Agenda for Children & Young People's Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 20th January, 2010, 5.00pm
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Agenda and minutes
PDF 199 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Sharmini Williams, Scrutiny Support Officer
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(Copy attached). Minutes: 36a. Declaration of Substitutes 36.1 There were none. Councillor Pat Drake and Mark Price (Youth Services) sent their apologies.
36b. Declarations of Interest 36.2 Carrie Britton informed the Committee that she had a personal interest in Agenda Item 41 “An update and review of therapy services for disabled children”
36c. Declaration of Party Whip 36.3 There were none.
36d. Exclusion from the Press and Public 36.4 In accordance with section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, it was considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of any items contained in the agenda, having regard to the nature of the business to be transacted and the nature of the proceedings and the likelihood as to whether, if members of the press and public were present, there would be disclosure to them of confidential or exempt information as defined in section 100I (1) of the said Act.
36.5 RESOLVED – That the press and public not be excluded from the meeting.
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Minutes of the previous meeting Minutes of the previous meeting held on the 18 November 2009 (Copy attached). Minutes: 37.1 The minutes of the meeting from the 18 November, 2009 were approved. |
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Chairman's Communications Minutes: 38.1 The Chairman asked Steve Barton, Assistant Director Strategic Commissioning & Governance to update the Committee on the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP). The Committee heard that the Plan was endorsed at Full Council on the 10 December, 2009 and how there was an electronic and interactive version of the document which meant that anyone could click onto any of the links and look at the corresponding national and local policies in the Plan.
38.2 The Committee were updated on the School Exclusions Ad-hoc Panel since the Panel had met up for its last public meeting; which was on the 14 January, 2010 where the Head of Learning Support Services came and spoke about the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Strategy, and there was a private meeting with the Youth Offending Service.
There had also been two additional school visits to the Sellaby House Tuition Centre, (secondary pupils from ACE) and the Self Managed Learning Centre to speak to Pupils and Teachers. A further visit had been arranged to Cardinal Newman Secondary School Inclusion Centre for the 1 February.
A further Private meeting had been arranged for 27 January, 2010 to hear evidence from the Children Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and a Teacher.
38.3 The Chairman informed the Committee that the Minutes of the Budget meeting from the 5 January were still pending and that they would be with the Committee for the next meeting CYPOSC meeting; on the 24 March. The additional information that CYPOSC requested from the Budget meeting had been e-mailed out today. It was agreed that Members would have the Draft minutes circulated out to the Committee.
38.4 The Chairman told the Committee that the Children and Culture Ad-hoc Panel would have their first Private Scoping meeting on the 24 February. The following Councillors were on the Panel - Mel Davis, Rachel Fryer & Carol Theobald.
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Public Questions The closing date of receipt of public questions was 12 noon 12 January 2010.
No public questions have been received. Minutes: 39.1 There were none. |
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Questions and letters from Councillors Letter from Councillor Pat Hawkes. Minutes: 40.1 Councillor Pat Hawkes presented the letter and informed the Committee about the findings of the Audit Commission “Oneplace “ report, which was published on the 10 December, 2009 and asked the Committee to consider requesting a report detailing the performance across all secondary schools, to give an indication of the trend of educational performance over the past two years.
40.2 It was suggested that performance should be looked at over a 5 year period, rather than a 2 year period, to cover more than one political party’s leadership period.
40.3 RESOLVED – The Committee agreed to request a report detailing the performance of secondary schools over the past 5 years for the 24 March, 2010 CYPOSC meeting and then to determine further action. |
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An update and review of therapy services for Disabled Children Report of the Director of Children’s Services. Additional documents: Minutes: 41.1 Jenny Brickell, Head of Integrated Service and Liz Rugg, Assistant Director of City-Wide Services presented the report and answered questions.
41.2 The Committee were told what a complex structure Disability Services had because of the links with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) in Brighton and Hove and then at a wider level with Chailey Heritage and other PCTs across Sussex. Therefore at times progress can be slower than we would like in Brighton and Hove.
41.3 Rachel Travers (representative for the CVSF,) reminded the Committee of the background of this report; the “More therapies” report that had come to CYPOSC a year ago was a result of the findings from joint working with the Parent Carers’ Council and Amaze. Concerns were raised around the 28 weeks waiting times for Occupational Therapist assessments, and 3-6 month waiting times for treatments. £175,000 was asked for by the Parent Carers’ Council & Amaze, as additional funding and the PCT awarded £50,000 as a first step. This helped reduce waiting times for therapy services but was clearly insufficient to bring about transformational change. The report now before CYPOSC is based upon a consultancy report prepared by the College of Occupational Therapists. At present this is still at the draft stage and will be presented to the steering group on 28 January.
At the CYPOSC budget meeting on the 5 January, proposals had been put forward by the CYPT to switch some funding out of the Aiming High Grant. It had been understood that this funding was ring-fenced, but at the meeting it had been informed that although the grant was designed to improve short break services some existing CYPT services could be supported via that funding stream.
41.4 Carrie Britton (representative for Children’s Health,) informed the Committee that the budget cuts to the Aiming High Grant would have serious implications to the Parents Carers’ Council. It was felt that the report failed to show what complex issues these children and their families dealt with daily and that there was a lack of clarity on how the Parent Carers Council had initiated this review, on the numbers of therapists and how they are organised. Further concerns were around the lack of progress to move this forward.
41.5 In answer to a question in relation to concerns on the cutting back of services at Chailey Heritage, Members were told that the Nursery provision at Chailey Heritage announced that it would close. The Assistant Director of City-Wide Services told CYPOSC that as a result, investment was being provided for children with complex needs to attend local pre-school places, thus reducing long journey times. PRESENS, the local Early Years Service for children with complex needs, had received an outstanding grade from OFSTED.
There were further concerns about whether it would be possible to continue to access the technical expertise at Chailey, Members were told that many parents were opting to receive services locally and these would be supported by technical expertise from Chailey.
41.6 Rohan Lowe (Youth Council Representative) asked about the types of therapy offered to disabled children or young people, as it was not entirely clear from the report, Members heard that these were physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and mental health and emotional therapies.
41.7 Alex Qiu (Youth Council Representative) asked which stakeholders had been consulted during the review; Members were told that a range of lead and key managers and other stakeholders including the Clinical Director of the CYPT, Head of Special Educational Needs, the Parent Carers’ Council and AMAZE representatives were all interviewed by the consultant.
The Consultant attended Seaside View and built on the work that had taken place in the summer months to form an initial business case and was given all the previous information that had been carried out by all groups to produce a timely review.
41.8 Further information on the Action Plan from the review meeting in January was requested by the Committee.
41.9 RESOLVED-
(1) Members requested that a further report on the Action Plan from the Review of therapy services meeting on the 28 January, be heard at the 24 March, 2010 CYPOSC meeting.
(2) The Committee requested to know whether the Children and Young People’s Trust (CYPT) Board were investigating allocating additional investment into therapy services.
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Children's Rights Convention and CYPT Equalities Arrangements
Report of the Director of Children’s Services. Additional documents: Minutes: 42.1 Steve Barton, AD for Strategic Commissioning & Governance (in place of Pauline Lambert, Head of Nursing and Governance); presented the report and answered questions
42.2 In answer to a question on whether sufficient playing areas are looked at when planning new areas within the City, Members heard that during the planning and decision making process this is taken into account to ensure that children have a right to play safely. An example was that a planning application had been turned down due to insufficient outside play areas for children and how another application was agreed, by ensuring section 106 money was used to add play facilities to a local park.
42.3 In answer to a question on the promotion of Equalities within schools, the Committee heard how the surveys were carried out and how the findings were used to address a variety of equalities issues including narrowing the gap in attainment and achievement between vulnerable groups and their peers.
42.4 In relation to a question on the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA), Councillors asked for clarification in respect of Asylum and Traveller children. It was noted that this information could be included in a forthcoming report to Committee
Members were informed that a review of the EIA had been attached to the Children and Young People’s Plan.
42.5 RESOLVED –
(1) Further information about equalities issues was requested in respect of Traveller children for the 24 March 2010 CYPOSC meeting.
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Report of the Director of Children’s Services. Minutes: 43.1 Sarah Colombo, Early Years and Childcare Strategy Manager presented the report and answered questions.
43.2 In answer to a question as to what was termed as a ”relative low income”, Members were told it referred to 60% of the average income.
43.3 Rohan Lowe (Youth Council Representative,) asked how would you define the term ‘Deprived’? In relation to this, what determines people living in a deprived area – do you have to be deprived to live in the area or does living in the area make you deprived?’ The Committee were informed that the definition is measured by household information and their disposable income, before housing costs; groups of families living within an area caused deprived areas.
43.4 In answer to a question on how families are getting back into employment, whilst paying for their housing (which in Brighton and Hove is expensive), the Committee were informed that there were national challenges in relation to Poverty, but there were specifics to local areas; that families needed to gain some skills to get back into the work environment and that entry level skills are particularly needed in Brighton and Hove give the exceptionally high numbers of graduates living in the city’
43.5 Mike Wilson (representative for the Diocese of Chichester,) told the Committee how the different factors such as poverty, concentrations of families living in deprived areas, children with multiple needs are all linked to year on year of deprivation and care needs to be taken when making efficiency savings within the Aiming High budget, due to the complex and expensive therapies that are provided from this budget for such families.
43.6 Alex Qiu (Youth Council Representative,) asked whether any attempt to contact any of the 3 Beacon status local authorities, for advice and guidance to learn from their good practice had been made, the Committee were informed Newcastle was probably the closest comparison authority. When Brighton and Hove have more concrete plans for the City we will look to best practice to inform local initiatives.
43.7 In response to a question on targeting help and assistance, advice and support for families that were entitled to benefits, bringing funding to particular households, raising awareness and having special advisors to assist and support with the 48 pages benefit form, the Committee heard how benefit take up was a priority.
43.8 Councillors welcomed the offer of 2 places to sit on the child poverty task sub-group of the city’s Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), however as 3 parties were represented on CYPOSC this would automatically mean that one group would be excluded. Members agreed that either 1 or 3 members should sit on the sub-group.
43.9 RESOLVED –
(1) To have 1 or 3 places on the child poverty task sub-group of the city’s Local Strategic Partnership (LSP); Councillor Wakefield-Jarrett put herself forward.
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Work Programme for June 2009- March 2010 Report of the Director of Strategy and Governance. Additional documents: Minutes: 44.1 The Committee were informed that they had nearly finished this programme cycle which ran from June 2009 to March 2010. Members were asked to e-mail their ideas for the June 2010 to March 2011 Work Programme by the 5 February; these ideas would then be added to the suggestions that had already been made by Members and the Directorate.
44.2 Members noted that the following reports were for CYPOSC’s next meeting; 24 March, 2010:
· Information requested in Councillor Pat Hawkes’ letter · Update on Traveller Education Service (TES) in B&H with reference to Achievement Programme Model · Action Plan for the Disability Service · Agreed Budget Savings and the impact on Children’s Services
44.3 RESOLVED - (1) Members to e-mail ideas for the June 2010 to March 2011 Work Programme by the 5 February, 2010.
(2) That the following reports had been requested for the 24 March, 2010 CYPOSC meeting: · Information requested in Councillor Pat Hawkes’ letter · Update on Traveller Education Service (TES) in B&H with reference to Achievement Programme Model · Action Plan for the Disability Service · Agreed Budget Savings and the impact on Children’s Services
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