Agenda

Items to be considered while the meeting is open to the public

To receive any apologies or substitutions for the meeting.

To approve and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 18 July 2024.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

To receive any announcements through the Chairman.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named on the front of the agenda for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution.

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on (4 clear working days, e.g. Wednesday of week before a Wednesday meeting) in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on (2 clear working days, eg Friday of week before a Wednesday meeting). Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

The committee are to receive a report on the development of the SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy 2024-2029, “Meeting needs together, ambitious for all” and the draft strategy.  The strategy will be going to Cabinet on 17 September 2024.

The committee are to consider the attached report providing a briefing on contracted services to support young carers as resolved at Children’s Select Committee on 18 July 2024 when the committee received an update on Wiltshire Young Carers.

The committee are to receive an update on the current provision of services for children and young people with mental health needs in Wiltshire and plans for future service design.

The committee will receive the annual report from Wiltshire Council’s Adoption Service which provides a year-end report to the Council in relation to a child’s journey to adoption.  The annual report is going to Cabinet on 8 October 2024.

Attached for information is the Adoption West Annual Report 2023-24, reviewed by the Adoption West Scrutiny Panel on 9 July 2024 and the Scrutiny Panel’s own Annual Report, 2022-2024.

Updates on information valuable for the committee, but unlikely to require a decision. 

Members of the committee are therefore invited to indicate in advance of the meeting if they would like further information or have questions on these regular updates, so that relevant officers can be invited to attend the meeting.

An update including a summary of recent activities of the Wiltshire Youth Union (WYU) and Children in Care Council (CiCC).

An update on developments relating to children’s services arising from the Department for Education.

To receive regular updates from officers on the development of the Safety Valve project, as well as input from the overview and scrutiny representative.

Report to follow

To receive a verbal update from Directors highlighting any key issues (current or emerging), successes or milestones in their respective areas since the last meeting of the committee, which may not require a full agenda item and are not covered elsewhere on this agenda.

This is also an opportunity for matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

To receive a verbal update from the Cabinet Member and / or Portfolio Holders highlighting any news, successes or milestones in their respective areas since the last meeting of the committee, which may not require a full agenda item and are not covered elsewhere on this agenda.

This is also an opportunity for matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

To receive a verbal update from the chair on any work undertaken or news since the last meeting that would not require a full agenda item and would not be suitable under Chairman’s Announcements (where no debate is allowed).

This is also an opportunity for matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

The committee will receive updates from active Task Groups, Rapid Scrutiny exercises and the committee’s board representatives.

The Adoption West Scrutiny Panel met on 9 July 2024.  Their activities are detailed in their annual report (attached with the other adoption reports).

The Committee is asked to note the attached documents showing the relevant items from the overview and scrutiny forward work programme and the latest version of the strategy list for the Children, Education and Skills directorate.

A new rapid scrutiny to review the impact of out of county education is being proposed for the committee’s consideration. 

To note that the next scheduled meeting is due to be held on 26 November 2024.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

Items during whose consideration it is recommended that the public should be excluded because of the likelihood that exempt information would be disclosed