Agenda and minutes

Resolved:- That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th February, 2010 be approved as a correct record.

Resolved:- That the contents of the minutes of the meeting of the Children’s Board held on 3^rd February, 2010 be noted.

Simon Perry and Paul Grimwood, report authors

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Youth Offending Services Manager concerning the funding of Youth Offending Services. The report stated that the Youth Justice Board had not, to date, given an indication of the level of grant funding for these Services in 2010/11. Discussion took place on the implications of any reduction in this funding and the preparatory actions the Council needed to consider in response.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People's Services be informed, in due course, of the Youth Justice Board’s decision on grant funding for 2010/11.

Tim Littlewood, report author

Further to Minute No. D108 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People’s Services held on 20th January, 2010, consideration was given to a report presented by the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services concerning the Children and Young People’s Services’ Improvement Plan summary.  Members noted that detailed regular monitoring continues to take place against a number of actions across several themes. The report had also been submitted to the Improvement Panel, chaired by the Council’s Chief Executive. 

The report provided an overview of the progress made since the Minister of State’s Notice to Improve was received and identified areas of good performance and key risks to meeting the stretching targets set for the Council and its strategic partners.

Members were informed that:-

(i) performance against all three of the social work Reference, Initial and Core Assessment national indicators has improved since the Notice to Improve was agreed; further work is being carried out to increase performance levels;

(ii) as at Quarter 2 (2009/10), 70% of the Children and Young People's Services’ related Local Area Agreement 2008-2011 targets had improved from their baseline positions when the Local Area Agreement was agreed; and

(iii) the Council is currently working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families on a plan which addresses performance across primary schools, with a particular focus on addressing the performance of schools below the floor targets.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the progress being made against the targets set in the Notice to Improve be welcomed.

(3) That further progress reports continue to be submitted to the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People's Services.

Julie Westwood and Deborah Johnson, report authors

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Performance Manager outlining the performance of the Children and Young People's Services’ Directorate at the end of the third quarter 2009/10 (December 2009). The report provided analysis against targets, direction of travel against previous performance and, where possible, comparisons with the statistical neighbour local authorities and national data.

Members noted the positive direction of travel across all themes, with 66% of indicators improving or maintaining top performance since the previous report. Actions were being taken to improve those indicators currently not meeting target.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the Performance Report and the accompanying Assessment and performance table be received and the performance noted.

(3) That the recommendations regarding performance clinics be approved.

(4) That the report be submitted to the Children’s Board.

Julie Westwood and Deborah Johnson, report authors

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Director of Resources, Planning and Performance, concerning the School Survey, a collaborative tool developed by the Audit Commission in partnership with Ofsted, local authorities and with Headteacher and School Governor Associations. The report stated that the survey is confidential and aims to collect information on views of the services and support provided or procured for schools, children and young people in Rotherham. The survey encompassed the whole Council, not only education services.

Included within the report and appendices were the Rotherham schools' responses to the questions in the ‘core’ survey, which covered six areas:-

being healthy;                                                  making a positive contribution;

staying safe;                                                    achieving economic wellbeing;

enjoying and achieving;                                   service management.

It was noted that the survey had been conducted online during a six weeks’ period during the Summer term, 2009 and the overall picture for 2009 was very positive compared to the previous year.

Resolved:- That the report be received and its contents noted.

The following items are likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under those paragraphs, indicated below, of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

Resolved:- That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in those paragraphs, indicated below, of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as amended.

David Hill, report author

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council))

Consideration was given to a report presented by the School Organisation, Planning and Development Manager concerning the Council’s proposal to consult on the amalgamation of the Maltby Crags Infant School and the Maltby Crags Junior School. The report stated that the amalgamation would be achieved by the closure of the Junior School and the change of age range of the Infant School from 3 - 7 years to 3 – 11 years. The new School would have 420 places (Reception to Year 6) with a Nursery Unit of up to 78 places, which is the same as the combined number of the two existing schools and an admission number of 60 pupils. It was proposed that the amalgamation would take effect at the beginning of the 2010/2011 academic year in September, 2010.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That a pre-statutory consultation take place on the proposal to amalgamate the Maltby Crags Infant School and the Maltby Crags Junior School, as described and in accordance with timetable contained in the report now submitted.

(3) That a further report, detailing the outcome of the consultation process, be submitted to a future meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People's Services.

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act – information relating to financial or business affairs)

Sue May, report author

(Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act – information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual)

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services concerning an application from a couple who are approved foster carers, for financial assistance from the Council towards the costs of looking after a child whom they have now adopted. The application was being and considered in accordance with the provisions of the Adoption Support Services (Local Authority) (England) Regulations 2003.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the application be approved and financial support be provided to the adopters as detailed in the report now submitted.

(Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act – information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual)