Present at the meeting:
- Councillor R Winkworth (Chairman)
- Councillor Mrs B Bourne
- Councillor S F Ell (Vice Chairman)
- Dr Councillor C M Cottam
- Councillor Mrs K Aldred
- Councillor J D Hodkinson
- Councillor Miss J Atherton
- Councillor M Klieve
- Councillor C Sweeney
- Councillor Mrs S Loudon – Cabinet Champion for Children and Young People
Officers in attendance
- Gary Finch – Principal Officer – Overview and Scrutiny
- Roissin Beressi – Senior Solicitor
- Diane Adshead – Committee Services Officer
Officers presenting reports
- Tony Dann – Head of Service – Strategic Partnership, Performance and Localities
- Anne Goldsmith – Service Director, Transformation
11 Apologies for absence: Councillors R J Derricutt, M A Dewhurst, Ms L E Fagan, T W Halliwell, E N Houlton and W J Wilkes and Rev Deacon R Moore, Rev R Buckley, Mrs K Stokes, Mr G Wolstenholme and Mr D Barber (Co-opted Members).
12 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 28 May 2009 were approved as a correct record.
13 Whipping Declarations: There were no declarations made.
14 Children’s Trust Arrangements: The Committee viewed a presentation of the Executive Director of Children and Young People’s Services, presented by the Head of Service, Strategic Partnership, Performance and Localities, Tony Dann, which outlined the structure of Children’s Trust. The Trust’s overall functions were defined as being:
- A Local Area Partnership led by the Local Authority.
- A thematic partnership within the local Strategic Partnership.
- A planning body to inform commissioning decisions to improve the five Every Child Matters Outcomes.
- Responsible for duties in Section 10 on Local Authorities and relevant partners to co-operate in improving wellbeing for local children.
Members gave comments and asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- What issues would the Trust focus on?
- How were “hot spots” for Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET), teenage pregnancy, etc identified?
- Was an action plan available?
- Was a report available on the development of ‘Children’s Trusts and Schools’?
- What was the membership of the Children’s Commissioning Board?
- Was a report on the development of the Children’s Trust available?
Members were advised that the purpose of the Trust was to improve the wellbeing of all children: improving their prospects for the future and addressing inequalities between the most disadvantaged children and their peers.
Hot spots were identified using a resource allocation formula and a robust annual needs study.
A children and young people action plan was available and a project initiation program was in place. Updates on delivering the localities initiation programme would be brought to future meetings of this Committee.
The Children’s Trusts and Schools project had been piloted in Atherton and Tyldesley and had proved to be extremely successful. All primary school head teachers were now on board and the team were working with secondary school heads regarding the five locations working model. A report on the draft model piloted in Atherton and Tyldesley would be brought to the next meeting of this Committee.
A list of the membership of the Children’s Commissioning Board would be emailed to all Members of this Committee and a report on the Children’s Trust would be available for the next meeting.
Resolved: The Committee thanks Tony Dann for the presentation and requests the following action from the Executive Director of Children and Young People's Services for the next Committee:
- the Children and Young People action plan be made available;
- a draft report on the Children’s Trusts and Schools project;
- the membership of the Children’s Commissioning Board be emailed to all Members of this Committee;
- a report on the Children’s Trust; and
- a copy of the Localities Initiation Programme.
15 Looked After Children/Fostering Service/out of borough placements: The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, which provided Members with information around the profile of 'Looked After Children' in Wigan and their responsibilities as corporate parents. It informed Members of the roles and responsibilities of a Fostering Service with details of children placed with Wigan foster carers and gave Members an overview of the numbers and costs for 'Looked After Children' placed outside the Borough.
Members gave comments and asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- Was there an age limit for fostering and adoption?
- Would there be an update in the four key areas identified by children in care which should form the basis of the pledge?
- Could Members arrange flexible hours to accompany the Independent Reviewing Officer on monthly visits to children’s homes as outlined in Regulation 33?
- Would it be better practice to find investment to bring looked after children currently cared for outside the Borough back into the Borough?
- Can the Committee have an input into the current fundamental review?
Members were advised that there was no age limit for those wishing to foster children, but, although there was no age limit for those wishing to adopt children, there was a tendency to place younger children with younger parents to mirror society in general.
There would be an update on the four key areas identified by children in care once it had been approved at Council.
Members were advised that, so long as arrangements were made via a link with the children’s homes and mediated effectively, they were at liberty to visit children in the homes outside of normal working hours. Furthermore, Members responsibilities as corporate parents would be re-visited to allow Members to engage with children and allow the children to engage with Members. It was also noted that a Members Seminar on Corporate Parenting had been organised for November 2009.
A previously high cost contract had now been terminated and the savings would be put into the fostering service to boost capacity. This would enable looked after children outside of the Borough to return to suitable homes within the Borough. Once additional staff were in place, a recruitment process would take place for foster parents in Wigan. This item would be discussed at the seminar in November.
The fundamental review would be complete in approximately four weeks time and the findings would be brought to the Committee.
Resolved: The Committee notes the report and requests from the Executive Director:
- an update on the four key areas identified by children in care which would form the basis of the pledge; and
- an input into the fundamental review currently taking place.
(Councillor M Klieve declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item as his wife is on the Foster Panel)
16 Children and Young People’s Services Performance Plan 2009-2012: The Committee considered a report, which provided Members with a summary of the progress in the Children and Young People’s Services Performance Plan key indicators at the end of Quarter 4 2008/09.
Members gave comments and asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- Why was the teenage pregnancy targets showing an increase of half a percent when the target was -13%?
- Would the 2009/10 targets be possible to achieve?
- Why were NI 101 Children in Care failing to reach their projected targets of 5 or more GCSE’s at A*-C?
Teenage pregnancy was an ongoing problem and there were no clear explanations for the increase in numbers. Nationally the strategy and action plan in place were not working, and the data and figures were out-of-date.
Targets were set by the Local Area Agreement and were therefore difficult to change, however local targets would be set to monitor continuous improvement.
GCSE failed targets were a national problem, but work was being done to support attainment based on ability.
Resolved: The Committee notes the report and requests that the Executive Director bring an action/improvement plan in relation to teenage pregnancy to a future meeting of the Committee.
17 Children and Young People’s Services Performance Plan 2009 - 2012: The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, which provided Members with details of the Children and Young People’s Services Performance Plan for 2009 – 2012.
Members gave comments and asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- Would quarterly updates on key performance targets be available?
- Could target dates be incorporated into the Priority Service Objectives?
- Would it be possible to set up a sub group to scrutinise the following priority service objectives:
- CYPP1 Reduce teenage pregnancy and improve access to sexual health services
- CYPP3 Safeguard children and young people though improved prevention, early intervention and community engagement
- CYPP4 Improve outcomes for Children in Care
- CYPP6 Reduce children and young people’s involvement in anti-social behaviour and offending
Quarterly updates on key performance targets would be availble in future for the Committee and some dates had been set for the Priority Service Objectives and would be made availible to the Committee.
Resolved: The Committee endorses the proposed plans and agrees to consider the setting up of the task and finish group to scrutinise:
18 New Scrutiny arrangements and consequential amendments to the call in procedure: The Principal Solicitor, Roissin Berressi, presented a report, on the amendments to the call in procedure following the establishment of the five new Scrutiny Committees. The report set out who was eligible to call in a decision and the process that a call in would follow.
Members asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- would an Elected Member receive an automatic invite to attend a Scrutiny Committee to consider a call in that he/she had supported?
- who would decide on whether a call in request was competent?
- what would happen if a call in covered the terms of reference of more than one Scrutiny Committee?
Members were advised that any Elected Member who supported a call in would be invited to attend the appropriate Scrutiny Committee which would consider the call in. Members were also advised that the Chief Executive would determine the competence of any call in request. Finally, Members were informed that if a call in transcended more than one Scrutiny Committee, either the Co-ordinating Committee would consider the call in or a joint meeting of the two Scrutiny Committees would be arranged.
Resolved: The Committee:-
- thanks the Principal Solicitor for the report;
- notes the provisions currently in place; and
- welcomes the changes to the call in procedure.
19 Feedback from the Portfolio Holder: Councillor Mrs S Loudon gave the Committee feedback on new safeguarding procedures implemented and of her membership of the Safeguarding Children’s Board. She also highlighted the need for Members to embrace their role as Corporate Parents to children in care. She suggested that the Committee could benefit from visiting schools in the Borough and highlighted Rosebridge High School as an example of a school that is achieving.
Chairman
The meeting concluded at 8.20 pm.
