Agenda item

To consider a report from the Chief Executive, Director of Children’s Services and Director of Public Health outlining the formal response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families).

The Chief Executive, Director of Childrens Services and Director of Public Health submitted a report which outlined the formal response to the recommendations of the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families).

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:

-  Councillor Judith Blake, Executive Member, Children and Families

-  Councillor Jane Dowson, Deputy Executive Member, Children and Families

-  Nigel Richardson, Director of Children's Services

-  Sue Rumbold, Chief Officer (Partnership Development and Business Support)

-  Sharon Yellin, Consultant in Public Health

The key areas of discussion were:

·  The inquiry report is welcomed and provides a platform for future development.

·  Public Health – current practices with Clusters. The Board were advised that family focused support is now a high priority particularly adult behaviour. Planned sector review and re-procurement will require a whole family approach. The Board requested that the information set out in the paper to the Integrated Commissioning Executive as referred to on page 17 of the agenda be requested at the meeting of the Health and Well-being and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board to inform their inquiry into Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

·  Future cluster funding and the commitment to ensure this is sustainable.

·  Recommendation 4 – Concern was raised about the focus of the response on DSG and the schools forum governance and accountability framework. The Board clarified the nature of the recommendation relates to local authority resources, accountability, governance and transparency. This was acknowledged and the Board were advised that work is to be undertaken to fully understand the extent, nature and commitment of Local Authority resources. The robustness of the challenge mechanisms as referred to in 3.5.7 will develop and change as work is undertaken to identify efficacy of arrangements. Developments will be reported back to Scrutiny as part of the recommendation review process.

·  Recommendation 11 - The Board acknowledged the response to the recommendation and welcomed the approach. It was however felt that it did not go far enough to meet the ambition and objective to strengthen the link between Cluster Partnerships and the whole Local Authority. Whilst it was acknowledged that officers of a strategic level may not be able to make the time commitment to attend Cluster meetings there needs to be a whole council, child centred commitment to working with Clusters from all departments at a strategic level to ensure problems within communities that have negative impacts on children are understood and action is taken holistically. The Board resolved to meet with the Chief Executive, Executive Board Member and Director of Children’s Services discuss a plan to progress this further.

RESOLVED –

The Scrutiny Board (Children and Families):

a)  Noted the response and acknowledged the defined approach.

b)  Recommend that the paper to ICE on the case for ambitions transformation of mental health services for children and young people be requested at the meeting of the H&W and ASC Scrutiny Board on the 28 October 2014.

c)  That a meeting with the Chief Executive, Director of Children’s Services and the Executive Board Member for Children and Families be arranged to progress recommendation 11 to the satisfaction of the Board.

d)  That progress against objectives and recommendations be monitored by the Scrutiny Board.