Agenda item

To receive a report from the Director of Children’s Services which provides an update on the performance and inspection of children’s services and sets out proposals for continuing this work through updating the Children and Young People’s Plan in addition to preparing for the Joint Area Review inspection

The Director of Children’s Services submitted a report which updated Members on the inspection and performance of children’s services in Leeds, detailed proposals for continuing this work via the Children and Young People’s Plan and summarised the preparations in place for the Joint Area Review inspection.

Appended to the report for Members’ information was a copy of the correspondence received by the Director of Children’s Services which summarised the findings of Leeds City Council’s 2006 Annual Performance Assessment (APA) of children’s services.

Rosemary Archer, Director of Children’s Services and John Maynard, Performance Manager, Children’s Services were in attendance to answer Members’ questions.

Following a brief summary of the key points detailed within the report, a question and answer session ensued. The main areas of debate were as follows:-

·  In response to Members’ enquiries regarding the range of organisations responsible for monitoring the provision of children’s services, the Performance Manager undertook to provide Members with a list of all those bodies involved in the inspection process;

·  The level of detail included within the inspection process and how such a level was reflected within the APA letter;

·  The methods used to identify those areas which would be focussed upon in preparation for future inspections;

·  The likelihood of the management arrangements adopted by Leeds City Council in relation to children’s services being used for the purposes of a case study. 

Members were then invited to consider in more detail the issues arising from the short film entitled, ‘When I was a child I used to dream’, which was shown at the beginning of the meeting. In response, it was proposed that the film could be explored further at a future meeting of the Board.

Following a brief discussion regarding how the role of Scrutiny was depicted in relation to children’s service arrangements, the Director of Children’s Services was requested to address Members on this issue at the January 2007 meeting of the Board.

Further to Minute No. 58, 2^nd November 2006, the Board received a summary which outlined the current position of Leeds City Council in relation to Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks. This was followed by a question and answer session. The main areas of debate were:-

·  Concerns were raised in relation to the nature and appropriateness of some data remaining on an individual’s record which could be included within a CRB check;

·  The level of costs associated with CRB checks and the appropriateness of individuals being checked every three years;

·  The issue of duplication within the CRB check process and the methods which could be used to minimise such duplication;

·  The work being commissioned to explore the establishment of an ‘umbrella’ CRB checking facility for Children’s Services.

RESOLVED –

(a). That the report and information appended to the report be noted;

(b). That further consideration be given to the issues arising from the short film entitled, ‘When I was a child I used to dream’, at a future meeting of the Board;

(c). That further information regarding how the role of Scrutiny is depicted in relation to the arrangements for children’s services be submitted by the Director of Children’s Services to the January 2007 meeting of the Board;

(d). That the Director of Children’s Services provides an update on CRB checking at a future meeting of the Board.

(Councillor Chapman left the meeting at the conclusion of this item)