An opportunity to question the Cabinet Member for Children and Families,
Councillor Zena Brabazon, on developments within her portfolio.
Minutes:
Councillor Zena Brabazon, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, outlined the key developments within her Cabinet portfolio:
· OFSTED had recently undertaken a focussed inspection of children’s social care services, including the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). Preliminary feedback that had been provided had been positive;
· Beverly Hendricks had been appointed to the post of Assistant Director for Social Care as part of the consolidation of the Children and Young People’s Service management team;
· The Outstanding for All Awards had taken place recently and she had written to congratulate all of those who had been recognised as part of this. There had also been an awards ceremony for looked after children. She stated that she would like to invite Panel Members to attend future events;
· She had recently attended two briefings aimed at school governors. She had some concerns regarding levels of participation and felt that there was work that needed to be done to increase their engagement as their role was very important;
· In respect of the budget, the High Needs funding block was overspent despite the additional £4m in funds that had been allocated by the government;
· The Grove School had opened recently in the building previously occupied by the Professional Development Centre. The Grove was a free school for children with autism of up to the age of 19. The new facilities were very well resourced;
· Take up of free nursery places for two and three year olds was not as good as hoped. This was a London wide issue and a source of concern. There had been a lot of outreach work including door knocking. The reasons for the drop were unclear but it was likely that there were a number of factors, including housing issues;
· She felt that the ability of school staff to cope with the high levels of turnover and wide diversity of children and young people within Haringey schools needed to be recognised and celebrated.
In answer to a question, she stated that work was also required to develop a collective response to falling school rolls, which was a major strategic issue. This would need to involve all relevant stakeholders. Ann Graham, the Director of Children’s Services, reported that discussions with schools were taking place and further work on the matter was planned in the New Year. The issue affected schools across the borough. The importance of schools to individual neighbourhoods was acknowledged though.
In answer to a question regarding the “hostile environment” and possible government action to reduce the immigration rights of unaccompanied children from the European Union, the Cabinet Member stated that the Council would lobby against any potential change that would affect them adversely. There was an obligation and a commitment to support children who lived in the borough and attended Haringey schools. Ms Graham reported that legislation would be responded to as and when required. The vision for Children’s Services was to do the best for all children in need, in accordance with the Children Act.
In answer to a question regarding the loss of Blue Badge parking spaces that parents of children with a disability were able to use, the Cabinet Member stated that the pressure on families was considerable. The Council therefore should be seeking to make life easier for such families. She requested further information on the instance referred to in the question and agreed to take the matter up with the Council’s Environment and Neighbourhoods Service, who were responsible for parking issues.
In respect of the recent OFSTED inspection, Ms Graham reported that limited notice had been given. The outcome of the process was that a letter would be sent to the Director providing detailed feedback. Such visits by OFSTED could trigger a full inspection if specific concerns were identified. However, positive verbal feedback had been given. In particular, it had been considered that children were not unsafe and thresholds were appropriate. Reference was made to strong early help and assessment functions. The service was also found to be caring, with officers prepared to go the extra mile to help families. There were no particular areas that were flagged up as areas of concern. The process had been rigorous and the positive feedback that had been given was therefore very welcome.
In response to a question regarding how schools were being educated in the needs of non-binary children, the Panel noted that the compulsory Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) was being introduced in schools. Linda Edward, Senior Commissioner in the Public Health Service, reported that engagement had taken place with Headteachers and school governors on the introduction of the new programme. This had included training on the process and especially how to engage effectively with parents in the light of the high profile issues regarding RSE that had been raised in Birmingham. It was agreed that Members would be included in future training plans on the issue.
AGREED:
That training for Members be included in the future training plan on the Relationship Education and Relationship and Sex Education processes.