Councillor Aspinall (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care) introduced the item and highlighted the following points:

a)    The Complex Needs Alliance was a partnership of services which Plymouth City Council supported;

b)    The Alliance supported those over the age of 16 who had needs in relation to homelessness and substance misuse, mental health, offending or were at risk of exploitation;

c)    As well as working collaboratively with partners, the Alliance also crossed three areas of the Council: Strategic Commissioning, Public Health and Community Connections.

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities) added:

d)    Although the contract for the Alliance started in 2019, the work for it started in 2012/13;

e)    In 2012/13, 28 contracts were in place with a variety of organisations which delivered disjointed and often duplicated services to the homelessness sector;

f)     Additional contracts for drugs, alcohol and mental health were also pulled together into the Alliance;

g)    The Alliance was a partnership working to goals and behaviours;

h)    Recognition to Path, The Zone, Shakina Mission, Hamoaze, Bournemouth Churches, Harbour and Livewell Southwest who were at the heart of the Alliance;

i)     The Alliance was focused on collaboration, not competition;

j)     The Alliance had been able to attract nearly £10 million worth of additional funding to the city since 2019 by bidding together for grant funding;

k)    The Alliance was a key pillar which underpinned ‘Plan for Homes 4’ which worked to tackle homelessness;

l)     Thanks to those members who were retiring from The Alliance.

Matt Garrett (Service Director for Community Connections) added:

m)  This was the largest Alliance delivering this kind of work across England;

n)    The Alliance allowed the response to funding bids to be agile;

o)    The Alliance was able to flex and change depending on demand for services;

p)    The Alliance used appreciative inquiry to better understand people’s experiences and how the delivery of services aligned with those experiences to improve outcomes.

Emma Crowther (Interim Head of Commissioning) added:

q)    The paper sought permission to proceed with the first built-in contract extensions for the next two years;

r)    The paper also sought the approval of adding additional Grant Funding to the contract for both 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years as this would enable The Alliance to support work in relation to substance misuse and rough sleeping;

s)     The paper also sought approval for a Scheme of Delegation for the relevant portfolio holders to be able to proceed with future contract extensions based on their knowledge and understanding of the performance of the service;

t)     The paper also sought for the Strategic Director for People to approve any contract variations up to £3 million in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member.

Cabinet agreed to the following recommendations:

1.    To vary the current contract as set out in the report;

2.    To extend the current contract for a further two years (until 31 March 2026) at a core budget value of £6,308,747 per annum;

3.    To approve the Rough Sleeping Initiative  ...  view the full minutes text for item 124