Local authorities not showing interest in RCC pilots, ADCS warns
Fiona Simpson
Monday, July 3, 2023
No areas have expressed an interest in adopting government plans to pilot a scheme for regional care cooperatives (RCCs) to commission children's services, social care leaders have said.
A new position paper, published by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), on plans to pilot RCCs in two areas from spring 2024, states: “There are varying degrees of interest in taking up a RCC pathfinder opportunity but, at present, no region seems to be interested in adopting the approach as outlined by the Department for Education.”
The paper lays out a series of “prerequisites” to success which it says should be adopted by both government and councils considering taking part in the DfE pilot, first proposed by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.
“While ADCS members acknowledge that regional collaboration could offer some opportunities, including regional sufficiency audits, workforce gap analysis, and opportunity for joint commissioning in areas of greatest need, a number of concerns about the model which has been described by the DfE remain," the paper states.
A series of “system prerequisites for success of the RCC pathfinder” listed in the paper include the “introduction of price caps and/or bands and tariffs” for care provided under RCCs.
It also calls for a review of mental health services for children by the Department for Health and Social Care “so children in care have access to the right support which meets their needs and supports their stability and mental wellbeing”.
The DfE must also review and reform regulation around regional commissioning before ploughing ahead with plans for regional pilots, ADCS says, noting that “the Children’s Home Regulations are out of date and no longer fit for purpose”.
The position paper also lays out a series of calls aimed at local authorities interested in taking part in the programme.
They “must retain their statutory responsibilities for meeting the needs of children and young people”, it states.
It adds that “children must, wherever possible and appropriate, live locally to maintain relationships and links with their own community, friends and families”.
In its response to the final report by the Care Review, published in February, the government put forward proposals to pilot RCCs in two areas with a view to rolling them out England-wide.
The pilots will involve councils, health, youth justice and third-sector organisations, be funded for two years and begin in spring 2024.
ADCS’s position paper comes after the collapse of a joint procurement framework for children's residential care involving seven local authorities across the North East of England raised concerns over whether government plans to move to regional commissioning of children's social care services should be re-evaluated.
In April, ADCS published an alternative vision for RCCs.
