ALTON BUCKLE STEERING GROUP

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD 8th February 2011

At BUSHY LEAZE

1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES

Those present were:

Carolyn Warne / Community First East Hants
Patti Snook / Head of Centre, Bushy Leaze
Sharon Goodchild / Parent Support
John Myers / AltonCollege
Ella Palmer / Wootey Infant School
Karen Magill / AmeryHillSchool
Clare Allen / Bushy Leaze
Carole Bird / QDO Extended Services
Alison Cliffe / ChairAB Steering Group
Hannah Thomas / Early Years Advisory Teacher

In attendance Mary Lilley, CCL,

Apologies were received from Ann Truman, Karen Mabbott, Jon Allen.

  1. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING & MATTERS ARISING
  2. Alison had contacted Karen Mabbott of Children’s Links. She has agreed to be on the Steering Group, but was unable to attend this meeting. Hannah reported that Maz felt that it was important to have a practitioner who is working in a PVI setting to belong to this Steering Group. It was felt by members that this group is strategic and that Karen is the person to represent all PVIs, but that it is essential to have a practitioner on the working groups and sub-committees.

Action Alison to invite reps to the Childcare meetings.

2.2The register of Vulnerable Children is coming on. When it is complete the data will be used to analyse local need and look for gaps in provision.

2.3Ruth had investigated counselling courses and had reported back that Roehampton Institute is offering free counselling courses.

2.4Barbara was planning to report back on Hampshire Counselling courses – but the meeting was postponed.

Action Barbara to report back to next meeting.

2.5Work on the simplified Delivery Plan is on-going, but until the format of the Steering Group and its aims are clarified it will be difficult to finalise. One way forward has been suggested – which is to ask each member of the partnership to identify their three key issues over the next year.

3. SUB - GROUPS – UPDATE

3.1Childcare and Varied Menu of Activities

Three speakers attended the last meeting.

Helen Freeston of Community First spoke about their Volunteer programme at AltonCollege. Youngsters attending the college are being encouraged to take up volunteering and the college are looking for ‘not for profit’ organisations who would be prepared to take volunteers. The College will sort out CRBs etc. Contact Helen Freeston at Community First (or Alison) if you would like to get involved.

Tina Longman from AltonCollege spoke about ‘Safe Place to Be’. The college is running holiday schemes and weekend activities for secondary school age children. Students from the School Councils have been consulted about the activities they would like to see and a poster advertising what is available is going out soon. Students who qualify for Reach Out and Have a Go disadvantage subsidy can use vouchers to pay for the activities. Please get in touch with Tina if you have any ideas or would like to get involved.

Melissa Juniper from Hampshire Play Strategy spoke about her role in encouraging and supporting outdoor play. She spoke about the activities at Alice Holt on Saturday 12th March. ROAHAG funds are being used to pay for a coach to take families to this free outdoor play event.

3.2Swift and Easy Access and Parenting Support

Two speakers attending the last meeting.

Susan Dewey spoke about the loanable resources available from the NHS to support any aspect of health and wellbeing. She also has a range of leaflets and the team can offer specific resources to support a particular topic – e.g. smoking, healthy eating, sex education etc. (on-line ordering , Email

Simone Button from Sussex Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) came to speak to members about the way CAMHS will be running in the future. The tender for the whole of Hampshire CAMHS has been awarded to Sussex and the contract will start from April. For further information, please see the SEA Notes of Meeting.

4. HAMPSHIRE LCPs

4.1There has not been a meeting of the Hampshire LCP chairs since the last meeting, but

another meeting is planned for next week. Sharon Taylor, chair of the Liphook, Liss and Petersfield LCP is standing down due to pressure of work. In addition the two District Managers are leaving. This will inevitably have an impact on the workload and the support the two remaining chairs will receive, with new District Managers in post

5. ALTON BUCKLE LC

5.1 Hampshire LCP Governance Framework.- There was a long discussion about the Governance document. It was felt that this proposed framework would put excess challenges on the 3 LCPs in East Hants.

The most important thing is to put the children and families first and look at what we can do to meet their needs. Carole suggested looking at the role of the LCP and ranking the list and agree amongst ourselves where the focus should be. We need the schools to agree their top priorities and then see if we can align resources to those particular projects.

It was agreed that we need to look and see who has money to bring to the partnership. With GPs taking control of health funding in the future, it was agreed to try and find a GP representative to come on the steering group.

Action Carolyn to do some research into who sits at the right strategic level in the GP Consortium Board. Also agreed to contact Andrew Joy as our local CountyCouncillor. Parish Councils also have money for ‘Narrowing the Gap’ and some Churches have funding for specific projects – e.g. Youth Work.

There was discussion about different models if we choose not to accept the Governance model suggested. Co-operatives, Mutuals and Social Enterprise all discussed.

This led on to a discussion about succession planning, as Alison is not funded past 31st August 2011.

5.2 / Alton Buckle LCP - There was more discussion on successional planning, the numberof meetings the governance structure suggest needed to be attended, which are the right ones to attend, and which ones are amalgamated.
Does it change the shape of the Children’s Trust Board by adding LCP members to it? The meeting felt that there were too many layers and no funding. The Strategic Partners should sit alongside the Children’s Trust, not the LCP which exists to represent on a local level. It was felt that the governance structure could be turned upside down, which would put vulnerable children at the top and the structure leading down from this.
The question of becoming a Social Enterprise which tied in strategic partners as Trustees was discussed and possible impacts on it’s ability to retain partnerships. Co-operatives and Mutuals were also mentioned as a way forward. There are national conferences about LCP’s going down the Social Enterprise route, and Mary Lilley is attending a briefing on the processes. Concern was raised at how many services may be lost in transtition?
. The meeting agreed the document needed more clarification.. It is understood that the framework is not statutory.
AB LCP believe they have embraced the job description as laid out on P20 of the Governance Document and there is an option for Children’s Centres to be managed by the LCP. The TOR’s are in consultation stage, and the level of work looks high for the Chair or co-ordinator, but there are no resources. We should make our wishes and opinions known. Tendering and Procurment processes need to be clarified, and current tendering processes need to be monitored.
LCP will draft a letter and circulate to all members. We need to darw attention to the onerous tasks outlined in the job descriptions and the need to look at the needs from the ground upwards on a local level for tangible outcomes
Action: Chair to request a briefing to clarify what minimum input level is.
Chair to compose a letter to John Coughlan from the LCP and circulate to members for comment.
Arrange a meeting and invite HCC to brief on Governance Framework / AC
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5.3 / Strengthening the Partnership - A report has been put together by Ruth Rietdykto go to the Headteacher’s meeting tomorrow re Parent & family support.
Other agencies such as health or charities could be approached, as their agendas would link with the overall Partnership agenda
Andy Douglas may know who we would go to get a GP involved
Action: Ruth, Barbara and Hannah to write to GP’s enclosing Ruth’s report in the hope of getting a GP’s Surgery on board.
Ruth to forward second page of report to Hannah and Barbara and the Business managers
There could be a funding opportunity through the CommunityBuilding bid to develop as a Family Support and Extended Services project.
Parish Councils, Local Councils, LocalChurches, Comic relief and Children in Need should all be approached.
Action: All members to look for one funding source to bring to the next meeting
Carolyn Warne offered to help and knows of sources of funding but it could be for existing projects only. However, Family Support and Extended Services are \existing and grant applications couldinclude salaries etc.
Action: Alison to forward “Reaching Communities” information to Carolyn for her to look at
Barbara to forward link to Consultation site to all members so they can respond on a individual level as well as submitting a group response.
Alison to contact a County Councillor. / RR,
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5.4 / Children’s Centre - Patti Snook outlined the current situation regarding all children centres in Hampshire. 81 children’s centre;s will be reduced to 53, all will be outsourced to third parties by block tender in clusters. Bushy Leaze will be split because it is unique in having an on site nursery which will stand alone whilst the children’s centre will be cluster managed.
Sure Start funding has been frozen for three years. They will keep the universal service from health, but the rest of the services will be targeted at vulnerable families. This is alien to Bushy Leaze as there are non vulnerable families as well, although fthe main focus is targeted at vulnerable families.
AB LCP believe Bushy Leaze should remain local within Alton Buckle area, but concerned will clusterd with the other Children Centres in East Hants..
Collective LCP responces to the consultation would be stronger but the link to the on line consultation site will be forwarded so that individuals can respond in their own right.
Action: Chair to draft a letter to Cllr Perry re Children’s Centre proposals and circulate to members for comment.

6. Information Sharing

6.1 / The Group wished to record it’s Best Wishes and gratitude to Carole Bird and
Sharon Goodchild who were attending their last meeting due to redundancy on
31st March.

7. Dates of Future Meetings

To Be Arranged.

8. AOB

There was no other business to discuss and the meeting closed at 17:00

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 14.10

H:\SchoolPool\Alton Buckle LCP\Agenda and Notes of Meeting\LCP Mins FEBRUARY 8 2011.doc