Issue - meetings

Members noted that the report on the reconstitution of the committee was complete and scheduled to be considered at the Cabinet on the 08 February 2011. The draft report was tabled and members of the committee asked to provide any final comments to the clerk as soon as possible. The report further recommended annual joint meetings with the Corporate Parenting Committee and it was agreed to suggest a joint meeting be held in March or April.

 There was discussion around the terms of reference of the committee and the areas where there could be a cross over with the Corporate Parenting Committee. It was understood that the Corporate Parenting Committee had responsibility for Looked after Children but there could be a connection between the safeguarding aspects of children missing in care or the safeguarding aspects around the accommodation of Looked after Children. The committee’s responsibility for Looked after Children living at home was queried and it was explained that there was unlikely to be looked after Children living at home in the borough. This highlighted the need to ensure that Members of each of the children’s committees had a firm understanding of the groups of children in need for whom they were concerned. Members suggested that a matrix was compiled which would set out the category and number of children in need. It could further include the committee the children were allocated to as part of the council’s corporate responsibility.  This information would further assist the children’s committees in understanding the numbers of different children classed as in need and focussing their work around the interests of these children.

 In considering the committee work plan and noting a paper on the future of Children’s Trusts, Members were advised that there was ongoing work to establish a Shadow Health and Wellbeing Partnership Board. This would in time take on responsibility for safeguarding of children. It was agreed that a report on this subject be considered at a future meeting of the committee when there were definite proposals to consider.

The training item proposed on child protection plans: challenges and issues for the March 7 2011 meeting was agreed.  In the event that this was a joint meeting with the Corporate Parenting Committee, it was agreed that this training item be proposed as a joint item for consideration.

The committee agreed that an audit of child protection cases was presented to the April 11^th meeting.