Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Meeting Room 15, Priory House, Monks Walk, Shefford

Contact: Jonathon Partridge  0300 300 4634

Items
No. Item

73.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 70 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 15 October 2013 and to note actions taken since that meeting.

 

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 15 October 2013 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record subject to the addition of Cllr Hollick to the list of attendees.

 

74.

Members' Interests

To receive from Members any declarations of interest and of any political whip in relation to any agenda item.

 

Minutes:

 

·         Cllr Costin declared an interest as Chairman of Barnfield College.

·         Cllr D Jones declared an interest in Item 12 as the Chair of Governors for Hawthorn Park Primary School.

·         Cllr Bowater declared an interest in Item 19 as a Governor of SEPT.

·         Mr S Court also declared an interest in Item 13 as his child benefited from home to school transport.

 

75.

Chairman's Announcements and Communications

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

 

Minutes:

 

The Chairman advised the Committee that the order of the agenda would be reorganised to facilitate the attendance of officers and a Deputy Executive Member.  The Chairman also informed the Committee that by virtue of the Local Government Act (1972) she had agreed to add an urgent item to the agenda regarding a quarterly budget update for public health.  This item was felt to be of urgency due to the importance of advising Members in a timely way of the current projected outturn of the public health service.

 

76.

Petitions

To receive petitions from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 2 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

 

Minutes:

 

None.

 

77.

Questions, Statements or Deputations

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of part A4 of the Constitution.

 

Minutes:

 

The Committee received a question from a member of the public regarding services for children on the autistic spectrum in Central Bedfordshire.  The speaker highlighted five concerns as follows:-

·         Responsibility for and application of services;

·         Early recognition and specialist teaching;

·         Need for awareness and training;

·         Family learning and support; and

·         The inadequacy of containment.

 

In response to the speaker and questions from Members the Assistant Director for School Improvement informed the Committee that the Council delivered some additional autism services in Biggleswade.  The Children’s and Families Bill had placed additional responsibilities on the Council in relation to services required to be delivered.  The Assistant Director stressed the importance of early diagnosis and training being provided in appropriate locations and stated that the Council coordinated with parents and families to ensure that services were delivered in a way that supported families.  The Assistant Director also advised the Committee that additional support was provided via special schools and pre-schools to enhance availability of services.

 

Following the discussion the Chairman requested that a copy of the points raised by the speaker be circulated to Members of the Committee.

 

78.

Call-In

To consider any decision of the Executive referred to this Committee for review in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.10 of Part D2. 

 

Minutes:

 

None.

 

79.

Requested Items

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

 

Minutes:

 

None.

 

80.

Executive Member Update

 

To receive a brief verbal update from the Executive Member for Children’s Services.

 

Minutes:

 

The Deputy Executive Member for Children’s Services advised the Committee of two reports that were recently considered by the Executive in relation to the New Schools Places Programme and fostering fees and allowances.

 

In response to a question the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services commented she felt the Government were right to review the age to which children in care would be able to stay with foster families as a means of providing a more stable environment.  There were several issues for the Council to consider before forming a view on the proposals, including:-

1.    The implications of the proposals for colleagues in adult social care;

2.    The financial implications of the proposals as costs for placements would increase as children aged;

3.    The need to maintain an accurate risk log to identify financial pressures in relation to spend in children and adult services.

 

NOTED the update

 

81.

Q2 Revenue Budget Monitoring pdf icon PDF 84 KB

 

To consider the projected full year revenue budget forecast as at 30 September 2013.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Senior Finance Manager delivered a presentation and drew the attention of Members to the current forecast revenue outturn for Children’s Services, which was £2.6m overspent.  In addition the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services reminded Members that they were made aware of the overspend in the quarter one report and at each quarterly review after that, much of which was due to the loss of Government grants.

 

In response to questions from Members the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services advised the Committee as follows:-

·         The directorate had considered several scenarios for the upward trajectory and pressure on the budget but it was difficult to profile fully as the Council were providing services in a different way without a great deal of background information, the increase in the numbers of children in care was a particular issue.  The directorate currently invested 17% of its budget on prevention and early intervention but it would need to consider in the future if this amount was appropriate. The number of cases were now stabilising and signs were good.

·         There were challenges in relation to the Troubled Families programme and determining whether this programme or the Pupil Referral Unit was responsible for improvements in attendance.  There were also challenges relating to the sharing of information across organisations.

 

NOTED the update

 

82.

Q2 Capital Budget Monitoring pdf icon PDF 286 KB

 

To consider the projected full year capital budget forecast as at 30 September 2013.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Senior Finance Manager delivered a presentation and drew the attention of Members to the current forecast capital outturn for Children’s Services, which was £0.4m underspent. 

 

NOTED the update.

 

83.

Disability Review Programme: Support and Aspiration pdf icon PDF 97 KB

 

To receive a presentation providing an update on progress regards the Disability Review and Support and Aspiration.

 

Minutes:

 

Cllr Dodwell delivered a presentation that updated Members on the progress of the Disability Review and Support and Aspiration including progress on recommendations, key changes to the Children and Families Bill and the project workstreams that were presently underway.  Cllr Dodwell also produced photographs of some of the resources currently available in Central Bedfordshire.  In addition to the presentation the Chairman and the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services recorded their thanks to officers and Members for their support throughout the programme, which had resulted in greater stability for social workers.  The Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services planned to seek opportunities to show-case the work that had been undertaken.

 

In light of the presentation and the further detail provided the Committee commented and discussed several issues in detail as follows:-

·         The benefit of the hub in Biggleswade as a means of drawing disability teams together and the further benefit that would be provided by co-locating GP surgeries in these hubs.  The Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services commented that co-location with GP surgeries was currently being considered.

·         Attendance levels at meetings of the Special Needs Action Panel (SNAP), whereby the Assistant Director for School Improvement commented that the Council encouraged feedback on these meetings and that it tried to ensure meetings were held at accessible times.

·         The access to services for residents who were not able to travel to Houghton Regis.  The Assistant Director advised the Committee that the Council tried to ensure services were accessible and that in the future it would be considered how services could be provided in areas where there was a current gap in provision.

·         The importance of organisations sharing necessary information.  The Committee were informed that key workers would be identified to lead on information sharing, the Council was considering ways of supporting this in an appropriate manner.

·         The legal basis on which planning and commissioning of services for disabled children and young people would be required under the Children and Families Bill.  The Assistant Director commented that these requirements were not too dissimilar to current arrangements.  The Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services also commented that the current pathfinders had found the cost of implementing this requirement very high and as a result those pathfinders had recently been extended.  The sufficiency of staff levels in the NHS had been a major issue with which the pathfinders had struggled.  The issue of staff recruitment in the NHS had been raised with the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

·         Whether the Council would be able to finance the services that it aspired to provide.  The Committee were advised that Government were aware of the need to enhance funding for services, some of the funding came through the Dedicated Schools Grant but there were other sources of funding that were also available.

·         Guidance documents for the NHS, which would be provided when the Children and Families Bill became an Act.

 

NOTED the presentation

 

84.

Responses to School Funding Consultation: Arrangements for 2014/15 pdf icon PDF 78 KB

 

To consider the responses to the consultation regarding the proposed distribution for the Dedicated Schools Grant – School Block for 2014/2015.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Assistant Director for School Improvement presented a report that set out the responses to a consultation on School Funding for 2014/15.  In particular it was highlighted that the seminars for schools had not been well attended but the Council did all it could to encourage responses.  Whilst many schools had not responded to the consultation they had advised the Council they both understood and were comfortable with the proposals.  A considerable amount of consultation had been undertaken via the Schools Forum.

 

In response to a question the Assistant Director for School Improvement advised the Committee that the Government provided figures for the numbers of children receiving free school meals (FSM).  In addition the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services informed the Committee that the Department for Education (DfE) triangulated data to provide a very accurate picture of deprivation so whilst it was important that children received FSM the links to funding were not so important.

 

NOTED the responses to the school funding consultation for 2014/15.

 

85.

Accountability Framework for School Outcomes pdf icon PDF 105 KB

 

To receive a presentation regarding the accountability framework for school outcomes including the Council’s role and the use of Ofsted School Data Dashboards.

 

Minutes:

 

The Assistant Director School Improvement delivered a presentation that informed the Committee of the Council’s role in monitoring and evaluating performance data, the Council’s powers of intervention in addition to the framework for inspection of local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement.

 

In light of the presentation the Committee discussed the following issues in detail:-

·         The powers of the local authority in relation to free schools.  The Assistant Director informed the Committee that a team had been appointed to support school improvement with academies and free schools.

·         The capacity of academies to effect educational transformation.  The Assistant Director commented that strong leadership was key in academies achieving transformation and whilst there were issues regarding capacity each academy sponsor was scrutinised to determine their ability to lead transformation.  In addition the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services commented on the importance of working with those schools for whom the Council was responsible rather than focusing on those powers that were no longer relevant to the Council in relation to some schools.

·         School inspections in Dunstable, which the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services commented had not been triggered by the local authority, but may have resulted from changes in the flow of pupils due to age range changes.

·         Payment for school support, which was dependent on individual circumstances and was considered on a case by case basis.

·         Information relating to SAT results, which would be published on the Council’s website and a link provided to the Committee in due course.

 

In addition to the discussion on the presentation Members requested that all future Committee meetings take place in the Council Chamber and that officers ensure the readability of papers in the future.

 

NOTED the presentation.

 

86.

Home to School Transport Policy pdf icon PDF 68 KB

 

To consider changes to the Home to School Transport Policy as outlined in a previous presentation to the Committee on 3 September 2013.

 

Due to the length of Appendix A (draft Home to School Transport Policy) this document has been circulated to Members of the OSC only and is available in hard copy from the following link:-

 

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=650

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Head of Children's Services Commissioning introduced a report that outlined proposed changes to the Home to School Transport Policy further to a previous report that had been considered by the Committee.  The purpose of the changes were to enhance clarity and reflect entitlement criteria.  Whilst there was no provision in the Policy for children over the age of 16 the Council did have a post-16 Transport Policy, which was not subject to any amendment as a consequence of changes to this Policy.

 

In light of the report and the further clarification provided at the meeting the Committee discussed the following issues in detail:-

·         Some of the language in the draft Policy was not appropriate for a public document.  The Committee accepted that some of the language was necessary for a policy document and noted that a plain-English guide would also be produced in consultation with parents/carers and partners.

·         Whether it would be feasible to include a ‘lay’ member on the transport appeals panel.  The Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services commented that it would be a challenge to include a lay person in light of the Council’s responsibility for the Policy.  However, the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services agreed to consider how this principle might be addressed.

·         The Policy used terms that described specific disabilities and referred to levels of disability (for example ‘severe’), which may lead to confusion.

·         The Policy referred to children walking between home and school and walking with ‘reasonable safety’, this needed to be cross-referenced with the section on safeguarding.

 

RECOMMENDED that the comments of the Committee as detailed in the Minutes be considered and provided to the Executive for their consideration of this item.

 

87.

Consultation on Admissions Arrangements 2015/16 pdf icon PDF 54 KB

 

To consider a report regarding a consultation on the Council’s admission arrangements for 2015/16 and in particular the Council’s co-ordinated admissions schemes and admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services introduced a report that sought comments on proposed admission arrangements for 2015/16.  In light of the report a Member queried the reasoning for converting the lower catchment areas in Houghton Regis for Hawthorn Park, Houghton Regis, Tithe Farm and Thornhill to Primary school catchment areas.  The Member did however support the proposed criterion to give priority to children in the nursery placed above the final criterion of straight line distance.  It was queried whether the catchment areas in Houghton Regis  could be reviewed again in the future.  In response the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Children’s Services agreed to review the future catchment areas for Houghton Regis for future admissions years after 2015/16.

 

NOTED the report and request that the comments of the Committee in relation to Houghton Regis be taken into consideration for future admissions arrangements.

 

88.

Q2 Public Health Revenue Budget Monitoring pdf icon PDF 80 KB

To consider the project full year outturn position for public health.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Interim Senior Finance Manager (Public Health) outlined the projected full year outturn position for the Public Health revenue budget, which was presently on budget.  The attention of the Committee was drawn to current potential risks and the difficulty of avoiding the spend of a strategic reserve.

 

In response to a question from a Member the Interim Senior Finance Manager commented that funds would not be diverted to Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) until it had been confirmed that additional funding to meet demand was necessary.

 

NOTED the presentation.

 

89.

Q2 Performance Monitoring Report

 

To receive the quarter 2 performance monitoring report for the Children’s Services Directorate. 

 

The performance report was considered by the Executive at their meeting on 10 December 2013.  Members are requested to bring a copy of their report with them to the meeting.  A full copy is available at the following link or on request:-

 

http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/

 

Minutes:

 

The Committee received the recent Executive report that detailed quarter two performance for the Children’s Services directorate.  The Committee commented on the importance of ensuring that co-opted Members also received hard copies of the agenda papers.

 

In response to a question from a Member the Deputy Chief Executive/Director or Children’s Services agreed to review the number of children’s safeguarding indicators that were included in the performance report and inform Members whether this number had diminished.

 

NOTED the report.

 

90.

Work Programme 2013 - 2014 & Executive Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 52 KB

 

The report provides Members with details of the currently drafted Committee work programme and the latest Executive Forward Plan.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

RECOMMENDED that the current work programme be approved.