The panel will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, the following declarations of interest were made, as follows –

The panel will be asked to confirm the minutes of the meeting on 10 November 2011.

Agreed that -

1.              CouncillorWildy’s apologies are added to the meeting held on 10 November 2011;

2.            under declarations of interest Councillor Mrs Beer is the Chairman of Plymtree Children Centre and not a governor as stated;

3.            minute 46 (c) should read, the Chair of the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel and the Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel attended a Summit meeting with Plymouth Community Healthcare;

4.            subject to the changes above, the minutes of the 10 November 2011 are confirmed as a correct record.

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

There were no items of Chair’s Urgent Business.

The panel will monitor progress on previous resolutions and to receive feedback from the management board.

The panel considered the tracking resolutions and those present commented as follows –

• regarding minute 18 (6) – Special Educational Needs (SEN) funding for 2012/13.  It was reported that this is a complex area of education funding and officers were working with head teachers to look at a new formula to accommodate the changing needs of young people;

• regarding minute 19 (3) – SEN Transport Budget 2011/12.  It was reported that the changes made to concessionary fares had resulted in savings.  Since the policy was implemented officers undertook a thorough review of current routes to look at ways of making further efficiencies which also resulted in savings;

• regarding minute 3 (3) – election of Parent Governor Representatives.  It was reported that two election processes had taken place with no nominations received;

• regarding minute 42 – Little Teds recommendations.  Little Teds recommendations to be reviewed at the next panel meeting on 1 March 2012;

• regarding minute 16 (4) - Diocese Representative.  It was reported that the Bishop had made a note of this and Jonathan Marshall, Director of Plymouth Centre for Faiths and Cultural Diversity had been contacted;

• regarding minute 44 (4) – current vacancy and Pertemps position within Children Services.  A verbal update was given at the last meeting and it was reported that further comprehensive figures were being drawn up;

• regarding minute 47 – Youth Service Task and Finish.  The setting up of a Youth Service Task and Finish to be deferred until the next municipal year.

Agreed that –

1.                  a briefing paper on SEN Funding 2012/13 is provided to the panel for further discussion at the next panel meeting on 1 March 2012;

2.                  an agenda item is added to the next Schools Forum meeting on co-opted Parent Governor Representatives onto the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Board for discussion;

3.                  a written response on SEN Transport funding is provided to the panel at the 1 March 2012 meeting to include exploring the opportunity to look at introducing concessionary fares with the savings made;

4.                  the Lead Officer investigates the statutory requirement for a diocese representative on the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel;

5.                  a full written report is provided to the panel on the current vacancy and Pertemps position within Children Services at the 1 March 2012 meeting;

6.                  the Youth Service task and finish is deferred to the next financial year.

The panel to review the action plan and recommendations.

Steve Waite, Chief Executive and Dan O’Toole, Director of Finance from Plymouth Community Healthcare (PCH) and Fiona Fleming, Commissioning Manager gave an update to the panel.  The Chair allowed the draft Action plan and Children and Mental Health Service (CAMHS) waiting list update to be tabled at the meeting.

It was reported that an intense amount of work had been undertaken with one part of the CAMHS team and this team had experienced issues with the waiting list times.   The team had worked hard to reduce this and introduced clinics that were now taking place on a Saturday.  It was also reported that the waiting list was monitored on a weekly basis.

In response to questions raised from the panel, it was reported that –

a.             a consultation was taking place to explore the opening of clinics outside of core hours and it was envisaged the Saturday clinics would continue;

b.            all areas of the service were being addressed to create capacity to support young people to ensure that the extra resources put in place to reduce the waiting times would not affect any treatment a young person would receive;

c.             the young people currently on the waiting list had been contacted and limited work had been undertaken with the media to publicise the changes;

d.            a draft communication strategy had been produced to ensure partners and young people were aware of the services available.  The draft strategy would be signed off by the PCH Executive Team on 6 January 2012;

e.            regarding recommendation 9, the panel reported that it was not acceptable to delay counseling services pending the outcome of a tendering;

f.              attendance from Educational Psychologists at Common Assessment Framework meetings were important;

g.             if a young person required further treatment it would be down to the clinical staff and their assessment of the individual;

h.            a meeting had taken place between the Director of Finance, Plymouth Community Healthcare and the Chief Executive of Routeways to review the participation support services for young people using mental health services.  The services currently delivered by Routeways were checked against services that could be delivered in-house.  It was concluded that the services would be more cost effective to be delivered by Routeways.

Agreed that –

1.            the Children and Young People’s Trust Chair to provide an update to the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel ensuring that the matter of children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing is being taken seriously;

2.            the panel to receive a further update at its meeting on 1 March 2012 on the recommendations together with the other issues raised today.  Thereafter the recommendations is reviewed by the panel on a 6-monthly basis;

3.            a review is undertaken on other services waiting times;

4.            the communication strategy is forwarded to the Chair of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel;

5.            that a letter is sent to all Social Care staff to inform them of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

The panel to note updates received from -

The panel noted the Local Safeguarding Children Board report.  The panel were disappointed in the lack of detail in the report from the Children and Young People’s Trust Board.  It was considered that the report was of little value in its current format.

The panel did not consider it appropriate for the panel to review a report dated September 2011 which had since been superceded.

Agreed that the panel receive a performance and budget update dated as at the 31 December 2011 by no later than the 20 January 2012.

The panel to receive a report on primary and secondary school attainment.

John Searson, Principal Adviser 0 – 19 Achievement and Colin Moore, Assistant Director presented the report to the panel.  In response to questions raised, it was reported that -

a.                   the SAT results for 2011 includes all schools in Plymouth.  In 2010, 20 percent of schools had boycotted the SAT exams;

b.                  there was significant improvement in standards in some schools in deprived wards;

c.                   Plymouth did not look as bleak when compared against statistical neighbours like Portsmouth but it was highlighted that there was an issue with primary schools;

d.                  early years were in line with the national average and results had stayed the same. KS1 was a constant area of tension due to fact that teachers made their own assessment of the child which was therefore more difficult to moderate.

Agreed that –

1.         information is provided to the panel on primary school attainment with a comparison at a neighbourhood level;

2.                  some schools were to be congratulated on their performance;

3.                  it was important to keep an eye on those schools where attainment was below the national average.

The panel to receive a briefing note on the locality review.

The panel noted the report and requested that future reports should contain more facts and figures.

Agreed that the panel receive a further update on Localities to include more facts and figures at the next meeting on 1 March 2012.

The panel will consider its work programme for 2011/12.

The panel noted the work programme for 2011/12 and agreed the agenda for 1 March 2012 meeting -

• Presentation from the Carole Burgoyne, Director of Place and relevant Assistant Directors;
• performance and budget report dated as at the 31 January 2012;
• update on the action plan from the Children’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health task and finish group;
• review of the Little Teds recommendations;
• in-year admissions;
• special educational needs funding and transport;
• current vacancies and Pertemps position with Children Services;

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 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.