Agenda item

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer seeking the views of the Committee on the draft Work Programme for 2021/22; reporting onprogress of the Secondary School Performance and Attainment Working Group; reporting on progress of the Housing Support Services to Vulnerable People Working Group; identifying any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the latest Key Decision Forward Plan; and receipt of an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The draft Work Programme for 2021/22 was set out at Appendix A to the report, to be considered along with any additional items to be included and agreed.

The report set out the progress to date made by the Secondary School Performance and Attainment Working Group and indicated that two replacement Members were required to serve on it. Progress to date made by the Housing Support Services to Vulnerable People Working Group was also outlined as a Member of the Committee had agreed to serve on the Working Group that had been established by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills).

There was just one item for pre-scrutiny within the current Key Decision Forward Plan that fell under the Committee’s remit.

The report set out an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Members of the Committee asked questions/raised matters on the following:

·       The Secondary School Performance and Attainment Working Group could be deferred for twelve months, until such time as data was available.

·       An education themed working group was preferred for the current Municipal Year and proposals could be considered at the next meeting.

·       The impact of housing developments on education.

·       A report on school placements should be submitted to the Committee in due course and the impact of housing developments on education could be considered then.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Work Programme for 2021/22, as set out at Appendix A to the report, be approved, along with any additional items to be included and agreed;

(2)      the following additional items be added to the Committee’s Work Programme for 2021/22:

(a)      the Interim Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education be requested to submit a report on future priority joint commissioning plans for Children’s Services, together with an update on the development of the Integrated Care Programme, to the next meeting of the Committee scheduled for 28 September 2021;

(b)      the Interim Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education be requested to submit twice-yearly updates on the improvement journey for Children’s Social Care in Sefton to the Committee, to include:

·       the numbers of cases assigned to social workers; and

·       information on the recruitment and retention of social workers, together with support for staff in general;

(c)      the Interim Executive Director of Children’s Social Care and Education be requested to submit a report on school placements to the Committee in due course, to include the impact of housing developments on education;

(3)      the progress of the Secondary School Performance and Attainment Working Group be noted, and the Working Group be deferred for twelve months, until such time as data is available;

(4)      consideration be given to the establishment of an education themed working group at the next meeting of the Committee;

(5)      the progress of the Housing Support Services to Vulnerable People Working Group be noted;

(6)      the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 July to 30 October 2021, be noted; and

(7)      the update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted.