AGENDA for the CHILDREN’S SERVICES PANEL to be held on Tuesday 21 June 2005, 2.30 pm to 5.00 pm in Committee Room A, County Hall

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MEMBERS OF THE PANEL QUORUM – 3

Keith Emsall (Chairman), Clare Berry, Jean Heywood, Brian Lee, Barbara Lamb, Jane Pitman, Terry Price, David Billing, Sue Jones, Paul Goggins, Aislinn Lee

Substitutes

Michael Downing, DerekHills

Non Voting

D Williams

Apologies

Brian Lee – DerekHills attending as substitute

Papers to

TanisKent

(The executive member for all of these reports is Jane Pitman unless otherwise stated)

Minutes of the Children’s Services Panel held on 21 March 2005

PART 1 (PUBLIC) AGENDA

1. /

Annual Report on Residential Care Services

Lynn Knowles, Head of Children’s Homes
  • To summarise the 2004/05 Service review of Hertfordshire County Council’s children’s residential homes.
  • To inform Members of matters arising from the reports prepared by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
  • To inform Members on significant service developments.

2. /

Implications of the 10 Year Childcare Strategy

Sally Orr, Sure Start Manager

To inform Members of the Government’s 10 Year Childcare Strategy, outlining the implications for Hertfordshire and seeking agreement of the way forward for CSF.
3. /

PFI Project (Paper to follow)

Lindsay Martin, Head of School Access
To apprise Members of the revised proposals within the PFI project for re-provision and expansion of children’s residential homes and the refurbishment of family support centres.
4. /

Implementation of Remodelled Family Support Service for Under 10’s

Helen Ashdown, Head of Sure Start

To update Members on the implementation of the remodelled Family Support Service for Under 10s. To provide the context for the buildings strategy proposal for the PFI bid and to seek authorisation to progress the elements of the buildings strategy proposals that fall outside of the PFI bid.
5. / Eligibility Criteria for the Assessment of Children in Need
Jacki Rothwell, Head of Child Care Policy and Practice
To seek Member endorsement to establish clear eligibility criteria for assessment as a ‘child in need’ in CSF.
6. /

The Children Act and Children’s Trust Arrangements – A Framework for Implementation

Andrew Wellington, Head of Partnerships and Prevention
  • To outline the requirements of the Children Act and the Change for Children Programme, and proposals for implementation.
  • To set out the work that CSF and the Hertfordshire Children and Young People’s Strategy Partnership (HCYPSP) have undertaken to drive the establishment of Children’s Trust arrangements and other changes required by the Children Act.
  • To bring to Members’ attention the statutory requirement to appoint a Lead Member for Children’s Services, and to designate the post of Director of Children, Schools and Families as the Director of Children’s Services, in line with the requirements of the Children Act and the relevant guidance.

7. /

Integrated Inspection of Children’s Services

Lesley Brockington, Deputy Director Commissioning, Performance and Resources
To inform Members on the development of the Joint Inspection Framework for Children’s Services and the preparations for the Annual Performance Assessment for Children’s Services.
8. /

Comprehensive Performance Assessment 2005

Geoff Brown, Head of Performance Improvement and Roger de Ste Croix, Acting Senior Development Manager (Service Quality)
To inform Members about developments in Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) regime and how the Joint Inspection Framework fits in with CPA.
9. /

Community Leadership Local Public Service Agreement – Second Generation and Potential Local Area Agreement

Keith Shephard, Change Consultant, and Roger de Ste Croix, Acting Senior Development Manager (Service Quality)
To brief Members on two specific Government regimes which require County Council involvement and to clarify the implications for CSF.
10. /

Any Other Business

11 /

Date of the Next Meeting

To be announced.

PART II (CLOSED AGENDA)

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

There are no items of Part II (Confidential) business on this agenda but if items are notified the chairman will move -

“That under Section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 8 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act”.

NB:The reports listed above are sent as a matter of course to members of the panel only. Other members may obtain full papers or particular reports on request to the administrator at the number shown below.

Lead Officer:-Moira Swann, Deputy Director

Children, Schools and Families

Telephone: 01992 555755

Administrator:-Jenny Lee, Senior Administration Manager

Director’s Office, Children, Schools and Families

Telephone: 01992 555702