Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Legal and Governance. To be introduced by the Leader of the Council.

To re-establish the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee, confirm its terms of reference, and appoint Members to serve on this advisory Cabinet sub-Committee.

To confirm the terms of reference of the Community Safety Partnership and appoint members to this statutory partnership body.

The Leader introduced the report which sought approval for the re-establishment of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee, to confirm its terms of reference, and appoint Members to serve on this advisory Cabinet sub-Committee. The report also sought approval to confirm the terms of reference of the Community Safety Partnership and appoint members to this statutory partnership body.

It was noted that the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families had asked for the Cabinet Member Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care, and Wellbeing

to participate in the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee Meetings to provide a link and scrutinise information on transitions of young people from Children’s to Adults related services.

The Democratic Services Manager advised that there was universal provision in committee standing orders for any member of the Council, with the chair’s permission, to attend and participate in a committee meeting. It was agreed that the Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care, and Wellbeing participate as a Councillor attendee at these meetings and the Committees team would facilitate this attendance.

RESOLVED to

1.            Re-establish the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee, and that the terms of reference for this advisory Sub Committee, attached at Appendix A of the report be noted.

2.            Note the Community Safety Partnership terms of reference attached at Appendix B of the report.

3.            Appoint the following Members to serve on the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee and Community Safety Partnership:

            Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee

            Chair – Cllr Brabazon Cabinet Member for Children, Schools, and Families

            Cllr Ali

            Cllr Collett

            Cllr Johnson

            Cllr Opoku

            Cllr Weston

            Cllr Isilar-Gosling

            Community Safety Partnership

            Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion (as Co-Chair)

            Cabinet Member for Children, Schools, and Families

            Cllr da Costa

Reasons for decision

Establishing a Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee ensures that there is an overview of the Councillors statutory role as a corporate parent, assisting the Council to deliver its duties to children in care and young people leaving care.

            Appointments from Cabinet are required to the Community Safety Partnership to reflect statutory duties and enable high level, accountable, strategic, oversight of issues relating community safety.

Alternative options considered

            The alternative option would be for the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee to cease and this would mean that there is not a scheduled opportunity for members and officers to meet and discuss the wellbeing of children in care and to ensure that the Council is meeting its corporate parenting obligations. This Committee is different to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel as it concentrates on Looked After Children and care leavers and reports directly to the Cabinet.

            The Community Safety Partnership is a statutory partnership body and therefore not appointing Cabinet Members to this body is not an option.