Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams

Contact: Michele Chesterman 

Note: https://youtu.be/v-i6G4sTWEQ 

Items
No. Item

CAY18

Chairman's Welcome

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone to this virtual Children and Young   People’s Policy and Scrutiny Panel meeting. 

She explained the procedures to be followed at the meeting and confirmed that proceedings would have the same standing and validity as if they had taken place at a physical meeting of the Children and Young People’s Services Policy and Scrutiny Panel meeting in the Town Hall

 

The Chairman reminded everyone that the meeting was being livestreamed on the internet and that a recorded version would be available to view within 48 hours on the North Somerset Council website.

 

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting with a particular welcome to health colleagues, Kenton Mee, Parent and Carers Together and Ann Hartley from Shropshire Council, LGA Advisor.

 

  At the invitation of the Chairman a roll call was taken of the Panel members by Democratic Services for the benefit of those in attendance and members of the public watching the meeting online.

 

 

CAY19

Declaration of disclosable pecuniary interest (Standing Order 37) (Agenda item 3)

A Member must declare any disclosable pecuniary interest where it relates to any matter being considered at the meeting.  A declaration of a disclosable pecuniary interest should indicate the interest and the agenda item to which it relates.  A Member is not permitted to participate in this agenda item by law and should immediately leave the meeting before the start of any debate.

 

If the Member leaves the meeting in respect of a declaration, he or she should ensure that the Chairman of this before he or she leaves to enable their exit from the meeting to be recorded in the minutes in accordance with Standing Order 37.

Minutes:

None

CAY20

Minutes (Agenda Item 4) pdf icon PDF 181 KB

Panel Meeting – 29 October 2020, to approve as a correct record (attached)

Minutes:

Resoved: that the minutes of the last meeting held on 29 October 2020 be approved as a correct record.

CAY21

SEND Action Plan Update Report (Agenda Item 6) pdf icon PDF 390 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Strategy and Policy Development Manager, Children’s Services presented the report.  Members were informed that the report was an update on the progress of the SEND action plan, presented at the panel meeting on 18 June 2021.  The paper noted specific actions and risks, and graded each area of work as green, amber or red based on risk.  Finally, the recommendations of the recent LGA Peer Review and feedback from the Department of Education and NHS England were considered in terms of the Authority’s current plans.

 

Members were reminded that the SEND Action Plan was agreed by partners across the local area in January 2020 alongside the first joint SEND Strategy and Co-production charter.

 

The aim of the plan was to provide an overall strategic view of the programme of work required to bring together all remaining actions required to meet the issues raised in the Ofsted/CQC Local Area Review (LJAR) and to detail further actions required to ensure that outcomes were sustainable, and that the impact of the work on the lives of children and young people could be demonstrated.

 

The plan had a horizon of two years, with a review to be undertaken by the SEND Programme Board in early 2021. Each area of work was expected to be subject to more detailed delivery planning, including development of timescales, by partners.

 

Members’ attention was drawn to the highlights of the work undertaken since the update to the June 2020 Panel meeting which included:

 

• The reduction in the rate of ‘refused assessments’ (which were often the result of inappropriate referrals by partners) from 50% to 6%

 

• The agreement to jointly fund the Supportive Parents SENDIAS service and North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together forum with BNSSG CCG on a three-year agreement, providing some certainty and sustainability for these key services.

 

• The use of accurate projections and analysis to ensure that capacity in key services was improved and capital projects supported

 

• A range of capital projects were now at various stages of positive progress: a second site for Baytree School’s expansion, a new Free School supporting children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) and hubs at mainstream schools to support children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions.

 

• Additional investment in CAMHS and forthcoming expansion of Off The Record pre-CAMHS services into North Somerset

 

• Relationships with parents and carers were improving, with considerable progress made in delivering new guidance documents

 

• The Inclusion Summit took place in November 2020 and renewed a commitment to inclusion and mutual support across mainstream and special schools

 

Many of the district’s vulnerable children and young people had continued to attend school throughout the pandemic and the schools had served them well in sometimes very challenging circumstances. North Somerset had one of the highest attendance rates during the pandemic in the South West and had recovered much quicker than other authorities with 85% attendance in schools which was encouraging to hear and a vote of thanks to them.

 

Members noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAY21

CAY22

SEND Presentation & Q&A Session (Agenda item 7) pdf icon PDF 730 KB

Minutes:

The Associate Director of Children’s Services, Sirona Care and Health provided Members with a presentation on an Introduction to the Children’s Community Health Partnership (CCHP), a copy of which was filed in the minute book.

Members were informed that Sirona was the prime provider and directly accountable to the CCG and the three local authorities (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire) on how children’s commissioning services were run. The services provided under the umbrella of Children’s Community Services were outlined to Members.

Members noted the complex landscape of how business was carried out in children’s services across BNSSG.  It provided an opportunity for Sirona to think BNSSG wide and create an equitable, responsible, responsive service for all children, families and communities.  Strategically Sirona was reviewing every service within the Children’s Directorate to ensure that it was responding to the needs of local services such as those in North Somerset.  The Associate Director of Children’s Services had created strategic leads that sat across the whole BNSSG framework to lead on the service reviews and to make sure that services were being delivered within the geographies that were consistent and equitable across all the areas served.

The Associate Director of Children’s Services outlined the staffing structure in Sirona with particular reference to the Head of Children's Services Therapies, Autism and SEND whose responsibilities included therapies (speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physio therapy), early years practitioner service, autism hub service, associate designated clinical officer service, associate designated clinical officer service and children’s traded service.

Particular attention was drawn to the fact that it was crucial to ensure the SEND and EHC requirements were correct across the three local authority areas. It was the responsibility of the Head of Children’s Services for Therapies to ensure that Sirona had the commitment and interface between education, health and the local authority via the SEND partnership. 

Reference was also made to the Head of Specialist Services for Children whose responsibilities covered children in care, lifetime immunisations, neurodevelopmental services, continence services and transition. The specialist nursing team who were looking at transitions and some of the ‘cliff edges’ that needed to be addressed in supporting young people as they moved into adult services.

It was reported that a new Clinical Director had been appointed (supporting the Associate Director of Children’s Services in the community paediatrics framework, some of the ASD and education health care requirements and children in care). Responsibilities of the role were paediatrics (BNSSG), delivery of service, paediatricians, safeguarding.

The Associate Director of Children’s Services, Sirona (LM) and Head of Operations for CAMHS, AWS (HK) responded to the following queries from panel members (with responses in italics):-

·       With regards AWP who you subcontracted – it is very difficult as part of the CYPS to work out how we can scrutinise some of the performances of so many disparate partners.  One of the things I was looking at was ‘Kooth’ and ‘Off the Record’.  Who commissioned them and how are these scrutinised? ‘Kooth’ is an American  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAY22

CAY23

Children's Improvement Focus Group Feedback (Agenda item 8)

Minutes:

The Chairman referred Members to the Panel’s Work Plan in relation to the work of the Children’s Improvement Focus Group. Members were informed that a separate update Teams meeting had been organised for Wednesday 17 March 2021 at 4.00 pm to provide an update on the Improvement Plan.

 

Concluded:

 

(1) that Panel Members noted the Improvement Plan update session scheduled for Wednesday 17 March at 4.00 pm via Teams.

 

CAY24

Corporate Parenting Report (Agenda item 9) pdf icon PDF 184 KB

Minutes:

The Interim Assistant Director, Children’s Support and Safeguarding  presented the report.  The report informed  panel members of the key current issues in relation to children who were looked after, young people leaving care and the fostering service to thereby enable panel members to evaluate how effectively the whole council was discharging its Corporate Parenting Responsibilities and Duties. In particular, in relation to determining how effectively the council and its partners were achieving key plans and objectives for children and young people’s services and to provide appropriate challenge and suggestions to improve performance.

Members were informed that the report outlined key updates and described how children’s services continued to deliver its services despite the global pandemic and a third National Lockdown. Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, Children’s Services had continued to deliver face-to-face support wherever safe to do so, and when necessary undertaken more creative practice to support children looked after, young people leaving care and foster/kinship carers. Such creativity had seen a greater use of digital technology to support visits and interactions with children, young people and carers. As well as presenting significant challenge it had also opened opportunities to consider new ways of working with children and families that had not been tried or tested previously. There had been a great deal of resilience within young people, foster carers and staff members during this time which had been positive.

 

It was reported that in the re-alignment of Children’s Services which concluded in February and was effective from 1 March 2021 the area that covered corporate parenting had been renamed Corporate Parenting with a new role set up as Head of Corporate Parenting.  Children’s commissioning would be moving over to Children’s Services which would help in the sufficiency area with the team being part of Children’s Services instead of being merely linked to it.  Also, as part of the re-alignment participation had been moved under one section. A vacant head of service post covering quality assurance and participation was in the process of being filled.  In terms of participation this would involve working with all young people rather than focusing on children in care and care leavers. 

Members noted that North Somerset had 221 children in care at the end of Q3 which equated to a rate of 51 per 10,000. This was lower than the Authority’s statistical neighbours (53) and England (67). It was not  necessarily a negative but it meant that the Service was able to support, through aligning with its visions, children and their families to remain at home or within their family network as opposed to becoming children in care.

In relation to unaccompanied asylum seekers Members were informed that in Q1 there were 12 whilst in Q3 that figure was reported as being 18.   The Authority had participated in the national challenges with colleagues in Kent whose numbers were becoming unmanageable. There were challenges in North Somerset in terms of language, culture and identity but the Authority was ensuring that planning was taking place  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAY24

CAY25

Executive Member Report - The 2021-2022 Budget - What does it Mean for our Children? (Agenda item 10)

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Children’s Services and Lifelong Services provided members with a verbal report on the 2021/22 Budget covering what it meant for the children in North Somerset

 

Members noted that although there had not been a cut in funding in Children’s Services nationally there was disappointment that children were not  specifically mentioned in the chancellor’s budget.  The Executive Member explained that she would be focussing on where the additional £150k of funding that had been put into children’s services this year was being spent. Much of the work was in connection with supporting all the work in the children’s improvement plan. Members of the Executive had to identify a few short-term priorities for this money which was essentially a one-off uplift for this year. 

 

The Mockingbird project was being progressed along with another constellation. It had been an incredibly successful programme offering a support network to foster carers.

 

Emphasis on fostering during the pandemic included streamlining the process of approving foster carers.  The Authority had recruited additional foster carers. The priority was to work around children’s centres. Funding was being provided to three children’s centres to transform them into family hubs.  Some of the money would go towards making the environment more attractive and accessible to families with older children and encourage to them to engage with services there.

 

 It was hoped there would be a relationship with a movement in Weston to create food clubs.  Representatives from children’s services had attended the steering group meeting. The concept was for the Authority to work with Fair Share and other agencies in North Somerset to locate food clubs in some of North Somerset’s children’s centres.  Members were informed that the scheme worked well in Bristol, for example, addressing food poverty.  But the main purpose was to address food waste. It provided opportunities for families to pay a small subscription fee of £3 per month to shop at food clubs buying a minimum of £20 worth of food and also quite often access free vegetables that might come from allotments that could not sell the excess.

 

Members noted the benefits of food clubs which included developing a community feeling around food, sharing recipes, talking about health and nutrition.  Considering the issues around childhood obesity this was considered to be very important. The food club was just one area where the Authority was developing its children’s centres into something wider which tied into other elements of what was going on in the community and benefited all members of the community. 

 

The main priorities identified had been addressing the barriers care leavers had to getting into education, employment training.  A small amount of money had been set aside in the budget to put towards a dedicated programme of mentoring working very closely with the economy team. Conversations were ongoing around combining money available in children’s services with money around skills and targeting care leavers in particular.  There should be an opportunity to develop a dedicated programme of mentoring, careers advice and careers  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAY25

CAY26

Month 9 Children's Services Budget Monitor (Agenda Item 11) pdf icon PDF 494 KB

Minutes:

The Finance Business Partner (Adults and Children’s Services) provided a  brief summary of the main highlights of the report.  Members were reassured that Month 9 was an improving position and it was hoped to get closer to a balanced budget at the end of the financial year. The savings were more than hoped for savings – efficiency savings, not cuts.

It was reported that there was growth in the Children’s Services budget for next year.  This included technical growth the reflect the demand in the area and the savings were things that the Authority wanted to do, for example, getting more appropriate local placements for looked after children.  They would save the council money as well as being good for young people.

The Chairman thanked the Finance Business Partner (Adults and Children’s Services for the report.

  Concluded:

(1) that panel members receive the 2020/21 forecast spend against budget for

  children’s services and the risks and opportunities associated with the medium-term position;

 

 (2) that panel members forward any questions in relation to the Month 9 Children’s Services Budget Monitor to the Finance Business Partner (Adults and Children’s Services)                    

 

CAY27

Performance Monitoring Report (Agenda item 12) pdf icon PDF 423 KB

Minutes:

The Interim Assistant Director, Children’s Support and Safeguarding reported that the Performance Monitoring Report had been presented in a more simplified format than the previous panel meeting in October 2021.

 

Members were informed that there was anxiety about further demand.

There was currently capacity but if more was required the Service would have to provide for that and were prepared for it, if necessary.

 

The Chairman thanked the Interim Assistant Director, Children’s Support and Safeguarding for the report.

 

        Concluded:

         (1) that the Panel receive and consider the report;

        (2) that the Panel members forward any questions to the   

         the Interim Assistant Director, Children’s Services and Safeguarding.     

 

CAY28

Panel's Work Plan (Agenda item 13) pdf icon PDF 214 KB

Minutes:

Members considered the Panel’s Work Plan.

        Concluded:

(1) that the Work Plan be received and any comments forwarded to the Democratic and Electoral Services Officer.

 

CAY29

Appendix 1 - Questions from Members and Responses submitted after the meeting in relation to Agenda Item 6

Minutes:

 

 MEMBERS QUESTIONS IN RELATION TO AGENDA ITEM 7 (SEND PRESENTATION AND Q&A SESSION) – RESPONSES PROVIDED AFTER THE PANEL MEETING

 

Q Could you provide the following:-

A) details of the services that you are providing

In April 2020, Specialist Children’s Community Services transferred from Weston Area Health Trust and North Somerset Community Partnership to Sirona Care & Health and Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnerships.

This included:

Sirona care & health

·       Community Paediatrics

·       Therapies (Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy)

·       Continence Services

·       Autism Pathway

·       Safeguarding

·       Children in care

·       Neurodevelopmental services

·       Lifetime

·       School Nursing (due to be recommissioned by North Somerset Council)

·       Health Visitors (due to be recommissioned by North Somerset Council)

 

AWP

·       Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

·       Urgent Care Assessment Team (UCAT)

·       Kooth

·       Off the Record (commissioned post service transfer and is currently being implemented with expected delivery from July 2021).

·       Crisis Helpline – implemented during COVID-19.  Helpline that can be accessed by children and young people, parents and carers, and professionals 24/7.

·       24/7 Crisis Service (commissioned post service transfer and is currently being implemented across BNSSG during 2021)

 

It is important to note that there were known issues relating to the CAMHS services prior to the service transfer with an inadequate rating from CQC in place.  There were a number of Must Do’s from CQC that the service was required to undertake.  Once it transferred to AWP in April 2020, AWP embarked on a project to ensure that an action plan was in place to address the issues identified by CQC and to make the service ‘safe’.  This included:

·       Risk and Incident training and processes

·       Implement processes to ensure that children on the waiting list are prioritised based on need and contacted whilst they are waiting

·       High risk - booked in for an immediate assessment

·       Medium risk are placed on the waiting list with contact every 4 weeks to review the situations and risk.

·       Low risk are placed on a waiting list and are contacted every 12-weeks

·       Implementation of an electronic record system, transferring paper records and data validation

·       Significant workforce issues remain and AWP have implemented a recruitment plan to incentivise people to work in North Somerset

 

 

Sirona, AWP and the CCG have met with North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together, twice during 2020/21.  At the recent meeting, Sirona & AWP outlined the additional work that has been undertaken since the transfer of services and as a result of parent carer feedback.  This included:

·       Piloting drop in clinics for parents, carers and professionals with North Somerset Therapies service

·       Setting up advice and guidance lines

·       Commissioning Off the Record to provide sub CAMHS provision for children and young people

·        Identifying service gaps in North Somerset

  • Restructuring Sirona management to ensure a BNSSG focussed service
  • Implementation of an electronic record system for CAMHS and Community Paediatrics services which was achieved in September 2020.
  • New project taking place to ensure all children’s community health services are on an electronic record system

 

B) What the measures of success are and performance against these measures  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAY29