Argyll & Bute’s Children

Strategic Planning Group

Meeting held 31st March 2010

Three Villages Hall, Arrochar

Present:
Douglas Dunlop (Chair) / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Alex Taylor / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Alison MacKenzie / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Anne Paterson / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Helen Kidd / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Janice Frank / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Josephine Bown / NHS Highland
Joy Daniels / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Liling Payne / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Mark Lines / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Ted Jefferies / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
In attendance:
Liz McDonald / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services (minutes)
Apologies:
Ann Campbell / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Ann Devine / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Carol Walker / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Catherine Dobbie / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Charles Reppke / Argyll & Bute Council, Democratic Governance
Donna Carvill / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Dorothy McLellan / Argyll & Bute Council, Libraries
Douglas Hill / SCRA
Gordon Higgins / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Jamie Houston / NHS Highland
John Duncan / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Keith Philip / Strathclyde Police
Malcolm MacFadyen / Argyll & Bute Council, Planning & Performance
Patricia Renfrew / NHS Highland
Robert Grant / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Rodger Wilson / Argyll & Bute Council, Community Services
Susan Dawson / NHS Highland
Wendy Brownlie / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Wilma Lawn / Argyll & Bute Council, Education
Item / Action
1. / Minute of previous meeting – 9th December 2009.
Agreed as accurate.
Noted that there are currently significant changes taking place within the Council and as a result of this some membership of meetings may be adjusted.
2. / Minutes
Noted that Child Protection Committee minutes will be tabled at future meetings for information.
(i)CPC 25th February 2010
(a)Erskine Bridge Incident – DD informed the group that a meeting of the senior officers will take place on 12th April to complete incident report. Thereafter the report to be sent to the Procurator Fiscal who will make decision on whether a Fatal Accident Inquiry is to be undertaken.
(ii)ASN 3rd March 2010
(a)Housing issues – Bill Halliday had attended to discuss/explain changes in legislation.
3. / Integrated Children’s Service Plan
Updated document tabled and discussed. Helen Kidd stated that she is still awaiting some information. Also noted that lists containing children’s names sent to Ted Jefferies do not have school attended and that the inclusion of this information would make it easier for cross referencing purposes. HK to look into having school attended by LAAC recorded on Carefirst. TJ also to speak to Andrew Watson, SEEMIS, to address this issue.
In addition Helen Kidd to send lists to schools twice a year for matching.
Noted that AT is to liaise with Alan Clark (IT) regarding Careplace. Careplace must be accurate at all times for CLAS uplift by Scottish Government.
DD confirmed that from 1st April 2010 all children who have been placed in Kinship Care under Sect 25 or 70(3) by a Children’s Hearing will be classed as looked after. This will increase the authority’s number of LAC from 94 to 140.
Noted that 2nd IRO post has now been filled and Gary Stopford will be in post in June/July.
Following from report noted:
Strategic Priority 3 – transitions. Noted that 2 events have been held to pull together relevant guidance involving Education and social work staff
Strategic Priority 6 – family literacy/numeracy. Noted that Curriculum for Excellence has been distributed to partner agencies. This has picked up children who support parents and are struggling.
It was agreed that it would be beneficial to have CLR representative at Argyll & Bute’s Children. DD to discuss with Martin Turnbull.
Strategic Priority 8 – child health weight. ‘Child Smile’ (Maggie Fawkes) programme to be added.
Strategic Priority 11 – uptake of benefits. David Chandler (QIO Colgrain) is involved with ‘more choices/more chances’. HK to liaise.
Strategic Priority 14 – safe and protected from harm. Outcome to reflect CPC Business Plan.
Strategic Priority 15 –LAC living with family. Pat Tyrrell is reporting for Health. Update required from Rodger Wilson.
Strategic Priority 16 – early intervention measures. It was agreed that a link with corporate Community Safety Forum is required and it was suggested John Duncan as Youth Justice Co-ordinator should be approached.
This is now a working document covering a 3 year strategy which will be reviewed annually. Agreed that a quarterly progress report should be tabled at each Argyll & Bute’s Children meetings. / HK
AT
DD
HK
DD
RW
HK
4. / GIRFEC update
(i)Single Children’s Assessment. Document tabled for
information/comment. Key aspects of this were each child having
a named person, i.e. 0 – 5 years – Health Visitor, 5 – 18 years –
Education.Implementation is big issue and draft implementation
plan to be tabled at next meeting in June.
(ii)Single Plan - Work is being undertaken to identify a
structure for the assessment based on GIRFEC triangle reported in
SHINARI format. Carefirst version has been drafted and W
Lawn/A Lee liaising with SEEMIS. It was noted that the form should
involve the financial aspect resulting from assessment. Paul Cairns
is also in discussion with SEEMIS team to develop link between
Carefirst and SEEMIS.
(iii)Executive Progress Report
Document by Gordon Higgins containing progress report from
each area service plans tabled for discussion. Updated progress
report to be tabled at each meeting. / GH
GH
GH
5. / Service Redesign
(i)CABD
Ted Jefferies reported that Mark Lines and Liling Payne have
written a draft report for JSMG which will be tabled at the next
ASN group. This will be subject to further discussion with a view to
a final version being completed by summer 2010
(ii) (ii) Vulnerable children and young people - The work on this
programme is continuing with a view to the report being available
by the next meeting . A number of priorities have emerged from
this process including issues around trauma recovery
(iii)Early Years
AP/CW/DD met to look at the current work and it is evident that
Early years should have clear lead to develop identified work.
AP/ML took part in ‘roadshows’ to raise awareness and these
threwup a range of issues . Report to be finalised and tabled at
next meeting in June 2010.
DD to meet with Lilian Goldie and Mairead Hughes.
ADSW/ADES/NHS awareness raising events are planned for 2010.
The priority for the Government is early intervention. / ML/TJ
AT/JB
AP/ML
6. / Support to LAAC
Report tabled.
Josephine Bown explained that this group was set up to improve information sharing between Health and Social Work.
There have been a number of meetings held with predominantly NHS and Social Work staff attending. Noted that Billy Moore has now joined the group.Josephine feels that the group now requires a degree of formality and clarification of referral system/membership/links to Argyll & Bute’s Children. It was also felt that there should be a representative from Education attending. TJ to nominate representative.
RW is in the process of finalising the Corporate Parenting Strategy which will include CEL16 and Kinship Care. Draft document to be completed by 18th May 2010 and tabled at the next meeting on 23rd June 2010. / TJ
RW
7. / Strategic Planning Structures
Further discussion took place regarding the scope for splitting the ASN meeting in to two, one for CABD and one for LAAC. It was felt that this would have some merit in allowing specific focus on respective issues. The potential drawback was in securing consistent membership for two groups.
It was agreed that a final decision would be made at the time of reporting of the two reviews in June
8. / A.O.C.B.
Date of next meeting: Wednesday 23rd June 2010 in the Three Villages Hall, Arrochar. Please note that this meeting will be from 10.30 am to 3.30pm. Lunch will be provided.

Douglas Dunlop (Chair)

Head of Service – Children and Families