Agenda item

(a)  To hear from the Director of Children’s Services and Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Children’s Services on current issues, and to ask questions;

(b)  To consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development providing information to assist the Board to develop its work programme for 2008/09.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report, which provided information and guidance to assist the Board with developing its work programme for 2008/09.

A range of core information relevant to the Board’s responsibilities was attached to the report to assist Members with identifying priorities for the coming year’s work programme.

Councillor R Harker, Executive Member (Learning), Keith Burton, Deputy Director - Children’s Services, John Maynard, Strategic Leader - Children’s Services and Dirk Gilleard, Deputy Chief Executive - Education Leeds, were all in attendance.

The Executive Member (Learning) thanked the Board for the work undertaken in 2007/08.  It was reported that the authority was currently involved with a range of activities aimed at improving Children’s Services.

The Deputy Director, Children’s Services, provided the Board with an overview of the range of issues currently facing the Children’s Services portfolio in Leeds.

The main highlighted points were:-

Strategy and Development

-  Child poverty with a focus on Early Years Health Inequalities was high on the Government agenda.

-  The ‘Think Family’ approach would involve joint working with Adult Social Services.

-  The future of social care - focus was on prevention work, linked with ‘Beyond Care Matters’ and the changing role of social workers.

-  The Education and Skills Bill - new powers to be introduced and changing role for the local authority.

-  New Migrant Families - supporting young people to make transition with particular focus on vulnerable and under-performing groups.

Challenge

-  Development of performance management, particularly focusing on high risk areas, including; young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), teenage pregnancy, attendance and roll out of 14-19 provision. 

High Public Interest

-  Primary Capital Programme - changes planned for primary infrastructure.

-  Transport - emphasis on role of extended services and value for money.

-  Persistent absence - improving attendance by encouraging greater parental involvement.

Continuous Monitoring

-  Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) Review - draft review expected in January 2009.

-  Internal Audit processes - outcomes arising from Inquiries into Services for 8-13 year olds and Education Standards.

Questions and comments were then invited and the main areas of discussion were:-

• How schools and families were being prepared for forthcoming changes to the benefits system.
• Various aspects of secondary and post-16 education and training.
• The Board discussed the possibility of undertaking an Inquiry in relation to teenage conceptions.  The Chair advised that a working group had been set-up last year, which had recommended further work.
• The Board also discussed the Youth Service and data quality issues.  The Board requested a copy of the action plan to address this problem.

The Chair then thanked the Executive Member (Learning) and officers for their attendance at the meeting.

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

(Councillor K Renshaw declared a personal interest in this item due to being a Governor of Rodillian High School, Seven Hills Primary School and East Ardsley Primary School and also due to her employment as a Nursery Nurse.)