Case study
Key theme: sustainability/governance 
Cluster prioritises funding for family support services
Birmingham’s Sutton East cluster finds a collaborative solution to short-term funding for family support.
Summary
<p>Birmingham&#8217;s Sutton East cluster developed a sustainable solution to short-term funding concerns by pooling cluster resources and creating family support posts. They are looking to consolidate extended services provision further through collaborative governance arrangements.</p>
Key learning/outcomes
<ul><li>Strengthening governance is critical to sustainability.</li>
<li>Collaborative vision and integrated working can lead to creative solutions.</li>
<li>Gathering evidence of impact helps build support and commitment.</li></ul>
Background
<p>Sutton East Extended Services (SEES) is one of 41 clusters in Birmingham. The cluster organisation and role of cluster co-ordinator usually follow a city-wide model. However, although the size and general shape of the cluster is based on the local authority&#8217;s cluster plan, a different model was agreed when this cluster was set up in 2007 to reflect the co-location with the cluster&#8217;s then only children&#8217;s centre, </p>
<p>About 80 per cent of the core offer is now in place across the cluster. The steering group is keen to improve signposting and to ensure schools&#8217; staff are aware of extended services. Further expansion is currently limited by accommodation, but the development of a phase 3 children&#8217;s centre and an inter-agency &#8216;hub&#8217; may provide additional capacity.</p>
<p>In Sutton East, the collaborative leadership structure involves a steering group involving headteachers, governors, youth services, constituency partners, NHS primary care trust representatives, inclusion services and community partners.. The steering group works closely with the fund-holding school, which directly employs a strategic lead co-ordinator for services for the 0-25 client group. This is funded by the local authority through the fund-holding school. </p>
<p>The co-ordinator is the children&#8217;s centre manager and extended schools leader and is on the leadership team of the fund-holding school. She line manages two operational co-ordinators &#8211; one for extended services and one for children&#8217;s centre services</p>
Key challenges and issues
<p>Early in their engagement with the National College&#8217;s Promoting Collaboration project, the cluster identified three key areas of focus:</p>
<ul><li>How can we strengthen the cluster&#8217;s governance?
<ul><li>arises from the cluster&#8217;s concern that one school has to take all the financial and employment responsibilities for the whole cluster&#8217;s extended services provision</li></ul></li>
<li>How can we develop SEES child and family support services via a collaborative funding model to ensure sustainability beyond the current short-term funding arrangements?
<ul><li>the cluster initially commissioned family support services on a short-term basis from an external agency due to funding uncertainty</li></ul></li>
<li>How can we develop more robust monitoring systems to show impact of early intervention work?</li></ul>
Solution or approach
<ul><li>Governance remains an area of focus for the cluster: currently investigating a social enterprise model following discussions with Birmingham&#8217;s school support team and attendance at the Staffordshire workshop at the National College&#8217;s Promoting Collaboration project day on 30 April 2009.</li>
<li>Three family support posts have now been established on fixed-term contracts across the cluster, partly funded by pooled cluster budgets. This will enable a much more responsive and proactive approach to family support services.</li>
<li>Early family support services reports show how case studies are being used to link intervention to Every Child Matters outcomes. The new family services co-ordinator will be further developing and monitoring links with statutory services in order to evidence impact of early intervention.</li></ul>
Next steps
<p>The cluster will continue to develop work around the three focus areas above.</p>
Further information
<p>For further information contact:</p>
<p>Amy Mylett<br>Children&#8217;s Centre &amp; Extended Services Leader<br>New Hall Primary &amp; Children&#8217;s Centre<br>Langley Hall Drive<br>Sutton Coldfield<br>B75 7NQ</p>
<p>0121 464 5170</p>
<p><a href="mailto:amy.mylett@sees.bham.org.uk" title="amy.mylett@sees.bham.org.uk">amy.mylett@sees.bham.org.uk</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.sees.bham.org.uk" title="www.sees.bham.org.uk">http://www.sees.bham.org.uk</a></p>
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