Agenda item

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting the Children’s Services Improvement Plan – monitoring report, as presented to the Improvement Board in August 2010.

The Scrutiny Board agreed to jointly consider agenda item 7, Children’s Services Improvement Plan – monitoring report, and agenda item 8, Performance Report 2010/11 – Quarter 1.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting, Bill McCarthy, Independent Chair of the Improvement Board, and the following Executive Members and officers:

-  Councillor Blake, Executive Member (Children’s Services)

-  Councillor Dowson, Executive Member (Learning)

-  Eleanor Brazil, Interim Director of Children’s Services

-  Chris Edwards, Chief Executive of Education Leeds

-  Jackie Wilson, Chief Officer for Children and Young People’s Social Care.

The Independent Chair of the Improvement Board provided a brief update on the work of the Improvement Board as follows:

The Improvement Board was maintaining an overview of 5 key areas:

-  consistency of practice, particularly focussing on training and development programmes

-  partner relations – more practical work to be undertaken

-  delivering improvements on a sustainable basis – ensuring correct processes and procedures were in place

-  recognition of changes in officer leadership and the impact on progress made to date

-  economic climate – difficult financial decisions to be made.

On behalf of the Scrutiny Board, the Chair thanked Eleanor Brazil, for her hard work and positive contribution as Interim Director of Children’s Services.  It was reported that her replacement, Nigel Richardson, was due to start work on 30^th September.

The Chief Executive of Education Leeds provided a brief update on exam results as follows:

-  positive outcomes at foundation and Key Stage 2

-  primary – good progress being made in literacy and numeracy

-  secondary – 5% increase in provisional 5 A*-C including English and Maths GCSE results – 9% increase in 5 A*-C grades or equivalent

-  improvements in relation to Key Stage 5 (A-levels), looked after children and ethnic minorities

-  challenges remained around persistent absenteeism.

The Chair then invited questions and comments from the Scrutiny Board and the key areas of discussion were:

• The benefits of 1-2-1 tuition and developing local working arrangements, particularly in supporting vulnerable young people.
• New multi-agency arrangements being established to formalise arrangements and strengthen provision.
• Update provided on social care recruitment and the positive impact of recently appointed advanced practitioners.
• Recognition of the need for further improvements at the 25 primary schools still below Key Stage 2 floor targets and prioritising work with families.
• Success of the National Strategy Programme and family support strategies.
• Concern about the three red areas in the Improvement Plan relating to child protection.  The Scrutiny Board was informed that in relation to the delivery of child protection conferences, 5 conference chairs had been appointed.  A review of child protection arrangements was also taking place.
• The types of support available to parents, particularly in relation to tackling persistent absenteeism and the range of strategies and interventions in place.
• Concern about the level of consultation with unions and staff representatives regarding the transformation programme.  The Interim Director of Children’s Services reported that discussions had taken place with Joint Consultative Committees about the potential impact of the changes.  Further information was being made available in October and November.
• Support for robust monitoring of work taking place on the ground.
• Work being undertaken with SILC’s, outreach work, etc to improve special educational need provision. The recent Ofsted national report on SEN was referred to.

RESOLVED – That the report and information appended to the report be noted.

(Councillor W Hyde joined the meeting at 10.15 am during the consideration of this item.)

(Councillor Lancaster declared a personal interest in this item as LEA Governor at Carr Manor High School.)