BOROUGH OF POOLE

CHILDREN’S SERVICES GOVERNANCE BOARD

11 SEPTEMBER 2006

The Meeting commenced at 6:00pm and concluded at 8:10pm.

Present:

Members of the Board:

Councillor Elaine Atkinson – Borough of Poole

Andrew Williams – Chief Executive – Connexions

Martin Smits – Director of Nursing – Poole NHS Trust

Trish Taylor – Chief Executive – Learning and Skills Council

Adrian Whiting – Dorset Police

Adrian Dawson – Chief Executive – Poole Primary Care Trust

Also Attending:

John Nash – Strategic Director (Children’s Services) – Borough of Poole

Jan Sayers – Principal Officer – Planning & Performance Management – Children’s Services – Borough of Poole

Nick Wharam – Children’s Joint Commissioning Manager – Poole Primary Care Trust/Borough of Poole

Tom Murphy – Legal and Democratic Services – Borough of Poole

Gerry Moore – Head of Children’s and Families Services, Borough of Poole

1.APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from the Chairman, Councillor Tony Woodcock, Councillor Mrs Jane James, John McBride, Roger Browning and Eugene Gratwick.

2.APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

In the absence of the Chairman, Councillor Elaine Atkinson was elected Chairman for the Meeting.

3.MINUTES

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting held on 3 July 2006 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

4.MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

(a) M.6 – Budget Holding Lead Professional (BHLP) Pathfinder

The Chairman stated that the budget profile of the Pathfinder Project had not been circulated as stated in that Minute.

Nick Wharam, Children’s Joint Commissioning Manager, apologised for not sending out the Budget Profile and agreed to circulate it to Members.

(b) M.8 – Annual Performance Assessment (APA) and Joint Area Reviews

The Strategic Director (Children’s Services) reported that the results of the Assessment had not yet been received but he hoped they would be available for the next Meeting.

(c) M.9 – Proposed Joint Meeting with the Poole Safe Together Partnership Board

The Strategic Director (Children’s Services) reported that a meeting was being arranged by the Poole Area Partnership to discuss this matter but that a date had not yet been agreed.

  1. CHILDREN’S SHADOW BOARD

Sophie Bradfield, Rosie Davies, Elliot Inglis, Vicky Olive and Tatiana Kazim-Stockley attended the Board for this item as representatives of the Shadow Board. They presented the draft poster that they had been working on to promote the Children and Young People’s Plan.

The Shadow Board representatives introduced the following main issues that they had prioritised for possible workshop themes for the October Youth Conference. These were:

(i) Facilities for young people with disabilities (including information and advice) – or inclusive facilities

(ii) Employment issues for over 16s

(iii) Road safety/cycle paths

(iv) Family problems (eating disorders and depression)

(v) Transport.

Other issues discussed were also outlined, these included:

  • Age discrimination
  • Under age drinking/smoking/illegal drugs
  • Test/exam pressures
  • Open spaces – more facilities for all ages
  • Vote at 16
  • Sex education
  • Recycling
  • Health, fitness and sports

The following issues were raised by Board Members:

  • Members were impressed with the design and were informed that the poster would be placed on the Council’s website. It was suggested that, if possible, information could also be texted to young people on current issues and on general information from the poster. On behalf of the Shadow Board Rebecca Lucas stated that she would investigate this positive suggestion.
  • What did the Shadow Board Members think of the Young People’s Service Directory which was available on the Council’s website? The general consensus was that it was useful document and a good idea but needed to be promoted more and, included more items on leisure activities. Also that on some of the pages there was too much colour which meant that the writing was not clear and it was not obvious. The Strategic Director (Children’s Services) stated that he would pass on the comments of the Shadow Board to the officers concerned.
  • Members were interested that road safety was regarded as a high priority by the young people and asked them to explain their concerns. The young people explained that they were concerned about traffic congestion outside school entrances, Branksome Heath Schools, for example, there were problems with parents congregating at the entrance resulting in pedestrians having to walk in the road. A number of busy roads would benefit from having pedestrian refuges for children to cross safely. Also more and better located “Lollypop” persons. Members suggested road safety be considered by the Safeguarding Board. Also that a representative from Transportation Services be invited to attend a Shadow Board meeting to discuss the Road Safety issues and if appropriate, recommendations be referred to the Transportation Advisory Group for consideration. It was also suggested that the Safeguarding Board consider other issues raised by the Shadow Board, such as bullying and a safe place to play.

The Chairman referred to Minute 3 from the previous meeting, that the Governance Board meet the Shadow Board as part of their Team Building weekend. The Shadow Board representative reported that they hoped to hold the team building weekend in February 2007 and it would be useful if Governance Board Members could attend on, say, the Sunday morning. Members agreed that it would be a good idea. Rebecca Lucas would inform Board Members of the date for the team building weekend.

The Board considered the six monthly report of the Shadow Board and discussion took place on the recommendations contained in the Report. Members discussed the position of young persons when they reached nineteen and were required to leave the Shadow Board but wished to remain on the Shadow Board, especially if they represented persons with learning disabilities, for example.

Members considered that there should be flexibility within the Terms of Reference of the Shadow Board to allow persons to remain on the Shadow Board after nineteen years.

AGREED that the recommendations contained in the Shadow Board’s Report be adopted and the wording amended to allow flexibility for persons over nineteen to remain on the Shadow Board if they continue to represent a young people’s group.

6.CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S PLAN – NEW WAYS OF WORKING

The Board received a presentation from the Strategic Director (Children’s Services) on New Ways of Working arising from the adoption of the Children and Young People’s Plan for Poole.

The Strategic Director (Children’s Services) explained that the two core areas for action within the New Ways of Working were:

- Shared processes

  • information sharing
  • data management
  • common assessment

- Local integration of services

  • co-ordination
  • co-location
  • Joint management of multi-agency teams

The Chairman asked why there was no mention of mental health within the presentation. Nick Wharam, explained that there was a coordinated model with Bournemouth for dealing with mental health issues across both Boroughs.

AGREED to note the presentation on New Ways of Working.

7.BOURNEMOUTH AND POOLE LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN’S BOARD – TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Board considered the Report of the Head of Children and Families Services on the Terms of Reference of the Bournemouth and Poole Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB).

The compact for Member agency and organisations within the LSCB, together with Appendix 1 referred to in the Report showing the Steering and Working Group’s structure were circulated at the meeting.

The Board was informed that the joint LSCB would establish Working Groups for the purpose of carrying out effectively the functions and priorities of the Joint LSCB and would also determine the Terms of Reference for the respective Working Groups. This would include the appropriate and relevant consultation with Children, Young People and their families and carers. The Joint LSCB would draft and agree the compact and that member agencies would be asked to sign it through their Chief Executive. The Joint LSCB would present an Annual Business Plan and an Annual Report to both the Bournemouth and Poole Children’s Governance Boards. It was also reported that serious case reviews would be reported to the appropriate Children’s Services Governance Board for determination.

Copies of the Minutes of the Joint LSCB would be circulated to Members of the Bournemouth and Poole Children’s Governance Boards.

AGREED to note the current situation with regard to the establishment of the Joint Local Safeguarding Children’s Board for Bournemouth and Poole.

8.PERFORMANCE

(a)Indicators

The Board considered the Progress Report on Performance Indicators arising from the Children and Young People’s Plan which were circulated at the Meeting.

The Strategic Director (Children’s Services) requested the Board endorse the template for the Report.

The Board requested a projected year end column to assess performance. The Chair also stated that the Performance Indicators were challenging on health issues because this was a new area of responsibility for the Borough Council

(b)Stretched Targets – Current Proposal for Children’s Services

The Board considered the Report on Stretched Targets – Current Proposal for Children’s Services circulated at the meeting. The Board were informed that Stretch Targets were about doing even more and improving performance above and beyond that already agreed over the three years from April 2007 to the end of March 2010. Baselines would remain the same as those in the Local Area Agreement, but the targets would be harder to reach. The Board was informed that there was no budget available at present but that a pump-priming grant of £887,500 was available to kickstart projects, the first instalment would be received in April 2007.

Board Members considered that domestic violence was an area that needed to be urgently considered.

AGREED to

(i)note the Reports and that there would be a progress report on a quarterly basis to future meetings; and

(ii)that domestic violence needed to be considered under the stretched targets within the Local Area Agreement.

9.WORK WITH SETTLED GYPSY TRAVELLER CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES

The Board considered the Report of the Children’s Services Adviser, Borough of Poole, on the Service specification for Work with Settled Gypsy Traveller Children and their Families who lived in the Alderney area.

The Strategic Director (Children’s Services) presented the Report, stating that the Church of the Good Shepherd in Alderney had, for a number of years, undertaken excellent work with settled Gypsy Traveller children and their families in the Alderney area. That funding of £16,000 per annum for three years had been provided for the Church of the Good Shepherd to appoint a Community Outreach Worker to:

  • Work with other services and agencies to provide appropriate support to children, young people and their families referred through the multi-agency Locality Group.
  • Work with two schools in the Rossmore Community College Pyramid to establish in-school support for children of settled Gypsy and Travellers who were experiencing difficulty coping with the school environment.
  • Plan and deliver two one-day training events for multi-agency staff on the culture and working with settled gypsy traveller community.
  • Provide a half yearly report for the Executive Group for Children’s Services on the work undertaken.
  • Follow the Children’s Services policies and guidelines when undertaking work with children, young people and their families.

In reply to a question from a Member, the Strategic Director, Children’s Services, confirmed that progress on achieving the targets set within the specification would be included in future progress reports to the Board.

AGREED that the report be noted.

10.INFORMATION SHARING (IF) INDEX

The Board considered the information on the DfES Information Sharing (IF) Index for Every Child Matters, together with the DfES IF Index implementation Guide to Who Does What circulated at the meeting.

AGREED to note the Reports.

11.PARENTING SUPPORT – EARLY INTERVENTION PATHFINDER

The Board considered the Report of the Policy Planning and Performance Manager, Borough of Poole on Poole’s selection to become a “funded control” Authority to run the Webster-Stratton Programme alongside five other Local Authorities from September 2006 to March 2008. The Board was informed that there was believed to be a gap in the provision of support for parents of 8-13 year olds at risk of drifting into anti-social behaviour. This support, when available, should be readily accessible, relevant and effective and involve a whole family approach. Pathfinders would each trial one of the three programmes and find more information on which of the three programmes was more effective in intervening early and working with parents before more serious problems develop. Poole have been selected to be a ‘funded control’ for the Webster-Stratton Programme.

It was agreed that regular reports on the progress of the project should be reported to the Board.

AGREED

(i)to note the Report; and

(ii)Progress Reports be submitted to future Board meetings.

12.DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING

The next Meeting of the Board be held on Monday 20 November 2006 in the Committee Suite, Civic Centre, Poole and that future meetings commence at 5.30pm to enable further time to consider issues raised by the Children’s Shadow Board.

CHAIRMAN

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