Agenda and minutes

Ms J Ward – Parent Governor Representative (Secondary)

Mr E A Britten - Church Representative (Catholic)

Ms C Foote – School Staff Representative

Ms H Bellamy – School Staff Representative

Ms L Whitaker - Young Lives Leeds

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).

There were no appeals against refusal of inspection of documents.

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.

There were no exempt items.

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

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

There were no late items.

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

No declarations of interests were made at the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Bithell, Councillor Senior and Co-opted Members Kate Blacker and Andrew Graham.

Councillor Peter Carlill attended as substitute for Cllr Bithell.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 3^rd November 2021.

RESOLVED – To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd November as a correct record.

To receive a report from the Director of Children and Families which provides a further update surrounding the Improvement Plan linked to the recent Ofsted Focused Visit to the Leeds Children and Families Front Door Service in July 2021.

The Director of Children and Families submitted a report to further update the Board on the implementation of the Improvement Plan that was put in place in response to the recommendations stemming from the Ofsted Focused Visit to Leeds back in July 2021.

Present at the meeting for this item were:

·  Councillor Jonathan Pryor - Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education

·  Councillor Fiona Venner - Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Sal Tariq - Director of Children and Families

·  Julie Longworth - Deputy Director of Children and Families

·  Ruth Terry - Chief Officer Social Work

The Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships gave a brief introduction, acknowledging that the Scrutiny Board had previously requested to be kept regularly updated on the implementation plan.

The Director of Children and Families also introduced the report and highlighted the following points:

·  That the Inspectors had found no areas of serious weakness but highlighted three areas for improved practice, as set out in paragraph 3 of the submitted report.  These are addressed in the action plan and referenced as recommendations A, B and C.

·  In response to recommendation A around the consistency and quality of assessments, it was highlighted that the training and development offer for social workers and social work managers had been reviewed and enhanced by a programme of learning, focusing on assessment skills, report writing and decision making. A new action learning programme has been developed to support consistency in audit, supervision and planning. The service has also commissioned Professor David Shemmings to undertake sessions based around new ideas on decision making for social work leaders and practitioners; producing analytical reports and records; and new insights for practitioners on assessments and decision making.

·  In response to Recommendation B around the quality and impact of management oversight and supervision, an action plan has been established at Duty and Advice which ensures all contacts to the front door are reviewed if they do not have an outcome recorded within 24 hours. All decisions will be recorded immediately by team managers and compliance with this requirement is monitored by the service delivery manager for Duty and Advice.

·  In response to Recommendation C around the quality and independence of audits, the social care quality assurance framework has been reviewed with actions taken to strengthen the cross auditing of work across teams and the moderation of audits.

·  The percentage of strategy discussions where all three partners have contributed had also increased since July 2021 from 45% to 71%, with work continuing to increase this further.

In response to questions and comments raised by Board Members, the following information was provided:

·  Training – This will be focused and in-depth, with impact of this learning remaining under constant review by Advanced Practitioners and managers at all levels, including the Leadership Team. It will also be supported by a specific piece of quality assurance work that will review case files and will include survey feedback from social workers,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

To receive a report from the Director of Children and Families which provides a summary of performance information relating to outcomes for Leeds children and young people.

The report of the Director of Children’s Services provided a summary of performance information relating to outcomes for Leeds children and young people.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Councillor Jonathan Pryor - Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education

·  Councillor Fiona Venner - Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Sal Tariq - Director of Children and Families

·  Julie Longworth - Deputy Director of Children and Families

·  Shaheen Myers - Deputy Director of Learning

·  Ruth Terry - Chief Officer Social Work

·  Tim Pouncey - Chief Officer Resources and Strategy

·  Val Waite - Head of Service, Learning Inclusion

·  Chris Hudson - Performance Programme Manager, Intelligence and Policy Service

The Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships gave a brief introduction and particularly made reference to the number of Looked After Children, which has steadily increased since March 2021 but is also reflective of the national trend. It was highlighted that there are currently 1,333 children looked after, which is a rate of 78 per 10,000.  Members were informed that there was an increase both locally and nationally in the number of adolescents coming into care who have complex and challenging needs, who are often survivors of trauma.  In terms of planning for the future, this links to current ‘invest to save’ proposals around improving fostering and residential provisions.

The Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education and the Director of Children and Families also highlighted the following points:

·  While the service remains optimistic that exams will go ahead as planned this year, it is acknowledged that the level of disruption caused by Covid and previous lockdowns will likely have an impact on exam results.

·  School staffing remains a challenge in terms of managing the impact of Covid and particularly.  While no schools have had to close, it was highlighted that Head Teachers are under tremendous pressure in managing more of a mix of classroom teaching and remote learning for those pupils having to isolate.  While rates linked to the Omicron variant are now starting to level out, the number of infected children in the under 12 age group is still relatively high. 

Members discussed a number of matters, including:

·  Exams – Responding to Members questions in relation to digital devices it was noted that each school has different plans in place for those young people who do not have access to digital devices. During lockdown work had been undertaken to ensure that each household had access to a digital device to access learning. It was acknowledged that catch up efforts in tackling lost learning during lockdown had not been as smooth as it could have been, due to staff and pupil absence through Covid.  Linked to this, it was also acknowledged that GCSE’s and AS exams were not at the same levels as they were a couple of years and that this needed to be addressed at a national level.

·  NEET – Not known figures – In response to Members questions it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services that presents information to enable the Scrutiny Board to consider and provide comment on the initial Best City Ambition proposals.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report on the initial proposals for the Best City Ambition – which will be an externally facing and partnership focused approach, intended to replace the Best Council Plan.

In line with the provisions of the Budget and Policy Framework, the Best City Ambition proposals have been referred to Scrutiny for consideration and comment. The outcome of the deliberations of the five Scrutiny Boards will be reported to Executive Board in February to inform its consideration of the final proposals.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Councillor Jonathan Pryor - Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education

·  Councillor Fiona Venner - Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Sal Tariq - Director of Children and Families

·  Simon Foy - Head of Intelligence and Policy

The Director of Children and Families gave a brief introduction and advised the Board that the Best City Ambition is not intended to be another strategy or detailed delivery plan which duplicates what is in place elsewhere.  Instead, it aims to provide a clear direction of travel and contain a range of high level, aspirational and ambitious goals for Leeds, aligned to the three pillars of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth and zero carbon, and all contributing to efforts to tackle poverty and reduce inequality. 

The Board was also advised that the three pillars will be underpinned by existing priorities and commitments linked to the Child Friendly Leeds Ambition and the Children and Young People’s Plan in terms of ensuring children in all areas of the city have the best start in life and enjoy a healthy, happy and friendly childhood.  These will be further supported and delivered through existing strategies and plans, such as the refreshed 3 As Strategy and Leeds Child Poverty Strategy, both of which were recently considered and supported by the Scrutiny Board.

Reference was made to the Health and Wellbeing Pillar of the Ambition reflecting the proposal for Leeds to become a Marmot City, with a particular focus on taking a Marmot approach to giving children the best start in life. While acknowledging that the proposal had recently been considered by the Adults, Health and Active Lifestyles Scrutiny Board, a commitment was given to also engage with the Children and Families Scrutiny Board on this matter.

Members acknowledged that young people are now being educated more about the implications of climate change, with many feeling anxious and voicing their concern about the future of the environment. As such, the Board felt that the narrative surrounding the particular ambition around Zero Carbon should be strengthened and given more prominence in terms of reflecting the urgency of tackling climate change and Leeds working towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030. 

Members also recommended that the Ambition references how, as a city, the issue of sexual harassment is being addressed, particularly with young people.  Linked to this, the Board was pleased to note that the final version of the Ambition will include a greater focus  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services that introduces information regarding the projected 2021/22 financial health position of those service areas that fall within the Board’s remit at Month 7 (October 2021).

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report which invited Members to consider the report of the Chief Officer Financial Services presented to Executive Board on 15^th December 2021, detailing the Council’s projected financial health position for 2021/22 at the end of October (Month 7).

In attendance for this item were:

·  Councillor Jonathan Pryor – Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education

·  Councillor Fiona Venner – Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Sal Tariq – Director of Children and Families

·  Julie Longworth – Deputy Director of Children and Families

·  Shaheen Myers – Deputy Director of Learning

·  Ruth Terry – Chief Officer Social Work

·  Tim Pouncey – Chief Officer Resources and Strategy

The Board supported the suggestion made by the Chair to consider this item in conjunction with agenda item 11 ‘Initial Budget proposals for 2022/2023’ (minute 45 refers).

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services that introduces the Executive Board’s initial budget proposals for 2022/23 for consideration, review and comment on matters and proposals that fall within the Scrutiny Board’s remit.

The report of the Head of Democratic Services introduced the Executive Board’s initial proposals for 2022/23 for consideration, review and comment on matters and proposals that fall within the Scrutiny Board’s remit.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Councillor Jonathan Pryor – Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education

·  Councillor Fiona Venner – Executive Member for Adult and Children’s Social Care and Health Partnerships

·  Sal Tariq – Director of Children and Families

·  Julie Longworth – Deputy Director of Children and Families

·  Shaheen Myers – Deputy Director of Learning

·  Ruth Terry – Chief Officer Social Work

·  Tim Pouncey – Chief Officer Resources and Strategy

This matter was considered in conjunction with the Financial Health Monitoring report (minute 44 refers).

The Chair highlighted that while the Board had already been initially consulted on the budget proposals during December, today’s meeting provided a further opportunity for Members to raise any questions and to formally capture any particular views and any recommendations that the Board may wish to make to the Executive Board.

It was noted that any comments or recommendations made by the Scrutiny Board would inform a composite Statement by Scrutiny to be submitted to the Executive Board for consideration at its meeting on 9th February 2022.

The Chief Officer Resources and Strategy gave a brief introduction and in relation to the Financial Health report, had advised of one variation which was the pay award of £1.4m in Children’s Services.  Members were also advised that the projected overspend would be around £9m, with £7m relating to payments for providers of care for external residential care or private fostering.

The Board discussed the proposed budget for 2022/23, acknowledging the increasing demography and consequential demand pressures for services in Children and Families as well as in Adults and Health.  Linked to this, the Board noted and welcomed the significant budget increase to the Children and Families directorate in response to the significant demand, demographic and inflationary pressures on the budget.

The Board was briefed on the specific Service Review proposal that falls within its remit.  This involves investing in fostering and residential provision to create increased in-house capacity for children and young people and reduce reliance on externally commissioned fostering and residential placements.

The Board was advised that this will be achieved by reviewing the existing payment and support structure for foster placements that can manage and support the needs of more complex children.  This will include the introduction of a placement type at a higher rate of fees with the expectation of returning children from residential care to family-based living. In addition, four new residential hubs will also be established to provide care for up to 16 children and will also provide additional capacity to support children with higher level needs, which in turn will create capacity in the current 4 person homes for those young people who can manage this level of care.

As a Service Review proposal, the Board noted that this will be subject to consultation and that the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

To consider the Scrutiny Board’s work schedule for the 2021/22 municipal year.

The report of the Head of Democratic Services set out the forthcoming work schedule, with the latest version appended to the report at Appendix 1.

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser introduced the report and particularly highlighted the work items scheduled in February. In response to an earlier suggestion made by Cllr Forsaith for the Board to undertake work linked to the Climate Emergency, it was proposed that the Board initially receives a briefing note from the Chief Officer Sustainable Energy and Climate Emergency surrounding existing and forthcoming initiatives that specifically involve or impact on children to enable Members to consider where the Scrutiny Board could potentially add further value as part of its future work programme.

At this point in the meeting, the Chair took the opportunity on behalf of the Board to express appreciation to the Board’s previous Governance Officer, Harriet Speight, who had supported the Board for a number of years but had now left to take up a new role within the Council.

RESOLVED –

(a)  To note the report and the work schedule attached at Appendix 1.

(b)  That the Chief Officer Sustainable Energy and Climate Emergency be asked to provide a briefing note surrounding existing and forthcoming initiatives that specifically involve or impact on children, which will enable the Board to consider where it could potentially add further value as part of its future work programme.

Wednesday, 16th February 2022 at 10.00 am (pre-meeting for all Board Members at 9.45 am)

RESOLVED – To note the next meeting of the Children and Families Scrutiny Board will be on Wednesday 16^th February 2022 at 10:00am (pre-meeting at 9:45am)

The meeting concluded at 12:45 pm