Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor McKinley, Fr. D. Seddon, Mrs Carol-Anna Ryan-Palmer and Ms Jenny Southern.

Members are requested to give notice of any disclosable pecuniary interest, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the Members Code of Conduct, before leaving the meeting room during the discussion on that particular item.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interest were received.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2015 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Committee considered a presentation by Mr. Mike McSorley, Head of Learning and Support in relation to the consultation on the Sefton Education Strategy.

Mr. McSorley reported that “the value of a good education cannot be underestimated.  Giving children the best possible start in life helps them fulfil their true potential, living happier, healthier and more prosperous lives”.

Mr. McSorley highlighted the Education Vision for Sefton as:

“Our Vision is to ensure all children and young people in Sefton are equipped with the knowledge, skills and desire needed to fulfil their potential.  The best start in life through good early years provision is vitally important as is continuation of progress at good or outstanding primary and secondary schools and FE colleges.”

“Learning does not stop once a young person leaves school and we want them to have the desire to keep on learning, and developing to shape our future society.”

The presentation outlined the following objectives in delivering the Education Vision for Sefton:-

·         Ensuring good leadership and governance across all educational settings in Sefton.

·         Ensuring that the range of barriers to participation and progress are addressed.

·         Ensuring children are ready for school and the transition to the next stage of their lives.

·         Ensuring that all pupils make at least “good” progress in each year of their education.

·         Ensuring young people leave formal education with the skills and opportunities to achieve.

Mr. McSorley explained that the Sefton Education Partnership Board would be the body with ultimate responsibility for implementing and monitoring the Strategy, but consultation and involvement from the Strategic Group and Operational Groups would also be necessary.

Mr McSorley outlined the following membership of the Education Partnership Board:-

·         Lead Member for Children’s Services.

·         Director of Young People and Families.

·         Chair of SASH.

·         Chair of SAPH.

·         Special Schools representative.

·         Primary Schools representative.

·         Early Years represenattive.

·         Further Education representative.

·         Chair of Sefton Governors Association.

·         Representative from the Liverpool Archdiocese.

·         Representative from the Diocese of Liverpool.

·         Higher Education representative.

·         Employer’s representative.

·         Representative from Training providers.

·         Local Safeguarding Children Board representative.

Mr. McSorley concluded his presentation by emphasising the importance of the Sefton Education Strategy and the importance that all Partnership Board Members sign up to the Strategy.

Members of the Committee welcomed the drafting of the Education Strategy and in particular the offer for young people (14 – 16 years) to opt for a vocational course, offering more choice suited to their learning.  The Director of Young People and Families reassured Members that in a recent Ofsted inspection, Hugh Baird College had received an outstanding rating in relation to safeguarding.

RESOLVED:             That

(1)       the Head of Learning and Support, Mr. McSorley, be thanked for his informative presentation;

(2)       the Head of Learning and Support, Mr. McSorley and all supporting officers be congratulated on the drafting of Sefton’s Education Strategy;

(3)       the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools, Families and Leisure, in consultation with the Senior Democratic Services Officer, Mr. Mike Morris, be requested to arrange a site visit to Hugh Baird College for all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Young People and Families which provided an outline of the learning from Rotherham and other child sexual exploitation reviews which had taken place since the publication of the Professor Jay report. Information was provided as to the actions that had been and are taking place in Sefton to address the national lessons learned and to safeguard children and young people in Sefton from child sexual exploitation.

The report included the following appendices:

Appendix 1 – Pan- Merseyside Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Strategy 2014-2017

Appendix 2 - Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) CSE Strategy on a Page

Appendix 3 - LSCB Governance Structure

Appendix 4 - LSCB CSE Partnership Pathway

It was reported that the common issues and reasons why young people can be vulnerable to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) can be due to a number of factors including a young person’s low self-esteem and a poor self-image.

It was further reported that vulnerabilities are identified and targeted by the abuser, whether the young person is living with their family, looked after, away from home or they have run away.

It was also reported that there are no stereotypical victims of CSE and that males and females can be victims.

The following warning signs were reported as possible indications that a child could be being exploited:

·         Regularly missing from home or school and staying out all night.

·         Change in behaviour – becoming aggressive and disruptive or quiet and withdrawn.

·         Unexplained gifts or new possessions such as clothes, jewellery, mobile phones or money that can’t be accounted for.

·         Increase in mobile phone usage or secretive use.

·         A significantly older “boyfriend” or “friend” or lots of new friends.

·         Spending excessive amounts of time online or on their mobile becoming increasing secretive or defensive about this activity.

·         Sudden involvement in criminal behaviour or increased offending.

·         Sexual health problems.

The Director of Young People and Families, Mr. Colin Pettigrew, referred to the “Listen to my Story” campaign which had been developed by Merseyside Police, Local Councils and third sector agencies throughout the Merseyside area.  Mr. Pettigrew stated that the campaign had been developed to raise awareness of CSE in our communities and to educate young people, parents/carers, teachers, health professionals and service industry workers as to the signs and vulnerabilities of CSE.

Mr. Pettigrew confirmed the following organisations involved in the “Listen to my Story” campaign:

·         Merseyside Police.

·         Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner.

·         Liverpool City Council.

·         Knowsley Council.

·         Sefton Council.

·         St. Helens Council.

·         Wirral Council.

·         Local Safeguarding Children Boards in Merseyside.

·         North West Ambulance Service.

·         Pan-Merseyside NHS Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Pan-Merseyside NHS Community Care Centres

·         Pan-Merseyside NHS Trusts

·         Local GP’s.

Mr. Pettigrew referred to the ”Listen to my Story” website as an excellent resource for everyone to access in the pledge to raise awareness of CSE.

Mr. Pettigrew stated that CSE can affect young people and families from all kinds of backgrounds regardless of social class, ethnicity or location.  He stated that it is not just  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

Further to Minute No. 15 (3) of 18 November 2014, the Committee considered the report of the Director of Young People and Families on the nomination and assessment process undertaken in the identification of troubled families.

The report outlined details of phase 1 (the original programme) in the identification criteria of a Troubled Family.

The Troubled Families Coordinator, Mr. Michael Hanrahan, reported that H.M. Government had expanded the programme for a further five years (until 2020).  He explained that phase 2 (the expanded programme) included a broader set of criteria to be used in identifying Troubled Families.

Mr. Hanrahan reported that Sefton had changed the title of “Troubled Families” to the “Turn around Programme”.

Members raised the following questions and points of observation, responses to which were made by officers:

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

Further to Minute No. 17 (4) of 18 November 2014, the Committee considered the report of the Director of Young People and Families on early years inspection outcomes within Sefton, including national and North-West region comparisons.

Members raised concerns regarding the declining standards in childminder outcomes.

RESOLVED:             That

(1)       the report be noted; and

(2)       the Director of Young People and Families be requested to submit a report to a future meeting of this Committee in relation to the declining standards in childminder outcomes.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Corporate Services submitting the most recent report of the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools, Families and Leisure for the March 2015 period.

The Cabinet Member Update Report outlined information on the following:-

·         Hillside and Litherland High Schools – Conversion to Sponsored Academies with effect from 1 March 2015.

·         Children’s Transport Consultation.

·         Education and Skills Strategy.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Corporate Services in relation to the Committee’s programme of work and submitting the latest Key Decision Forward Plan. There were three Key Decisions within the current Forward Plan which fell under the remit of the Committee on this occasion.

The report referred to a number of proposed Joint Working Protocols between the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Health and Social Care) and other local health bodies and a request from that Committee for this Committee to indicate whether it wished Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS Trust to be included in the proposed protocol with NHS organisations in Sefton.

The report also set out the current Work Programme for 2014/15 and indicated that a draft Work Programme for 2015/16 would be submitted to the next meeting for approval. 

The Senior Democratic Services Officer, Mrs. Ruth Harrison informed Members of a proposal to arrange an informal meeting of the Committee prior to the first meeting of the New Municipal Year 2015/16.  The purpose of the informal meeting would be to identify appropriate areas of work to review which comply with the selection criteria and also to set the Committee’s Work Programme for 2015/16.

RESOLVED:             That

(1)       the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 April  to 31 July 2015 be noted;

(2)       the submitted work programme for this Committee for 2014/15 and the fact that a draft work programme for 2015/16 will be submitted to the next meeting for approval,  be noted;

(3)       in relation to the possible inclusion of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital NHS Trust in the proposed joint working protocol, the  Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Health and Social Care) be informed that this Committee is in favour of such an approach; and

(4)       the Director of Young People and Families be requested to submit a report to a future meeting of this Committee in relation to the “Innovation Programme” Grant.

As this was the last meeting of the Committee in the current Municipal Year, the Chair, Councillor Brennan, recorded his thanks and appreciation to the Members and officers of the Committee for their support during the year.