Agenda item

To receive and consider the reports of the Director of Children’s Services which provides information relating to session 3 of the inquiry.

Referring to Minute 66 of the meeting held on 11^th October 2012, the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which provided information relating to session 3 of the Board’s inquiry into looking at foundation years (age 0-5) and how services in Leeds were provided to promote the best start in life for children, to equip them with the skills to succeed and promote their social mobility.

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:-

• Domestic Violence Action Plan for Leeds 2012/13 (Appendix A refers)
• Foundation Years – providing the best start in life for children to succeed – Session 3 – Report of the Director of Children’s Services

(Appendix B refers)

In addition to the above documents, copes of the following supplementary information was also circulated at the meeting:

• A copy of a briefing note entitled ‘Early Intervention Grant and Funding for the provision of the Free Nursery education entitlement for Vulnerable 2 Year Olds prepared by the Head of Finance (Children’s Services)
• Learning Skills and Universal Services – Powerpoint presentation slides
• 2011/12 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile outcomes by cluster

The Chair welcomed the following officers to the meeting:-

-  Sue Rumbold, Chief Officer (Partnership, Development and Business Support), Children’s Services

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

-  Liz Bradley, Early Years and Foundation Stage Improvement Manager, Children’s Services

-  Neil Warren, Head of Finance, Children’s Services

-  Lisa Smith, Childrens Centre Manager, Children’s Services

-  Collette Kurylo, Children’s Centre Manager, Chapeltown, Children’s Services

-  Michelle de Souza, Community Safety Manager, Children’s Services

-  Joanna Smith, 4Children who ran the City and Hunslet Children’s Centre

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser informed the meeting that Session 3 of the inquiry would focus on the following specific areas:

• Leeds Education Challenge – Foundation Stage: Children’s Services and Cluster approach to the three prime development areas:

  - personal, social and emotional development

  -  communication and language and

  -  physical development

• Progress since the Education Standards – Entering the Education System inquiry 2009
• Early Years Foundation Stage (September 2012) Legislation changes
• Free early education – take up of places for 3 and 4 year olds, increasing take up and engaging parents
• Extension of free early education to 2 year olds (September 2013) –Preparation, promotion and strengthening the quality of providers

Prior to discussing Session 3 of the inquiry, the Chair invited Michelle de Souza, Community Safety Manager to briefly discuss the domestic violence support question raised at the last meeting.

She focused on the following three specific areas:

-  The fact that domestic violence was trigged when women become pregnant and the support available from midwifes and health visitors in this regard

-  The work undertaken with the Children’s Centres and the information available on domestic violence

-  The therapeutic support available for children who had emotional problems as a result of domestic violence

The key areas of discussion were:

• Clarification of the high risk factors and the support available for siblings with specific reference to the work undertaken in this area by MORAC
• Clarification if domestic violence was more evident in areas of deprivation or high unemployment
• Clarification of the work undertaken to date towards verbal and physical violence to teenage girls who were seen as a vulnerable group in this area
• The mental and emotional support available for children and young people who have witnessed domestic violence

Liz Bailey, Early Years and Foundation Stage Improvement Manager presented a brief powerpoint presentation on ‘Learning Skills and Universal Services’ which focused on the attainment gap in Leeds.

Andrea Richardson, Head of Early Years Help Services highlighted the key issues contained within the report and supporting documents and to assist the Board with their deliberations of the inquiry, representatives from three Children’s Centres were present to provide additional information.

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser read out a statement from Jane Middlebrook, Manager of Kaleidoscope from the Private Nursery sector regarding the relationship/involvement between private providers and clusters.

The key areas of discussion were:

• Concerns expressed that there was not enough early years spaces available, especially in East Leeds
• The need for the Board to be supplied with more information on the Early Year’s take up
• The concerns expressed that families were struggling to pay travelling expenses to transport children to other areas of the city for childcare
• Clarification of the three questions relating to the attainment gap in Leeds and the need for the Board to be supplied with more details on the proportion of settings and on what challenges were available as part of the representations being made by the Core Strategy

(The Head of Early Years Help Services responded and agreed to provide a breakdown of data on a ward by ward basis in relation to 2, 3 and 4 year olds)

• The need for a working group to be established to address the information raised at today’s meeting
• Clarification of the SEN’s involvement within the process
• Clarification of the number of 4 year olds who would be in the 20% cohort of low attainment.

(The Head of Early Years Help Services responded and commented on the assessment criteria. She agreed to provide more information on the figures via the Principal Scrutiny Adviser)

• Clarification of the support available to parents in relation to the 5 year old provision
• The concerns expressed about the language and literacy issues that existed for children and how the authority engaged with parents
• The funding issues for free early years provision within the different sectors of Leeds
• The need for the Board to be supplied with more detail on cross sector meetings to include numbers of attendees, information on provides and the evaluation criteria

(The Early Years and Foundation Stage Improvement Manager responded and agreed to provide this information via the Principal Scrutiny Adviser)

• Clarification of the pilot take up figures
• Concern about attainment gap data in the JESS and C.H.E.S.S clusters
• The need for a Health Visitor to inform parent of the ‘Breeze’ at the nine month assessment stage and for records to be undertaken
• The need for developers to be make contribution via Community Infrastructure Levy to the Early Years provision
• Clarification if there were enough Outreach Workers within the area’s of need

Neil Warren, Head of Finance to made a brief presentation on the Early Intervention Grant and Funding for the provision of the Free Nursery education entitlement for Vulnerable 2 Year Olds.

The key areas of discussion were:

• Clarification of the protocol in relation to the two year old grant money going into the Dedicated Schools Grant

(The Head of Finance responded and outlined the estimated figures and agreed to report back further information on this issue via the Principal Scrutiny Adviser)

• Clarification of the protocol for the two year old grant being identified for vulnerable children for two years and what would happen in year three
• Concern about the overall requirement to provide an expanded service without any additional funding
• Clarification if the Core Offer was guaranteed for a year or by term .
• The need to consider devising a standard form for any child who was accepted into a school as apart of the transition arrangements

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report, appendices and supplementary information be noted.

b)  That a vote of thanks be conveyed to those officers in attendance for their contribution and input into Session 3 of the inquiry.

c)  That a working group be established in either December 2012/January 2013 to address the specific issues raised at today’s meeting and that in the interim period, Board Members be requested to forward any further/ or unanswered questions to the Principal Scrutiny Adviser for dissemination to relevant officers.

(Councillor A Khan joined the meeting at 10.15am during discussions of the above item)

(Councillor A Hussain left the meeting at 12.10pm during discussions of the above item)