Children S Services

CHILDREN’S SERVICES

ICT Solutions

ICT PARTNERSHIP GROUP MEETING

Minutes of Meeting held on Thursday 14th October 2010

15.30 – 17:00 Abbey Conference Centre

Attendees / Initials / Division/areas represented / Attendees / Initials / Division/areas represented
Chair – Paul Fisher / PF / Resources & Efficiency / Stewart Parvin / SP / ICT Solutions
Seb Gasse / SG / Advisory Service / John Leigh / JL / ICT Solutions
Jan Tanner / JT / JCC / Barry Whiting / BW / NGN
Neil McShane / NMc / NASH / Martin Dutton / MD / NGN
Stuart Brookes / SB / SNAPP / Claire Pinkney / CP / ICT Solutions
Lynn Parvin / LP / ICT Solutions / Kerry Henry / KH / ICT Solutions
Apologies / Initials / Division/areas represented / Apologies / Initials / Division/areas represented
David Orsborne / DO / Advisory Service / Martin White / MW / SNAPP
Colin Collis / CC / JCC / Karin Heap / KH / NASSH
Tim Roderick / TR / NASH
1 / Apologies for absence
See above
2 / Minutes from previous meeting & Actions Carried forward
The Minutes from the previous meeting were agreed and based on previous actions the following updates were provided:
2.2 / E1
Update 01/12/09: JN is meeting with a number of people in Children’s Services as part of the MIS work.
Services Improvement Board could be a mechanism escalating this, JL and SG to do this and heads to feed into SNAPP.
SG raised the question of whether ICT Solutions has capacity for providing forms on e1. Working with Nigel Nicholds and Nigel Peacock for reporting needs from e1, it is moving forward through the e1 board.
Update 01/12/09: Action carried forward as await receipt of forms.
Action carried forward 12/03/10: JL confirmed that it is still worth SB and JT gathering sample forms and sending in.
Action carried forward 15/07/10: SB will ensure this is done. SB advised that there is a national survey to ensure forms have been completed correctly.
Action carried forward 14/10/10. / SB
2.3 / CCTV Use Policy
CC would like to know if the authority currently has a policy which covers the use of CCTV both internally and externally within schools.
Action: BB/CP to do some investigations.
Update 15/0710: CP advised that contact with Data Protection Officer, Quality Assurance and Safe Guarding Children had resulted in an indication that there are no widely known guidelines.
Becta statement shared with group;

CCTV in schools - Information Commissioner's Office statement (November 2009); “CCTV should only be used for a pressing need. It is perfectly reasonable for a school to use CCTV to help secure its premises, but it shouldn’t be left switched on capturing images of school children changing during the day. When a school is staffed and children are on the premises, cameras will not generally be required for security purposes. Organizations that do capture images using CCTV are required by law to adhere to the Principles of the Data Protection Act. Guidance for organizations using CCTV is available from http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/topic_specific_guides/cctv.aspx “

ICT Solutions work with the their parties to install CCTV, responsibility for registration and displaying notices notifying use is then left to the school.
CC; Would like to have direction from NCC to schools.
15/07/10 ACTION; CP to contact NPS re: contracting with schools and also Theresa Burdet. SP to take to safe guarding children board for consideration.
Post meeting update; NCC policy document attached for information, although it has no school or human rights specific references;
14/10/10 ACTION: SP to take to next E-safety Group meeting which Andrew McCandish (JCC rep) now attends and should be able to represent Colin’s concerns. / SP
2.4 / MI Sheet distribution
NMc – happy to log directly into a system and select distribution messages.
SB; often too many pages/information to read. NMc; Emails cc’d to head assuming that it will be read. SG; office@ addresses are not an efficient mechanism as they can be left for days. CC; concerned that pinning down jobs titles/posts is not the answer.
15/07/10 ACTION; CP to contact Yvonne Bickers to request she contacts JT, SB, NMc to discuss ideas for how could distribution be improved.
Post meeting; Yvonne Bickers contacted with details and will make contact in September 2010. PF has also made Yvonne aware.
14/10/10 ACTION; CP to contact Yvonne Bickers to follow up on action.
Post meeting; response from Yvonne is that there is a problem with the Norfolk Schools Site at the moment, it got a virus in the summer and currently is still not working properly so they are not able to undertake any developments. She will email JT, SB, NMc and let them know that when it is up and running again she will be getting together a group to look at development and they can be included. Allison Everitt will be co-ordinating this.
JL will contact Duncan Slack to feed back problems with not being able to ‘forward on’ the messages anymore. / CP
JL
2.5 / Internet - mass use / events
JT; As a result of the world cup there is a need to consider future events for facilities of watching online on mass; Without affecting bandwidth usage / service streaming.
15/07/10 ACTION; SP to take away for further investigation/ understanding.
Post meeting update; SP has spoken to BT and the shaping of internet traffic is being monitored. The bandwidth could be increased for special occasions but at an additional cost which may out weigh the cost of using other media i.e.
14/10/10 ACTION; SP is continuing with investigations using both monthly and quarterly trending reports. Future planning to identify likely peaks will also be done. / SP
3 / ICT Services for Schools / JL
First project board meeting was held today - comms to schools to be issued with next MI sheet;
Three stages are detailed.
SG; any help to raise awareness in schools would be appreciated.
PF; Page 101 of the Consultation paper - number of changes to services detailed whilst realigning the funding.
-  Small schools package applies from 1st April 2011 to schools with less than 100 pupils.
-  Required to charge all services to schools at full cost, previously lower. Costs will be clarified mid-November. Consequence will be to increase charges to schools. % not yet known.
-  All changes assume same level of take up.
SG; how much would heads be aware of how costs are currently spread across a ‘club’ and this will be a different set-up? Schools need to continue on the understanding of working together. NMC – doesn’t believe it will be seen. SB – depends upon relationship with Business Manager. JT; looking at value for money primarily.
PF; New Academies will receive identical funding as previously. Services would be provided at a rate to ‘cover all the costs’; this would be greater than state subsidised schools. Costs to academies calculated so far look reasonable.
Limited competitor information is available. People rates are easier to benchmark than ICT Services due to their uniqueness.
PF; We will be clear on what they will get for what they are paying. Need help conveying message that by taking advantage of central lT services they are getting better value for money. Feedback needs to come back from schools to council members to express need for ongoing support and understanding of how schools work.
Governance arrangements for Service to schools yet to be confirmed.
JT; We will be looking to do it with minimum disruption to enable seamless continuation of service.
6. / Project Updates
6.1 / 10/100 (JL)
15/07/10 ACTION; JL to publish list with 115 schools to be upgraded & provisional dates for work to take place.
14/10/10: JL - Action carried forward. CP will forward the list onto the group.
High schools have now been upgraded to 20mb with potential for up to 100mb. ADSL now in place. Network Mangers meeting is taking place today where they will be talking about planning business continuity for their prioritised services.
Primaries being done in phases; existing fibre first (complete) up to 10mb but set at 2mb. Prioritised the remaining copper link schools - 115 schools in this phase. Health Safety regulations now need asbestos surveys to be done on every site; project team are currently reviewing the implications due to potential for delays due to joint survey requirements. All those schools will be changed from copper to fibre.
Radio link schools upgraded; 26 soon to be connected with meetings had with the communities to ensure understanding of why radio links are being used. Final wave of schools will be those who do not fit into any criteria; these will be looked at following proposal from BT. Other wireless options being looked at. Schools of less than 50 pupils are last on the list.
Funding came through rural authority funds allocated by central government; this has not been removed. / JL
6.2 / MIS for Norfolk - Implementation (JL)
Contract agreed and implementation planning underway with Capita. MI sheets released with details; road shows by Capita planned for attendance by schools in the next couple of months.
Benefits of SIMS will be outlined. Professional relationship being maintained with Pearson to ensure continued service until contract ends. ICT Sols are making schools aware that Pearson are not offering the price given in the tender so it needs to be assumed that the service delivered will also be different.
Existing SIMs schools will be invited to attend road shows to enhance product promotion. Dates should be publicised within the next week.
PF; there may be a need to have separate discussion with Secondary Serco schools to focus on their needs and potential for SIMS product to meet them.
6.3 / NSIX (Norfolk schools internet exchange ) – Reporting (LP)
Reports now being issued to schools on a monthly basis. First report contained September data.
Post meeting; CP checked delivery addresses and dates for attending schools. They are;
·  Lingwood Junior has been set up 20th Oct on the VAS. They should then get a report tomorrow morning (21st).
·  Attleborough High has been set up since the beginning of October and goes to E mail address should have received report on October 1st / 2nd.
·  Overstrand was set up 19th October and they should have got the report 20th October to E mail address
6.4 / Google Email (KH)
15/07/10 ACTION: LH to add ‘ill staff/child’ situation to FAQs
Post meeting update: FAQ will be added to the ICT Sols website. “What happens if access is needed to an RM Easy mail account for someone who is on ‘long term sick’ and not likely to return before the migration cut-off date?” 14/10/10: Complete.
Now half way through the roll out. Delivery date has been bought forward from 12wks to 10wks. Usage increasing approx 300/400 per day.
Rollout Week Six / 11.10.10 - 15.10.10
Total Accounts Created / 91,241
Total Accounts being used (1 week) / 4,527
Total Accounts being used (1 month) / 7,806
Project team will be able start to understanding which schools are/n’t using it towards the end of the project and approach appropriately. Initial feedback is very positive.
KH confirmed to SB; account info will be issued before they are switched on to enable communication to pupils and staff.
SG; an email is being composed by the Advisory Team to ensure schools understand their responsibilities. Indicating that schools are responsible for the actions of their pupils and their use of google apps to publicise information across Norfolk domain. Google talk currently turned off, schools only want it switched on when they will have direct control to switch it off. Recommendations will be that schools buy into something like the Securus product to enable monitoring.
NMc; tested the process by creating something inappropriate to see if it would reach ICT sols.
SG; Offsted feedback suggests that schools are ‘safer’ when they have not switched off applications.
NMc; Attleborough High has signed up to an agreement for behaviour on sites like Facebook by both pupils and staff. ACTION; NMc to send to SP who will take it to the E-safety Group for review.
NMc; concern re mixed ability group across Norfolk would we be better off to have ability to switch off across all schools? JT; wants ability to be able to control switching on/off of apps per school/by the school. SG; this will be worked on in the future. / NMc
6.5 / Learning Platform (SG)
SG; still in pilot for Primary Learning Platform - Evaluation is yet to be done.
KH; Secondary – 12 new schools on Fronter, mostly integrated using SIF. Migration approval process continuing this month before moving to full use. Others are integrated and progressing well.
SIF; BT VDC - hardware in place and progressing. Will be ready to move across from half term. 14-19 stuff already on there.
7 / AOB
-  E-safety ‘Toolkit’ documentation Executive Summary review
14/10/10: Carried forward – toolkit has been revised in conjunction with Advisory, HR and JCC. ACTION SP: Will be issued to group as soon as ready.
-  Norfolk Learning Content Network report
Johannes feedback paper shared with group. Trying to ensure content will run on any Learning Platform, not just the primary Norfolk products - so it is available for everyone to see. Some of the content seen has been very impressive.
Johannes is continuing to review budgets with schools. Excess funds will be recycled for use on similar projects.
ACTION: SG/Johannes – to give a presentation on some of the content created at the Spring Term meeting.
Post meeting update; CP has invited Johannes to the Spring Term meeting planned for March. / SP
SG
8 / Date of next meeting
Autumn Term –
Thursday 3rd March 2011 2-4pm
Abbey Conference Centre (unless otherwise stated)

Originator: Claire Pinkney Originator’s Ref: CP/PO/0173

Created: 14/10/10 Page: 4