Issue - meetings

The Head of Service, Ros Cooke, accompanied by Shubhi Raymond, will provide give a presentation on the support provided by the Early Years service and Children’s Centres on safeguarding.

The committee considered an overview of the provision for Children’s Centres in Haringey. Childcare was available in 8 children’s centres. The service was working on underdeveloped places and more work was needed to find new places   that are funded and provide a reasonable payment rate to attract parents to places.  By 2014, the council need to meet government targets the number of places will need to double. In number. From September 2013 the criteria used for free school meals will replace existing criteria to allow a wider number of children to access places. With a wider eligibility for places the early year’s service recognised the need to protect for Children in need and children on protection plans.

The Committee asked how the service ensured that vulnerable children   got    the right places. To ensure they were supported and monitored appropriately.   The committee learned that vulnerable children, as all other children, access integrated provision and they will receive  a regular  progress review, alongside this there will be  standing two weekly meetings at the children’s centres to examine the specific needs of  children that are in need or on protection plans  or have obtained a place as a result of a CAF .  Managers and staff will consider how the needs are addressed and monitor how they are managed.

The reason for looking at the role of children’s centres in safeguarding vulnerable children was that past committee members had shared their positive experience of the difference being made in other boroughs by children’s centres ensuring vulnerable children were prioritised for a place.  The Chair was advised that there was a good working relationship between the First Response and Early Years service to ensure that referrals were passed onto children’s centres.  There was already a contact person for the screening team in each of the children’s centres cluster. To further expand the focus on vulnerable children the two services were discussing ensuring places were available for vulnerable children at the cluster level.

Alongside accessing children’s centre places, parents were offered a wide range of development and skill programmes to attend whilst their child was at the centre and enquiry was made on the take up of the programmes and any experience of peer support from parents. The feedback received from children centres was positive and indicated that the parent programmes had been successful.  As part of the review of children’s centres the service were looking at expanding the sessions and considering the amount of out reach work. Good positive friendships were developed as part of parents accessing children’s centres.

In terms of the Children’s Centre’s review, this will analyse the impact of the restructure and if any improvements need to be made. There was a good relationship with the children’s centres and the associated schools. The review will check that there has been good and appropriate expenditure as there is a lower budget available than in previous years it is crucial that the budget available is appropriately spent. The review will initially be considered  ...  view the full minutes text for item 113