Joint Strategic Review of Overnight Short Breaks in East Surrey

Closed 2 Oct 2015

Opened 4 Aug 2015

Contact

childrensservicescommissioning@surreycc.gov.uk

Feedback updated 19 Dec 2017

We asked

In May 2015, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust informed the Surrey County Council, the CCGs and family voice Surrey that it proposed to discontinue short breaks services at Beeches from November 2015. In light of this outcome, Cabinet agreed on 29 July 2015 to consult further before determining if Surrey County Council should fund services at Beeches, or fund alternative services, which may result in Beeches being closed.

You said

The feedback from current users is centred on the impact the removal of the service will have on their children and the wellbeing of their families. The families that do not currently use Beeches say that there is unknown need within the community and Surrey County Council is failing to reach out to families. They comment that Beeches is not offered as an overnight short break option to families and that it does not feature in Surrey County Council’s directory of short breaks. Overall, the feedback is that short breaks are a lifeline to families (described in the joint strategic review) and without them they would not be able to cope with their children’s needs.

We did

At Cabinet on 27 October 2015, the following recommendations were approved. 1. Surrey County Council contracts with Surrey and Borders Partnership (SABP) for overnight short break at Beeches for up to 12 months commencing on 1 December 2015 as an interim arrangement. 2. The interim arrangement is reviewed by Cabinet as part of a revised special educational needs and disability (SEND) strategy be brought back to Cabinet that includes recommendations from the SEND Governance Board regarding future provision for short breaks. 3. A report is presented to Cabinet within the 12 month interim period based on an assessment of the needs for children with disabilities in the east of the county, and an assessment of capacity available in order to meet demand, in relation to short break provision.

Results updated 19 Dec 2017

Files:

Links:

Overview

A joint strategic review of short breaks took place in 2013-14 between Surrey County Council and NHS Guildford and Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) on behalf of the six Surrey Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) with responsibility for children’s services in the county. The scope of the review was to look at the provision of short breaks for children and young people with disabilities in Surrey.

The key area of this review considered options for the future use and funding of short break services in east Surrey. The review focused on Applewood in Tadworth, which is run by Surrey County Council and Beeches in Reigate, which is commissioned by the Surrey CCGs and provided by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SABP). At the time of the review, both facilities were underused and Beeches was operating at a high cost. Part of the impetus for the joint strategic review was the wider choice and support that had become available for families with children with disabilities.

The consultation results were independently analysed. Feedback from the consultation was used to develop joint recommendations that were then agreed by Surrey County Council’s Cabinet on 23 September 2014 and all six NHS Surrey CCG boards in September and October 2014. All parties agreed the following recommendations:

  • The responsibility for funding short break services for children and young people currently accessing Beeches will transfer from Surrey CCGs to Surrey County Council.
  • Surrey County Council continues to run Applewood as a short break service.
  • Beeches remains as an option for families through their personal budgets by direct payments or arranged by Surrey County Council rather than the current block contract arrangements, subject to agreement with SABP who run Beeches.
  • Surrey County Council and NHS Guildford and Waverley CCG work with SABP to transfer commissioning arrangements to individual spot purchases at a fair price.
  • Surrey County Council continues to develop options for the use of personal budgets with families either through direct payments or arranged by Surrey County Council.

The recommendations were implemented. SABP was given notice on the block contract for Beeches by Guildford and Waverley CCG with current NHS funding concluding in November 2015.

Negotiations have since taken place with SABP and it has not been possible to agree arrangements for individual spot purchase.

In May 2015, SABP informed the county council, the CCGs and Family Voice Surrey that it now proposed to discontinue short breaks services at Beeches from November 2015.

In light of this outcome, Cabinet agreed on 29 July 2015 to consult further before determining if the council should fund services at Beeches, or fund alternative services which may result in Beeches being closed.

In completing the following questions, please refer to:

1. The original consultation, supporting strategic review documents including an equalities impact assessment and independent analysis of responses, which can be found online here on Surrey Says.

2. Information sheet on alternative residental services.

 

What happens next

The results will be presented to Cabinet in October 2015 so they can decide on the option to be agreed.

Areas

  • All Areas

Audiences

  • Young people
  • Parents
  • Councillors, MPs
  • Children with disabilities

Interests

  • 6-11 year olds
  • 12-19 year olds
  • Special Educational Needs
  • Disabilities
  • Parents and families