Agenda item

To agree items for prioritisation within the work plan for the Panel for recommendation to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Panel Members were of the view that the prevention of radicalisation was an issue that warranted particular attention.  It was noted that the Prevent programme was included within the list of potential community safety issues to be covered by the Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel, under whose terms of reference it was included.  The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People reported that there was a lot of work that was being undertaken on this issue with schools and that an element of safeguarding was included within this.  More staff were to be recruited to assist with the programme.  Members of the Panel were of the view that there needed to be a balanced approach.  Over reaction could lead to marginalising communities further.  It was important that there was consultation with communities and that Muslim people were involved in the development of the programme.

In respect of the proposal to undertake in-depth work on early help, Gill Gibson, Assistant Director for Children and Young People, requested that this be scheduled after the other proposed project for the Panel, which it was proposed would focus on early years.

The Panel noted the responsibilities that overview and scrutiny had in many important areas and which had been highlighted in reports on the Rotherham and Mid Staffordshire scandals.  Concern was expressed that the lack of staffing resources for scrutiny could preclude it from fulfilling these responsibilities adequately.  It was noted that report would be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 27 July on the lessons from Rotherham.  This would look at the implications of the Casey report into the issue and would have a cross Council focus.  A programme of action would be recommended in response to it.  The Local Safeguarding Children Board would be an important element within this and regular liaison with it would be included within the work plan.

The Panel noted that overview and scrutiny had assumed a greater level of responsibility for scrutinising safeguarding following the disestablishment of the Council’s Children’s Safeguarding Policy and Practice Advisory Committee in 2012.  It was also noted that that all schools were required to have a safeguarding policy.  The Chair felt that reassurance and clarity regarding safeguarding issues would be welcome, such as details of how schools deal with issues and suggested that a presentation to Members could assist with this.

It was noted that the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel would be undertaking a major piece of work on obesity.  The Children and Young People’s Panel could nevertheless still look at the issue but it would not necessarily need to be examined in depth.  The issue of school places was a matter of general concern and would be appropriate for a one-off item to provide assurance regarding planning processes.  In terms of educational attainment performance, there was a lot of data available and school performance was generally good across the borough.  One possibility for addressing this issue would be to invite two schools to come along to a Panel meeting and outline what they did to address performance. 

Reference was made by the Panel to the fact that some primary schools were over subscribed and that there had been a number of large housing developments within the borough which were likely to increase the pressure on school places.  The Cabinet Member for Children and Families reported that the Council was required to publish a school place planning report every year.  London wide projections regarding potential demand for places were used within this.  The most recent estimates showed a drop in the west of the borough.  Projections took into account housing developments.  There were more school places available than previously due to the presence of free schools and the overall position had improved since last year.

The Panel noted that the issue of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) was considered by the Adults and Health Panel during the last year as a piece of in-depth work.  An update on the progress of this would be requested in due course by the Adults and Health Panel.  Members of the Children and Young People’s Panel would be welcome to attend the meeting of the Adults and Health Panel that considered this.  It was also felt that fostering and adoption and gangs – possibly jointly with the Environment and Community Safety Panel - would be appropriate areas for future work by the Panel.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families reported that the Council’s Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee had a key role in fostering and adoption and agreed that Panel Members would be put on the distribution list for it.  The Chair stated that issues could be approached using a range of approaches, such as scrutiny in a day.

AGREED:

1.    That, subject to the above-mentioned comments, the items outlined in Section 8 of the report be prioritised for inclusion in the 2015/16 work programme and recommended for endorsement by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 27 July 2015;

2.    That, in respect of the items agreed for inclusion in the 2015/16 work programme, the Chair of the Panel meet with appropriate Cabinet Members and senior officers to clarify further the work programme; and

3.    That Members of the Panel be added to the distribution list for the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee.