Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Glenn Barnfield, Principal Committee Co-ordinator
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FILMING AT MEETINGS Please note this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.
The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual, or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council. Minutes: The Chair referred Members present to agenda Item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting, and Members noted the information contained therein. |
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Apologies for absence (if any) Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Culverwell. |
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Urgent Business The Chair will consider the admission of late items of urgent business. Late items will be considered under the agenda item they appear. New items will be dealt with at item 11 below. Minutes: There were no items of urgent business.
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Declarations of interest A member with a personal interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the consideration becomes apparent.
A member with a personal interest in a matter also has a prejudicial interest in that matter the interest is one which a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant that it is likely to prejudice the member’ judgement of the public interest. Minutes: No declarations of interest were made.
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To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 17th January 2019. Minutes: The minutes of the 17th January 2019 were agreed as a correct record.
In addition, the Chair informed that the implementation date for the regionalisation of adoption had been delayed until 1st September 2019. This was to allow for the finalisation of the recruitment process needed.
Regarding member training, the Chair informed that an additional Corporate Parenting training session was due to be held in September 2019, for those unable to attend the previous session. |
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Performance for the year to March 2019 PDF 476 KB This report provides an analysis of the performance data and trends for an agreed set of measures relating to looked after children on behalf of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Committee considered this report which provided an analysis of the performance data and trends for an agreed set of measures relating to looked after children on behalf of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee.
Bev Hendricks, Interim Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care, took the Committee through the report as set out. In addition, the following was highlighted:
In response to questions from Committee Members, the following information was noted:
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Haringey Youth Justice Service - Looked After Children PDF 346 KB This report provides information about young people looked after by London Borough of Haringey also known tothe Youth Justice Service.
Minutes: Bev Hendricks, on behalf of Jennifer Sergeant and Gill Gibson, highlighted that, in light of the report, the following key areas were being addressed:
The Chair praised the exit questionnaires but felt more detail needed to be brought to the Committee to highlight what specific action was being taken to help those young people.
The Chair deferred the item until the next meeting on 2nd July 2019 to allow the relevant report authors to attend and answer any Member questions. It was suggested that Cllr Mark Blake, Cabinet Member for Communities, Safety and Engagement, also be invited to attend (Action: Clerk).
The Committee wished for the following to be addressed (Action: Jennifer Sergeant):
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Ofsted Inspection of Children's Social Care Services PDF 345 KB To consider the Ofsted inspection and the Action Plan submitted to Ofsted. Additional documents:
Minutes: Ann Graham, Director of Children’s Services, introduced this report. The Committee noted that the Action Plan prepared for Ofsted had been discussed at Cabinet and the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee. It was noted that the Action Plan at pages 55 to 64 was a summarised version of the plan.
The Action Plan covered the nine areas where services needed to improve, as found by Ofsted at its most recent inspection. There had been detailed discussions across the service about what measures could be put in place to improve those nine areas. The Heads of Services would regularly attend the Department Management Team meetings to provide the Director of Children Service’s reports on what measures and strategies were being put into action to improve not only the nine areas recognised as needing improvement but the service in general.
The Director of Children’s services gave a commitment to provide an annual update on the Action Plan to the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee and Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee. The Action Plan was seen as an ongoing and evolving plan. If there were other areas that the Services considered needed improvement then those would be added to the Action Plan so they could be monitored. Officers were committed to maintaining the Action Plan, including where improvements were made, to ensure the services did not become complacent.
Regarding the amber RAG ratings (5.1 and 5.2 on page 62), Officers noted the service needed to be clearer and consistent about decision-making. The Service also needed to ensure there was a sufficient number of placements for children and young people at the higher end who might have, for example, complex mental health issues, behavioural issues or disabilities.
The Chair noted there was due to be an Ofsted ‘Keeping in touch’ meeting in July 2019. It was requested that a verbal update be provided at the CPAC meeting on 15th October 2019 regarding this (Action: Ann Graham). |
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Looked After Children and Care Leavers Strategy 2018-2021 PDF 132 KB To consider and ratify the Looked After Children and Care Leavers Strategy 2018-2021. Additional documents: Minutes: Colette Elliott-Cooper introduced this report regarding the draft Looked after Children and Care Leavers Strategy 2018-21 for the Members to ratify.
The following was highlighted to the Committee:
In response to questions from Committee Members, the following information was noted:
RESOLVED
That the Looked after Children and Care Leavers Strategy 2018-21 be ratified.
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European Union and Looked After Children To consider a verbal update on the EU and LAC. Minutes: Bev Hendricks and Ann Graham informed they were in the process of creating a report that examined the impact of Brexit on EU nationals who were not able to exercise treaty rights and, consequently, what that meant for the Councils looked after children and care leavers.
There were 27 looked after children and 11 care leavers who held EU national status. Haringey had taken part in a pilot scheme to look at following the proposed Home Office guidance on settling children who are EU nationals. After intensive consultation and policy driven advice from the Home Office, Haringey left feedback for it to consider revising its proposed plans. The Home Office guidance was too theoretical and, when applied, Haringey was only able to secure 1 of those 38 looked after children and care leavers settled status. Officers considered that the reason this number was so low was that the Home Office wanted a chipped passport and documentation that the children did not have.
Officers noted that settled status was not akin to citizenship with the latter providing legal rights the former did not. Haringey would continue to advocate to ensure EU national children were not deprived of any rights through not being able to secure citizenship. The pilot had been helpful in highlighting the challenges involved in children securing British citizenship.
In response to a question from the Committee, Officers noted there was difficulty in securing citizenship for EU children where the parents did not have the relevant documentation, which they had found was the case for most.
The Chair invited Officers to present a written update on the progress of this report at its next meeting, to include an outline of the situation and what the challenges might be (Action: Bev Hendricks/ Ann Graham). |
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Any other business
Date of next meeting Minutes: The Chair paid a special tribute to Fiona Smith, the Head of the Virtual School, who was leaving Haringey Council. The Chair praised all of the work she had done in helping the Virtual School achieve its positive results and wished her all the best for the future.
Dates of the next meeting 2nd July 2019 15th October 2019 16th January 2020 |