Agenda item

Report of the Executive Director, Community & Children’s Services.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Executive Director, Community & Children’s Services concerning a summary of work carried out by the City of London’s (CoL’s) Rough Sleeping Team and commissioned specialist advocacy and coproduction services from 2019 to the present.

The following points were noted:

·        Overview: The report provided an overview of the work done by the rough sleeping team and commissioned services like Groundswell and Mayday over the past five years to design, commission, and deliver services in a participatory way with those who have lived experience.

·        Definition of Co-production: Co-production was defined as a way of working together to create positive change by involving people who have experienced a problem in identifying and solving it. This includes designing, commissioning, delivering, improving, or evaluating services.

·        Funding: The Co-production service is fully funded by the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) grant, which is currently secured until March 31, 2025. Future funding is uncertain.

·        Challenges and Successes: The advisory group, consisting of individuals with lived experience, has had mixed success. The team aims to diversify the group to better reflect the experiences of all clients.

·        Commissioning Strategy: A Member suggested that the City of London should require organisations receiving income to have their services reviewed and fed back on by users. This idea was acknowledged as beneficial but noted that practical implementation would need careful consideration.

·        Future Plans: The team plans to continue growing the advisory group and ensuring that future services, such as the city outreach team, are fully co-produced with input from those with lived experience.

·        General Support: There was general support for the Co-production approach, with recognition of its positive impact on service delivery and the importance of involving those with lived experience in the process.