Agenda

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 25* of the Access to Information Procedure Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded).

(* In accordance with Procedure Rule 25, notice of an appeal must be received in writing by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting).

1.  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

2.  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

3.  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:

No exempt items have been identified.

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

To disclose or draw attention to any interests in accordance with Leeds City Council’s ‘Councillor Code of Conduct’.

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 4 September and the Call In meeting held on 9 July 2024.

To consider the report of the Director of Children and Families presenting the Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2023/24. The report outlines the activity that has taken place across the year in relation to the Safeguarding Partners’ statutory duties to work together in exercising their functions of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including developments in practice, progress with priorities, learning, scrutiny, inspections and statutory responsibilities. 

To consider a report of the Director of Children and Families on school attendance providing an overview of the national school attendance picture an overview of the Leeds school attendance data and the actions the local authority has taken and will continue to take to support schools in their work to improve attendance.

To consider the report of the Director of Children and Families which provides an overview of, and a further update on the Child Poverty Strategy for Leeds and the work that sits underneath the strategy. This includes the range of work that has been done to address ongoing post pandemic and cost of living priorities. This item follows an update received in the 2023/24 municipal year and continuing interest from the Board in the impact of poverty on children and families in the city.

To consider a report from the Head of Democratic Services that provides a summary and conclusions from the Children’s Transport Policy Working Group held on 24 September 2024.

Appendix 1 to follow as supplementary information.

To consider the Scrutiny Board’s work schedule for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The next meeting of the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) will be on Monday 11th November 2024 at 1.30pm. (There will be a pre-meet for all Board Members at 1:15pm).

Recording of this meeting is allowed to enable those not present to see or hear the proceedings either as they take place (or later) and to enable the reporting of those proceedings.  A copy of the recording protocol is available from the contacts on the front of this agenda.

Use of Recordings by Third Parties – code of practice

a)  Any published recording should be accompanied by a statement of when and where the recording was made, the context of the discussion that took place, and a clear identification of the main speakers and their role or title.

b)  Those making recordings must not edit the recording in a way that could lead to misinterpretation or misrepresentation of the proceedings or comments made by attendees.  In particular there should be no internal editing of published extracts; recordings may start at any point and end at any point but the material between those points must be complete.