To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services which updates the Board on the key developments across Children’s Services and outlines progress against specific priorities contained within the Children and Young People’s Plan.
Minutes:
As part of its process of receiving regular progress reports on the Council’s Children and Young People’s Plan, the Board considered a report submitted by the Director of Children’s Services which included updates on two particular aspects of the Plan, the anti-bullying strategy and services for children and young people with mental and emotional health needs.
In attendance at the meeting were Rosemary Archer, Director of Children’s Services, Hilary Farmery of Education Leeds and Ashley Wyatt, from CAHMS, who responded to Members’ queries and comments. In brief summary, the main areas of discussion were:-
The officers responded to the issues raised. In terms of the possible effect on school-based staff of the anti-bullying strategy, an assurance was given that this issue would be picked up as part of the JCC process. Out of school bullying was more difficult to directly address, but there were currently 20 Safer Schools Partnerships across Leeds, with a police presence on site at least 3 days a week, and plans to roll-out this initiative across Leeds. Work was done with families of bullied pupils and families where bullying was identified as a problem. Self-esteem workshops, skilling youngsters to cope with bullying, as well as the peer mentors for children identified as vulnerable were other initiatives. All Children’s Services staff were being issued with guidance relating to bullying, and this would include reference to special needs children. Only two psychologists were involved, for a limited time, in evaluating the pilot project at Ralph Thoresby High School.
Reference was also made to the national CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services) review, and the fact that Leeds was taking part in a pilot on ‘Targeted mental health in Schools’, which would encompass not just the specialist staff in schools, but the more generic staff as well. This was in addition to all the other work identified in the report, and that recently reported to the Board at a previous meeting.
In conclusion, the Board felt it was important that the initiatives were co-ordinated, to provide a wrap-around service for young people both in school and out of school, as an integral part of the Safeguarding agenda. There also needed to be more work done on establishing improvement targets against which future progress could be measured.
RESOLVED – That subject to the above comments, the update report be received and noted.
(N.B. Councillor Townsley declared a personal interest in this item, in relation to his daughter, who is a teacher at Ralph Thoresby High School).
Supporting documents: