Agenda and minutes

1.1       RESOLVED – to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the last Committee meeting held on 20 March 2017.

2.1       Apologies were received from Councillor Laurie Loe.

Disclosures by all members present of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the member regards the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

3.1       No disclosures were declared.

Notification of items which the Chair considers to be urgent and proposes to take at the appropriate part of the agenda. Any members who wish to raise urgent items are asked, wherever possible, to notify the Chair before the start of the meeting. In so doing, they must state the special circumstances which they consider justify the matter being considered urgent.

4.1       No urgent items were notified.

5.1       Reg Hooke, Chair of the East Sussex Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), introduced the item by providing the Committee with an overview of the role of the LSCB. 

5.2       The Committee then discussed the findings set out in the Serious Case Review report relating to ‘Child M’.  The key issues discussed are set out below:  

·        Sharing information and recording risk assessments.   

A broad area of learning identified in the report relates to how agencies share information and how risk assessments are recorded.   Members noted that issues relating to these two tasks have been cited in a number of other Serious Case Reviews (SCRs).    As result, the Committee asked for clarification as to what steps are being taken to ensure agencies embed these lessons so that key facts relating to vulnerable young people are clearly communicated, understood and acted on.  

In response, Douglas Sinclair (Head of Children's Safeguards & Quality Assurance) informed the Committee that the Department has reconfigured its services so as to improve how information is recorded and appropriately shared.   This has resulted in the deployment of a ‘Single Point of Advice’ (SPOA) system which deals with all referrals into either Children’s Social Care or Early Help.  The Department has also developed a multi-agency services approach.  This means staff within the Department work closely with colleagues from the Police and specialist health visitors in two Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASHs).

The Committee were also informed that the LSCB have requested that the Department conducts a review into the impact of SCRs undertaken over the last five years.   The review will focus on establishing whether the recommendations set out in SCRs have led to the improvements in performance they were intended to bring about.   The LSCB hopes to produce its report by the end of 2017.    Following a request from Members, an undertaking was given to incorporate the findings of the review into next year’s annual Serious Case Review report to the Committee.

·        Time taken to complete the Coroner’s Inquest.  

The Committee were concerned at the length of time it took for the Inquest into the death of Child M to be completed.    In response the Committee were informed that the inquest was performed by a Coroner from a different local authority.  The LSCB share the concerns of the Committee at this delay and consequently this matter is being discussed with the relevant local authority.

·        Role of Acute Hospitals and contact with young People who overdose.   

In response to a query raised by the Committee, Reg Hooke informed Members that the LSCB is aware that the number of young people admitted to acute hospitals as the result of a drug overdose is higher than expected.   As a result, this issue has been identified as a specific topic which the Board is looking to investigate further with relevant agencies.   Members were also informed that a national scheme called the ‘Child Protection Information System’ will be rolled out locally soon.  The system is designed to ensure that relevant health and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1     The Committee established a ‘Raising the Participation Age’ (RPA) Review Board to examine if East Sussex County Council was meeting relevant statutory duties and whether improvements could be made to increase the levels of participation of young people in education, employment and training.   

6.2       The report provided the Committee with an opportunity to review the Department’s progress with its implementation of the measures described in the Action Plan (as set out in Appendix 1 to the report).   Fiona Wright (Assistant Director) and Caroline McKiddie (Participation Manager: Education, Employment & Training) provided Members with an overview of the key developments since the last meeting of the Committee.

6.3       In response, the Committee welcomed the report and raised a number of questions in relation to the Action Plan.  A summary of the Committee’s questions, together with responses from the Department are set out below:  

·        Sustaining progress.  

The Committee recognised the achievements set out in the Action Plan.  However, given the pressure on resources Members asked for the Department’s view as to how the positive progress made to date can be sustained.    In response, the Committee were informed that, for example, some schools are struggling to find resource time to undertake activities that support the ‘Investors in Careers’ (IiC) award.  As a result the Department are helping to link Business Advisers to relevant schools so that they can provide additional support with some aspects of IiC work.    The Department also believe that over time it has refined its understanding of what activities have the most impact and that it has developed excellent working relationships with local schools.   These, and other factors, mean the Department are reasonably confident that the progress made to date is sustainable.

·        Work Placements for Year 10 pupils.   

The level of placements for Year 10 students has increased from 35% two years ago to 45% for the 2016/17 academic year.   Whilst recognising this progress, the Committee asked whether the Department are content with this figure and for its views on the challenges it is facing in achieving an increase in the number of Year 10 students being offered work placements next year.   In response, the Committee were informed that the Department believe the percentage rate in East Sussex compares favourably with national figures.  However, the Department are not content with this figure and believe that every young person should have the opportunity to participate in a work experience placement.   Given this the Department are exploring ways of expanding the service further so as to provide more work placement opportunities.   In terms of barriers to further progress, the Department accept that funding may present a challenge going forward as, for example, Colleges are charged for the service.  However, and with a view to encouraging maximum participation in the scheme, the Department are trying to ensure these charges are kept as low as possible.  In relation to this, feedback indicates that Colleges perceive the service as good value for money.

·        Employability Passport (EP). 

The Committee asked if Members could  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1    Councillor Galley introduced the work programme item by emphasising his goal of ensuring that where possible, future reviews and related recommendations have a focus on ‘looking forward’ and helping the Department develop effective policies that anticipate new challenges and opportunities.   

7.2              The Committee then discussed potential topics for future scrutiny reviews. The key discussion points are set out below.

7.3            How schools are coping with change.   The Committee discussed a range of significant developments/issues which schools are currently dealing with.   The Committee want to assess the potential impact of these developments on pupil attainment and school performance.   As a result, the Department were requested to provide further information to the Committee on these issues.   The key changes the Committee discussed included:

o   school funding issues, including data on school funding bids to the Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) and the impact this is having on under-performing schools;

o   the impact of the ‘Federate First’ programme (Federation First is a national campaign developed in 2016 by the National Governors Association to raise awareness of the advantages of federations to school improvement);

o   issues relating to pupil attainment and school performance within different Key Stages and the implementation of the Assessment Without Levels assessment framework;

o   whilst the Committee is interested in developing a clearer understanding of the impact of the key changes it has identified on all types of school within East Sussex, Members also have a specific interest in the sustainability of small schools; and

o   how schools are now increasingly making decisions regarding which services they purchase and the impact this may have on performance and attainment. 

7.4            In response, the Committee were informed that for a variety of reasons, it is currently difficult for the Department to provide a clear overview of the latest developments relating to the above factors.   For example, with regard to the National Funding Formula (NFF) the Department are waiting for the Government to issue guidance on how resources will be distributed at an individual school level.    Given the highly significant impact this may have on how schools operate, Members were advised to postpone undertaking a review of this area until the detail of the NFF is known.  

7.5       With regard conducting a further review within Key Stage 4, the Committee were also advised that the current year is the first year where a new assessment methodology is being applied.   As a result it will be very difficult for the Department to compare this year’s outcomes with previous years.  

7.6       Given the above advice, the Committee agreed to keep the above areas under review and would seek to identify at its next meeting in September 2017 what specific subjects might form the basis of a scrutiny review.

7.7       Children Centres.  The Committee also focused on the changing nature of Children’s Centres and related matters such as proposals to de-designate centres.  The Committee want to develop their understanding of these changes and to investigate their impact on both local communities and on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Forward Plan for the period to September 2017. The Committee is asked to make comments or request further information.

8.1       The Committee noted the Forward plan for the period to 30 September 2017.