Agendas, Minutes and Reports

Minutes

of the Meeting of the

Children and Young People

Policy and Scrutiny Panel

Thursday 1st September 2005

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

Meeting Commenced: 6.05 p.m. Meeting Concluded: 8.34 p.m.

Present: Councillors Jeremy Blatchford (Chairman), Tom Leimdorfer (Vice-Chairman), Andy Cole (substitute for Astra Brand), Colin Golland (substitute for Sally Tabrett), Jenny Gosden, Ann Harley, Michael Johnston, Michael Nobes, Ian Peddlesden (substitute for Elizabeth Wells), Howard Roberts

Apologies for absence: Councillors Astra Brand, Sally Tabrett, Chanel Stevens, Elizabeth Wells and Kaye Cooke, Dr Barry Wratten

Also in attendance: Councillors Peter Kehoe and Deborah Yamanaka

CAY

Minutes of the Meeting held on 19th July 2005 (Agenda Item 4.1)

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

CAY

Minutes of the Meeting held on 10th August 2005 (Agenda Item 4.2)

The Director of Children and Young People’s Services had been unable to attend the August meeting due to holiday commitments and sought clarification of the term ‘special advisers’ used on page 5 of the minutes. He pointed out that the Authority employed the services of an adviser for primary schools and an adviser for secondary schools.

Resolved: that the minutes of the meeting be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, but that it be noted that some of the terminology used at the meeting may have been incorrect.

CAY

Declarations of interest by Members (Agenda Item 6.1)

During a discussion on the Youth Green Paper (Minute No. CAY 25 refers) Councillor Tom Leimdorfer declared a personal interest as Chair of the Management Committee at the Volunteer Centre in any matters relating to volunteering.

CAY

Youth Matters (Agenda Item 6.1)

A representative of the Director of Children and Young People’s Services gave a presentation on the recently published Green Paper that set out the Government’s strategy for the provision of services for young people.

Members were advised that that the intention was to provide coherent and integrated services around young people’s needs in order to help all teenagers achieve the five ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes: being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; and aachieving economic well-being. The proposals would address four key challenges:

engaging more young people in positive activities and empowering them to shape the services they received

encouraging more young people to volunteer and become more involved in their communities

providing better information, advice and guidance to young people to enable them to make informed choices about their lives

providing better and more personalised intensive support for each young person who had serious problems or who got into trouble

The Panel noted that the Government’s approach to reform was based on the underpinning principles of,

making services more responsive to what young people and their parents wanted

balancing greater opportunities and support with promoting young people’s responsibilities

making services for young people more integrated, efficient and effective;

improving outcomes for all young people, while narrowing the gap between those who did well and those who did not

involving a wide range of organisations from the voluntary, community and private sectors to increase choice and secure the best outcomes

building on the best of what was currently provided

Local Authorities working through children’s trust arrangements would have a key role to play in commissioning and providing activities and facilities for young people. A new set of national standards for the activities that young people would benefit from would include:

access to two hours per week of sporting activity

access to two hours per week of other constructive activities in clubs, youth groups or classes

opportunities to contribute to their communities through volunteering

a wide range of other recreational, cultural, sporting and enriching experiences

a range of safe and enjoyable places in which to spend time

Members discussed the implications for local authorities in respect of resourcing the proposals.

The Panel noted that subject to consultation it was anticipated that the service reforms would come into effect during summer 2006.

Councillor Leimdorfer commented that there was a heavy reliance for delivery on the voluntary sector. He added that for this to be realistic there needed to be a stronger framework for partnership between statutory bodies and voluntary sectors.

Members discussed the format of the Authority’s response to the consultation. Acknowledging that the Policy and Scrutiny Panel could arrive at a different view to the rest of the Authority, the Chairman suggested an informal meeting that would be open to all elected members, at which a joint response could be formulated.

CAY

Schools Budget (Agenda Item 6.2)

The Director of Children and Young People’s Services presented a report that outlined changes to the funding arrangements for schools.

Members were advised that following a review of its spending plans the DfES intended to introduce new arrangements for funding schools from 2008, when schools would receive budgets for the three year periods 2008-09 to 2001-11, as follows:-

Schools to continue to be guaranteed a minimum increase in per pupil funding each year, set in advance for each year in the multi-year period and not subject to change

Local authorities to fund schools using a single count date of January

Local authorities to decide on the operation of their local funding formula for the whole multi-year period, before it starts

School budgets to be updated annually to reflect changes in pupil numbers (January to January)

Units of resource to be fixed for the multi-year period

Funding for named Special Educational Needs pupils would not be included in school budget forecasts for future years, as the funding would follow the pupil

The Panel noted that the government intended to review the way in which the Minimum Funding Guarantee would operate from 2008-09 onwards, as follows:.

Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)

from 2006-07all local authorities to receive a ring-fenced grant for schools provision

from 2008-09 local authorities to receive multi-year allocations of DSG in line with the Spending Review cycle

DSG at the national level to increase by 6% in 2006-07 and 2007-08 using current spending on schools provision as the baseline

a minimum per pupil increase for every authority in 2006-07 and 2007-08 of 5%, with cash floor to protect authorities with rapidly falling rolls

local authorities allowed to include money from centrally retained schools budget, other local authority services and other agencies in combined budgets in support of ‘Every Child Matters’ work, where they can demonstrate that there are clear benefits for schools and pupils

local authorities able to add to the Schools budget from own resources

Specific Grants

a number of standards fund grants to be combined into expanded School Development Grant (SDG), some to remain targeted at particular schools or time limited

in 2006-07 and 2007-08 each school to receive the same amount of SDG as in 2005-06 plus per pupil increase in line with MFG in each year

School Standards Grant (SSG) to remain separate from SDG in 2006-07 and 2007-08. SSG to be distributed in both years, based on flat-rate per school plus a per pupil amount

SDG and SSG could be brought together into new single standards grant from 2008-09

Members were advised that under the new framework the Strategic Schools Forum would have an enhanced decision-making role in relation to minor changes to the operation of the minimum funding guarantee (MFG), the level of school specific contingency, and in respect of arrangements for combining elements of the centrally retained Schools Budget.

The Panel noted that all secondary schools would be required to meet the Schools Financial Management Standard by March 2007, that from September 2005 School Improvement Partners (SIPs) would start to provide support and challenge role to schools on financial management and balances and that there would be a Supporting Schools’ Financial Management (SSFM) programme to support local authorities in strengthening schools’ capacity for effective strategic financial planning.

Members discussed the proposals and the implications for governing bodies and children’s services authorities in relation to the composition and enhanced role of the Strategic Schools Forum, funding the special schools sector, financial governance of schools, falling rolls and school maintenance.

CAY

Senior Management Structures – Review of process and timing of report to the Executive (Agenda Item 6.3)

The Chief Executive Officer had been required (by the Panel meeting of 10^th August 2005) to attend this meeting of the Panel in order to respond to concerns about the process leading to the Executive decision on 26^th July 2005 relating to senior management structures (EXE 53). He advised that he understood the concerns, expressed by some Panel Members at the meeting held on 10th August, related to the reason(s) for the report on that item to the Executive being a late item; this Panel not having had the opportunity to consider possible structural options before the Executive meeting and a representative of the Chief Executive Officer not being in attendance for consideration of the issue. Responding to these concerns the Chief Executive Officer outlined the background to the appointment process for the post of Director of Children and Young People’s Services, and to the subsequent decision to appoint three Assistant Directors to this Directorate. He provided the Panel with a detailed breakdown of the stages in the process including the timings of formal and informal meetings of the Executive, which had been held to consider the development of structures. He explained that there had been long deliberations and divergent views on the possible structures during the process.

Turning specifically to the timing of the report tabled at the 26th July 2005 Executive Meeting, the Chief Executive Officer told the Panel that he could not support late reports as a general principle as this did not give Members sufficient time to fully consider the information contained therein. Moreover he considered this practice to be discourteous to Members. However, given the timescales involved on the occasion referred to it had proved unavoidable. It was apparent to Members from the detailed breakdown that the proposals had generated considerable discussion amongst the Executive Members and it was not until late in the day before the Executive Meeting that matters had reached the stage where the Chief Executive Officer was able to prepare his report. The report had been prepared overnight and tabled at the earliest possible time but this was at the meeting itself.

Given the aforementioned timing issues the Chief Executive Officer hoped that Members of this Panel would also appreciate that it had not been possible to bring any reports to this Panel for consideration ahead of the Executive as they had not been in existence in time for a Panel Meeting ahead of the Executive Meeting.

With respect to attendance and presentation of the options the Chief Executive Officer advised the Panel that it was clearly not possible for him to always be available to deal with all reports. However he had been aware that the Director designate of the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate and the relevant Executive Members (who had all been jointly involved in the drafting of the proposals) were all in attendance for consideration of the report and thus his most senior representative in this subject area was there.

Members thanked the Chief Executive Officer for his frank and detailed explanation. The information provided had enhanced and assisted their understanding of the process and issues considered in the presentation of the report to the Executive Meeting. It was fully appreciated, in the light of this information, that earlier report(s) to this Panel were not possible and that the report to the Executive Meeting had had to be a late report. Whilst a view was expressed by a Member that the issue of the Directorate Structures might have been debated by the Executive at an earlier time and any differences of opinion aired it was felt that the Chief Executive Officer had acted totally properly and professionally at all times in connection with this subject matter in seeking to promote an accord and reach a position where progress could be made.

Concluded: that the Panel accepts that the Chief Executive Officer tried to obtain a cohesive agreement between all Members of the Executive. The Panel felt that he had acted to attain the goal of agreement.

CAY

Improving School Attendance (Agenda Item 6.4)

The Improving School Attendance Working Party had reported its recommendations for improving school attendance to the Panel Meeting held in December 2004. The Director of Children and Young People’s Services presented an oral report to bring up to date on progress against thos recommendations. He advised Members that school attendance figures had improved in all three school sectors, with the most significant improvement in secondary schools. Authorised absence had also been reduced in all three sectors, as had unauthorised absences.

The Director told the Panel that in line with guidance issued by the Department for Education and Skills, all Headteachers had been requested to restrict and refuse authorisation for parents taking holidays in term time. In relation to non-attendance the Authority offered significant levels of support to families, however it had still been necessary to bring 23 prosecutions in 2004/2005.

The Director told the Panel that all North Somerset schools were using an electronic form of registration. This allowed accurate absence data to be collected and permitted analysis of patterns of absence. The Authority also worked with the Police to put into place truancy sweeps, in line with DfES requirements. The Educational Welfare Service also organised individual school truancy sweeps, any absences were followed-up.

Members were advised that there had been a positive trend in the reduction in permanent exclusions last year, contrary to the national trend.

Members discussed the subject in relation to authorised term time absences for family holidays, attendance figures for individual schools, and young carers’ unauthorised absences from school.

CAY

Annual Performance Assessment (Agenda Item 6.5)

The Director of Children’s Services updated the Panel on the Annual Performance Assessment (APA) of services provided by the Council for children and young people.

Members noted that that the outcomes of the APA would influence the emerging Single Plan for Children and Young People. The judgement would highlight those areas that would be the subject of particular consideration for the forthcoming Joint Area Review (JAR), which was an inspection of a range of statutory bodies and service providers and how collaboratively they would improve outcomes for children and young people.

The Panel was advised that the formal judgements and scores from the APA would be reported in the autumn.

CAY

Children’s Champion Group (Agenda Item 6.6)

The Vice Chairman advised Members of the Panel on forthcoming work areas for the Children’s Champions Group (CCG), as follows:-

Implementation review of short break service for disabled children

Therapies for disabled children

Strategic Plan for Children and Young People

Young people and sports activities

Councillor Leimdorfer told the Panel that in the New Year the CCG was proposing to undertake a review of the purpose and effectiveness of the Group.

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Chairman

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