The Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee of Nottingham City Council met on 11 June 2024 to discuss key decisions on the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant and fee levels for children in care placements. The committee approved the receipt and allocation of additional funding for drug and alcohol treatment services and agreed on a 4% increase in fee levels for children’s care placements.

Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant 2024/25

Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health, introduced the report on the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant (RSDTAG). Tammy Coles, Public Health Principal, detailed the history and purpose of the grant, which aims to support people experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping to access and engage in drug and alcohol treatment. The Council's application for the grant was approved by Public Health England in October 2021, with subsequent funding allocations confirmed for the years 2022/23 and 2023/24.

In June 2023, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) indicated an allocation of £1,035,966 for 2024/25, which was confirmed in March 2024. The committee resolved to approve the receipt of this funding and its allocation towards increasing substance use commissioning staffing and the provision of Substance Use Treatment services via a contract variation to the Nottingham Recovery Network contract.

The decision was driven by the need to continue supporting the rough sleeping population and to build resilience in local drug and alcohol treatment systems. The committee considered and rejected the option of not taking the funding, as it would have resulted in losing the opportunity to assist more people and potentially ending the current team's activities within the Nottingham Recovery Network.

Fee Levels for Children in Care Placements 2024/25

Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, presented the report on fee levels for children in care placements. The Council has a statutory duty under section 22G of the Children Act 1989 to ensure sufficient accommodation for looked-after children and young people. The report highlighted the economic pressures and market inefficiencies affecting the children’s placement market, including increased demands on social care, difficulty in attracting workers, and high-profit levels among private providers.

The committee approved a 4% increase in fee levels for children’s care placements, amounting to a total spend of up to £3.549 million. This decision aligns with the D2N2 Children in Care Framework and the East Midlands Regional Framework. The committee also delegated authority to the Director of Commissioning and Partnerships, in consultation with the Director for Children’s Integrated Services, to agree on fee levels subject to further engagement with providers.

The decision was made to ensure the Council meets its sufficiency duty and supports a sustainable, efficient, and effective market within the available resources. The committee considered and rejected the option of doing nothing or offering different fee rates, as these would not address the current economic pressures and could risk providers not offering placements for children in Nottingham.

For more details, you can refer to the final minutes of the meeting.