Agenda and minutes

Councillor Dr Barnard declared an interest in Item 6 as a governor at Garth Hill College.

Councillor Birch declared an interest in Item 6 as a governor at St Michael’s, Sandhurst Primary School.

Councillor Turrell declared an interest in Item 6 as a governor at Harmans Water Primary School.

To consider and approve the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 31 March 2015.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive on 31 March 2015 together with the accompanying decision records be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

The Executive considered the reports submitted on the items listed below and the decisions taken are recorded in the decision sheets attached to these minutes and summarised below:

To inform the Executive of the response to the Overview and Scrutiny report on substance misuse.

RESOLVED that

1          The following recommendations of the Working Group “A Review of Substance Misuse Involving Children and You ng People” be accepted:

a)    Following consultation with the Youth Council and/or other relevant groups of local young people, the substance misuse leaflet be updated on a partnership basis to ensure that up to date information is disseminated and that all partners are working together with common understanding and goals.

b)    Awareness raising booklets including ‘before and after’ pictorial content be produced to alert parents to the signs and symptoms of substance misuse by their children, and to provide a step guide to recognising a substance misuse issue, acknowledging its potential impact on the family and seeking advice/assistance/treatment to overcome it to be produced.

c)    A substance misuse peer mentoring scheme be introduced in Bracknell Forest schools to support children and young people with related issues. 

d)    Additional training for both newly qualified and established teachers be provided to enable them to detect early signs of substance misuse and then offer support and signposting to services.

e)    A programmed, consistent and joined up partnership approach to substance misuse prevention education in schools involving misuse youth workers, the Youth Offending Services, police and other relevant organisations.

f)     Opportunities are taken to pursue closer family-wide substance misuse working practices between Children’s Social Care, Adult Social Care and Public Health.

g)    Efforts be made to secure the closure of the gap in CAMHS Tier 2 preventive mental health services and to increased CAMHS service provision to assist young people to break free from substance misusing peer groups and support young people at risk of offending and entering the court system owing to substance misuse.

h)    A Berkshire wide substance misuse data sharing protocol be developed to enable comparisons with other local authorities and to facilitate identification and response to issues.

i)       In recognition of the link between substance misuse and child sexual exploitation, relevant groups such as Children’s Social Care, the police and Local Safeguarding Children’s Board strategic group be requested to monitor this situation and report to the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel on request on a regular basis.

j)       Where appropriate, child protection plans include the requirement for parent(s)/guardians to attend a relevant substance misuse support for treatment programme.

k)    The Working Group has carried out a thorough review of substance misuse services involving children and young people.  Although the review is focused on the impact of substance misuse on children and young people, it also involved adult family members and the drug and alcohol services function which falls within the portfolio of the Executive Member for Adult Services and Health.

To review admissions criteria and designated areas in the light of the new, large housing developments that are likely to be build over the next 10 years.

RESOLVED that

1          To consult on the removal of feeder primary links for secondary school admission purposes be agreed.

2          To consult on revisions to primary and secondary school designated areas be agreed.

3          If requested by a Voluntary Controlled school, to change that school’s admission criteria to omit the denominational criterion.

4          To consult on including in criteria for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools protection for up to 6 years for younger siblings of children who were living in the designated area at the time of their admission be agreed. 

5          Non-statutory and statutory consultation will take place between 1 September and 20 November be agreed.

To agree the process for appointing a sponsor for the proposed all-through Binfield Learning Village as an Academy school.

RESOLVED that

1          The School Sponsor Appointment Plan to identify a preferred sponsor for the Binfield Learning Village Academy School, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report be agreed.

2          To notify the DfE of the Council’s intention to seek an Academy sponsor be agreed.

3          The appointment application evaluation criteria, as attached at Appendix 3 to the report be agreed.

To seek approval to bring a revised Local Development Scheme into effect.

RESOLVED that the Local Development Scheme at Appendix A to the report shall come into effect on 30th June 2015.

To update the Executive on the current position regarding young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and to agree revisions to the NEET Strategy and Action Plan.

RESOLVED that

1          The progress made in reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training be noted.

2          The updated version of the Bracknell Forest NEET Strategy and Action Plan as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be agreed.

To present the Annual Report for 2014-15 for Adult Social Care.

RESOLVED that the Annual Report for Adult Social Care for 2014-15 be approved.

To inform the Executive of the performance of the Council over the 4^th and final quarter of the 2014/15 financial year (January-March 2015).

RESOLVED that the performance of the Council over the period from January to March 2015 highlighted in the Overview Report in Annex A be noted.