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CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND CORPORATE PARENTING CABINET PANEL
12 SEPTEMBER 2012
M I N U T E S
ATTENDANCE
MEMBERS OF THE PANEL
J R Barfoot (Vice-Chairman), N Bell, C N Brazier (substituting for G R Churchard),
F Button (substituting for C A Mitchell),T L F Douris, M Hurst, S L C Johnston, B J Lamb,
A Lee, A Plancey,R M Roberts (Chairman and Executive Member for Children’s Services), M A Watkin, W Wyatt-Lowe
Upon consideration of the agenda for the Children’s Services and Corporate Parenting Cabinet Panel meeting on12 September 2012 as circulated, copy annexed, conclusions were reached and are recorded below:
Note: No declarations of interest were made by any member of the Panel in relation to the matters considered at this meeting.
PART 1
ACTION1. / MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 4 July 2012 were confirmed as a correct record of the meeting.
2. / PUBLIC PETITIONS
2.1 / There were no public petitions.
3. / CHILDREN’S SERVICES ANNUAL COMPLAINTS REPORT 2011-2012
[Officer Contact: Tim Hood Tel:01992 555859]
3.1 / The Panel considered a report which presented the Children’s Services Annual Complaints Report 2011/2 which had been produced in accordance with statutory requirement.
3.2
3.3
3.4 / Members heard that future annual reports would be separated-out into Education and Skills and Children’s Services portfolios. They were delighted to note that the number of complaints received were in-line with those of other local authorities, and requested that benchmarking figures be included in future reports.
Although the Cabinet Panel were delighted that there had been a general trend towards a reduction in the number of Social Care complaints reported to the Complaints Team, concerns were raised regarding the large increase in the number of complaints regarding the Disabled Children’s Service from 12 in 2010-11 to 25 in 2011-12.
In general discussion Members requested that;
- In future the annual complaints report include an Equalities Impact Assessment regarding the source of complaints;
- A list of dates and actions taken be included in the response letters to parents;
- Comparative data outlining the previous years performance be included in future reports;
- The Corporate Parenting Strategy be amended to include reference to encouraging looked after children to make complaints where appropriate;
- Children in Care council be consulted regarding the accessibility of the Complaints Service;
- Free-schools guidance on complaints be added to HertsDirect.
Tim Hood
Jenny Coles
Tim Hood
Jenny Coles
Tim Hood
Conclusion
3.5 / The Children’s Services and Corporate Parenting Cabinet Panel noted the contents of the Children’s Services Annual Complaints Report 2011/12 and thanked Officers for the report.
4.
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4 / RESULTS OF THE DRAFT HEALTH AND WELLBEING STRATEGY ENGAGEMENT EXERVISE FOR HERTFORDSHIRE
[ Officer Contact: Andrew Godfrey Tel: 01438 845394]
The Panel considered a report which provided an overview of the results of the Health and Well-being engagement exercise.
Members were thrilled to learn of the excellent response rate that the engagement exercise had received, with 2746 responses having been received: 60 responses from key stake holders, 2243 responses received as a result of the written survey and 433 were received via the online survey.
Although in general the response to the proposed strategy was positive, Members learnt that as a result of responses received to the HWB Engagement, physical activity would be included in the strategy; many of the respondents had advocated it being added as an additional priority.
Members noted that the pie chart circulated with the agenda at p 8 of the appendix A to the report; ‘Health and Wellbeing Strategy- Engagement Report’ be amended to include percentages, as the data was difficult to decipher.
4.5 / Conclusion
The Children’s Services and Corporate Parenting Cabinet Panel;
i)noted the findings and key themes identified from the proposed Health and Wellbeing Strategy engagement exercise as set out in the draft Engagement Response Report document and outlined in report as circulated with the agenda
ii)Members were pleased with the progress that had been made with the Health and Wellbeing Strategy engagement exercise.
5. / ADOPTION SCORECARD AND THE WHITE PAPER FOR CHILDREN LOOKED AFTER
[Officer Contact: Alison Twynam Tel: 01438 844320]
5.1 / The Panel received an update on the response and progress of Hertfordshire’s Adoption Service in regard to the Government agenda for change in adoption.
5.2 / The Adoption Service was focussed on achieving permanency for children in a more timely fashion. The Adoption Scorecard introduced new performance measures for assessing applicants and achieving permanence for children in public care, which were measured over a 3 year average;
- A1 The average time it takes for a child who goes on to be adopted from entering care to moving in with his or her adoptive family.
- A2 The average time between a local authority obtaining a Placement Order for a child and matching that child with a prospective adoptive parent.
- A3 The number and percentage of children who wait less than 21 months between becoming looked after and being placed with their adoptive family.
5.3 / It was highlighted that further measures had also been introduced regarding performance relating to the assessment of potential adoptive parents as outlined at paragraph 5.5 of the report circulated with the agenda.
5.4 / Conclusion
The Children’s Services and Corporate Parenting Cabinet Panel;
i)Welcomed the report and noted the context of the Adoption Agency performance and actions taken in response to the Government’s agenda for change in adoption services and;
ii)noted that a scrutiny of the Adoption Service would be undertaken in December;
iii)noted that a further report would be brought before the Cabinet Panel in January 2013;
iv)acknowledged the challenging targets the Adoption Service had established and requested that a more graphic representation be included in future reports of targets and how the service was performing.
6. / UPDATE ON FORSTERING RECRUITMENT
[Officer Contact: Lynn Costello Tel: 01442 453322]
6.1 / The Cabinet Panel considered a report which provided an update on the placement of Hertfordshire’s looked after children with foster carers. The focus of the report was on the recruitment of ‘in house’ carers, with some reference made to the independent market and children who are placed within Independent Fostering
6.2
6.3
7. / Members were pleased to hear that the Fostering Service had increased the number of Fostering placements. Although it was noted that recruitment remained below target, Members acknowledged the challenging nature of the targets that had been established and the importance of ensuring that the right people were recruited.
Conclusions
The Panel;
i) noted the report
ii) acknowledged the need for the development of a mixed economy of purchased and in house fostering placements
iii) requested that a further report is presented in January 2013 when the impact of improvements to foster carer recruitment can be more fully assessed.
JOINT COMMISSIONING FOR EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION
[Officer Contact: Andrew Simmons Tel: 01992 555034]
7.1 / The Panel received a report which provided an overview of joint commissioning developments for the Early Intervention and Prevention Strategic Commissioning Group.
7.2 / Members noted that the draft Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board Joint Commissioning Strategy for Early Intervention and Prevention 2012 had last been updated in March 2012, following which progress had been made as such a revised version would be circulated to all Members of the Cabinet Panel once complete.
7.3 / Members were delighted to note that the re-commissioning process would allow for issues regarding gaps in provision to be addressed.
7.4 / Conclusion
The Children’s Services and Corporate Parenting Cabinet Panel;
i)noted the progress made in developing the joint commissioning for Early intervention and prevention;
ii)requested that further update reports be brought to future meetings of the Cabinet Panel.
Kathryn Pettit
Chief Legal Officer
September 2012 1