Minutes:
The Board received a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which introduced the evidence to be considered as part of the first and second formal sessions of the Scrutiny Board’s inquiry into services for 8-13 year olds.
Mark Hopkins, Strategic Manager – Study Support, and Richard Smith, Team Leader, Governor Support Service, both of Education Leeds, Sally Threlfall, Acting Chief Officer, Ian Green, Strategic Data Manager, and Jason Tabor, Programme Officer - Out of School Activities Project, all of Early Years and Youth Service, and Rosie Wilks, Breeze Card Development and Communications Officer,Chris Finnigan, Social Care, and Frank O’Malley, Leeds Play Network and Leeds Children’s Fund, were all in attendance to answer Members’ questions.
Appended to the report for Members’ information were the agreed terms of reference for the inquiry, in addition to a report from the Chief Officer for Early Years and Youth Service entitled, ‘Inquiry into services for 8 to 13 year old children in Leeds’, which was accompanied by a range of information relating to the progress made against the provision of the Extended Services Core Offer, the governance arrangements for those bodies providing extended services, and statistics relating to the take up of various extended services which had been delivered in Leeds.
Having received a brief overview of the information which had been submitted to the Board, a question and answer session ensued. The main areas of debate were as follows:-
Extended Services
· Clarification was sought on Leeds’ performance in terms of the percentage of schools providing the full core offer;
· The Board enquired about the actions being taken to ensure that those private finance initiative (PFI) schools built prior to the establishment of relevant targets relating to extended services provision were meeting such targets. In response, Members learned of the challenges faced when delivering extended services provision through PFI facilities, and how such challenges could be overcome. It was then proposed that a response to this issue was submitted to the Board as part of the next session of the inquiry;
· Following Members’ questions, the Board noted that currently there were 24 cluster co-ordinators in post, and was advised of the issues which had been faced in relation to the recruitment of co-ordinators in Leeds;
· Members paid tribute to the progress which had been made in relation to the provision of extended services in Leeds, and emphasised that although the development of such provision may be gradual, the services provided were an integral part of improving the quality of life for young people;
· Members made enquiries into the geographical approach taken towards the provision of extended services in Leeds, and sought data which related to the take up of services provided throughout the summer period across the different wedges in Leeds. In response, the Board noted that provision was delivered on a cluster rather than a wedge basis, and that the clusters in place were currently at varying stages of development;
· The Board sought further information on the accessibility of school facilities during the summer holiday period, and the extent and variety of the activities which had been delivered at such schools during this time;
· Members made enquiries into the extent to which the local authority was working in partnership with the voluntary sector to provide extended services during holiday periods, and whether such initiatives had been able to use school facilities when delivering services. In response, the Board was advised that 80 play schemes had operated during the summer with council and voluntary sector funding. Members also noted that the initiatives which had been undertaken in partnership with the voluntary sector during the summer had gained access to school facilities, resulting in greater levels of attendance by young people;
· In response to Members’ questions, the Board was advised that all schools were required to become involved in the extended services agenda by September 2010.
Governance Models
· Members highlighted the need for the voluntary sector to be represented in any governance arrangements which were established to oversee the provision of school clusters and extended services. The Board then received an update on how models of governance were being developed in Leeds, and how parental involvement in such governance arrangements were being encouraged. Members then requested that the changes which had been made to the requirements for extended schools provision were relayed to all governing bodies in Leeds for information.
Summer Activities
· Members noted that as the performance data for those activities delivered over the summer period was currently incomplete, this issue would be considered in greater detail at the third formal session of the inquiry, which was scheduled for December 2007;
· The Board highlighted that even minimal costs to parents for their child to access extended services could prove to be prohibitive. In response, Members learned of the actions being taken to make events, such as the Breeze initiatives, as accessible as possible, and the range of events that were free to attend;
· Members learned that approximately 9,000 young people had accessed the series of Breeze events held throughout the summer, and discussed the methods of publicity and communication used to promote such events. The Board then highlighted the need to ensure that the methods of publicity used effectively reached all sections of society, and suggested that events such as parents’ evenings and summer fairs could be an effective way of promoting such activities.
Issues and Threads
· Having received a demonstration of the Family Hub Childcare Service website and the Breeze website, Members were advised that to date, approximately 50% of young people in Leeds had been issued with a Breeze card and noted that judging from statistics gained at sports centres, approximately 80% of Breeze card holders were actively using their card. The Board also learned that on average, there were 4,000 to 5,000 hits on the Breeze website per week;
· Members enquired about the extent to which the Youth Service delivered provision to the younger element of the 8-13 age group.
RESOLVED –
(a). That the report and information appended to the report be noted;
(b). That the information requested by the Board be forwarded to Members for consideration.
(Councillor Renshaw declared a personal interest in relation to this item, due to being a governor of a PFI school in Leeds)
(Ms T Kayani declared a personal interest in relation to this item, due to being the Chief Executive of a voluntary sector organisation)
(Councillors Murray, Renshaw and R D Feldman left the meeting at 12.00 p.m., 12.10 p.m. and 12.20 p.m. respectively, during the consideration of this item, and Councillor Chapman left the meeting at 12.35 p.m., at the conclusion of this item)