The Leader introduced the report and then handed over to Alison Botham, Assistant Director for Children, Young People and Families who highlighted that Plymouth City Council were invited to submit an expression of interest to create a partnership arrangement with Torbay Council to jointly deliver its Children’s Services.  This was following Torbay being judged inadequate for several years by Ofsted.  This report seeks an ‘in principle’ decision and we have been clear throughout that to proceed with a full partnership due diligence would be undertaken to ensure that this partnership does not compromise our services to children and young people.

Since this report was produced Torbay Council will now consider their options at an Extraordinary Council Meeting on 27 September 2017.

Cabinet –

1.         Agrees ‘in principle’ to progress the development of a partnership with Torbay Council to run its Children’s Services, working with Torbay Council and the Commissioner for Children’s Services, and under the auspices of the Department for Education to develop a detailed partnership agreement.

2.         Delegates to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and the Leader of the Opposition the development of the detailed partnership agreement.

3.         Requests the Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee to examine and debate the proposal in September 2017 and provide any feedback to the Council meeting on 25 September 2017.

4.         Recommends that the Council endorses the Cabinet’s ‘in principle’ decision at its meeting on 25 September 2017, subject to continuing support for a strategic partnership with Plymouth City Council to deliver Torbay Council’s Children’s Services, following the latter’s Council meeting on 13 September 2017.

5.         Receives a further report later in 2017 following the ‘due diligence’ exercise and seeks further endorsement from the Council before any binding decision is made.