Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR. View directions

Contact: Sandra Pentelow (0113) 24 74792  Email: sandra.pentelow@leeds.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

29.

Late Items

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

 

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

Minutes:

In accordance with her powers under Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local

Government Act 1972, the Chair agreed to accept the following late information:

 

·  Universal Youth Activity Fund 2013/14

 

The above information was not available at the time of agenda despatch, but was subsequently made available on the Council’s website.

 

30.

Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

 

 

31.

Apologies for Absence and Notification of Substitutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were submitted by Councillor K Renshaw and Co-opted Member Ms A Craven. 

 

32.

Minutes - 11 September 2014 pdf icon PDF 69 KB

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2014.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2014 be approved as a correct record.

 

33.

Response to the Scrutiny Inquiry report on Cluster Partnerships pdf icon PDF 131 KB

To consider a report from the Chief Executive, Director of Children’s Services and Director of Public Health outlining the formal response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families).

Minutes:

The Chief Executive, Director of Childrens Services and Director of Public Health submitted a report which outlined the formal response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families).

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Councillor Judith Blake, Executive Member, Children and Families

-  Councillor Jane Dowson, Deputy Executive Member, Children and Families

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children's Services

-  Sue Rumbold, Chief Officer (Partnership Development and Business Support)

-  Sharon Yellin, Consultant in Public Health

 

The key areas of discussion were:

 

·  The inquiry report is welcomed and provides a platform for future development.

·  Public Health – current practices with Clusters. The Board were advised that family focused support is now a high priority particularly adult behaviour. Planned sector review and re-procurement will require a whole family approach. The Board requested that the information set out in the paper to the Integrated Commissioning Executive as referred to on page 17 of the agenda be requested at the meeting of the Health and Well-being and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board to inform their inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

·  Future cluster funding and the commitment to ensure this is sustainable.

·  Recommendation 4 – Concern was raised about the focus of the response on DSG and the schools forum governance and accountability framework. The Board clarified the nature of the recommendation relates to local authority resources, accountability, governance and transparency. This was acknowledged and the Board were advised that work is to be undertaken to fully understand the extent, nature and commitment of Local Authority resources. The robustness of the challenge mechanisms as referred to in 3.5.7 will develop and change as work is undertaken to identify efficacy of arrangements. Developments will be reported back to Scrutiny as part of the recommendation review process.

·  Recommendation 11 - The Board acknowledged the response to the recommendation and welcomed the approach. It was however felt that it did not go far enough to meet the ambition and objective to strengthen the link between Cluster Partnerships and the whole Local Authority. Whilst it was acknowledged that officers of a strategic level may not be able to make the time commitment to attend Cluster meetings there needs to be a whole council, child centred commitment to working with Clusters from all departments at a strategic level to ensure problems within communities that have negative impacts on children are understood and action is taken holistically. The Board resolved to meet with the Chief Executive, Executive Board Member and Director of Children’s Services discuss a plan to progress this further.

 

RESOLVED –

 

The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families):

 

a)  Noted the response and acknowledged the defined approach.

b)  Recommend that the paper to ICE on the case for ambitions transformation of mental health services for children and young people be requested at the meeting of the H&W and ASC Scrutiny Board on the 28 October 2014.

c)  That a meeting with the Chief Executive,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

34.

Universal Youth Activity Funding pdf icon PDF 53 KB

To consider the reports of Head of Scrutiny and Member Development and the Head of Early Help Services (Children’s Services) providing information in relation to the delegated universal youth activities and funding.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Early Help Services submitted a report in response to the Scrutiny Board’s request for an update on the delegated universal youth activities fund and the delivery of universal youth activities.

 

The following information was appended to the report:

 

-  Youth Offer, Youth Activities Fund, Roles and Responsibilities

-  Universal Youth Activity Fund 2013/14.

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Councillor Judith Blake, Executive Member, Children and Families

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children's Services

-  Andrea Richardson, Head of Early Help Services, Children’s Services

-  Jean Ellison, Youth Offer Lead, Children’s Services

-  Rory Barke, Area Leader Corporate, Citizens and Communities.

 

The Chair made a statement on behalf of the Board which: 

 

·  Stated the necessity for a report that fully responds to the requirements of the Scrutiny Board.

·  Raised concern about the level of engagement and communication to ensure the effective delivery of services.

·  Deferred the matter to the meeting of the Scrutiny Board on 18 December 2014.

 

RESOLVED – The Scrutiny Board agrees to schedule the item for consideration at the 18 December 2014 meeting.

 

35.

The Children and Families Act 2014: SEN and Disability Reforms pdf icon PDF 366 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Service (Complex Needs) providing an update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reforms of the Children and Families Act 2014, that came into effect on the 1 September 2014.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Service (Complex Needs) submitted a report which provided an update on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Reforms of the Childrens and Families Act 2014. This act came into effect on the 1 September 2014.

 

The following information was appended to the report:

 

-  Early Support Principles, Council for Disabled Children

-  Equality, Diversity, Cohesion and Integration Screening

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Councillor Judith Blake, Executive Member, Children and Families

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children's Services

-  Barbara Newton, Head of Complex Needs, Children’s Services.

 

The key areas of discussion were:

 

·  The reasoning behind the reforms.

·  Education, health and care (EHC) plans and the challenge of converting existing statements in accordance with pre-determined timescales.

·  Personal Budgets and the implications for recipients and for commissioning. The need to build flexibility into the system to meet demand across the city.

·  Access to Educational Physiologists. The Board were advised that this resource has been increased in Leeds.

·  The requirement for practitioners and elected members to reflect on the actual impact of the act in the near future.

 

RESOLVED –

 

The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families):

 

a)  Noted the progress to implement the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reforms outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014 made by the programme and the progress made to develop and maintain levels of engagement with partners, children, young people and families affected by the changes.

b)  Noted the impact of the proposed changes on Council services and the resource implications. 

 

36.

Draft Terms of Reference - Inquiry into Kinship Care pdf icon PDF 127 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting the draft terms of reference for the scrutiny inquiry into Kinship Care in Leeds.

Minutes:

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted the draft terms of reference which defined the outline for a scrutiny inquiry into Kinship Care.

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

 

-  Councillor Judith Blake, Executive Member, Children and Families

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children's Services

-  Sandra Pentelow, Principal Scrutiny Officer.

 

RESOLVED –

 

The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families):

 

a)  Amended the terms of reference to make explicit, rather than implied, reference to the Leeds Strategy and Policy for Kinship Care, family group conferencing and families first.

b)  Agreed the revised terms of reference.

 

 

37.

Work Schedule pdf icon PDF 51 KB

To consider the Scrutiny Board’s work schedule for the 2014/15 municipal year.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

 

The draft Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) work schedule for 2014/2015 and the Executive Board minutes for 17 September 2014 were appended to the report.

 

Sandra Pentelow, Principal Scrutiny Adviser, presented the report and responded to Members’ queries and comments.

 

RESOLVED –The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) noted the content of the report and agreed the revised work programme.

 

38.

Date and Time of Next Meeting

Thursday, 13 November 2014 at 9.45am (Pre-meeting for all Board Members at 9.15am)

Minutes:

Thursday, 13 November 2014 at 9.45 a.m. in the Civic Hall, Leeds

(Pre meeting for Board Members at 9.15 a.m.)

 

(The meeting concluded at 11.20 a.m.)