Agenda item

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 on this Task Group.