Agenda and draft minutes

Mr T Britten – Church Representative (Catholic Diocese of Leeds)

Mr A Khitou – Primary Parent Governor representative

Co-Opted Members (Non-Voting)

Ms M Adams – Leeds Parent Carer Forum

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.

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 was no exempt information.

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 of business.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Apologies were received from the following:

Cllr Stephenson with Cllr Flynn attending as substitute

Cllr Martin with Cllr Brooks attending as substitute

Cllr Jones with Cllr Scopes attending as substitute

Helen Bellamy

Andrew Graham

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18 April 2024.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 18 April 2024, be approved as an accurate record.

Before moving on to the meeting agenda the Chair of the Board, Cllr Cohen, noted his thanks to members who sat on the Board in 2023/24 and also welcomed new members who are joining the scrutiny board for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The Chair also welcomed the new Executive Board Member responsible for Children and Families, Cllr Helen Hayden.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services on the appointment of co-opted members to the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families).

The Board considered a report from the Head of Democratic Services on the appointment of co-opted members to the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families) in the 2024/25 municipal year.

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser provided an update based on a report that was brough to the April 2024 meeting of the Board. This included the five non-voting co-opted members, 2 voting church representatives and an update position on voting parent governor co-opted members.

Resolved

The Board:

a)  Approved the appointment of five non-voting co-opted members to the Children and Families Scrutiny Board and noted the position in respect of a new nominee from Young Lives Leeds.

b)  Noted the nominations of the Roman Catholic Diocese and Church of England Diocese to the Children and Families Scrutiny Board in accordance with statutory requirements.

c)  Noted the ongoing efforts to appoint parent governor representatives to the Children and Families Scrutiny Board, in addition to the Primary parent governor representative appointed in 2023/24, both from secondary schools and SILC provision in the city.

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services presenting the Scrutiny Board’s terms of reference.

The Board considered a report from the Head of Democratic Services presenting the Scrutiny Board’s terms of reference.

Resolved - Members noted the Terms of Reference as they relate to the Scrutiny Board (Children and Families).

To receive a report from the Head of Democratic Services on potential sources of work for the Scrutiny Board and presenting an initial draft work programme for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The Board received a report from the Head of Democratic Services on potential sources of work for the Scrutiny Board and presenting an initial draft work programme for the 2024/25 municipal year.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Cllr Helen Hayden, Executive Board Member for Children and Families

·  Julie Longworth, Director of Children and Families

·  Rob Clayton, Principal Scrutiny Adviser

Cllr Hayden welcomed the work of the Board in recent years and looked forward to continuing that in the coming municipal year. The Director of Children and Families echoed those views and stressed the positive impacts that the Board has had and that it had been noted in the last inspection of Children’s Services.

The Scrutiny Adviser provided a brief introduction to the report covering some of the discussion from the pre-meet. Key issues identified as areas of focus in 2024/25 were:

·  Early Years and Best Start Programme

·  Transition from Children’s to Adult services

·  Children Looked After Sufficiency and Service Transformation

·  Family Help Services and preventative measures that could support challenges experienced in schools linked to attendance, curriculum suitability, behavioural challenges and availability of mental health services (CAMHS). The Board thought that this could be taken forward under an Early Help/Family Help themed approach and also include areas such as life coaches and also focussing on multi-agency approaches to delivering early intervention services.

·  Accessibility of Work Experience for all children and young people, including learning from best practice such as the Spear Programme

·  Performance monitoring linked to transition between different services and different ages from pre-conception to adulthood.

The Board thought this would form a positive basis for the year’s work and it was agreed that this would be taken away and brought back to the board to get thoughts on timing and overall content.

Resolved – The Board agreed that Appendix 3 to the  report (draft initial work programme) along with the suggestions noted above would form the basis of the work programme for Children and Families Scrutiny Board in 2024/25.

To consider an update report from the Head of Democratic Services on youth vaping setting out recent legislative developments at Government level and an update on local activity to tackle the issue in Leeds. This follows consideration of this item in the previous municipal year and a request that the Board receive an update early in the 2024/25 municipal year.

Board members considered an update report from the Head of Democratic Services on youth vaping setting out recent legislative developments at Government level and an update on local activity to tackle the issue in Leeds. This followed consideration of the issue in the previous municipal year and a request that the Board receive an update early in the 2024/25 municipal year.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Cllr Fiona Venner, Executive Member for Equality, Health and Wellbeing

·  Cllr Helen Hayden, Executive Member for Children and Families

·  Cllr Andrew Scopes, Chair Adults, Health and Active Lifestyles Board

·  Helen Goddard, Advanced Health Improvement Specialist

·  Heather Thomson, Head of Service Healthy Living Team

·  Anna Ross, Head of Service C&F Public Health Team

·  Rob Clayton,Principal Scrutiny Adviser

The Chair highlighted the legislative background to this issue and the importance that is likely to have on the approaches taken in Leeds following the forthcoming general election. It was thought that the Board should adopt a watching brief pending the expected legislative developments through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

The Executive Member for Equality, Health and Wellbeing noted her past role as an Executive Board Member covering children and families and welcomed the role played by scrutiny and the challenge provided. The Executive Member wished the Board well in 2024/25 and noted the importance of the work carried out by the directorate and the board.

On the subject of youth vaping the Executive Member noted the legislative background and the importance of the growing issue of youth vaping in the city and the health consequences associated with it. The public health message on vaping was emphasised that for adults vaping is effective as a smoking cessation aid but a consequence of vapes being available is that children and young people have been able to access them and are becoming addicted to nicotine having had no intention of taking up smoking.

The Board were informed that ASH has surveyed public support for the tobacco and vapes bill and discovered that support for the bill was significant amongst the public suggesting that nationally 69% support the measures, in Leeds the figure is between 68% and 70% with between 11% and 12% opposing the policy. In respect of children and young people aged between 11-15 who will be the first generation impacted by the bill, nationally two thirds support the bill with fewer than 1 in 10 opposing.

In Leeds public health work is ongoing with partners to deliver training in schools and to sustain or increase the capacity of the cheap and illicit tobacco team across West Yorkshire. It was noted that vaping is an obvious and key focus but there are other ‘novel nicotine’ products that could be of concern.

The Board agreed to keep this on the Board’s agenda in 2024/25 and to await legislation. It was also agreed that the correspondence and the Board’s consultation response be sent to ministers once the outcome of the general election is known.

Board members also noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

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

The board received a report from the Director of Children and Families providing a summary of performance information relating to outcomes for Leeds children and young people.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Julie Longworth, Director of Children and Families

·  Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Board Member for Children and Families

·  Farrah Khan, Chief Officer Family Help

·  Dan Barton, Deputy Director – Learning

·  Chris Hudson, Policy, Planning and Procedures Leader

The Director of Children and Families introduce the item and highlighted the changes in the Leeds under 18 population as providing context to the performance data provided to the Board.

In addition, the Director highlighted areas of concern and challenge being faced by the directorate, highlighting the impact of the pandemic in terms of impact on mental health services and CAMHS and poverty with 44% of pupils in Leeds living in the most 20% deprived localities in the city. It was also noted that poverty significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing neglect and abuse and of ultimately becoming a Child Looked After. The increase in CLA numbers was noted along with the ‘broken system’ as highlighted by the MacAlister Review and the demand pressures for CLA services and growing costs of those services. SEND demand pressures were also noted with the report setting out the increase in demand and the need to meet needs in a timely way in line with statutory duties.

In response to comments and question the following issues were covered:

·  In response to a question regarding the number of CLA looked after in Leeds provision, 64% are cared for through internal provision which compares to a core city average of 49.6% and 49.3% average for statistical neighbours. Of those that are new to the care system between 60% and 70% are cared for in Leeds with the remaining often due to specific or specialist needs, cared for externally.

·  The Board also heard about the wider sufficiency strategy which discharges the duty to provide sufficient quantity and mix of care placements in Leeds. A central theme of this is to increase and develop the Council’s own provision through foster care and small group residential homes which is focused on keeping Leeds children in Leeds.

·  The Board discussed EHCPs with reference to the statutory timescales and how the Council might reach 100% of EHCPs being in place within the 20 week statutory timescale. There are plans in place linked to the PwC work to improve timescales and to tackle backlogs within the next five months that should improve timeliness figures. There are some dependencies on this such as having a full staff cohort. The Board requested additional data on the specifics of EHCP timescales so how many are completed within 25 weeks, 30 weeks or more.

·  The Board noted pressure points in the EHCP system linked to availability of education psychologists and the  writing up of plans as the number of plans increase, additional resource will ease the pressure in these areas. It was also noted that the service  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To consider and comment on the Youth Justice Plan 2024-2027 as required under the authority’s Budget and Policy Framework.

The Board received a report on the Youth Justice Plan 2024-2027 as required by the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules. It was therefore agreed that the Youth Justice Plan would be referred to Children and Families Scrutiny Board for consideration and comment.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Julie Longworth, Director of Children and Families

·  Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Board Member for Children and Families

·  Farrah Khan, Chief Officer Family Help

·  Benjamin Finley, Head of Service Corporate Parenting

·  Helen Burton, Youth Justice Service Delivery Manager

The Director and Executive Board Member introduced the item noting the comments made in the recent Joint Targeted Inspection in terms of the partnership working that goes on in Leeds working jointly towards delivering the best outcomes for children and young people in the Youth Justice System.

In response to comments and question from the Board the following areas were covered:

·  On re-offending linked to questions under the previous performance item, the Board were informed of the first time entrant rate reducing which means that there is a small cohort of quite prolific offenders. It was also noted that the re-offending data does have a time lag. The Board heard in more detail about the Turnaround team who work with offenders to reduce re-offending and who currently have a less than 1% re-offending rate amongst the children they work with, so it is having an impact. The Turnaround Team is funded by the Ministry of Justice with the funding due to end in March 2025.

·  Other approaches such as Outcome 22 were referenced which is an initiative that has been used in Bradford and works with young people on re-offending and is expected to create a downward trajectory in re-offending rates. This is targeted at children and young people who are seen as unlikely to re-offend and aims to keep them from entering the criminal justice system again.

·  Members requested a breakdown of data In terms of age and gender, this will be provided to the Board outside of the meeting, but the Board was assured that the data is interrogated and is part of the work of the service.

·  Serious Youth Violence was raised as an issue and it was acknowledged that in a lot of cases these are first time offences. The Board heard that frequent offenders often have a different profile to those committing more serious offences.

·  The Board asked for more information on caseloads and how many in a caseload are new offenders and re-offenders. It was explained that the Turnaround offer, which works with children who would previously not have been in caseloads, has led to some of the increase.

·  In response to questions on staff training and apprenticeships the Board were informed that the service is trying to grow and skill up unqualified staff into qualified staff over time.

·  In respect of Priority 5 in the plan on attendance, achievement and attainment members were keen to ensure that the offer and examples set out in the report are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

The next public meeting of the Board will take place on 18 July 2024 at 2.00PM. There will be a pre-meeting for all board members at 1.45PM.

The next public meeting of the Board is scheduled for 18 July 2024 at 2.00pm with a pre-meeting for all board members at 1.45pm.