Agenda and minutes

- to receive minutes

The minutes of a previous meeting held on 21^st March, 2006 were agreed as a correct record.

- to receive minutes

The minutes of a meeting of the Rotherham Cultural Consortium held on 22^nd February, 2006 were agreed as a correct record.

- to note the forecast outturn for 2005/06 and forecast costs to the end of March, 2006

The Strategic Finance Officer reported on the eighth Budget Monitoring Report for Culture and Leisure Services in 2005/06, and the fifth separate report for the service.  The report reflected the organisational change which had resulted in the formal cessation of the Education, Culture and Leisure Services Programme Area, and the creation of the Children and Young People’s Services Programme Area on 1^st October, 2005.

The current forecast was for the service to achieve a balanced budget by the end of the financial year.  This was in line with the forecast outturn reported at the end of January 2006.

The balanced position would be achieved through the implementation of a number of management actions and funding decisions agreed by Cabinet on 25^th January, 2006.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the forecast outturn for 2005/06 based on actual costs to 28^th February, 2006 and forecast costs to the end of March, 2006 be noted.

(2)  That the situation with regard to the finance trading position of the School Meals Service be clarified for the Cabinet Member and Advisors.

- to note the forecast outturn for 2005/06 and forecast costs to the end of March, 2006

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Strategic Finance Officer, on the current situation with regard to Budget Monitoring for Culture and Leisure Services.

This is the eighth Budget Monitoring Report for Culture and Leisure Services in 2005/06 and the fifth separate report for the service, reflecting the organisational change which had resulted in the formal cessation of the Education, Culture and Leisure Services Programme Area and the creation of the Children and Young People’s Services Programme Area on 1^st October, 2005.

The current forecast was for the service to achieve a balanced budget by the end of the financial year.  This was in line with the forecast outturn reported at the end of January, 2006.

The balanced position would be achieved through the implementation of a number of management actions and funding decisions agreed at Cabinet on 25^th January, 2006.

Resolved:-  That the forecast outturn for 2005/06 based on actual costs to 28^th February, 2006 and forecast costs to the end of March 2006 be noted.

- to note the report

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Service - Learning which outlined the progress on Rotherham Children’s Centres Programme and Extended Services.

Children’s centres are at the heart of the Government’s Every Child Matters: Change for Children Programme.  They are a key vehicle for providing services that families need.  By 2010 there will be 3,500 – one for every community.

Children’s Centres will play a central role in improving outcomes for all young children, and in reducing the inequalities in outcomes between the most disadvantaged children and the rest.  Although they need to reflect different local needs, in all areas they will be a central part of a Local Authority’s provision for young children and their families.

The Local Authority is moving from a range of local initiatives to a mainstream service.  While the evaluation of the first Sure Start Local Programmes has shown some benefits for the majority of families, there are important messages about what the LA needs to improve as Children’s Centres are rolled out across the borough.

The report set out information on the following:-

-                         the six designated Children’s Centres within Phase 1

-                         Centres to be designated by May and September 2006

-                         Phase 2 – target to create an additional eight Children’s Centres by 31^st March, 2008 – Proposed areas not served by a Children’s Centre and within or reaching into the 30% areas of disadvantage are Catcliffe/Brinsworth, Broom Valley/Stag/Whiston, Thorpe Hesley, AnstonPark, Bramley/Wickersley, Brampton, Swinton/Kilnhurst and Wales/Kiveton and Dinnington

-                         Areas not served by a Children’s Centre and within or reaching into the 30% areas of disadvantage

-                         Finance

-                         Funding

Further feasibility studies will be undertaken to identify suitable sites for the Children’s Centre base(s), however outreach delivery of services in a variety of venues and home visiting will be a key component of Children’s Centre developments.  Unlike Phase 1 Children’s Centres, there is no associated target to create additional childcare provision.

Local area agreements will be an important focus of the work contributing towards bringing all interested parties together and the integration of services to better meet the needs of children, young people, families and their communities.

Extended Services

Where Children’s Centres focus on services for the 0 to 5 age range and their families, the extended schools programme takes this vision through to support school-age pupils, their families and the wider community.

Having piloted schools delivering services and opportunities other than education through Full Service Extended Schools, the DfES are further developing this to enable all schools to contribute to the provision of a core offer covering a range of services to their communities.

It is proposed that the second phase training phase commencing in the summer term 2006 will cover schools from the Dinnington and Wales cluster.  The training will also involve the Rawmarsh cluster including RawmarshCommunity School – already a Full ServiceSchool, who are contributing to the training and development of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 206.