Archived decisions

1. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed they

had a personal or personal prejudicial interest in any

matter to be considered at the meeting, they should

normally at the time of the debate declare their interest,

and having regard to the circumstances described in

paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's

Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the

meeting whilst the matter was discussed save for

exercising any right to speak in accordance with

Paragraph 12 of the Code.

Councillor Pat West declared a personal interest in Item 6 (School Exclusions Review) as she had connections with the Andover Children's Centre.

2. SCRUTINY

The Chief Executive gave a presentation the Select Committee Structure, the work of the Children and Young People Select Committee, its terms of reference and elements of its work programme.

3. MINUTES

The Minutes of the Committee held on 12 March 2009 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

4. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

a. Budget Briefing

The Chairman reported that one of the areas the Select Committees look at on a regular basis was the budget and performance information. The budget proposals were scrutinised at the January Select Committee meetings, as the departmental budgets were agreed by the Executive Members in January. The whole budget is then debated at full Council in February.

As the budget setting process followed an annual cycle of review and preparation each Select Committee had an informal (i.e. not in public) twice a year on budgets and departmental performance information. This was in addition to the formal public meetings and was intended to provide an opportunity for Members to familiarise themselves with the budget setting process and performance of the County Council. The briefings could highlight to members where the budget pressures and performance issues were in the departments the Select Committees scrutinise. Members could then use this information to help identify areas for further scrutiny. These briefings took place in November/December in the lead in to the new years budget proposals, and July when the end of year results are available. All members of the Committee were urged to attend these to enable them to keep up to date with the budget process prior to consideration by Members of the budget in January.

b. Short Breaks, Palliative Care and Carer Services for Children with Severe Disabilities

The Chairman reported that a workshop on Short Breaks, Palliative Care and Carer Services for Children with Sever Disabilities had been held on 12 May, the notes of the workshop had been circulated to Members. The workshop provided opportunity, particularly for `customers', such as parents, carers and service users, as well as smaller providers to speak of their experience of interacting in a world dominated by statutory services or funding. It recommended that::

Commissioners and statutory provider agencies consider the findings of this workshop, and how they might generally improve communication with their `customers' and smaller 3^rd sector providers

In particular, consideration should be given to:

Ensuring that customer centred information is provided at the right time, in the right way, and with the right information - and that all information is first tested with customers before being made widely available.

Prioritising the commissioning of additional support to increase capacity for disabled children to access universal services through programmes where specialists train staff in knowledge and techniques to maximise positive outcomes for disabled children in universal or mainstream contexts.

Members agreed the recommendations and stressed that it was important to keep an eye on the outcomes of the recommendations.

RESOLVED:

That the recommendations of the workshop on Short Breaks, Palliative Care and Carer Services for Children with Severe Disabilities be agreed and that the outcomes of the recommendations be monitored.

c. Child Protection : Lessons Learned from Haringey

Council

The Chairman reported that he had agreed with the Director of Children's Services that the Committee should receive, at a future meeting, a more detailed report on any lessons learned relating to child protection resulting from his work at Haringey Council with a view to identifying any actions that might be considered by the Committee.

5. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF HIGH

QUALITY TEACHERS AND HEADTEACHERS

The Director of Children's Services presented a report giving the response of the Executive Member for Children's Services following the review of Recruitment and Retention of High Quality Teachers and Headteachers (Item 5 in the Minute Book). He outlined the comments received from Education Personnel Services, Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College and Governors Services on each of the recommendations made and highlighted the following points:

Cultural change

· succession planning had not traditionally been an explicit part of the schools' or the local authority's strategic planning

· systems to identify and nurture leadership potential had now been established however these would take time to become part of the culture e.g. the Talent Management System

· succession planning was a system-wide issue and involved a cultural change in how schools and the local authority identified and nurture talent.

· schools had responsibility for developing the workforce and the local authority worked with schools to support and extend their thinking and actions for improvement

· Education Personnel Services, Hampshire Teaching and Leadership College and Governor Services would continue to lead many aspects of professional development to support this cultural change and to support school improvement

Area Directors and District Managers worked in their local areas with their teams of Primary Phase Inspectors and Advisory Headteachers. They were all significant players in the recruitment and retention of teachers and headteachers. Their role in future developments needed greater emphasis than was currently the case within the recommendations.

Members highlighted the areas of concerns in special schools and the complex needs in special education.

RESOLVED:

That a report be presented to a future meeting of the Committee updating Members on progress being made with the recommendations of the Review Panel.

6. SCHOOL EXCLUSIONS REVIEW

The Director of Children's Services presented a report on the progress made with the Review of Hampshire's approach to identifying promoting and supporting strategies to tackle factors leading to and arising from school exclusions (Item 6 in the Minute Book) details were given on:

· Rate of exclusion - there had been a downward profile on figures to date for this academic year, however, the pattern across the County was uneven.

· Provision for 6 day provision - Between September 2007 and November 2008 there had been an 85% reduction of six day plus exclusions which had attracted favourable Ofsted comments. Ofsted had found that the Education Centre provision for pupils was good and that the schools were making good local provision. Relationships between schools and the local authority were highly regarded. There were recommendations for developing partnership working, increasing the monitoring of provision, and providing feedback about effective provision and practice. The Area Directors (Education and Inclusion) had established an inspection programme to monitor the quality of six day provision.

· Partnership working to reduce exclusions and improve outcomes - work was in hand with each of the Districts to establish and improve partnership working and ensure that strong mechanisms were in place.

· Accommodation (Education Centres) - details were given of work in progress at:

o Andover Education Centre - new premises completed.

o Bridge Education Centre, Eastleigh - refurbishment due to be completed in Spring 2010.

o Quayside Education Centre, Gosport - accommodation not fit for purpose, alternative location being sought.

o Forest Education Centre - Dibden - Improvements made to temporary accommodation but any major upgrading would have to await the roll out of Building Schools for the Future.

o Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke - Improvements made to temporary accommodation but any major upgrading would have to await the roll out of Building Schools for the Future.

· Transport - Better planning to meet the transport requirements for excluded pupils was providing far greater coherence and success in establishing and sustaining effective attendance.

· Departmental organisational changes - There had been a number of actions in response to the children's plan and related Back on Track consultation paper, as well as to the Select Committee's report. The three inclusion managers posts had been re-focused to reflect statutory requirements of `Back on Track' with additional responsibility for commissioning and quality assurance in the alternative education sector. A senior inspector for the education of vulnerable children, including all those children and young people in care, was appointed in January 2009. Currently there was an appointment process to secure three area managers who would work to the Area Strategic Managers, with a specific responsibility in each of the three areas for ensuring children in care have successful school places. A fourth appointment wouldl be responsible for professional leadership and hold central resources.

· Data systems - Recent developments had established a more sophisticated data management information system for recording exclusions throughout the county. This allowed data to be accessed more quickly and networked for enhanced inclusive practices. The next stage of the developments would give further direct interfaces with school and county IT systems. Similar IT improvements were in process within the EIS and behaviour support services.

Members were keen to see best practice promulgated throughout the County but were aware that one system did not fit all cases, they were also keen to see the development of the Education Centres and appropriate accommodation for them. They were also mindful that sometimes, despite best efforts, exclusion was the only remedy available to protect the education quality of other pupils.

RESOLVED:

That a report be presented to a future meeting of the Committee on how best practice in dealing with exclusions is promulgated throughout Hampshire together with an update on the accommodation and work of the Education Centres.

7. THERAPY SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH

DISABILITIES AND COMPLEX CARE NEEDS

The Chief Executive presented a report requesting

that consideration be given to a Joint Review with the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on therapy services for children with disabilities and complex care needs (Item 7 in the Minute Book). It was agreed that it was appropriate that the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee should take the lead with such a review as therapy services were provided by the NHS.

Sally Dace and Councillors Charlotte Bailey,

Roger Kimber, David Simpson and Pat West expressed an interest in serving on a joint review panel.

8. WORK PROGRAMME

The Chief Executive presented the Committee's forthcoming work programme (Item 8 in the Minute Book). In addition to the items already identified at the meeting it was agreed that, in due course, the Committee should receive reports on:

· 14 - 19 agenda - access to services

· Parenting to include teenage pregnancy

· Youth Service/Connexions

and the Chairman should discuss with officers a

sensible timetable for bring these matters to the

Committee.

Scrutiny Officer to arrange report back on progress as appropriate

Director of Children's Services to report on any lessons learned relating to child protection resulting from his work at Haringey Council to future meeting

Director of Children Services/Scrutiny Officer to arrange report back to the Committee on progress with recommendations as follows:

Progress with Strategic Leadership Framework - January 2010

Update on staffing numbers and trends reported to the Training Development Agency - April 2010

Progress on implementation and initial outcomes of the Talent Management System - July 2010

Director of Children's Services to prepare report on how best practice in dealing with exclusions is promulgated throughout Hampshire together with an update on the accommodation and work of the Education Centres.

Scrutiny Officer to report views of Committee to Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Scrutiny Officer to add identified work to the Committee's Work Programme.