MINUTES

OF THE MEETING OF THE

Children and Young People Policy AND Scrutiny Panel

Thursday 18th September 2003

HELD AT THE TOWN HALL, WESTON-SUPER-MARE, SOMERSET.

Meeting Commenced: 6.00 p.m. Meeting Concluded: 8.30 p.m.

PRESENT: Councillors Jeremy Blatchford (Chairman), Tom Leimdorfer (Vice-Chairman), Felicity Baker (substitute for John Daws), Astra Brand, Derek Kraft (substitute for Chanel Stevens) Colin Golland, Jenny Gosden, Ann Harley, Michael Nobes, Howard Roberts, Sally Tabrett

ADDED MEMBERS: John Brock (substitute for Ron Fowler), Eric Dolling (substitute for Mike Scriven), Ann Lemon, Ian Peddlesden, Justin Templer

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Councillor John Daws, Mark Evans, Ron Fowler, Beverley Humphries, Mark Johnston, Mike Scriven, Councillor Chanel Stevens

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Councillor Peter Kehoe

CAY

Minutes of the Meeting held on 17th July 2003 (Agenda Item 4.1)

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

CAY

Disabled Children and Young People in North Somerset (Agenda Item 8.1)

The representative of the Director of Housing and Social Services, outlined the background to the multi-agency strategic planning group’s analysis of the provision of services for disabled children, young people and their families in North Somerset. A discussion document ‘Now and the Future’ summarising the group’s findings had been circulated to a wide range of statutory and non-statutory agencies and groups, for comment and consultation. At the suggestion of the Free Church Federal Council representative Mr Ian Peddlesden, it was agreed that the police would be included in the consultation process.

The mapping process had identified gaps in provision of currently available services and had highlighted priority areas for the development of services in the future. Simon Bilous, Programme Manager, North Somerset Primary Care Trust, outlined the key themes in these priority areas as follows:

• Improved co-ordination of commissioning, provision and delivery of services

• Development of multi-agency training processes

• Early and Effective Assessment

• Build on best practice

• Improved information sharing

• Ongoing consultation and involvement

• Regular monitoring and evaluation of services

• Improved access and resources to ensure needs are met

• Improved opportunities for addressing housing needs

• Multi-agency assessment and provision of equipment

• Health, social care and education service development

• Broader choice and enhanced access to ‘short break’ respite services

• Improved transition arrangements at all stages of children and young people’s lives

Simon Bilous told members that the detailed consultation process, which would be undertaken over a period of several months, would inform the development of an Implementation Plan which it was hoped would be ready early in the New Year.

Members welcomed the strategy and discussed the issues raised.

In response to a query Simon Bilous conceded that the strategy group shared members’ misgivings about the accuracy of the some of the figures the research had generated. Consequently improved information gathering had been included in the action plan.

The Executive Member for Learning, Councillor Peter Kehoe, acknowledged that there would be funding implications arising from the implementation plan, but was hopeful that the Best Value process would identify areas where funding was currently misallocated. He referred to proposals for the establishment of a Children’s Centre for which central government funding was being sought. The representative of the Director of Housing and Social Services told members that work on the strategy had identified areas where additional funding was available e.g. the Quality Protects initiative.

In response to a point raised about the special school or mainstream options available to parents of disabled children and young people, the Director of Education told members that the presumption contained within the new Inclusion Strategy was that inclusion was the ‘norm’, unless there were very exceptional circumstances.

The Chairman felt that an integrated approach to transport services for disabled children and young people was needed.

In response to concerns about achieving the aims of the strategic plan, Steve Tanner assured Members that the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership would be responsible for driving the key issues forward.

The Chairman thanked the officers for their comprehensive presentation.

CONCLUDED: that the officers be commended on the development of the strategy for disabled children and young people.

CAY

Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) Performance Review Report 2003 – Reference from the Executive Meeting held 2nd September 2003 (Agenda Item 5.1)

The Policy and Scrutiny Panel received a reference from the Executive Meeting in respect of the Social Services Inspectorate's annual review of the Council's social services performance.

The representative of the Director of Housing and Social Services told the Members that the report indicated that North Somerset Services presented good prospects for improvement across the range of social services. It was essential that these prospects were converted into positive action. He outlined the impact of human resource issues on child protection indicators. Members discussed fostering and adoption indicators.

CONCLUDED: that the SSI Annual Review of North Somerset Council’s Children’s Services be noted.

CAY

Improvement Action Plan in response to Lord Laming's Report into the Death of Victoria Climbie – Reference from the Executive Meeting held 2nd September 2003 (Agenda Item 5.2)

The Policy and Scrutiny Panel received a reference from the Executive Meeting in respect of proposals to strengthen the "governance" of children's services, as recommended by the Laming Report.

The representative of the Director of Housing and Social Services, told the Members that following North Somerset Council’s self-audit against Lord Laming’s recommendations an improvement action plan was proposed in order to strengthen the governance of children’s services. The establishment of a cross-cutting cross-party group of elected members would champion children’s issues. This Children’s Champion Group would be linked to the Children and Young People’s Policy & Scrutiny Panel, but would report to the Executive.

The Director of Education reported on the recently published government Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’. The Green Paper was a consultation document on the recommendations of the Laming Report into the death of Victoria Climbie. The main issues were as follows:-

• early intervention essential

• the need to have better systems in place for sharing information on young people’s lives

• the need for a single-named professional for young people at risk i.e. the necessity of multi-professional/multi-disciplinary working

• the creation of Director of Children’s Services posts across each upper-tier authority

• a statutory requirement for a lead Member for children’s services

• the need for workforce reforms (skills, pay, etc.)

• greater support and information for parents/carers

Colin Diamond advised that the Authority’s response to the consultation document was required by 1st December 2003.

CONCLUDED:

(1) that the proposals to strengthen the governance of children’s services be endorsed; and

(2) that a Working Group be established to formulate a response to the Green Paper.

CAY

Work Plan (Agenda Item 6.1)

The Chairman presented a report on the Policy and Scrutiny Panel's updated Work Plan.

CONCLUDED: that the updated Work Plan be noted.

CAY

Provision for Children and Young People – Programme of Visits (Agenda Item 7)

The Director of Education submitted a report on the establishment of a comprehensive programme of visits for members of the Policy and Scrutiny Panel, to assist Members in the scrutiny of children's services.

CONCLUDED: that the proposed two-year programme of visits be noted and Members be asked to report back to this Policy and Scrutiny Panel in due course.

CAY

Performance Monitoring (Agenda Item 8.2)

The Head of Performance, Improvement and Personnel submitted a report on performance monitoring, including details of the progress made in respect of the Council's Key Corporate Performance Indicators for children and young people’s services.

The Vice-Chairman commended officers on achieving the targets for those excluded children receiving alternative tuition, and also on the number of looked after children adopted.

Members discussed the relevance of nationally set targets. The Director of Education told Members that the prescriptive era of target setting was in decline. New targets being introduced were based on what was known about the local community.

The representative of the Director of Housing and Social Services told Members that targets for Social Services were generally felt to be appropriate. He cautioned Members against ignoring national indicators, as funding was often linked to target attainment.

The Executive Member for Learning, Councillor Peter Kehoe, felt that actual figures, in addition to the percentages shown, would be helpful for Members.

CONCLUDED: that the performance monitoring report be received.

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Chairman

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