Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all in attendance to the December meeting of the Scrutiny Board (Children’s Services).

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstance shall be specified in the minutes.)

The Chair admitted to the agenda as supplementary information, the Ofsted annual children’s services assessment, to be considered as part of agenda item 7, Children’s Services Strategic Update Report. (Minute No. 68 refers)

Also admitted to the agenda was an updated version of the recommendation tracking report in relation to youth service user surveys, to be considered as part of agenda 10, Recommendation Tracking.  (Minute No. 67 refers)

To declare any personal/prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest.

Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillors Driver and Selby, and Co-opted Members, Ms N Cox and Mrs S Hutchinson.  Notification had been received that Councillor Pauleen Grahame was substituting for Councillor Selby and Councillor Illingworth for Councillor Driver.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th November 2010.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th November 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development requesting Members to confirm the status of recommendations from previous inquiries.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which requested Members to confirm the status of recommendations from previous scrutiny inquiries.

Appended to the report was the recommendation tracking flowchart and draft status of recommendations.

The status of recommendations were agreed as follows:

• Entering the Education system – recommendation 4 – check usage of the transition record at the beginning of the next school year
• Entering the Education system – recommendation 8 – monitor again in 6 months to see if implemented
• Safeguarding interim report – recommendation 1 – continue monitoring
• Meadowfield Primary School – recommendation 1 – continue monitoring until new complaints process in place
• Meadowfield Primary School – recommendation 4 – sign off
• Meadowfield Primary School – recommendation 5 – sign off
• Meadowfield Primary School – recommendation 6 – review again in September 2011
• Attendance Strategy – recommendation 1 – sign off
• Attendance Strategy – recommendation 2 – continue to monitor until new extended leave policy in place
• Attendance Strategy – recommendation 4 – sign off
• Youth Service user surveys – recommendation 2 – report back in January 2011
• Youth Service user surveys – recommendation 3 – monitor again in 6 months
• School Organisation Consultations – recommendation 4 – sign off.

RESOLVED –

(a) That the report and information appended to the report be noted

(b)  That the Scrutiny Board approves the status of recommendations as set out above.

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Children’s Services updating the Board on key developments across Children’s Services.

The Scrutiny Board agreed to jointly consider agenda item 7, Children’s Services Strategic Update Report, agenda item 8, Children’s Services Performance Report Quarter 2 2010/11, and agenda item 9, Children’s Services Improvement Plan – Monitoring Report.

The following information was appended to the report:

Children’s Services Strategic Update Report

-  Leeds Vision Summary Sheet

-  Children’s Services Draft Revised Structure Proposals

-  Draft Outline Responsibilities for the Proposed Tier 2 Leadership Responsibilities within Children’s Services.

-  Ofsted annual children’s services assessment

Children’s Services Performance Report Quarter 2 2010/11

-  Summary sheet showing the overall progress rating against all improvement priorities relevant to the Children’s Services Scrutiny Board.

-  Selected amber and red rated action trackers from the Leeds Strategic Plan priorities relevant to the Children’s Services Scrutiny Board, including a contextual update and key performance indicator results.

Children’s Services Improvement Plan – Monitoring Report

-  Interim performance update against the Leeds Children’s Services Improvement Notice as at September 2010 (reported November 2010)

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, the following Executive Members and officers, to present the report and respond to Members’ questions and comments:

-  Councillor Blake, Executive Member (Children’s Services)

-  Councillor Dowson, Executive Member (Learning)

-  Chris Edwards, Chief Executive of Education Leeds

-  Mariana Pexton, Deputy Director of Children’s Services

-  Sal Tariq, Assistant Chief Officer for Children and Young People’s Social Care.

In brief summary, the key areas of discussion were:

• Locality working and development of the key worker initiative.
• Update on the Annual Performance Assessment and recent progress made in relation to safeguarding.
• The Scrutiny Board paid tribute to Chris Edwards, who it was reported would shortly be retiring from his role as Chief Executive of Education Leeds, and thanked him for his support to the Scrutiny Board over the past ten years.
• Progress made in relation to ‘every child a reader’ and ‘every child matters’.
• Development of partnership working and the role of the community and voluntary sector, especially in view of the financial challenges ahead.
• Concern about potential teaching redundancies and transitional stage arrangements.
• The role of school governors.
• Changes to funding arrangements and the need to strengthen locality working.
• Concern about the level of teenage pregnancies and development of local initiatives.  Members referred to previous work undertaken by the Scrutiny Board (Health) and targeted work with families. 
• Members sought feedback on how the UK compared to other European countries in relation to attainment.
• Concern in relation to early years outcomes and the gap between the lowest 20% of achievers and the ’average’.
• Tackling persistent absenteeism and support for families.
• The work of young carers.

RESOLVED – That the report and information appended to the report be noted.

(Ms Johnson joined the meeting at 10.04 am and Councillor Illingworth at 10.08 am, during the consideration of this item.)

(Councillor James Lewis left the meeting at 10.58 am and Councillor Lamb at 11.10 am, during the consideration of this item.)

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development outlining the Scrutiny Board’s work programme for the remainder of the current municipal year.

A report was submitted by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which detailed the Scrutiny Board’s work programme for the remainder of the current municipal year.

Appended to the report was the current version of the Board’s work programme, and an extract from the Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 1^st December 2010 to 31 March 2011.

Members discussed establishing a joint working group involving Members of Scrutiny Board (Health) in relation to reducing teenage conception.  Councillors Chapman, Lancaster and Gettings, and Co-opted Members, Mr Granger and Ms Morris-Boam, volunteered to serve on this working group. The Chair agreed to take this proposal to the next meeting of the Scrutiny Board (Health).

RESOLVED – That subject to the comments raised at the meeting, the work programme be approved.

(Ms Foote left the meeting at 11.29 am and Ms C Johnson at 11.31 am, during the consideration of this item.)

To note that the next meeting of the Board will be held on Thursday, 20^th January 2011 at 9.45 am with a pre meeting for Board Members at 9.15 am.

Thursday 20^th January 2011 at 9.45 am with a pre-meeting for Board Members at 9.15 am.

(The meeting concluded at 11.34 am.)