Agenda and minutes

63.1   RESOLVED to agree as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 26 October 2018.

64.1     Apologies were received from Councillor Jim Sheppard and Shirin White,

RHM Acorns at Dorset Road.

Disclosure 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.

65.1     There were none.

Notification of items which the Chair considers to be urgent and proposes to take at the end of 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 urgently.

66.1     There were none.

Report by Director of Children's Services.

67.1     The Panel considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services which provided an update on Looked After Children (LAC) statistics.

67.2     The Panel were informed by Liz Rugg, Assistant Director, Early Help and Social Care, that at the end of December 2018 ESCC had 615 children in care, which is a reduction of 2 over the quarter. The Panel were informed that the Christmas period can limit activity both within the teams and in the Courts.

67.3     The Panel were informed that the numbers of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) has increased from 26 to 38 over the quarter. This rise was due to a combination of transfers under the dispersal scheme and a rise in spontaneous arrivals.

67.4     RESOLVED:   to note the report.

68.1     The Panel considered a report by the East Sussex Foster Care Association (ESFCA) which presented an update on the work of the charity. The Chair of the Association, Susanne Beesley, was present to introduce the report and highlight the activities undertake by ESFCA, and the plans for future development. These included:

·   Luggage: ESFCA have distributed over 200 luggage bags to young people in need. This prevents young people from moving their belongings in black bags and also creates a stock of luggage which can be used by the Duty and Assessment Teams in emergencies.

·  PGL, action and adventure: ESFCA provided 3 PGL residential trips for 57 LAC (Looked After Children). The Panel were informed of the importance of these trips in building lasting memories and relationships both between young people and with their social workers. In October 2017 ESFCA also provided PGL trips for 25 children and young people from families who foster, the Panel were informed of the importance of saying thank you to these children and young people.

·  Legoland trip:  The children’s charity Merlin’s Magic Wand funded a trip for 52 children and their carers to Legoland in Windsor.

·  Sibling Sunshine project:  This project brings together siblings that have been separated in the care system for day trips and residential stays at Butlin’s. These trips help bring children together to create family bonds and lasting memories. 

68.2     The Panel praised the important work of ESFCA and thanked the Association for the help and support it provides.

68.3     RESOLVED:   to note the report.

69.1   The Panel received an updated from two members of the Children in Care Council (CiCC) who spoke about the work they have been involved with and highlighted the following projects.

·         Backpacks: the CiCC have received funding from ESFCA to provide backpacks to all children entering into care. These backpacks contain items such as shower gel, toothbrushes, hair brushes, socks and soft toys for the younger children.  The items have been specifically picked by the CiCC as they help towards making the children in care feel at home. 

·         Mental Health: the CiCC have been delivering assemblies at local schools to highlight the importance of mental health issues. The importance of having an open dialogue and awareness of mental health issues are going to be key focus for the CiCC in 2019.

·         Online Safety: the CiCC informed Members of their ongoing focus on online safety. They highlighted the negative impact that social media and cyber bullying has on young people and informed Members that these areas would be focussed on with their mental health campaigns.

69.2     The Panel discussed the rise of mental health problems in young people and how social media should be considered a key factor in this growing issue.

69.3     RESOLVED: to receive an update from the CiCC and to thank the young people for their hard work and important contributions.

70.1     There were none.

To consider excluding the public and press from the meeting for the next two agenda items on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in Category 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), namely information relating to any individual.

71.1     The Panel agreed to exclude the press and public for the next agenda items on the basis that if they were present there would be disclosure to them of information considered to be exempt by virtue of Category 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), namely information relating to any individual.

72.1     The Panel considered reports received from Ofsted on the following services:

a)    Lansdowne Secure Unit

b)    The Bungalow

72.2     The Panel discussed the importance of strong record keeping and ensuring that all staff are familiar with the polices regarding keeping records.

72.3     The Panel welcomed the positive outcomes of the Ofsted reports and praised the hard work of the staff.

72.4     RESOLVED: to note the reports.

73.1     The Panel considered Regulation 44 Reports for the period October 2018 – December 2018 for the following Children’s Homes:

a) Acorns at Dorset Road

b) Brodrick House

c) Hazel Lodge

d) Homefield Cottage

e) Lansdowne Secure Unit

f) The Bungalow, Sorrell Drive

73.2     Each Registered Home Manager (RHM) gave a verbal update on activity at the home covering the period since the last Panel meeting.

73.3     The Panel discussed the challenges of the Christmas period. The RHM’s informed the Panel that this period can be busy for staff and difficult for children, and that their goal during this period is to maintain a positive atmosphere within the homes.

73.4     The Panel commended the hard work of all staff at the homes.

73.5     RESOLVED: to note the reports.

74.1     There were none.