Decision details
Award for the Continuation of the PAUSE programme
Decision Maker: Director of Children, Families and Education
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
The Director for Children, Families and
Education has decided to award grant funding in the sum of
£249,840 to Pause Creating Space for Change to deliver the
PAUSE Programme.
Reasons for the decision:
The current partnership agreement between the
Council and Pause Creating Space for Change in relation to the
delivery of the Pause Progamme project ended on 31st March 2023. A
procurement exercise has not been conducted due to the fact that
this provision is highly specialised and Pause Creating Space for
Change are the only organisation providing this offer. We have
engaged in this as part of a LCR programme, which means that we get
the service at a discounted rate. The new partnership agreement
will be in place from 1st April 2023.
The programme works with women who have experienced repeated
pregnancies that result in children needing to be removed from
their care.
This proposal supports the strategic aim and objective of The
Wirral Plan 2021-2026 ‘Brighter Futures for all regardless of
their background’ and is a key part of the Children’s
Services Breaking the Cycle agenda which aims to improve outcomes
for the local population and is also a key strategy in reducing the
number of children in care, thus helping to avoid spend on care
placements
Alternative options considered:
As specified above, Pause Creating Space for
Change for are in a unique position to continue to deliver the
PAUSE Programme the only alternative option would be to do nothing.
Doing nothing would likely increase the number of children coming
into the care system, result in poor outcomes of those children and
future generations, which in turn would increase costs for the
public purse and have an impact on the directorate’s ability
to deliver the budget identified in the MTFP.
Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:
Interests Declared
Part 3 Section C – Overview and Scheme of Delegations of Authority to Officers
The decision is not reserved to a Committee or Sub-Committee and the Director is satisfied that paragraphs 2(a) to 2(c) apply.
Background Papers
The PAUSE Programme and Wirral- May 2018
Breaking the Cycle Prospectus
PAUSE presentation Wirral DfE event
PAUSE update report- Wirral Jun 22
Publication date: 11/09/2023
Date of decision: 11/09/2023