Agenda and minutes

Resolved:

To elect Cllr Jon Hubbard as Chairman for the ensuing year.

Cllr Jon Hubbard in the Chair

Resolved:

To elect Cllr Jacqui Lay as Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

Apologies for absence were received from Miss Sarah Busby, Cllr Mary Douglas (who was substituted by Cllr Stewart Dobson), Cllr Richard Gamble, Cllr Chris Hurst, Revd Alice Kemp, Cllr Alan MacRae, Cllr Bill Moss, Cllr Ricky Rogers and Dr Mike Thompson.

To approve and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 29 April 2014. (Copy attached)

Resolved:

To approve and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 29 April 2014 as a correct record, subject to the inclusion of apologies received from Miss Tracy Cornelius.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman made the following announcements:-

(a)       Wiltshire’s Friary Doorstep Sports Club  On 2 April 2014, the Friary Doorstep Sports Club won the accolade of ‘Most Innovative Doorstep Sports Club’ at the Street Games National Awards at Warwick University.  The project delivered weekly sports sessions to young people aged 13-25 in the heart of the Friary Estate in Salisbury.  Over the previous six months, the project had worked with 30 young people who previously could not access community based sports programmes. Sports delivered included football, touch rugby and street dance.

The project was part of a national programme to deliver 1,000 Doorstep sports clubs across the country in communities considered to be amongst the most deprived in the UK and received funding through the Street Games network.  Following Wiltshire’s success with the Friary project, funding had now been allocated to start up additional doorstep clubs In Chippenham and Trowbridge.  Further information was available from Daniel Geeson, Sports Development Officer.   Members of the Committee requested the Clerk to convey their congratulations and best wishes to Daniel Geeson.

(b)       Meeting with Cabinet Members and Directors  The Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Overview & Scrutiny Management Committee and the three select Committees would shortly be meeting with the appropriate executive members and directors. The purpose of these meetings would be to ensure that the O&S work programme was aligned with executive priorities and was as forward looking as possible.  The Committee would be updated on the results of this meeting in due course.  Members were requested to contact either the Chairman or the Senior Scrutiny Officer should they have any issues they considered the Committee or the executive should be looking at.

(c)     Pre-meeting Information briefings  The Chairman reminded the Committee that pre-information briefings were held immediately before  each Committee meeting and were open to all members of the Committee and also to substitute members.  These briefing sessions were proving to be very useful and frequently acted as an introduction to a major item on the agenda for the subsequent meeting.

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 above 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 above no later than 5pm on Tuesday 27 May 2014.  Please contact the officer named on the first page 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.

There were no members of the public present or councillors’ questions.

In December 2013 the Committee received the draft Early Help Strategy 2013-17, which was then out for consultation. The Strategy sets out the council’s proposals for Wiltshire’s early help offer, including what it currently does, the desired improved outcomes for children and young people and the priority objectives to achieve this. Having considered the draft Strategy in December 2013, the Committee:

1.    Noted its contents;

2.    Requested to receive the final Strategy and draft implementation plan;

3.    Requested to receive progress reports immediately after the key impact indicators had been reviewed at six-monthly intervals;

4.    Supported the ‘invest to save’ approach of Early Intervention as an effective use of Council money, particularly its focus on outcomes.

The Committee is now asked to consider the final version of the WSCB and Children’s Trust joint Early Help Strategy 2014-2017 and the WSCB and Children’s Trust draft joint  Early Help Improvement Plan (summary version) – these are both attached. Members are asked to endorse the final Strategy and provide any initial comments on the draft Improvement Plan.

Members may also wish to consider what further contribution scrutiny could make in terms of developing the implementation plan further or considering how the delivery of the plan could be monitored by the Committee. The final implementation plan will be approved by the Children’s Trust Board and the Wiltshire Safeguarding Children Board in September 2014.

The Council’s Business Plan 2013-17 emphasises the importance of focusing on prevention and early intervention; finding ways of predicting and reducing demand for services before it happens. In October 2013 Committee has also agreed that Early Intervention is one of its work priorities for this Council.

The Chairman reminded the meeting that in December 2013 the Committee received the draft Early Help Strategy 2013-17 which was at that stage out for consultation.  The Strategy set out the Council’s proposals for Wiltshire’s early help offer, including what it currently did, the desired improved outcomes for children and young people and the priority objectives to achieve this.

Having considered the draft Strategy in December 2013, the Committee asked to receive the final Strategy and draft implementation plan at a future meeting.

The Committee was now being asked to consider the final version of the Early Help Strategy 2014-17 and the Wiltshire Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB) and Children’s trust draft joint Early Help Improvement Plan.

It was noted that the five objectives of the Strategy had been designed to ensure a coordinated approach in meeting this vision; they were as follows:-

(1)          Getting the best start in life.

(2)          Gaining the skills required to begin school.

(3)          Being ready for adult life.

(4)          Developing a family-based approach to early help.

(5)          Developing effective structures and processes to access early help – including developing an Early Help Offer.

It was explained that an Early Help Improvement Plan had been drafted and, for each objective, key priorities for action had been identified.  In addition, a draft Early Help Dataset had been developed which would be the key tool for monitoring effectiveness and impact of the Early Help activities. These drafts were currently under review by the Wiltshire Early Intervention Sub-group.

The Committee thereupon examined the five objectives and made the following points:-

·                Objective 1:  Ensuring the best start in life – 15 hours free childcare for disadvantaged 2 year olds should be promoted with appropriate provision across the County.  Members asked if the number of eligible children had been calculated and were informed that 40% of the September 2013 cohort was eligible.

·                There was a need for regular updated statistics to be provided which would demonstrate the level of improvement in the services provided.

·                It was noted that about 1,100 additional children were likely to be arriving in Wiltshire in the next three to four years as part of the increased military presence in Wiltshire and that the Leader of the Council was seeking additional financial support to cope with these increasing numbers of children.  However, it was pointed out that not all of these children would require early years help.

After further discussion,

Resolved:

(1)       To note the contents of the Early Help Strategy 2014-17 and the draft Early Help Improvement Plan.

(2)       To recommend to the Overview & Scrutiny Management Committee that a Task Group be set up to look at how the Committee could effectively monitor delivery of the Strategy and, subject to that Committee’s agreement:

(a)  To agree that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, in consultation with the Senior Scrutiny Officer, draw up the terms of reference of the Task Group.

(b)  To invite all backbench Members of the Council to indicate if they were willing to serve  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

To present the response of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services to the Final Report of the Positive Leisure Time Activities for Young People Task Group.

The task group’s final report was endorsed with one amendment by the Committee on 29 April. It was then referred to Cabinet, who took the final decision on this matter at an extraordinary meeting on 15 May 2014. The report to Cabinet, which included the task group’s final report as an appendix (5), is attached to the Cabinet Member’s response herein.

Having considered the report from the Corporate Director (Children Services) and the Associate Director, Children’s Social Care, on 15 May Cabinet resolved to:

i)       “Adopt the key principles for a new operating model as set out in the report;

ii)      Authorise implementation of the community-led model for youth activities to increase the opportunities for young people’s involvement and engagement;

iii)    Approve that the community-led operating model for youth activities maximises the amount of funding available to community area boards and local coordination;

iv)    Delegate authority to Councillor Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and senior officers to develop and implement the new operating model, taking account of i)-iii) above and the recommendations of the scrutiny task group.”

The Committee is asked to note the decision of Cabinet, the Cabinet Member’s response to the task group’s final report and to comment as appropriate. Members may also wish to consider the what further role they may wish to play in regards to the agreed model’s implementation.

The Committee received a report by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services setting out her response to the Final Report of the Positive Leisure Time Activities for Young People Task Group.

The task group’s final report was endorsed with one amendment by the Committee on 29 April. It was then referred to Cabinet, who took the final decision on this matter at an extraordinary meeting on 15 May 2014, when it resolved to:

“i) Adopt the key principles for a new operating model as set out in the report;

ii) Authorise implementation of the community-led model for youth activities to increase the opportunities for young people’s involvement and engagement;

iii) Approve that the community-led operating model for youth activities maximises the amount of funding available to community area boards and local coordination;

iv) Delegate authority to Councillor Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and senior officers to develop and implement the new operating model, taking account of i)-iii) above and the recommendations of the scrutiny task group.”

Having noted the decision of Cabinet and the Cabinet Member’s response to the task group’s final report, the following points were raised:-

·                The Committee was delighted that so many young people had shown an interest in this matter and had put forward their views.  The Committee also noted with pleasure the valuable contribution made by Kaylum House, the children & young people’s representative on the Committee, at meetings of the task group.

·                The Chairman expressed his disappointment at the wording of the response regarding the costing that the task group put forward because the numbers used were provided and validated by Officers.  It was considered that the response that the costing figures were ‘unrealistic’ undermined the work of the task group.

Cllr Laura Mayes responded and apologised for the negative connotations which were not intended and agreed to amend the wording to reflect this.  She also explained that the response did not indicate that the costing was incorrect but rather that the role of the new posts of Community Youth Officer was more complex than the current posts of Youth Worker and required a higher salary.  

·                Members suggested that Area Boards should have the option of employing youth workers that were about to be made redundant or to have the option of providing the funding for a youth worker to remain centrally employed for their area.  It was pointed out that this would not be possible as the new policy adopted by Cabinet did not allow for the employment of youth workers centrally. The redundancy process had already commenced with staff leaving at the end of September 2014. 

The transition arrangements were being finalised and would be available shortly.

Resolved:

(1)       To note the Cabinet Member’s response to the Final Report of the Positive Leisure Time Activities for Young People Task Group.

(2)       To request that the Positive Leisure Time Activities for Young People Task Group examine the proposed communication to the Area Boards prior to it being circulated.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

A report by the Senior Scrutiny Officer providing an update on Task Group

activity since the Committee’s last meeting is attached.

The Select Committee received an update on the activity of the following Task

Groups:-

• Education for 16-19s Task Group

• Safeguarding Children and Young People Task Group

• Schools and the Local Authority Task Group

• SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Task Group

Resolved:

(1)       To note the update on Task Group activity provided.

(2)      To agree that the Education for 16-19s Task Group would pause activity until September 2014, when the situation would be reassessed.

(3)      To note that Cllr Sheila Parker and Cllr Horace Prickett had taken up portfolio holder positions and were therefore no longer members of the Schools and the Local Authority Task Group.

(4)      To appoint Cllr Gordon King as a member of the Schools and the Local Authority Task Group.

A report by Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director, on developments relating to

children’s services arising from the Coalition Government is attached.

The Committee received and noted a report by Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director, on developments relating to children’s services arising from the Coalition Government as follows:-

·                The Children and families Act 2014, which would take forward the Coalition Government’s commitment to improve services for vulnerable children and support strong families, had just received royal assent.  The Act reinforced wider reforms to ensure that all children and young people could succeed, no matter what their background.  (A summary of the 2013 Bill that informed the Act is attached to these minutes as Appendix 1.)

·                Reformed GCSE and A level content

·                Safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges

·                Careers guidance – Cllr Simon Jacobs informed the Committee about a pilot scheme on mentoring and work experience which had been working well in Devizes in association with Devizes School. A pre-meeting information briefing on how the scheme worked could be arranged and members warmly commended this initiative.

·                School funding

·                School accountability

·                Headteacher standards review

·                Priority school building programme (PSBP)

·                Academies update

Resolved:

(1)       To note the update provided.

(2)       To agree that a pre-meeting information briefing on the Children and Families Act 2014 be held at 9.30am, immediately before the next meeting of the Committee.  

The Committee is asked to note the attached document showing the relevant

items from the overview and scrutiny forward work programme.

The  Committee  received  a  document  showing  the  relevant  items  from  the

overviewandscrutinyforwardwork programme.

Resolved:

(1)       Tonotethecontentsof theForwardWorkProgramme forthisCommittee.

(2)       To encourage members of the Committee to inform the Chairman, Vice-Chairman or Senior Scrutiny Officer of any additional items they might consider should be included in the Forward Work Programme.

To note that the next scheduled meeting will be held on Tuesday 5 August 2014, to be held in the Kennet Room at County Hall, Trowbridge, starting at 10.30am.

The Committee noted that the next scheduled meeting of the Committee was due to be held on Tuesday 5 August 2014 in the Kennet Room at County Hall, Trowbridge, starting at 10.30am.   

However, it was pointed out that the following members and officers would not be able to attend a meeting on that date due to holiday and other commitments:-

Cllr Laura Mayes; Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director; Mr John Hawkins; Mrs Lynne Swainston and Miss Tracy Cornelius.

In these circumstances,

Resolved:

To request the Chairman and Vice-Chairman to consider the position and determine when the next meeting should be held.

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