The Delegated Decisions meeting of Milton Keynes Council is scheduled to discuss the Connect to Work programme and the recommissioning of the Cross-Regional Partnership for Children's Residential Care. Councillor Joe Hearnshaw, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, is expected to make decisions on both of these items. The meeting will be held at the Civic, 1 Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes.

Connect to Work Programme

The council is scheduled to discuss participation in the Connect to Work Programme (CTW), a grant-funded initiative from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The CTW programme aims to support disabled people, those with health conditions, and people facing complex barriers to find sustainable employment. It is part of the government's 'Get Britain Working' strategy.

Milton Keynes is part of the South Midlands area for the programme, along with Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, North Northants and West Northants Councils. West Northants Council is the lead authority and Local Accountable Body (LAB) for the delivery area, with overall responsibility for the regional delivery plan, grant allocation and associated funding.

The council is expected to agree to work in partnership with the other five local authorities in the South Midlands region to deliver the Connect to Work project, and to delegate authority to the Director of Children's Services, in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance, to finalise the terms of and enter into an Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) for project delivery, for a term of five years.

The report pack states that the estimated grant funding for Milton Keynes over the five-year delivery amounts to approximately £5.5 million. The council is considering a mixed model of delivery, using existing infrastructure and subcontracting to local delivery partners. Partner delivery is expected to account for 50% of the Connect to Work delivery for Milton Keynes, to the value of approximately £1.9 million over a period of three years from 2026-2029.

The council is also expected to approve the commencement of a procurement exercise to procure suppliers for delivery of Connect to Work provision following the IPS¹ and SEQF² models of Supported Employment for Milton Keynes from April 2026 to March 2029. Authority is expected to be delegated to the Director of Children's Services, in consultation with Councillor Joe Hearnshaw, to determine the scope, length and value of any contracts procured.

Securing signatures on the Inter Authority Agreement and obtaining formal permission to proceed with procurement will validate the commitments outlined in both the regional delivery plan and the grant cost register. This process ensures transparency, safeguards financial accountability and mitigates any potential financial risks to Milton Keynes City Council.

Public Reports Pack

The report pack outlines the proposed target number of participants for Milton Keynes over the lifespan of the Connect to Work programme:

• Year 1 = 180 programme starts
• Year 2 = 480 programme starts
• Year 3 = 500 programme starts
• Year 4 = 360 programme starts
• Year 5 = 45 programme starts

The report pack also notes that if Milton Keynes City Council chooses not to sign the Inter Authority Agreement or deliver the Connect to Work programme, there could be a loss of strategic influence and funding, and a risk to local reputation and partnerships.

Recommissioning of the Cross-Regional Partnership for Children's Residential Care

The council is scheduled to discuss participation in the recommissioning of the Cross-Regional Partnership (CRP) contract for children's residential care, and a proposal to increase the amount of provision allocated to Milton Keynes under this contract.

The Cross-Regional Project (CRP) is a collaborative block contract to deliver residential children's home placements, currently led by Oxfordshire County Council on behalf of Milton Keynes City Council, Buckinghamshire Council and Hertfordshire County Council. The contract is due to end on 30 July 2027 and has no further provision for extension, therefore it will be re-procured in 2025/26 with Oxfordshire as the lead commissioner. Under this contract, two beds are currently allocated to children from Milton Keynes.

The council is expected to agree to participate in the joint recommissioning of the Cross-Regional Partnership contract and enter into the Partnership Agreement with Oxfordshire County Council, Buckinghamshire Council and Hertfordshire County Council. It is also expected to agree to increase Milton Keynes' allocation of provision under the new contract by nine additional beds over the core contract term, taking the total number of beds allocated to eleven, and to delegate authority to Oxfordshire County Council to lead the procurement on behalf of the council. The contract will be for a term of five years with options to extend further periods, not exceeding five years.

The report pack states that given good outcomes for young people over the life of this project, financial efficiencies compared to other external placements and Milton Keynes' increasing placement sufficiency needs, it is proposed to remain within the partnership and commission up to nine additional beds during the core contract term.

The report pack notes that participation in this project and delivery of additional capacity will support the council to meet its statutory 'Sufficiency Duty' under Section 22G of the Children Act 1989[^4]. The estimated cost of the procurement exercise once all beds are operational is £3.2 million per annum, and it is estimated that once all beds are operational, savings of £226,000 per annum could be delivered against the Children's Services External Placements budget.

The current Cross Regional Partnership contract was let to the Keys Group in 2019, but the project has existed under a previous contract since 2011. The contract provides residential care, education, and therapeutic support for vulnerable children with emotional and behavioural needs. The CRP is considered nationwide as an example of good commissioning practice by local authorities and provider organisations, enabling close partnership working under a block contract arrangement to provide eleven ringfenced homes and a therapeutic school, Unity College, within the geographical area of the project.

Children's outcomes under this arrangement are consistently positive, including low numbers of unplanned placement endings, high levels of participation in education, employment or training and engagement with targeted independence work, and reduced levels of exploitation, children going missing, risk-taking and antisocial behaviour.

Public Reports Pack

The report pack also considers alternative options, such as utilising alternative regional arrangements or commissioning residential care differently, but concludes that these are not viable options.