approved;

(b) that the acceptance of the statutory and legal functions relating to adoption services as set out in paragraph 8 of the Report, delegated by Cornwall Council to Devon County Council as the host authority be recommended to Council for adoption;

(c) that the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, the Director of Finance and Public Value, and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services be given delegated authority to finalise and agree a revised Inter Authority Agreement for the purposes of adding Cornwall Council to the existing shared service and updating the financial model as set out in section 7 of the Report; and

(d) that the transfer of staff under TUPE regulations from Cornwall Council to Devon County Council be approved and the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures and the Director of People and Culture be given delegated authority to complete all necessary actions required to support the expansion of the adoption services by the Regional Adoption Agency to the administrative area of Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly.

(Councillors Aves, Biederman, Brazil and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Interim Head of Adopt South West (CS/23/17) on proposals for Cornwall County Council to join the Adopt South West Service, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Cabinet noted that in June 2015, the Department of Education (DfE) had required all adoption agencies in England (local authority adoption services and voluntary adoption agencies) to consider how they could work more closely together on a regional basis. In 2018, the Regional Adoption Agency named Adopt South West was established, incorporating the adoption services of Somerset County Council, Torbay Council and Plymouth City Council, hosted by Devon County Council.

Cornwall was now one of only two Local Authorities nationally who were not yet part of a Regional Adoption Agency and the DfE had given a clear message that Cornwall should join a Regional Adoption Agency as soon as possible.

A review of options for Cornwall’s future relationship with Adopt South West had been undertaken and Cornwall Council were requesting agreement from Adopt South West members and the host (DCC) to join Adopt South West as a full member.

The proposal for Cornwall Council and the Isles of Scilly Adoption Service joining Adopt South West involved the TUPE transfer of staff to Devon County Council and the provision of finances to support Adopt South West to enable the continuation of outstanding adoption practices across the region.

All core functions, pre and post adoption order, of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly adoption agency would be delegated to Devon County Council as the host of Adopt South West, whilst decision making related to children prior to the making of an adoption order would continue to be held by the responsible Local Authority.

The Isles of Scilly would be included in the agreement with a new Service Level Agreement being agreed from 1 April 2024 onwards.

Cornwall Council felt that Adopt South West was the best regional adoption agency for it to join, not just because of its locality but because it was a high performing agency that had developed excellent practice in the four years since it was set up.

Fourteen posts from Cornwall’s Adoption teams, including business support, would transfer to Devon County Council as well as funding for 60% (3 days) of a Service Manager post to cover the increased workload and staff management responsibilities and 100% (5 days) for team management of Cornwall’s adoption work.

Cornwall’s Adoption Panels would also move to Adopt South West and Panel members encouraged to join Adopt South West Central List.

The risks and mitigations of the project were outlined at section 3.10 of the Report and the full list of benefits covered at section 3.11 of the Report, including their ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating as well as outstanding practice being standardised across all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 414