Purpose

 
This report seeks the Corporate
Director’s approval for the remaining period of the permitted
two year extension to be enacted to
continue provision of open access counselling, advice and advocacy
services, online counselling, refugee counselling, young carers and
young adult carers service until 31st March 2025.  This will enable the Council to meet the corporate
priority to deliver appropriate and safe emotional wellbeing and
mental health support provision to Croydon’s children and
young people. This supports the outcome for children and young
people to be safe, healthy, happy and aspire to be the best they
can be.
 
This paper informs members of
the intention to continue with the delivery of safe and appropriate
early intervention, prevention and treatment support services to
children and young people (CYP) in Croydon with moderate to severe
need. This is in keeping with Croydon Council’s and
South West London Integrated Care Board
(SWL ICB) statutory obligations which both Croydon Drop In and Off
the Record contribute significantly to the delivery of emotional
wellbeing and mental health services.  
 
Recognition is given to the
financial costs required with continuing to fund both providers to
deliver emotional wellbeing and mental health services, considering
the Council’s current financial situation. However, both
providers have seen huge increases in service demand, with anxiety,
anger, depression, sleep difficulties, self-harm, suicidal ideation
as the main presenting issues along with the cost of living crisis worries also impacting on
children and young people.
 

Content

2.3          
To agree to enact the remaining period of a
permitted extension until 31st March 2025 of contracts
awarded to

 

2.3.1     
Croydon Drop In for the delivery of open access
counselling and advice & advocacy services and
 
2.3.2     
Off the Record for the delivery of open access
counselling, young carers and young
adult carers services.
 
2.4          
To note: Enactment of the two-year extension for the South West
London Integrated Care Board (SWL ICB) portion of the funding is in
place. This followed a report presented to SWL ICB Corporate
Procurement Advisory Group in October 2022, at which the request to
enact the extension was granted.