Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Easthampstead House, Town Square, Bracknell, RG12 1AQ
Contact: Katharine Simpson 01344 352308
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Minutes and Matters Arising PDF 101 KB To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Children, Young People and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Panel held on 11 September 2013. Information sought by the Panel at its last meeting has been circulated electronically and is appended to the minutes.
Matter Arising: The Education Governor Appointments Committee considered the report of the review of School Governance at its meeting on 18 November 2014. Additional documents: Minutes: RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 11 September 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
Matters Arising
Minute 26 Quarterly Service Report: It was clarified that the Children, Young People and Learning Department had not been subject to an Ofsted Inspection at the time of the meeting. |
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Declarations of Interest and Party Whip Members are requested to declare any disclosable pecuniary or affected interest, including the existence and nature of the Party Whip, in respect of any matter to be considered at this meeting.
Any Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or an affected interest in a matter should withdraw from the meeting when the matter is under consideration and should notify the Democratic Services Officer in attendance that they are withdrawing as they have such an interest. If the Disclosable Pecuniary Interest is not entered on the register of Members interests the Monitoring Officer must be notified of the interest within 28 days.
Minutes: There were no declarations of interest nor any indications that Members would be participating whilst under the party whip. |
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Urgent Items of Business Any other items, which pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chairman decides are urgent. Minutes: There were no urgent items of business. |
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Public Participation To receive submissions from members of the public which have been submitted in advance in accordance with the Council’s Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny. Minutes: No submissions had been made by members of the public under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme for Overview and Scrutiny. |
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Corporate Parenting Advisory Panel Minutes PDF 46 KB To receive the minutes of the above Panel held on 18 December 2013 (to follow). The 2012/13 annual report on the summer examination and test results for Bracknell Forest Looked After Children is attached. Additional documents: Minutes: The Panel received a report setting out the summer examination and test results for Bracknell Forest Looked After Children for the 2012/13 academic year and the minutes of the most recent Corporate Parenting Advisory Panel meeting. The Panel noted the excellent post 16 and post 18 examination results and congratulated everyone involved in these achievements. |
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2014/15 Draft Budget Proposals PDF 22 KB To consider key themes and priorities for the Children, Young People and Learning Department as outlined in the Council’s Draft Budget Proposals for 2014/15. Additional documents: Minutes: The Director of Children, Young People and Learning presented a report on the key themes and priorities for the Children, Young People and Learning Department as outlined in the Council’s Draft Budget Proposals for 2014/15. The key themes included draft budget pressures, draft budget savings, draft budget net position, capital spend, staffing implications, fees and charges and other income.
It was reported that the Department was subject to budget pressures of approximately £790,000 which were due in part to a rise in the number of looked after children and a recent case law change which had confirmed a duty on locfal authorities to fund the cost of education to the age of 25 for young people who have previously been supported by the local authority as a looked after child and who have no recourse to public funds to complete their education. In addition the Department was proposing savings of approximately £537,000 in 2014/15.
The Panel noted that a separate consultation on the Aiming High budget would take place and expressed the view that reducing funding for Home Start could impact on the Council’s early intervention work.
The Panel noted the report. |
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Bracknell Forest Local Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report 2012/13 PDF 28 KB To consider the attached 2012/13 Annual Report of the Bracknell Forest Local safeguarding Children Board regarding the effectiveness of safeguarding and child protection practice in Bracknell Forest. The Independent Chair of the Board will introduce the report and answer any related questions. Additional documents: Minutes: Alex Walters, Independent Chair of the Bracknell Forest Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), presented the LSCB Annual Report for 2012/13. The Statutory Annual Report set out an overview of safeguarding in the Borough and an assessment of the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.
Work areas of note for the LSCB during 2012/13 included: an in-depth case review of a small number of children where there had been a significant safeguarding incident which had not met the criteria for a Serious Case Review, the successful delivery of safeguarding training, the delivery of a successful conference on the theme of neglect to 250 members of the children’s workforce across statutory, private and voluntary organisations and continued progress to meet targeted priority areas. The Annual Report also set out key messages for all those with responsibility for key partnerships and strategic planning across all organisations working with children, young people and families and targeted priorities for 2013/14. Arising from Members’ questions and comments the following points were noted:
The Panel thanked Alex Walters for her presentation and commended the clarity and focus of the report. |
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Quarterly Service Report PDF 352 KB To consider the latest trends, priorities and pressures in terms of departmental performance as reported in the Quarterly Service Report for the second quarter of 2013/14 (July to September 2013) relating to Children, Young People and Learning, giving particular attention to outcomes of Ofsted school inspections and an update on foster carers.
Please bring the previously circulated Quarterly Service Report to the meeting. Copies are available on request and attached to this agenda if viewed online.
Panel members are asked to give advance notice to the Overview and Scrutiny Team of any questions relating to the Quarterly Service Report where possible. Minutes: Lorna Hunt, Chief Officer: Children’s Social Care, gave a presentation in respect of foster care recruitment in Bracknell Forest. The presentation included: an overview of the numbers of children in care and their placements, data relating to the number of foster carers in Bracknell Forest during the period March 2011 to December 2013, an overview of the approval process for those wishing to become foster carers, a summary of the types of foster carers needed in the Borough and an overview of the work taking place to recruit more foster carers.
It was noted that there were currently 115 children in foster care in Bracknell Forest and of these 68% were placed with Bracknell foster carers or with adoptive families, 17% were placed through independent fostering agencies and 15% were living in either residential homes or were living in independent settings. Whilst there was a national shortage of foster carers Bracknell Forest were steadily increasing the number registered in the Borough and there were currently 54 registered foster carers in Bracknell Forest and a further four were currently going though the approval process. It took approximately nine months for a person to go through the approval process to become a foster carer however when it was possible to proceed more quickly this was done. Information concerning the number of applications to become a foster carer and the percentage of successful selections was sought.
As part of the ongoing campaign to recruit more foster carers it was hoped that better links could be developed with local churches to help get the message out to the wider community and it was agreed that Reverend Canon Parish would be able to assist with appropriate contacts.
The Council’s Adoption Service would be participating in a Pan Berkshire Adoption Party in the coming months in an effort to find adoptive families for a number of older or hard to place children. It was hoped that because the development of an emotional connection with a child was so important in the success or otherwise of an adoption it was hoped that this relatively new approach would prove successful.
The Panel received an update on the outcomes of Ofsted inspections of the Borough’s maintained schools. It was noted that both Sandhurst School and Binfield CE Primary School had recently been graded good and that Wildmoor Heath was now graded as being satisfactory. The Panel noted that Bracknell and Wokingham College had recently been inspected and had moved from satisfactory to good.
The Panel thanked officers for their updates.
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New Ofsted Inspection Framework To receive a presentation in respect of Ofsted’s inspection of children in need, looked after children, care leavers and local safeguarding children boards and also the Ofsted framework for the inspection of local authority arrangements for supporting school improvement. Minutes: The Panel received a presentation in respect of Ofsted’s new framework for Inspections of Services for Children in Need of Help and Protection, Looked After Children and Care Leavers.
Under the new framework inspections would be unannounced and take place on a three year cycle. Inspectors would be giving key judgements on:
In addition the performance of the Local Safeguarding Children Board would be examined and a separate judgement given. Over the four week inspection period, Inspectors would be carrying out a range of activities including: case file tracking, visiting children placed in out of area residential settings, observation of practice and meeting with children, young people, families and foster carers.
It was reported that Ofsted would be approaching inspections from the point of view that authorities and partners needed to be more ambitious for children in all settings and that all children deserved good services. If a service was considered by the Inspectors to be less than good then the Authority would be classified as requiring improvement.
It was noted that inspection teams would be made up of six inspectors plus quality assurance officers and it was expected that this level of attention would have an impact on the Department.
An update was given in respect of the new Ofsted inspections of Local Authority School Improvement Arrangements. It was noted that inspections would only be carried out where there were concerns about the effectiveness of local authority education functions for example where there were weak improvement trends or a higher than average number of schools in a low Ofsted category or a lower proportion of good and better schools than found nationally.
The inspections would look at the effectiveness of corporate and strategic leadership of school improvement, clarity and transparency of policy and strategy, the effectiveness of identification, intervention and the use of formal powers of intervention as well as challenge and support for school governance.
The Panel noted the updates. |
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Annual Review of the Children and Young People's Plan To receive a presentation reviewing the progress made in achieving the priorities identified in the Children and Young People’s Plan during the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. Minutes: Sandra Davies, Head of Performance and Governance, gave a presentation in respect of the implementation of the Children and Young People’s Plan 2011-2014. The presentation included an overview of the Plan’s priorities, key facts and data relating to the population, ethnicity, health and wellbeing, educational achievement and vulnerable groups of children and young people in the Borough, examples of local initiatives and areas for development. The presentation also included an overview of the development of a new Children and Young Peoples Plan for the period 2014-2017.
It was noted that the outcomes of a consultation exercise with over 2,500 young people would be used to inform the development of the new Plan. A feedback session on the results of the consultation would take place on the afternoon of 12 February 2014 and all Panel members were welcome to attend.
It was agreed that data relating to the number of young people successfully completing drug treatment plans would be circulated. A report explaining the support provided to children and young people with English as an additional language would be provided at a future Panel meeting.
The Panel thanked Sandra Davies for her update.
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The self assessment is attached for consideration. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Director of Children, Young People and Learning presented a report setting out the Department for Education’s Statutory Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of the Director of Children’s Services and the Lead Member for Children’s Services and a self assessment against these criteria.
It was noted that the self assessment included details of key actions and achievements and a commentary for each criteria and the criteria would be fed into action plans and service plans.
It was agreed that the inclusion of a ready reckoner matrix summarising the self assessment would be a helpful addition to future reports.
The Panel noted the report. |
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Child Poverty Strategy: Progress and Next Steps PDF 57 KB To receive an update regarding the implementation of the Bracknell Forest Child Poverty Strategy and to consider the next steps for further work to address the issues and impact of poverty on children, young people and families in the Borough. Minutes: Karen Frost, Head of Prevention and Early Intervention, presented a report providing an update on the implementation of the Bracknell Forest Child Poverty Strategy. It was reported that the Child Poverty Strategy, originally published in 2011, was reaching the end of its three year strategy and work was taking place to develop a new strategy to continue the positive work that was taking place to tackle child poverty in the Borough.
The current strategy was one of a number of strategies underpinning the Children and Young People’s Plan and it was envisaged that the new Child Poverty Strategy would be a delivery plan for the Children and Young People’s Plan, which was currently being reviewed.
It was reported that whilst there had been considerable progress in implementing the strategy the economic climate continued to have an impact on families and it was essential that the strategy remained focused on the right areas of need and actions and new initiatives were developed to ensure that those families that were affected by poverty received an appropriate level of support.
The Panel noted the report. |
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Local Healthwatch Protocol PDF 45 KB To note the attached report concerning Healthwatch Bracknell Forest and the related protocol for Overview and Scrutiny to work jointly with that organisation. Minutes: The Panel received a report providing an update on the establishment of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest and the protocol by which Overview and Scrutiny would work jointly with the organisation.
The Panel noted the report. |
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Working Group Update Report and 2014/15 Work Programme PDF 34 KB To receive an update in respect of the Working Group reviewing School Places and to consider the Panel’s work programme for 2014/15. Minutes: The Panel received a report providing an update on the progress made to date by the Working Group of the Panel reviewing school places and its proposed work programme for 2013/14. The Chairman requested the Panel give some thought to the next working group review topic to be undertaken following the completion of the school places review.
The Panel noted the report |
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Overview and Scrutiny Progress Report PDF 117 KB To note the Bi-Annual Progress Report of the Assistant Chief Executive. Minutes: The Panel noted a report providing a summary of Overview and Scrutiny activity during the period May to November 2013. |
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Executive Key and Non-Key Decisions PDF 22 KB To consider scheduled Executive Key and Non-Key Decisions relating to Children, Young People and Learning. Additional documents: Minutes: The Panel noted the scheduled Executive Key and Non Key Decisions relating to Children, Young people and Learning. |