Meeting documents

Children and Young People's Services Policy and Scrutiny Panel
Thursday, 24th January, 2019 10.00 am

Agendas, Minutes and Reports

 

 


DRAFT Minutes

of the Meeting of the

Children & Young People Services Policy & Scrutiny Panel

Thursday, 24th January 2019

held at the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

 

Meeting Commenced: 10.00am Meeting Concluded: 12:55pm

 

Councillors:

 

P Ann Harley (Chairman)

P David Oyns(Vice-Chairman)

 

Karen Barclay

P Michael Bell

Ericka Blades

Mary Blatchford

P Donald Davies

P Bob Garner

Judith Hadley

David Hitchins

P Denise Hunt

A Kate Stowey

A Liz Wells

Martin Williams

P Roz Willis

P Ruth Jacobs

(substituting for Liz Wells

P Deborah Yamanaka

 

 

P: Present

A: Apologies for absence submitted

 

Other Councillors in attendance: Jan Barber, Reyna Knight, Lisa Pilgrim

 

Officers in attendance: Philippa Penney, Katherine Sokol (Corporate Services) Steve Devine, Mark Hughes, Wendy Packer, Eifion Price, Sally Varley (People and Communities)

 

Other persons in attendance: Tony Oliver, Independent Chair, North Somerset Safeguarding Children Board

 

CAY

18    

Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (Agenda item 3)

 

None

 

 

CAY

19    

Minutes of the Meeting held on 11th October 2018 (Agenda item 4.1)

 

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting be approved as a correct record.

 

 

 

CAY

20    

North Somerset Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2017-18 (Agenda item 6)

 

The Independent Chair of the North Somerset Safeguarding Children Board presented the report, enabling the CYPS Panel to remain informed about the performance of the Board, to hold the Board to account for their performance, and to identify any issues specifically relating to the Council that they determine require action.

 

Members were informed of the progress made since March 2018, and were informed that last years report, including the Ofsted action plan had now been completed and signed-off to the satisfaction of the Board. This year also saw a change to the report format and style, to how include embedded links thus allowing the length of the report to be reduced in volume by approximately one half.

 

Members discussed a number of key issues including: partnership working arrangements, progress against the action plan, the costed business plan, and the detail of each of the sub-groups. Members voiced particular concern as to the tri-partite funding for a business manager in that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and also the local authority had not agreed the required funding to support this post. Members agreed that an approach should be made to the Director of People and Communities requesting further information on this matter, with a view to then writing to both parties to express the Panels disappointment as to the funding decision.

 

There was also discussion regarding the area covered by the Safeguarding Board did not reflect the footprint of the Clinical Commissioning Group, and asked for a report to a future panel meeting highlighting the risks to North Somerset of future partnership arrangements.

 

Concluded: that the Panel:

1.           noted the Annual Report of the North Somerset Safeguarding Children Board (NSSCB) and commented on issues arising from the report that they wished the Board to consider and to feed into their own future planning; and

2.           endorsed the NSSCB Business Plan for 2016/19.

 

CAY

21    

Education Commissioning Strategy Review of actions from the 2015-18 Strategy (Agenda item 7)

 

The Service Leader Strategic Planning and Governance, presented the report, setting out how the Council will work with existing and new partners to commission and deliver the right numbers of school and pre-school place in the right locations to meet Basic Need.

 

Members discussed the affect that the creation of academies had had on school placements. Whilst academies remained independent of the council, the council still retain an implied duty of care to its residents.

 

Members were reassured as to the extensive and comprehensive planning that was undertaken in forecasting future school requirements.

 

Concluded: that the Panel received and commented on the outcomes of the Education Provision in North Somerset A Commissioning Strategy 2015-18

 

CAY

22    

North Somerset Annual Complaints Report 2017-18 (Agenda item 8)

 

The Complaints and Customer Services Officer presented the report, explaining that the detail included both compliments to capture good work as well as complaints. The importance of early resolution was reflected in the fact that the majority of complaints were resolved at stage 1 of the process.

 

Members requested further engagement with the work that was underway with recruitment and retention for in-house foster carers. A further request was for complaints regarding children looked after to be considered by the Childrens Champions Group.

 

Concluded: that the Panel received the content of the Annual Report on Children and Young Peoples Service, referred to scrutiny for consideration and any further action.

 

CAY

23    

Month 8 Childrens Services Budget Monitor (Agenda item 9)

 

The Finance Business Partner (People and Communities) presented the report forecasting the 2018/19 spend against budget for childrens services and the risks and opportunities associated with the medium-term position. The report provided further details and an update on the month 7 report that was received by the Executive on 4 December 2018.

 

Members asked for further information regarding school funding, including costs, deficits and financial planning to minimise any adverse effects on pupils. This was to be considered in the context of multi-academy trusts and academies.

 

Concluded: that the Panel noted the forecast 2018/19 spend against budget for childrens services and the risks and opportunities associated with the medium-term position.

 

**Change to agenda order**

 

CAY

24    

SEND Engagement with Strategy Development and also progress with transition to Education Health and Care Plans (Agenda item 11)

 

The Chairman agreed a change to agenda order, to consider agenda item 11 next.

 

The Vulnerable Learners Service Lead and Virtual School Headteacher presented the report considering the actions taken following last years Ofsted and Care Quality Commission joint inspection of the North Somerset local area to judge its effectiveness in implementing the special educational needs and disability reforms as set out in the Children and Families Act 2014.

A statement of action had been produced, giving the local authority a year to implement the proposed changes. Members would continue to monitor progress.

 

Members were pleased to hear that the transfer of statements to Education Health Care plans had now been completed.

 

Concluded: that the Panel considered and engaged with the actions that were being taken to address the SEND strategy.

 

CAY

25    

Performance Monitoring (Agenda item 10)

 

The Assistant Director, Childrens Support and Safeguarding presented the report, as requested by the Panel to help members evaluate the extent to which the council and its partners were achieving key plans and objectives for children and young peoples services. This also gave members an opportunity to provide appropriate challenge and suggestions to improve performance.

 

Members discussed the role of the Regional Schools Commissioner and requested further information to assist in understanding the detail of that role, particularly given the changing relationship between local authorities and schools.

 

Members also discussed the Department for Education text regarding Progress 8 and Attainment 8 and how these measures are calculated. The information referred to use of confidence intervals to give an indication of the gaps and how widespread these were, and Members agreed to consider this further at a future meeting.

 

Concluded: that the Panel noted the performance information presented in the report and gave comment on both areas for improvement and areas of good performance.

 

 

CAY

26    

The Panels Work Plan (Agenda item 12)

 

Members discussed progress with each of the Panels work areas and received further information as follows:

                    The School Organisation Scrutiny Steering Group was meeting next on 31st January 2019 to review: school admission applications for 2019; the Education Commissioning Strategy 2018-21, both for mainstream and SEND; and the draft Capital Programme;

                    An update on foster carers recruitment and retention was scheduled for the next Panel meeting;

                    A joint meeting with SPED panel members for the Home to School Transport Policy review had been arranged for 22nd January 2019;

                    The implementation of Adoption West had been delayed, and would remain on the work plan to be reported to the next appropriate panel meeting;

                    The Ofsted Action Plan would be included on the work plan for regular monitoring throughout its implementation.

 

Concluded: that the work plan be updated as agreed.

 

 

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Chairman

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