Agenda Item 7.5

CHILDREN’S CHAMPIONS GROUP (CCG) – Activities 2004-2005

Terms of Reference

A group of eight Members of the Council will look at the following and report to the Executive and to the Children and Young People Policy & Scrutiny Panel :

a) ensure that children are properly prioritised within the Council’s overall priorities and plans

b) consider the impact on children of key council decisions or policies

c) ensure that services to children in need of protection from significant harm are robust and performing effectively

d) advocate on behalf of children looked after by North Somerset for whom the Council is corporate parent

Membership (May 2005)

Members of CCG are Cllrs Felicity Baker, Astra Brand, Allan Cotton, Ann Harley, Tom Leimdorfer (group facilitator), Chanel Stevens, Audrey Telling and Roz Willis.

Officers servicing the CCG are Kate East (Head of Inclusion), Sheila French (Performance and Planning Manager), David Jellings (Democratic Services) and Steve Tanner (Assistant Director – Child Care).

Meetings and activities

30/01/04 First meeting of Children’s Champions Group

11/03/04 Presentation to Governors’ Forum about CCG

16/03/04 Meeting with Social Services Intake Team

19/03/04 North Somerset Children First consultation event (Winter Gardens)

26/03/04 Fostering and Adoption Awards Evening (Winter Gardens)

20/04/04 Agenda meeting with officers

26/04/04 Identification, Referral & Tracking and Children’s Services Seminar

30/04/04 Second meeting of Children’s Champions Group

20/05/04 Improving services for children – regional forum

02/06/04 Meeting with looked after children

25/06/04 Meeting with Foster Carers Forum

09/07/04 Third meeting of Children’s Champions Group

13/07/04 CCG recommendations presented to the Executive

05/11/04 Fourth meeting of the Children’s Champion’s Group

24/11/04 Meeting some care leavers at ‘Help @ Hand’ launch

14/01/05 Fifth meeting of the Children’s Champion’s Group

Jan. – Mar. Three members of CCG serve on Foster Care and Respite Care

scrutiny working group.

10/03/05 Teenage Pregnancy ‘Impact’ seminar

22/04/05 Sixth Meeting of Children’s Champions Group

28/04/05 Meeting with Intake and Case-holding Teams at Nailsea

29/05/05 Foster Carers’ Award Evening

08/07/05 Meeting of CCG at Healthy Living Centre

Agenda items 2004-5

January 2004 Background & context (Steve Tanner)

Reference documentation (Steve Tanner and Sheila French)

Hopes and expectations (Group members)

April 2004 Performance monitoring relating to Looked After Children

(Sheila French)

Feedback from Children’s Consultation Event

(Rod Tyler, Ann Jones, Ian McMaster)

Health of Looked After Children

(Simon Bilous)

July 2004 Update on Intake Team and Caseholdiing Team staffing

(Steve Tanner)

Performance data for children in need

(Steve Tanner and Sheila French)

Education of Looked After Children

(Kate East)

Children who run away

(Sheila French)

Feedback from Foster Care Forum

(Tom Leimdorfer)

November 2005 Feedback on Recommendations to Executive

(Tom Leimdorfer)

Corporate Parenting – key indicators

(Steve Tanner and Sheila French)

Licensing Act implication

Fostering inspection report (ST & SF)

Adoption Panel report (ST & SF)

January 2005 Children’s Centres (Jenie Eastman)

April 2005 Deprivation Indicators and Outcomes for Children

(Sheila French and David Martin)

North Somerset Obesity Strategy

(Dali Sidebottom)

North Somerset Play Strategy

(Sian Matthews)

TCL (25/5/05)