URL: https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=5819

Decision Maker: Executive Director Children, Families Lifelong Learning and Culture

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: On 25 June 2025, Cabinet approved the investment of £500k in 2024/25 in the development of an inclusive, community-based offer of mainstream play and leisure provision for children with additional needs and disabilities (AN&D). This supports the Council’s overall ambition that “no one is left behind”, with some children currently struggling to access everyday opportunities that their non-disabled peers might take for granted. Currently around 1,100 children each year access specialist play and leisure short breaks commissioned by SCC, but these are oversubscribed, with more than 300 children currently on waiting lists. These challenges were highlighted in feedback from SCC’s Ofsted and CQC Local Area Inspection in 2023, as follows: “Too often, children and young people with SEND and their families do not feel valued or visible in their communities. Many children and young people are unable to access mainstream after-school and holiday clubs, and these are not routinely adapted to their needs. Children and young people on waiting lists for Short Breaks programmes wait too long to access the provision they want. Children and young people in older age groups feel there is a lack of support and suitable opportunities for them, such as safe spaces or groups outside of education.” By investing in inclusive provision, children with lower levels of need will be enabled to access other local provision that delivers improved independence and social outcomes, whilst also mitigating pressure on the existing specialist short breaks service. The £500k funding is being allocated through a grants process, which will fund short-term pilot initiatives to rapidly test and learn about what works in delivering inclusive services in local communities across Surrey, whilst also seeking to bring about changes that have a sustainable impact on children with additional needs and/or disabilities. These pilots could include both proposals that are focussed on direct-delivery and proposals focussed on training and development to support inclusion within mainstream provision. The learning generated will inform the development of a longer-term strategy in 2025/26 and beyond. The types of services in scope for this funding include (but are not limited to): leisure centres; sports clubs; holiday schemes; youth clubs; and uniformed group. The kinds of changes we are proposing to fund to support inclusion include: improvements to accessibility, lay-out and equipment (non-capital costs); staff training; tailoring of activities to meet different needs; levels of staffing; and improved range of methods of communication. The grants process was launched on Monday 25 November 2024, with the first deadline for applications closing on 11 December 2024 (noting there are two potential further funding rounds in January 2025 to allocate remaining funding). 23 complete and compliant applications were received and these have now been evaluated in line with published guidance. Of these 23 bids: ·         4 were assessed as not meeting the minimum quality standard; ·         17 have been assessed as meeting the minimum quality standard and are being recommended for award; and ·         2 have been assessed as meeting the minimum quality standards, but the evaluation panel is seeking to clarify details within these proposals prior to awarding. At this stage, the total value of the 17 recommended grant awards is £232k from within the £500k budget allocated, with the applications made identifying over 3,750 beneficiaries of the grants programme. Whilst the majority of these beneficiaries are children with additional needs and/or disabilities, the training and development focused proposals recommended for award are looking to support around 480 professionals and volunteers in Surrey. The 17 recommended awards include: ·         7 organisations delivering sport and physical activity based activities; ·         4 organisations delivering inclusive drama and theatre provision; ·         3 organisations delivering inclusion training and support for mainstream services; ·         2 organisations delivering general holiday club provision; and ·         3 organisations delivering other schemes, including virtual reality, soft play and outdoor activities. Approving these awards leaves a total of up to £268k funding still to be allocated through the two applications already received where clarifications are being sought or subsequent evaluation windows in January, with the next deadline for applications being 8 January 2025 and the final deadline (should funding remain) being 22 January 2025 – with all awards proposed to be made by 31 January 2025.

Content: On 25 June 2025, Cabinet approved the investment of £500k in 2024/25 in the development of an inclusive, community-based offer of mainstream play and leisure provision for children with additional needs and disabilities (AN&D). This supports the Council’s overall ambition that “no one is left behind”, with some children currently struggling to access everyday opportunities that their non-disabled peers might take for granted. Currently around 1,100 children each year access specialist play and leisure short breaks commissioned by SCC, but these are oversubscribed, with more than 300 children currently on waiting lists. These challenges were highlighted in feedback from SCC’s Ofsted and CQC Local Area Inspection in 2023, as follows: “Too often, children and young people with SEND and their families do not feel valued or visible in their communities. Many children and young people are unable to access mainstream after-school and holiday clubs, and these are not routinely adapted to their needs. Children and young people on waiting lists for Short Breaks programmes wait too long to access the provision they want. Children and young people in older age groups feel there is a lack of support and suitable opportunities for them, such as safe spaces or groups outside of education.” By investing in inclusive provision, children with lower levels of need will be enabled to access other local provision that delivers improved independence and social outcomes, whilst also mitigating pressure on the existing specialist short breaks service. The £500k funding is being allocated through a grants process, which will fund short-term pilot initiatives to rapidly test and learn about what works in delivering inclusive services in local communities across Surrey, whilst also seeking to bring about changes that have a sustainable impact on children with additional needs and/or disabilities. These pilots could include both proposals that are focussed on direct-delivery and proposals focussed on training and development to support inclusion within mainstream provision. The learning generated will inform the development of a longer-term strategy in 2025/26 and beyond. The types of services in scope for this funding include (but are not limited to): leisure centres; sports clubs; holiday schemes; youth clubs; and uniformed group. The kinds of changes we are proposing to fund to support inclusion include: improvements to accessibility, lay-out and equipment (non-capital costs); staff training; tailoring of activities to meet different needs; levels of staffing; and improved range of methods of communication. The grants process was launched on Monday 25 November 2024, with the first deadline for applications closing on 11 December 2024 (noting there are two potential further funding rounds in January 2025 to allocate remaining funding). 23 complete and compliant applications were received and these have now been evaluated in line with published guidance. Of these 23 bids: ·         4 were assessed as not meeting the minimum quality standard; ·         17 have been assessed as meeting the minimum quality standard and are being recommended for award; and ·         2 have been assessed as meeting the minimum quality standards, but the evaluation panel is seeking to clarify details within these proposals prior to awarding. At this stage, the total value of the 17 recommended grant awards is £232k from within the £500k budget allocated, with the applications made identifying over 3,750 beneficiaries of the grants programme. Whilst the majority of these beneficiaries are children with additional needs and/or disabilities, the training and development focused proposals recommended for award are looking to support around 480 professionals and volunteers in Surrey. The 17 recommended awards include: ·         7 organisations delivering sport and physical activity based activities; ·         4 organisations delivering inclusive drama and theatre provision; ·         3 organisations delivering inclusion training and support for mainstream services; ·         2 organisations delivering general holiday club provision; and ·         3 organisations delivering other schemes, including virtual reality, soft play and outdoor activities. Approving these awards leaves a total of up to £268k funding still to be allocated through the two applications already received where clarifications are being sought or subsequent evaluation windows in January, with the next deadline for applications being 8 January 2025 and the final deadline (should funding remain) being 22 January 2025 – with all awards proposed to be made by 31 January 2025. It was AGREED that:   1.    17 grant awards are to be made through evaluation window 1 of the Community Inclusion Grant programme, totalling £231,747. This includes the following awards to the below organisations: £20,000 to Access Sport CIO £42,772 to Active Surrey £28,300 to B Starz £15,877.74 to Challengers £10,000 to Daley Thompson Academies Ltd £6,550 to Guildford Shakespeare Company £15,000 to Kidwise Ltd £7,618 to KOOSA Kids Ltd £10,600 to Little Rays Daycare Ltd £9,810.57 to Peer Productions £8,378.62 to Silvermere Gymnastics Ltd £10,765 to Silvermere Softplay Ltd £9,875 to Sportswork Ltd £10,000 to Stagecoach Staines £11,400 to Surrey Hills and Rivers Ltd £4,800 to The National Autistic Society £10,000 to Unicare Recruitment Agency Ltd     Grant applications have been reviewed by a panel of SCC officers, in line with the published grant guidance. Each evaluator reviewed the applications individually against a set of quality questions and then a moderation panel was held to review all individual scores and agree a consensus score for each application. As part this process (in line with published guidance) evaluators have particularly considered the: ·         proportionality of the response given to the level of grant funding sought and the level of impact on beneficiaries created; ·         deliverability of the proposals set-out by 31 March 2025; ·         potential for ongoing sustainability of changes made and impact beyond 31 March 2025; ·         other funding or revenue streams that contribute to the cost of delivering the proposal, adding value to the funding available to SCC; and ·         response to the priority groups for the funding, including children who are currently on the waiting list for children who are on the waiting lists for short breaks; ·         focus on geographic priority areas, based on current distribution of both waiting lists for short breaks services and existing short breaks services; and ·         mix and balance of different types of services and support offer across the county as a whole.   The above proposals all met or exceeded the minimum required standards and (in the view of the evaluation panel) provide a good distribution of opportunities across the county, in response to agreed priorities and identified needs across the county.   The table below provided as Annex 1 includes a summary of the grant applications proposed for award, including: a short description of each proposal; the boroughs and districts proposed for delivery; the value of the proposed award; and the evaluation score achieved by each applicant. The alternative option in this case was to not award the grant funding. This would mean the funding for inclusive play and leisure provision allocated by SCC’s Cabinet in June 2025 would not be spent in this financial year and therefore was judged to be not a viable option.   None.

Date of Decision: December 20, 2024