Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of this agenda.

The following declarations of interest were made in accordance with the code of conduct –

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 19 October 2015.

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 19 October 2015 are confirmed as a correct record.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

There were no items of Chair’s Urgent Business.

The Panel to receive the Corporate Performance Report.

Alison Botham, Assistant Director for Children, Young People and Families, Judith Harwood, Assistant Director for Learning and Communities and Councillor McDonald, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Public Health ran through the presentation and highlighted that -

K14 – Accelerate delivery of the Children and Young People Plan and K15 – Develop and deliver a skills plan for the city, in line with the future growth agenda

Work taking place across the partnership and the Children and Young People Plan required a refresh in 2014 and now aligns with the Plymouth Plan.  The role of the partnership is to review the strategies and plans and looking at how well are performing.

K19 – Accelerate delivery of the service improvement plan, transformation project delivery for children and young people and actions within the Commissioning Strategy

The Improvement Board monitors the 17 areas of improvement within the plan.  The Gateway launched for improving early intervention for children and families and a team of people working together at Windsor providing advice.   The Ofsted improvement plan will be discussed in more detail under agenda item 6.

K45 – Create and deliver both Early Years Strategy and SEN/D Strategy

This outcome links back to the narrowing the gap and early years.  The take up of the pupil premium and additional money for schools for children registered for free school meals but there were gaps were parents have not registered.

K27a and b – Ensure there is a relentless focus on safeguarding through the implementation of the Corporate Safeguarding Improvement Plan, Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board and Plymouth Safeguarding Adults Board Plans

This outcome focuses on safeguarding both children and adults.  The Safeguarding Improvement Plan is monitored at the Safeguarding Assurance meeting with the focus of identifying the key priorities for improvement.  All staff and elected members receive safeguarding and corporate parenting training. 

The main areas of questioning from Members related to the following –

(a)       Young people’s 10 Wishes;

(b)       Clear lines of accountability between the local authority and partners;

(c)       Data sharing;

(d)       P31 and P32 outcome indicators;

(e)       Corporate Plan and how it informs work;

(f)        Transition of Profound and Multiple Learning Disability students;

(g)       Attendance of elected members at the safeguarding training;

(h)       Children centres and lack of places in the future;

(i)        Take up of free school meals;

Agreed that the new indicators P27, P28, P31 and P32 are added to the Ambitious Work Programme for further scrutiny when data becomes available.

The Panel to receive a verbal update on the Ofsted Improvement Plan.

Alison Botham, Assistant Director for Children, Young People and Families provided Members with a verbal update on the Ofsted Improvement Plan.  Members were advised that there were 17 areas of improvement as set out by Ofsted.  It was highlighted that –

(a)          robust monitoring of the improvement plan reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Improvement Board;

(b)          Area 2 – Improve management oversight on casework and the quality of staff supervision.  A quality assurance framework for supervision had been agreed and a full report would be presented at the next Improvement Board;

(c)          Area 4 – Robustly challenge commissioners to ensure that child protection medical examinations are conducted without undue delay.  The Leader sent a letter to Jerry Clough at NEW Devon CCG raising his concerns on the lack of data for monitoring the arrangement at the hospital.  A response had been received which confirmed that children were waiting no longer than an hour to be seen;

(d)          Area 5 – Improve the quality and analysis of return interviews for missing children so that they are an effective tool to safeguard individual young people and inform the strategic response.  The REACH Team had put in arrangements to ensure that a manager was quality assuring the interviews.  In addition the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) assessment tool was being used for young people who have an interview;

(e)          Action 6 – Implement the Early Help Assessment Tool to supersede the CAF.   The Gateway launched last week and the Early Help Assessment Tool to be presented to the Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board for sign off;

(f)           Area 7 – Conduct a further test of assurance, including risk assessment, including risk assessment, of the dual role of the Director of Children’s Services (DCS).  An insurance test is undertaken to check the capacity of the DCS to ensure that they can undertake their duties.  Devon Audit have looked into this and the findings reported to Audit scrutiny.

(g)          Area 9 – Ensure that short-term placement stability is improved for looked after children.  The current target of children and young people who have experienced three placement moves within 12 months was 14%.  Recent data reports shows a steady improvement and now at a target of 14.1%;

(h)          Action 17 – Agree arrangements to improve GP attendance at Child Protection Conferences.  A new draft standard has been produced which sets out the standard and the circumstances where we would expect GP attendance.  Also looking at developing arrangements for contribution to be made that doesn’t require GP attendance.

The main areas of questioning from Members related to the following –

(i)          Child Protection Conferences;

(j)          Social Worker Caseloads;

(k)        Placement stability.

The Panel were disappointed not to have sight of the report to enable them to properly scrutinise.

Agreed that the Ofsted Improvement Plan is circulated to Members with the minutes.

The Panel to monitor the People’s Directorate Finance and Performance Report.

Judith Harwood, Assistant Director for Learning and Communities, Alison Botham, Assistant Director for Children, Young People and Families and the Councillor McDonald, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Public Health were present to answers questions in relation to the People’s Directorate Finance and Performance Report.

The main areas of questioning from Members related to the following –

(a)              the impact of the Employee Voluntary Release Scheme (EVRS);

(b)          parent and child assessment placements;

(c)           in-house foster placements;

(d)          early help and the launch of the Gateway;

(e)          whether there would be a reduction in services;

(f)            child protection plans;

(g)           the forecast underspend reported in People Management and Support.

To review the Ambitious Plymouth work programme 2015 – 2016.

The Panel discussed the draft work programme for 2015-16 and agreed to recommend to the Co-operative Scrutiny Board the following item for inclusion –

(1)          Further scrutiny of the new indicators P27, P28, P31 and P32 when data becomes available.

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

There were no items of exempt business.