Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Father Seddon.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declaration of interest was received:-

Minutes of the re-convened meeting held on 21 January 2010.

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 21 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:            That the report be deferred to the next Meeting of this Committee scheduled to take place on Tuesday 16 March 2010. 

Report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families

To Follow

The Committee considered a presentation from the Strategic Director – Children Schools and Families.  The presentation outlined Sefton’s readiness for inspection and drew upon the following preparation that was required for an Inspection:-

·        Fostering service to seek and take account of views of children in foster care reviews

Action:

·      Consultation form developed by participation officer

·      Children’s views captured in main review report

·      Audits of foster carer reviews and children’s contribution

The presentation outlined the following recommendations advised by Ofsted and indicated if the recommendation had been addressed.

Recommendations:

·        Review systems for providing foster carer with health information Complete

·        Review arrangements for consent to medical treatment Complete

·        Review recruitment and selection procedures Complete

·        Review practice for assessing home environments re avoidable hazards Complete

·        Safe caring guidelines as specific to each family and child Complete

·        Review procedures for payments to foster carers (allowances, expenses, prompt payments) Incomplete

·        Regular health assessments for foster carers Complete, delays from PCT and impact on budget

·        Foster Carers are trained to record significant life events Partially complete

·        Foster carer’s annual reviews to contain appraisal of training need.  Partially complete

·        Complaints to be clearly recorded on relevant files Partially complete

The presentation concluded with the following Service developments:

·        Revised statement of purpose

·        Kinship Care team

·        Improved “Performance Planning”

·        Draft Fostering Strategy 2010-2013

·        Improved recruitment and retention

·        New Panel proposals (Fostering, Adoption and Performance)

·        Performance management

Members requested further clarification on how Officers envisaged to make the journey from an “adequate” rating to a “good” rating.

It was reported that the service had already made significant improvements as referred to in recommendations above and it was also stated that the Fostering Strategy would address the recommendations agreed by the  Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) “Fostering Service Working Group”.

Members requested that the Draft Fostering Strategy be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) scheduled for 20 April 2010.

RESOLVED:            That the draft Fostering Strategy and an update in relation to the Fostering Service be submitted to the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) for 20 April 2010.

To receive a verbal presentation from the Children’s Social Care Director.

The Committee received a presentation from the Children’s Social Care Director, which outlined the new inspection regime.  It was reported that Ofsted would give ten days notice, that they would arrive with six inspectors interviewing in access of two hundred people and that the inspection would last ten days.  It was also reported that the inspections would be more intense and intrusive resulting in two judgements on the Departments overall effectiveness and its capacity to improve and the Department’s Leadership and Management and quality of provision.

It was reported that the authority required a step change in culture in order to be inspection ready, emphasising that being self aware and self-assessing would enable the Department to make that culture change.  It was reported that partners had already been briefed upon the new inspection regime..

Members requested that the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services be invited to the next Meeting of this Committee scheduled to take place on 16 March 2010 in order that a joined approach of tracking confidence of the organisation and highlighting risk, may take place.  Members highlighted the importance of providing the right level of care for Looked After Children and emphasised the importance of this Committee in scrutinising the service provided by the Authority for the vulnerable group of Looked After Children.

RESOLVED:            That:-

(1)       the Children’s Social Care Director be requested to update the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) at their next Meeting scheduled to take place on 16 March 2010, upon progress of the Departments readiness for inspection; and 

(2)       the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services be invited to attend the next Meeting of this Committee in order that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) may debate and Scrutinise the matter of the inspection regime further.  

To receive a verbal presentation from the Area Managers of the Youth Service.

The Committee received a verbal presentation in relation to strengths and weaknesses of the Youth Service from the Area Managers for the North, Mid and South of the Borough.

The Chair, Councillor Hands reported that information packs had previously been circulated to Members in relation to the Youth Service.

The following strengths and weaknesses for the North of the Borough were reported:-

Strengths within the North:-

• Regular meetings of partners and providers of service to young people to encourage integrated working take place.

• Highly visible International Focus to develop young peoples understanding of global issues and wider community.

• Active input by staff and young people on the appropriateness of the curriculum with each defined curriculum area having a professional youth worker lead, who produce sessions that other youth workers can adapt / modify to suit the needs of their group if & when required. Good links in all Projects & Programmes as well as Plans to Every Child Matters Outcomes.

• Strong Partnership working & relationships with a range of internal & external partners, appreciating the major cultural change, undertaken by Service to become more self – evaluative & outward looking.

• Partnership working has improved accessibility as well as publicity of opportunities and activities to young people.

• Well-structured Commissioning process that has widened & increased the number as well as range of partners. (e.g. working with Leisure Services for the ‘Places to Go Things To Do’ programme.

• Acquisition of ‘Board Marker’ for people with disabilities to communicate.

• Development and funding of media coverage to promote positive image of young people, including their contribution to their local communities, as well as the services of Sefton Youth Service. 

• Adoption of ‘Model for Participation’ based on the ‘Ladder of Participation’ with representation of Voluntary & Statutory voice groups. This has opened up opportunities for a wider range of young people to be involved and contribute to the development & delivery of Youth Services.

• Accreditation & celebration of workforce & young peoples achievements, accredited & non-accredited, including team development.

Future Challenges/Developments:

• Fully develop an area based integrated approach to youth services as some partners are unaware of the Integrated Youth Support Services.

• Better advertise the youth offer across Sefton.

• Improve ‘youth voice’ across all Sefton.

• Support Commissioned organizations to fully utilize the electronic monitoring system and to ensure regular returns of progress.

• Encourage a wider representation of young people on the media group to promote positive images of themselves and their peers.

• Refurbish buildings that are in a poor state of repair.

It was reported that the area had exceeded its expectations with the limited resources it has. However, in order to achieve the challenges/developments stated above and to meet the constant demands of others to work in other areas of the north then additional resources would be required.  

The following strengths and challenges for the Mid Area of the Borough were reported:-

Strengths within the Mid Area:-

·        Enthusiastic and committed workforce.

• Skilled and knowledgeable workforce.

• Flexible work force able to generally respond to the wide variety of issues and expectations partners have of us.

• Developed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

Joint report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families and Strategic Director - Communities

Further to Minute No. 59 of 21 January 2010, the Committee considered the joint report of the Strategic Director Children, Schools and Families and the Strategic Director Communities, which updated Members upon the financial implications of the Building Schools for the future programme.   

RESOLVED:            That the update detailing the project, financial implications and draft Communications and Engagement Strategy be supported.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive.

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive which detailed the Committee’s programme of work including the Key Decision Forward Plan containing all the Key Decisions which the Executive would take during the period 1 February to 31 May 2010.  The Committee was advised of its right to pre-scrutinise any Key Decision which fell under its remit. 

Councillor Cummins reported that the Corporate Parenting Working Group were drafting its Final Report and envisaged that it would be submitted to the next Meeting of this Committee scheduled to take place on Tuesday 16 March 2010.

The Chair, Councillor Hands reported that further dates would be scheduled into the diary for Youth Centre visits and he urged Members of the Committee to make every attempt to attend.

The Chair, Councillor Hands requested that the Committee receive a report from the Strategic Director, Children Schools and Families updating Members on the Action Plan arising from the inspection of the Youth Offending Team (YOT).

Members were informed that the Overview & Scrutiny Management Board

had recently established a cross-cutting Working Group, to scrutinise

health inequalities within the Borough, membership comprised of the four

O&S Chairs and developments would be reported back to the Committee

in due course.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 February to 31 May 2010 be accepted;

(2)            progress of the Corporate Parenting Working Group be supported;

(3)            progress in relation to the Youth Centre visits be accepted;

(4)       the Strategic Director, Children’s Schools and Families be requested to submit a report to the next meeting of this Committee updating Members on the Action Plan arising from the inspection of the Youth Offending Team;

(5)       the establishment of a cross-cutting Working Group, to scrutinise health inequalities within the Borough, comprised of the four Overview and Scrutiny Chairs, be supported; and

(6)            Sefton’s successful bid to become a Scrutiny Development Area, to assist in addressing health inequalities within the local community, be recognised.