(a) Cabinet
noted and supported the opening of a national exemplar for Family Hubs in
Swanage, Dorset.
(b) That
authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with
the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Assets and Property, to transfer the
Chapel Lane site to the Swanage Development Partnership Trust (SDPT) through a
community asset transfer process to enable the Family Hub to occupy the Chapel
Lane site on terms to be agreed by the Executive Director, Place in
consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Assets and
Property, the Executive Director for People – Children and Executive Director
People – Adults and Housing, including inter-alia:
· Due
diligence of SDPT (associated with transfer of asset).
· Ensuring
best value in terms of disposal of the asset, taking into account all other
matters such as subsidy control.
· Tenure
and specific terms and conditions in relation to ongoing liabilities of the
asset.
(c)
That authority be delegated to the Executive
Director People - Children to enter into a commissioning service level
agreement with the SDPT for the provision of services in Swanage, funded by the
DfE Family Hubs external grant.
(d)
That the People and Health Scrutiny Committee s
be asked to receive and comment upon an annual review of the outcomes delivered
by the Swanage Development Partnership Trust each year in March, the first
annual review in March 2024.
Reason for the
decision
This proposal supports the strategic objectives of the council to create strong, healthy communities. Dorset Council recognises the devolution of assets to local communities, particularly to town and parish councils and voluntary and community-based organisations can make a significant contribution to enabling them to be stronger, more resilient and to support services within their local areas. This proposal will enable the development of an intergenerational approach to service delivery in Swanage through the creation of a Family Hub that better meets the needs of the local community and supports the delivery of children’s and adult’s services commissioning strategies.