Just waiting for approval on this but this is the paper that should go to the ADASS/ADCS Task Force on Monday.

Funding
I promised I'd keep in touch re the progress on the funding negotiations in relation to your involvement in the UASC reform programme. We haven't formally concluded the negotiations but we're very close to it - we're just waiting for more information from UKBA on grants to individual local authorities before signing off the deal and hope to be able to inform LAs next week of this. This will include a one-off payment for leaving care which LAs will have to bid for and an increase in Special Circumstances payments for 06/07.

UASC reform
We had a meeting with the UASC reform team this afternoon as they are keen to get local authority - and LGA and ADCS - engagment in the next stage of the process.

They want to have regional roadshows to get engagement in UASC reform. LAs will be then invited to bid on a UKBA template to become specialist LAs in November/December, with a view to these starting in April 09, with LAs coming on stream in a 1 - 2 year programme. We persuaded them to move these from the proposed Sept to Oct and to hold them in local government regions rather than UKBA regions. We also pointed out that this needed cross-LA engagement, including politicians. We did say we may be able to offer an LGA presence at these events, which will probably be regional representatives, given its in everyone's interest for reform to take place. And we did point out we only covered England!

They are also looking at the ADCS starting the working group on UASC reform to look at key issues that are blocking the move to reform. ADCS have already agreed that should include signatories of our joint UASC response, plus representatives from LAs. Hopefully UKBA will move on this shortly and we'll await news from ADCS on progress.

They are also looking at support for post 18s that cannot be removed (ie those NRPF) as a blockage to LAs becoming specialist Authorities. A possible solution identified by UKBA would be removing the need leaving care support via legislative means and placing people on S4 type support. We pointed out the conflict with child care legislation still remains

Mmm think that's it. I'm on leave until 4 August - hope the weather improves for us all.

Cheers,

Emma




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