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.
________________________________
Chairman
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