Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Cllr Peacock and Cllr Alexander.

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 9 below. New items of exempt business will be dealt with under item 14 below.

There were no items of urgent business.

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.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2010.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 06 July 2010 be agreed as an accurate record.

Adoption and Fostering Panel

The Deputy Director CYPS reported that she had asked the Designated Nurse to investigate the administrative problems that had occurred with regard to the sharing of medical notes . Proposed that Cllr Solomon( member of the Adoption Panel)  and  Cllr Peacock (member of the Fostering Panel) be  informed of this action.

Data in the performance report relating to looked after children  with  a statement . Noted  that  future educational  information would now include this.

Suitable neutral venues for LAC review meetings . Members were informed  that the child should be   asked   their preference for the location of these  meetings.  Agreed that  officers follow up on this  to ensure that this practice is continuing.

Progress on CRB checks for all new councillors involved in corporate parenting and safeguarding.  The committee agreed, as a matter or urgency,  that this action is further followed up with the Assistant Chief Executive for People and Organisational Development  to ensure that all  the newly appointed  councillors to this committee and those interested in taking part in regulation 33 visits have had a CRB check.

The committee noted that updates on Foster Care would be included in the performance report which is a standing item on the agenda for the committee.

The committee requested an update on the number of Councillors taking up corporate parenting training.

To update members of Children in Care National indicators and other key performance information at the end of July 2010.

The Committee received an update of children in care National indicators and outcomes for 2010 together with targets for 2010/11 and other key performance information as at the end of July 10. The committee were asked to note that comparative data for 2009/10 would be published  in the Autumn and  with this  in mind there would also follow, to the next meeting,   information on the  full profile of regulated  services provided to children in the borough.

It was noted that there had been an increase to 621 children in care  as of 31 July 2010. Members noted that 33 children had become looked after and 18 children had  ceased to be looked after during July. Details of the number of care proceedings initiated both during July and over the previous 12 months was reported . The committee noted that there  had been  a 25% increase in care proceedings in Haringey  compared to this time last year. Although the national average of children in care had risen by 17% it was noted that the figure had risen by a greater amount in Haringey. Officers verbally reported that the numbers of looked after children had stabilized in August and September. The committee sought information on the timescales for court care  proceedings and asked whether the number of siblings involved had an impact on the length of the proceedings. Officers advised that in theory the number of siblings involved should not be a factor however there could be issues such as locating special guardian’s. There was an increasing concern about  delays in care proceedings and the Director of Children Services was seeking to initiate a meeting with the judiciary to discuss this urgent matter further. The Chair advised  officers of the need  collate information and data on delayed care proceedings in  readiness for any possible  Pan London investigation on this matter.

Details of the age and ethnic breakdown of placements across boroughs were noted.  The committee requested  that a further comparison  be made between the ethnic group numbers of LAC  against the ethnic breakdown of the borough  to  understand any possible correlations. Also, when considering the age ranges of LAC, it would be useful for the committee to understand the number of  children entering these categories that  were newly located in the borough. Officers provided information to the committee on the procedures followed for children with care plans moving to the borough with assurances given of the careful scrutiny given to care plans. The committee noted that previous assessments are reinitiated should the Social Worker feel that there is inadequate information provided. Discussion and information further followed on the knowledge the local authority has of children moving into the borough and what the usual channels are for receiving this information. The committee noted that only  children which have come into contact with other boroughs children’s services will be known to services when relocating.

The committee sought further assurances about the welfare of LAC when placing them outside of the borough. Officers advised the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

To provide a provisional summary of GCSE results achieved by Children in care and to note training offered to Haringey staff by the Virtual School.

Local Authorities were required to have a “Virtual School” of Children in Care with specific responsibility to track, monitor and raise education attainment. Details of the staffing establishment of Haringey’s Virtual School, which  had been in place since April 2010 was noted. In considering this report the Committee was pleased to note that the Virtual School had been short listed  under 4 categories of the forthcoming  Children and Young People Now  magazine awards.

Provisional GSCE results were given for the 48 children in Year 11 who had been in care continuously for a period of more than 12 months. All 32 young people who sat GCSE exams achieved a level one qualification or above. It was pleasing to note that the four young people who had attended the Pupil Support Centre achieved one or more  GCSE’s at level one (grades D- G) and all of them have secured college placements. Six young people achieved A and A* grades. It was noted that the extension of the Virtual School to post 16 would allow these young people’s progress to continue to be monitored beyond secondary school. The committee learned that,  the 31% of Looked after Children gaining 5 A*-C grades , had been  the subject of early intervention work at key stage 2 and therefore it was especially pleasing that this  extra  assistance had resulted in good grades for these children. The committee further requested circulation of supplementary information about the numbers of LAC  passing A levels  and those progressing onto university. Noted that the continuation of the Virtual School to provide post 16 services would enable this information to be held.

Details of training delivered to all designated teachers, social workers and foster carers between April – July 2010 was given together with an evaluation of a DT conference held in July 2010. Officers were pleased to note that there had been significant positive feedback on the training event by teachers on promoting rapid  and accelerated educational progress of children in care. This was evidenced by good sign up to online training which should in turn help  support better completion of Personal Education Plans.

The committee recommended that the good news on LAC attainment should be shared with the School Standards committee to continue raising the expectations about what Looked after Children can achieve.

RESOLVED

1. The committee  congratulated the young people  for their achievements  and thanked the Virtual School project team for their hard work and commitment.

2. Agreed that invitations be sent  to the Corporate  Parenting Advisory Committee members for the forth coming awards ceremony for LAC taking place on the 30^th September 2010.

To update members on young people who are defined as NEET (not in education, employment or training), and on support provided to identify employment and training opportunities for care leavers.

As requested the Committee received an update report on the number of young people leaving care who were defined as NEET (not in education, employment or training), details of employment links established by the leaving care and asylum service and the support provided by the service to young people to young people to help with finding employment and training.

The meeting noted that there were 482 young people who were in education, training or employment and 127 who were NEET’s (not in education, employment or training). A detailed breakdown of the ethnicity of the young NEET people was given together with suggested barriers to employment.

The Leaving Care and Asylum service offered a variety of support to help young people obtain employment, training or education. In particular they worked in partnership with a range of other agencies and organisations. These links needed to be further developed in order to meet the needs of the young people and it was noted that there were areas for further development.

The committee was interested in finding out about the emotional support received by LAC who were leaving care and living alone. Discussion was focussed around what support the local authority currently provides with  feelings of isolation and what support is provided after normal working hours to care leavers. There was work being completed  by  the leaving care team  on negotiating  contracts for providers of accommodation ,to ensure out of hours support is available to care leavers.  Further suggestions put forward from the committee for supporting care leavers  were: calling upon older care leavers who may want to provide advice and support to new care leavers , also utilising care leaver events to allow connections  to be made and experiences to be shared. The committee also discussed the pros and cons of placing care leavers with similar peers and concluded that there should be more development work on dealing with the issues of isolation.

RESOLVED:

1.      The report be noted

2.      Agreed that paragraph 19.2 concerning the offer of apprenticeships/ employment opportunities for care leavers is revisited.

To consider any items admitted under 2 above.

There were no new items of urgent business.

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for consideration of the items below as they contain exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1985); paras 1 & 2; namely information relating to any individual, and information likely to reveal the identity of an individual.

RESOLVED:

That as items 11 - 13 contained exempt information (as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government 1972; namely information likely to reveal the identity of an individual, and information relating to any individual) members of the press and public should be excluded from the remainder of the meeting.

To provide an update on Muswell House Children’s Home and  the response to the recent OFSTED inspection.

Further to previous meetings Members received an update on staffing issues at Muswell House. They also received more information in relation to the input from Tavistock Haringey in assisting with developing the work that would improve Muswell House’s performance in forthcoming inspections.

An assessment process and statement of purpose was currently being finalised and a draft updated young people’s guide was due to be completed.

There was discussion on  the progress made by Muswell Hill House and a proposal made on   changing the name of the Children’s home to signify this. The name Coppetts Road Children’s Home was suggested. Agreed that the Deputy Director for Children’s services investigate the process for doing this.

The committee welcomed the  officer responses added to the Ofsted findings contained in the report . Agreed that actions which had been completed are only removed from the table once considered and notified to the committee.

RESOLVED:

1. The report be noted
2. That an updated response to the Ofsted inspection be considered at the next meeting of  the committee.

To receive details of Regulation 33 inspections made to Haringey’s residential homes.

Members received an update on Regulation 33 inspections on the three Haringey residential homes i.e. Haslemere, (although not within the remit of the Committee) Haringey Park and Muswell House.

Monthly inspections of the homes were carried out by a combination of Councilllors, one of the four staff from the Placements team and from June onwards included young people. The committee  noted the recent   issues raised  by the visitors for resolution by the 3 homes.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the report be noted

To provide a verbal update as necessary on safeguarding issues pertinent to the remit of the Committee.

Ofsted report  on the unannounced inspection of  first response team  was due to be published  on the 16^th September.

Date of next meeting: 11 November 2010.

there were none.