Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report from the Strategic Director – People, which sought approval for Halton to enter into a partnership with the registered Charity ‘Pause’ and the other City Region Authorities – Wirral, Liverpool and Knowsley, to develop a regional Pause Programme.

Pause was described as an intensive trauma informed relationship based model that aimed to reduce the damaging consequences of children being taken into care.   The development of the Programme would address the increasing demands on statutory services and rising numbers of looked after children and the need to safely manage a reduction in children becoming looked after.

The report outlined the proposals in detail, which included how the Programme would be delivered, how the Department for Education (DfE) grant funding would be used, and the financial and resource implications of the Programme on the contributing local authorities once the DfE funding ended.

RESOLVED:  That the Board approves that

1)    in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Social Care, the Strategic Director – People and the Strategic Director – Enterprise, Community and Resources, grant funding from ‘Pause’ be accepted for the establishment of a Pause Practice in Halton;

2)    authority be granted for the Council to enter into a collaboration agreement with the registered ‘Pause’ Charity, Liverpool City Council, Knowsley Council and Wirral Council, to oversee the delivery of Pause Practices within the local authority areas; and

3)    the Strategic Director – People, in liaison with the Operational Director – Finance, seek to identify potential sources of funding for the Council’s contribution to enable the continuation of the project once the DfE funding ends.