Councillors to consider Family Time contract extension

Councillors will next week consider proposals for the ongoing delivery of a service that helps children in care spend time with their families. 

The Children, Young People and Education Committee will meet on 15 July to discuss a proposal to continue the council’s Family Time service when the current contract ends later this year. 

Family Time provides supervised contact sessions between children in the council’s care and their family members. Trained professionals oversee the sessions to make sure they are safe and support the child’s wellbeing. 

The service is currently delivered by a specialist external contractor which provides 850 hours of Family Time each month. This is bolstered by 150 hours from council social work teams. 

The report sets out that using an external provider for those additional hours will cost £22,000-£32,000 less than using council social work staff, also enabling those officers to work supporting other families.

Subject to approval by the committee, the proposal also includes starting the process to secure a new long-term Family Time contract starting from April 2027, through a competitive tender process. 

The Council has a legal duty under the Children Act 1989 to promote contact between children in its care and their families where this is practical and in the child’s best interests.