Agenda for Children & Young People's Trust Board on Monday, 1st February, 2010, 5.00pm
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Agenda, decisions and minutes
PDF 212 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Nara Miranda, Democratic Services Officer
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Procedural Business
(b) Declarations of Interest by all Members present of any personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the Members regard the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public - To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
NOTE: Any item appearing in Part 2 of the Agenda states in its heading either that it is confidential or the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.
A list and description of the categories of exempt information is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls. Minutes: 36a Declarations of Substitutes
36.1 Amanda Fadero declared she was attending the meeting as the substitute for Darren Grayson, PCT.
36b Declarations of Interest
36.2 There were none.
36c Exclusion of Press and Public
36.3 In accordance with section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (‘the Act’), the Children & Young People’s Trust Board considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during an item of business on the grounds that it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press or public were present during that item, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information (as defined in section 100A(3) of the Act) or exempt information (as defined in section 100I(1) of the Act).
36.4 There would be no discussion in relation to Part 2 minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 November 2010 and, therefore, they were agreed in Part 1 of the meeting and remained a confidential item.
36.5 RESOLVED – That the press and the public be not excluded from the meeting. |
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Minutes of the Previous Meeting Minutes of the meeting held on 2 November 2009 (copy attached). Minutes: 37.1 The Director of Children’s Services noted that Darren Grayson, PCT, had given his apologies for the previous meeting and this had not been recorded.
37.2 RESOLVED – That, subject to the above reference, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 November 2009 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
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Chairman's Communications Minutes: 38.1 The Chairman welcomed Alan McCarthy to the meeting in his role as Chairman of the Primary Care Trust and Deputy-Chairman of the CYPT Board.
38.2 The Chairman recorded her thank you to all CYPT staff who attended work during the severe weather caused by the snow conditions in the previous weeks.
38.3 The Chairman also reported that the Liz Rugg, CYPT Assistant Director Citywide Services, would be leaving the council at the end of February 2010. The Chairman noted that the Liz Rugg had worked in and around Brighton & Hove for 26 years. She recorded her thank you, both personally and on behalf of the Board, for the Assistant Director’s work and commitment to the city and congratulated her for her new position with East Sussex.
38.4 Members reiterated the Chairman’s comments and recorded their thank you to the Liz Rugg for all her work and contribution to the CYPT and the city. Members also enquired about the measures that were being considered for a replacement.
38.5 The Director of Children’s Services stated that, due to the current difficult financial situation of the council, she would not be seeking a permanent replacement for the Assistant Director’s position. She noted that work was being done at the departmental team level to establish what could be put in place as a temporary measure to cover all the relevant services. She agreed to send information to all Board members about the different aspects of the Assistant Director’s role and how they would be covered. Members were agreeable to this. |
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Budget Monitoring 2009/10 - TBM 7 Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached). Decision: 1. That the total CYPT overspend of £1,933k on pooled budgets and an underspend of £1,100k on Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) items be noted.
2. That the movements in budget since the start of the financial year be noted.
Minutes: 39.1 The Board considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services concerning budget monitoring 2009/10, TBM 7, which updated members on the CYPT budget position as at month 7 (for copy see minute book).
39.2 The Director of Children’s Services drew attention to the three main areas which had been under a lot of pressure: the large number of children being taken into care, the placements and the legal fees/and the increasing costs incurred from these circumstances.
39.3 The Director indicated that the council was investing on preventative work to tackle some of this pressure in terms of supporting families in the edge of care. She noted that the council’s clearer target and closer focus on safe working, by investing on training and supporting social workers, was already having a positive impact on recruitment and retention.
39.4 Members sought clarification on specific details about the budget overspend. These were explained by officers. Members also enquired whether the referrals had increased nationally after the Baby P. case and whether there was information about what the figures were before and after the incident.
39.5 The Director of Children’s Services indicated that she did not hold accurate information about the figures nationally. She explained that, in terms of the position locally, there had been an increase in referrals prior to Baby P and there was a hypothesis that improved integrated working had resulted in more families being identified. This increase in referrals then increased further following Baby P.
39.6 The Managing Principal Lawyer advised that the increase of number of referrals and the depth of referrals locally reflected what was happening nationally. She reported that referrals could often be due to a combination of issues and recognised that this in depth information had been a result of better communication between the different parties involved in the process.
The Managing Principal Lawyer informed members about the increase in court cases locally which, in turn, incurred an increase in legal fees. She noted that Audit had looked into the local position and reassured members that Brighton & Hove was meeting its threshold whilst also reviewing all its cases in order to improve its local practice.
39.7 Members asked about the plans that were in place to help support a better planning of the funding in order to lead to a better control of the budget in future.
39.8 The Director of Children’s Services indicated that the council and the CYPT were looking at a range of things in order to better respond to budget challenges and be in a position of power. She highlighted the following aspects in this process: the council’s Value for Money Programme, which was currently under way; she noted that the CYPT was looking at ways to encourage early intervention and prevention through multi-agency working to identify ‘at risk’ families; she referred to the review of placements and of in-house foster carers, both of which were currently taking place to ensure whether these services were still functioning in the best possible way and whether they were offering best value for money.
39.9 Members recognised and appreciated that more integrated work between the various partners had led to finding and identifying more of the families at risk. Members also accepted that, collectively, all partners faced a challenge over the coming years and the increase in activity would require more money for further preventative work.
39.10 RESOLVED – That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, The Board accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the total CYPT overspend of £1,933k on pooled budgets and an underspend of £1,100k on Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) items be noted.
(2) That the movements in budget since the start of the financial year be noted.
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CYPT Fees and Charges 2010/11
Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That the position on fees charged for nurseries as detailed in section 3.3 be noted.
2. That it be agreed that the fees and charges for the Learning Development Centre remain unchanged for 2010/11 as detailed in section 3.4.
3. That the fees and charges for 2010/11 in respect of Surrenden Pool as detailed at section 3.5.3 be agreed.
4. That the position on fees and charges for the Music and Performing Arts Service as detailed at section 3.6 be noted.
5. That the position on fees charged by the Portslade Community College at section 3.7 be noted.
6. That the position on fees charged by the Portslade Sports Centre at section 3.8 be noted.
7. That the position on the charges for school meals as detailed in section 3.9 be noted.
Minutes: 40.1 The Board considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services concerning the CYPT fees and charges 2010/11, which reviewed those fees and charges in accordance with the corporate (for copy see minute book).
40.2 Members sought clarification about the fees and charges in relation to Portslade Community and sports centre and whether there was an idea about the percentage increase for later in the year. Members referred to the fees proposed at Surrenden swimming pool and were concerned that the public swimming increase for adults would deter take up. Members also enquired about the nursery fees and charges.
40.3 The Principal Accountant explained that, in terms of the PCC and Sports Centre, those fees would be reviewed in the Summer for implementation in September 2010 and that it was anticipated that any increase would be in line with inflation. He also clarified that, contrary to other swimming facilities in the city, a free swimming scheme did not apply at Surrenden Pool. In relation to nurseries, the Principal Accountant explained that a review was under way in order to bring greater consistency across the city where fees and charges were concerned and any implementation would take place from September 2010.
40.4 In answer to concerns raised in relation to charges for theLearning Development Centre, the Director of Children’s Services indicated that the charging policy was essential to ensuring the LDC remains financially viable. Therefore, despite the challenges, the council wished to keep it running and officers were trying to maximise its use in order to achieve the required outcome.
40.5 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, The Board accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the position on fees charged for nurseries as detailed in section 3.3 be noted.
(2) That it be agreed that the fees and charges for the Learning Development Centre remain unchanged for 2010/11 as detailed in section 3.4.
(3) That the fees and charges for 2010/11 in respect of Surrenden Pool as detailed at section 3.5.3 be agreed.
(4) That the position on fees and charges for the Music and Performing Arts Service as detailed at section 3.6 be noted.
(5) That the position on fees charged by the Portslade Community College at section 3.7 be noted.
(6) That the position on fees charged by the Portslade Sports Centre at section 3.8 be noted.
(7) That the position on the charges for school meals as detailed in section 3.9 be noted.
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Children's Services Annual Rating Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That it be noted that Brighton & Hove’s Children’s Services rating for 2009 is “Performs Well (3)”.
Minutes: 41.1 The Board considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services concerning the Children’s Services Annual Rating, which set out the Brighton & Hove Children’s Services rating for 2009 (for copy see minute book).
41.2 The Chairman indicated that she was very pleased that the city had received a rating 3 and was performing well. She thanked all the staff for contributing to this outcome.
42.3 Members noted and welcomed the report.
43.4 RESOLVED – That it be noted that Brighton & Hove’s Children’s Services rating for 2009 is “Performs Well (3)”.
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Standards in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1-5, 2008-09
Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That the report be noted and endorsed.
Minutes: 42.1 The Board considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services concerning the standards in early years foundation stage and key stages 1-5, which provided an overview of the standards achieved by children and young people in Brighton & Hove over 2008/09 (for copy see minute book).
42.2 Officers noted that the report was positive overall, in particular at primary school level, even though it also highlighted some concerns and areas for development. Officers reported that a rigorous programme was under way to target the concerns identified.
42.3 The Senior Secondary and Special Schools Adviser reported that Patcham School had raised its results; Falmer School had also improved; she noted that some problems had arisen at Hove Park in terms of its results; and that Portslade Community College was currently an Ofsted category and any real improvements might take longer than 6 months to achieve.
42.4 Members sought clarification about Hove Park English results, why they had been below what was expected, and what was in place to deal with the issue. The Senior Adviser explained that this factor was mainly due to the school’s choice, in the previous year, to focus on different programmes and examinations, which had turned out to be less successful than anticipated. She indicated that alternative programmes were now in place, with focused on trying to improve the position at the school.
42.5 Members referred to those more able pupils and enquired whether the programmes in place were also having an impact on this group of children. The Senior Adviser reassured members that programmes were also in place to target the most able children and the gift and talented section.
42.6 Councillor Fryer recorded her disappointment with the way secondary and primary school levels were measured. She noted that the relevant processes had scope to be more imaginative.
42.7 RESOLVED - That the report be noted and endorsed.
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Performance Improvement Report Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: 1. That the data and analysis in the PIR be noted and the action being taken to improve performance be agreed.
2.
That it be
noted and agreed that the new duties and governance arrangements
emerging from the The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act
2009, along with the emerging performance management
arrangements corporately, will inform and shape the performance
management arrangements for the Children and Young People’s
Trust. 3. In view of 2.2 above, that it be noted and agreed that the performance reporting framework for the new Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) should be developed in January 2010 in light of these changes, with a view to a bi-annual CYPP report being presented to the Board on March 22, 2010 covering the period up to December 2009.
Minutes: 43.1 The Board considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services concerning the performance improvement report, which presented the information for the financial year 2009/10 to date (for copy see minute book).
43.2 The Senior Performance Development Manager highlighted the overall positive information contained in the report. He noted the early signs of improvement in relation to teenage pregnancy and considered this was due to the significant impact that the strategy had made. He referred to the deterioration in NEET figures and indicated that it appeared that these figures were relatively lower if compared with neighbouring authorities. He pointed out, however, that this could be accounted for by the fact that young people may have found training and employment out of the area and, where that was the case, they were not counted in local figures.
43.3 The Senior Manager also referred to child protection figures. He explained that the rise in referrals had been happening for the last couple of years and one of the reasons for this rise might have been due to more integrated services
43.4 Councillor Hawkes indicated that she was pleased with the information on pregnancy figures and accepted this was due to the integrated work between partners. She referred to the information on NEET and noted that it was disappointing that other authorities might be taking credit for local young people who were registered with out of area agencies.
43.5 Graham Bartlett, Sussex Police, drew attention to the fact that where NEET figures were concerned, the requirement also was that young people needed to complete 16 hours in order to be EET.
43.6 The Director of Children’s Services considered that there was a need to re-focus on this matter and test out the different hypothesis where NEET figures and information were concerned. She noted that all partners might need to contribute to this work.
43.6 Councillor Fryer sought clarification on attendance figures and how they were recorded in relation to school closures and study leave. The Senior Secondary and Special Schools Adviser explained that there were national rules on this issue; that, if due to snow closure, a school chose to close completely, no record of absence was registered. However, where a school opens partially to a specific group of children, as it might happen for Year 11 pupils for example, and a student did not turn up, this was counted as absence. She also clarified that study leave was no longer a criteria used since two years ago and was now classified as absence.
43.7 Alan McCarthy, PCT, referred to the information on obesity performance and enquired whether anything could be done with schools to encourage and get school children interested in running in future marathons.
43.8 The Assistant Director, Learning, Schools & Skills, stated that many of the local primary schools already operated running clubs. The Youth Council representatives also suggested that youth centres might be a good alternative place to promote such sport practices, since pupils in current schools were already dealing with some work pressure and doing so much on other areas.
43.9 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, The Board accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the data and analysis in the PIR be noted and the action being taken to improve performance be agreed.
2.
That it be
noted and agreed that the new duties and governance arrangements
emerging from the The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act
2009, along with the emerging performance management
arrangements corporately, will inform and shape the performance
management arrangements for the Children and Young People’s
Trust. (3) In view of 2.2 above, that it be noted and agreed that the performance reporting framework for the new Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) should be developed in January 2010 in light of these changes, with a view to a bi-annual CYPP report being presented to the Board on March 22, 2010 covering the period up to December 2009.
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Part two Minutes Part Two Minutes of the meeting held on 2 November 2009 (circulated to Members only). Minutes: 44.1 RESOLVED – That Part 2 minutes of the meeting held on 2 November 2009 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record. |