Decision details

The Cabinet considered a report of the Managing Director, Children and Young People, providing an update on Project Skyline (Greater Manchester proposal to create supply of children’s homes to increase availability of Children Looked After placements in the Greater Manchester region for some of the most vulnerable young people) and approve entering into a Partnership Agreement with the remaining Local Authorities in Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM) for delivery of the project.

The Partnership Agreement would build on the Memorandum of Understanding. It would be entered into between the ten local authorities, GMCA and NHS GM, and would govern the relationship of the parties, roles and responsibilities, and the sharing of liabilities. In particular the Agreement:

• includes the collaboration principles the parties are committed to (taken from the MoU that has already been signed);
• sets out governance arrangements for the project, including terms of reference for the Skyline Strategy Group;
• details arrangements regarding the Skyline Homes;
• states GMCA’s commitment to pay Mobilisation Costs to the procured Care Providers, as required;
• sets out the role of GMCA and other parties in managing the procurement process for the identification of the most economically advantageous Care Providers;
• establishes principles regarding the management of each procured Care Provider’s Agreement, including key decisions (e.g. termination) that the contracting party will need to bring to the partner authorities for approval;
• reflects the principle that the local authorities will share costs and underwrite any losses incurred by GMCA as a result of its investment in the Skyline homes.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option One - Recommended Option

• Approval for the council to negotiate and enter into a Partnership Agreement for Project Skyline, as detailed in the report.
• Delegate to the Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the portfolio holder for Children and Young People, Treasurer and Director of Legal Services to agree the terms of the Partnership Agreement.
• Delegate to the Director of Legal Services to execute and enter into the Partnership Agreement and any documentation required to effect the Partnership Agreement, as detailed within the report.

Option 2  - Do not enter the Partnership Agreement for Project Skyline, as detailed in the report. This option was not recommended as there was already significant pressure on the children’s placement budget and placement sufficiency is a concern.

RESOLVED – That the Cabinet would consider the commercially sensitive information contained at Item 18 of the agenda before making a decision.