AGENDA ITEM 3

BOROUGH OF POOLE

MEETING OF THE CHILDRENS SERVICES OVERVIEW GROUP

TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2006

The meeting commenced at 7.00pm and concluded at 8.50 pm.

Members present:

CouncillorNewell (Chairman)

CouncillorMrs Lavender (Vice-Chairman)

CouncillorsBrooke, Clements, Mrs Dion, Plummer, White and Woodcock.

Diocesan Representative:

Mr K Newman

Parent Governor Representative:

Mr P Crouch

Members of the public present: 0

1.APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs Butt, Mrs Moore, Wretham and Canon C Rutledge.

2.DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The following personal Interests were declared:

Councillor Brooke as LEA Governor for Merley First School and Broadstone First School. Also, his daughter was employed at Hillbourne Middle School as a part-time teacher and she was a supply teacher for the Borough of Poole.

Councillor Mrs Dion’s husband is a Governor of Rossmore Community Sports College.

Councillor Clements as Chairman of the Governing Body at Manorside School.

Councillor Mrs Lavender as school helper Year 1 at St Aldhelm’s CE VA Combined School and Governor of Heatherlands School.

Councillor Plummer as Lecturer at Bournemouth and Poole College and Bournemouth University; LEA Governor for Branksome Heath Middle School and St Edward’s RC/CE VA School.

Councillor Newell as LEA Governor for Poole Grammar School and Governor of Broadstone First School; Lecturer at Bournemouth University and as his wife is Deputy Headteacher at Haymoor Middle School.

Councillor Woodcock as LEA Governor for Old Town First School and Nursery, Baden Powell and St. Peter’s CE Middle School, Chairman of Connexions Local Management Group and Board Member.

3.MINUTES

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting held on 31st January 2006 were confirmed by the Group and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

4.YOUTH JUSTICE PLAN

The Group considered the Joint Report of the Head of Pupil, Parent and Youth Services and the Bournemouth and Poole Youth Offending Team on the Youth Justice Plan for 2006-7 and the Action Plan to address the recommendations made by the Probation Inspectorate in their Inspection Report of the Bournemouth and Poole Youth Offending (YOT).

The Youth Offending Team Manager explained that the Youth Justice Plan was produced on an annual basis as required by the 1998 Criminal Justice Act to show how the Boroughs of Poole and Bournemouth intended to meet the requirement to provide a youth justice service for the combined area. The Plan had to be agreed by the statutory partners in the Youth Offending Team (YOT), namely the Boroughs of Bournemouth and Poole, the Dorset Police, Dorset Probation Service, the Primary Health Care Trusts of Bournemouth and Poole. The Plan had to be written precisely in accordance with the template supplied by the Youth Justice Board. The Youth Justice Plan set out how the YOT had performed against the Key Performance Indicators required by the Youth Justice Board. Overall the YOT was doing well against the 15 targets but was not performing in 4 particular areas, namely:-

  • An increasing number of young people were refusing to work with the YOT at the Final Warning stage. If young people refused to co-operate, the assessment could not be started. This meant the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to “intervene early” was not achievable. This also affects the KPI to achieve assessment of 100% of young offenders and the KPI to screen 100% for substance misuse. The Final Warning system had recently been revised to meet Youth Justice Board recommended good practice and continued to be under review in an effort to increase engagement.
  • The use of custody for remand or sentence had increased as a percentage although the actual numbers were still small. It was noted that those taken into custody and remaining there were those for whom all other options had been exhausted, or whose offences were such there was no option. Every effort was made to contain people in the community whenever possible.
  • The YOT had not achieved its target for providing parenting support. The Youth Justice Board had allocated further money for preventative work from 2005-2008 and the YOT would be using that money to increase its parenting work and integrating this work with parenting strategies for Bournemouth and Poole.
  • Work with victims had been identified as a weakness Systems and had been revised and training in restorative justice was to be given to more staff and volunteers to improve performance in this area.

The Youth Offending Team Manager also explained that the Action Plan had been written in the prescribed template following the HM Inspector of Probation in 2005.

Members discussed how the new money would be spent on providing parenting support to try and break the circle of problems for dysfunctional families by encouraging parents to co-operate with the relevant public and voluntary sectors to prevent future problems.

The Policy Director (Children’s Services) in reply to a Member’s question about the rising figure of unemployment for young people, explained that disaffected young persons were finding difficulty obtaining employment because jobs that they had previously undertaken were now being filled by Eastern European workers because employers found them cheaper to employ and generally more reliable. This was a problem highlighted in the Plan.

It was suggested by a Member of the Group that video conference should be more widely used to avoid long journeys for the YOT staff when attending meetings/Court hearings outside Dorset. The Youth Offending Team Manager confirmed that action was being taken to use the video conference facilities available in the Courts.

AGREED –

(i)the Group endorse the Youth Justice Plan and recommend it to Cabinet and Council for approval and submitted to the Youth Justice Board for approval; and

(ii)the Group endorse the Action Plan compiled following the inspection of the Bournemouth and Youth YOT and note that it would be discussed further at the Bournemouth and Poole YOT Chief Officer Group on 17th March 2006.

5.10 YEAR CHILD CARE STRATEGY AND SURE START SERVICES

The Group considered the Report of the Head of Pupil, Parent and Youth Services on the new developments regarding the Government’s Sure Start Agenda and the DfES 10 year Strategy for Childcare.

The Strategy Manager (Early Years and Childcare) explained that Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare Services was to undergo major change during the period 2006-2008 if it was to meet the Government challenge to offer choice to parents and the best start for children. Poole was tasked with facilitating this change to ensure that families were able to access the services needed for themselves and their children, preferably through one point in their local community. The Early Years Team was currently undergoing a period of review and development to face these challenges, whilst continuing to provide the support, information and advice to parents and childcare practitioners. The Team must re-structure and re-focus, working closely with parents within and outside the Borough, if it was to enable the Authority to meet Government targets and to provide services which made sense for local families.

As a first step the Early Years Advisory Teacher Team was being expanded and re-configured to cover the Teacher role within a Children’s Centre, whilst continuing to provide advice to settings clustered around that Centre, after a year of consolidation, Advisory Teachers would be managed within the local Centres. Further review was underway to identify implications for other Teams within Early Years.

Members noted that an important part of the Child Care Strategy was working with the private/voluntary sector to meet the Government’s Sure Start Agenda and raise the quality of service and make better use of buildings to ensure the best use of the limited capital expenditure available.

The Policy Director (Children’s Services) explained that due to the lack of capital funding the Strategy would be to convert existing buildings which would involve working with partner organisations to obtain best value.

A Member enquired about the affect it would have on nurseries such as Cuddles? Members were assured that the Strategy involved reviewing existing child care facilities as part of the legislation.

Members congratulated staff on the Report and the work completed to date.

AGREED to endorse the developments outlined in the Report to meet the new Agenda for Sure Start Services for Poole.

Note:Councillor Brooke declared a personal interest because his wife was the spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats in Parliament for Children and Families.

Note:Councillor Mrs Dion declared a personal an interest as an employee of the Primary Health Trust working with pre-school children.

6.OLD TOWN FIRST SCHOOL AND NURSERY – EXTENSION PROJECT

The Group considered the Report of the Head of School Advice and Support Services on an update on progress made in reviewing all options to deliver the extension project to Old Town First School and Nursery within budget. The Report sought approval of the Group that a Children’s Centre be incorporated in the extension project funded from the Sure Start Capital Grant.

The Policy Director (Children’s Services) explained that Poole had been set a target by the DfES to develop six Sure Start Children’s Centres by 2008 and had been allocated revenue and capital funding to achieve this target. It was proposed that the Poole Town Children’s Centre would be located on the Old Town First School and Nursery site. The design of the Children’s Centre was subject to DfES approval and the Architect was currently liaising with the DfES Consultant Architect to obtain this approval.

The Policy Director (Children’s Services) reported that although the School was not in a disadvantaged area it had the highest level of ethnic minority (20%) in the Borough mainly due to the recent influx of Eastern European workers. This was why the Children’s Centre was being added to the extension project to Old Town First School and Nursery. He also confirmed that the completion date for the Project would be August 2007, subject to obtaining planning permission which it was hoped would be granted in April 2006.

The Parent Governor Representative requested that the next progress report includes the items deleted from the original scheme to bring it within budget.

In reply to a question from a Member, the Policy Director (Children’s Services) explained that Property Services would now be using in-house Quantity Surveyors and confirmed that local Architects were, in the main, used for Council projects.

AGREED

(i)to note the progress report on reviewing all options to deliver the project within budget;

(ii)that a further progress report would be submitted to the next meeting of the Overview Group; and

(iii)a Children’s Centre be incorporated into the extension project at Old Town First School and Nursery, funded from the Sure Start Capital Grant.

7.PUBLISH SUBMISSION NUMBERS FOR 2007-8 – RESULTS OF CONSULTATION

The Group considered the Joint Report of the Heads of Pupil, Parent and Youth Services and School Advice and Support Services on the results of consultation on the proposed admission arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools for 2007/8.

The Officers reported that since the Meeting of the Learning Overview Group on 29th November 2005 a period of statutory consultation had taken place during January/February 2006 involving the Headteachers and Governing Bodies of all Poole Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools, all the admission authorities within the Borough, the Roman Catholic and Anglican Diocese, the Poole Admissions Forum together with both the Bournemouth and Dorset Local Authority. An Officer from Pupil, Parent and Youth Services also attended the meeting of Parents’ Voice to explain the various proposals. No comments or objections were received to the proposed co-ordinated admission schemes, School Admission Policies, revised school catchment areas and Published Admission Numbers for 2007/8.

The Officers reported that the draft Secondary Admissions Policy for Ashdown Technical College sixth form would be considered by the School Organisation Committee at its next meeting.

AGREED that Cabinet be recommended to approve the proposed schemes for Co-ordinated Admissions, School Admission Policies, the revised school catchment area for Heatherlands First and Manorside Combined Schools and Published Admission Numbers for the academic year 2007/8 for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools.

8.CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S PLAN

The Group considered the Report of the Policy Director (Children’s Services) and the proposal to consult on the Draft Children and Young People’s Plan.

The Policy Director (Children’s Services) explained that the Children Act 2004 required the development of a single plan for children and young people agreed by all partner agencies to be in place by April 2006. The Plan had been written to a prescribed structure and was intended to be strategic, therefore it drives a wide range of other Plans written to more familiar “grid“ patterns. At previous meetings Members had considered both the needs analysis and the outcomes of the consultation process. The Partnership Board had agreed the priorities for the Plan in December, 2005. The final consultation on the draft Plan would be completed by 17th March 2006 and would be considered by the Partnership Board at its meeting on 27th March 2006.

In reply to a question from a Member, the Policy Director (Children’s Services) explained the Children’s Services Partnership Structure set out in the diagram on page 40 of the Plan and further explained that in the opinion of the Borough’s Legal Services the Children’s Services Board was the responsible body for the partnership structure. Because some of the funding was provided by the Borough of Poole it was therefore appropriate that the Community Support and Education Scrutiny Committee would undertake the scrutiny role on behalf of the Borough Council. There was a potential conflict of interest because the Chairman of that Scrutiny Committee was also a Member of the Children’s Services Board which required further investigation by the Officers.

Members noted that Chapter 8 detailed useful targets for the Plan. Members also considered that producing the Plan was an opportunity to review the way Children’s Services were operated and investigate how other Local Authorities were operating their Children’s Services under the new regime.

The Policy Director (Children’s Services) referred to the staffing problems within Social Services as Poole staff were being recruited by neighbouring Authorities offering better employment packages.

Details of the child vulnerability index by Ward set out in Table 4 was to be e-mailed to Members for their information.

AGREED that Members to reconsider the Plan following consultation and agreement from the Partnership Board for Children’s Services at its meeting on 27th March 2006.

CHAIRMAN

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