Agenda item

a)  Accepted the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care grant from Department of Work and Pensions.  The total grant award is £4,585,252.31 (for the two financial years of the grant, with delivery period July 2023 to March 2025).

b)  Agreed to the delivery of the Supported Employment Programme (Ability Slough) funded by the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care grant (Department of Work and Pensions) as outlined in Appendix 1.

c)  Delegated authority to the Executive Director Children’s Services, in consultation with the Executive Director Adult Services and the Lead Member (Education and Children's Services), to procure a provider for delivery of the programme and award a contract to the successful bidder.

d)  Accepted the Individual Placement and Support (Substance Use) (IPSSU) grant from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) of £805,834 for a delivery period of 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026 across all six Berkshire local authorities. (Figures exclude an uplift for 2025/26 to be advised by OHID

e)  Agreed that Slough Borough Council should be the lead authority for the IPSSU grant and delegate authority to the Executive Director Children’s Services, in consultation with the Lead Member (Education and Children’s), to enter into an inter authority agreement with the other Berkshire local authorities.

The Lead Member for Education and Children’s Services introduced a report on a new Supported Employment Programme, ‘Ability Slough’, grant which would help residents with a disability access and/or remain in employment.  Ability Slough was funded from a Department of Work and Pensions Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) grant until March 2025.

The programme would provide bespoke guidance and support to adult residents who have a formal or informal/self-diagnosis of a disability including mental illness and/or physical disability. The support would include skills training, work coaching and help to stay in work (including working directly with local employers).  Slough Borough Council would be the lead authority for the programme in Berkshire.

The Cabinet welcomed the grant and the support the programme would provide to Slough residents.  Only 41 upper-tier authorities in England had received the IPSPC grant.  Lead Members commented on the need to align the programme to the Council’s wider activities in relation to apprenticeship and skills projects.  After due consideration, the recommendations were agreed.

Resolved –

(a)  That the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care grant from Department of Work and Pensions be accepted.  The total grant award was £4,585,252.31 (for the two financial years of the grant, with delivery period July 2023 to March 2025).

(b)  That the delivery of the Supported Employment Programme (Ability Slough) funded by the Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care grant (Department of Work and Pensions) as outlined in Appendix 1 be agreed.

(c)  That delegated authority be given to the Executive Director Children’s Services, in consultation with the Executive Director Adult Services and the Lead Member (Education and Children's Services), to procure a provider for delivery of the programme and award a contract to the successful bidder.

(d)  That the Individual Placement and Support (Substance Use) (IPSSU) grant from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) of £805,834 for a delivery period of 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026 across all six Berkshire local authorities be accepted. (Figures exclude an uplift for 2025/26 to be advised by OHID.

(e)  That it be agreed that Slough Borough Council should be the lead authority for the IPSSU grant and delegate authority to the Executive Director Children’s Services, in consultation with the Lead Member (Education and Children’s), to enter into an inter authority agreement with the other Berkshire local authorities.