Agenda and minutes

Resolved:- That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2^nd June, 2010 and be approved as a correct record.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Strategic Director of Children and Young People's Services stating that under the revised guidance for “inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children”, i.e. Working Together to Safeguard Children, published in March 2010, the first statutory annual report of the Local Safeguarding Children Board on the “effectiveness of safeguarding in the local area” has be published by 1st April, 2011. Included with the report was the Business Plan for 2010/11.

Resolved:- (1) That the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report for 2009/10 and Business Plan for 2010/11 be received and their contents noted.

(2) That every endeavour be made to ensure that effective complementary arrangements are in place to maximise the impact of the Local Safeguarding Children Board  first statutory annual report in March, 2011.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Finance Manager containing the Children and Young People’s Service Directorate unaudited Revenue Outturn (excluding schools delegated budgets) for 2009/10; the report showed an overspend of £3,944,414 against a net cash limited budget of £37,957,288, representing a variation of 10.39%. 

Members noted that:-

(i) this revenue outturn is before adjusting for the carry-forward of traded balances (£45,881 surplus);

(ii) the adjusted variance to budget is £3,990,295 overspent (10.51%);

(iii) this report contained a request for an earmarked balance to the value of £3,709, in respect of the Try Line Centre Partnership (income earned by the Partnership to be used to support the Playing for Success after School Programme which is provided to Rotherham Schools at no cost, with the Centre generating income to maintain this approach);

(iv) the revenue outturn position shows an improvement of £387,000 on the March, 2010 reported budget monitoring position.

It was also noted that a detailed report on Schools’ delegated balances will be submitted to the Cabinet Member and Advisers in late July, once information regarding planned use of balances has been obtained from the schools with balances higher than the Government’s threshold (5% Secondary, 8% other phases).

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

(2) That the Strategic Leadership Team and the Cabinet be asked to approve the request for an earmarked balance of £3,709, related to the Try Line Centre Partnership, to be carried forward to the 2010/11 revenue budget for Children and Young People's Services.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Finance Manager stating that the approved Children and Young People’s Services Directorate Capital Programme for 2009/10 was £20,594,029.  The actual spend against the programme in 2009/10 was £20,512,780, a variance of £81,249 under-spend (-0.4%).  The submitted report showed the capital budget out-turn (subject to external audit verification) for the financial year 2009/10.

Resolved:- That the 2009/10 capital out-turn report for Children and Young People's Services, as now submitted, be received and its contents noted.

Further to Minute No. 158 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People's Services held on 7^th April, 2010, consideration was given to a report presented by the Policy, Planning and Research Officer concerning the final draft of the Children and Young People's Plan 2010-2013, which includes new content for each area of focus, as well as the foreword and resourcing section.  The Equality Impact Assessment was also submitted and an action plan distributed at the meeting.

Discussion took place on the need to prepare a briefing note about the new Plan, for distribution to school governors.

Resolved:- (1) That the report, together with the Children and Young People's Plan 2010-2013 and accompanying documents be received and their contents noted.

(2) That the Plan and other documents be referred for consideration at the meeting of the Children’s Board, to be held on 21st June 2010.

Further to Minute No. D91 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People’s Services held on 2^nd December 2009, consideration was given to a report presented by the Director of Resources, Planning and Performance stating that the Coalition Government had announced that front line funding to schools will be protected and money allocated to individual school budgets for 2010/11 will not be affected by the Government’s proposed budget reductions. However, it has also been announced that efficiency savings are expected of schools and it is therefore critical that schools continue to offer good value for money through a range of measures including procurement and workforce deployment.

The Council’s ‘Valuable Lessons’ Action Plan identifies progress made in the three key areas of school support which the Audit Commission believed could be strengthened:-

: Financial support

: Staffing and purchasing in schools

: Accountability for value for money

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

(2) That the progress made against the Action Plan, arising from the Audit Commission’s recommendations in 2009, be noted.

Consideration was given to the contents of the minutes of the meeting of the Building Schools for the Future Project Board, held on 25^th May, 2010.

Resolved:- That the contents of the minutes be 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.

(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 Complaints Manager concerning performance for complaints in Children and Young People’s Services during 2009/2010, along with comparison to 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. The report also provided information about other types of enquiries and feedback handled by the Complaints and Customer Service Team, together with details of future service developments.

In brief, the following complaints were received; 122 people have made 262 complaint points at Stage 1, 12 people made 96 complaint points at stage 2, and 1 person escalated two of their Stage 2 complaints to a Stage 3 Review Panel (the panel was not convened in 2009/2010).

Resolved:- That the Children and Young People’s Services Annual Report for Comments and Complaints 2009/2010 be received and its contents noted.

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

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

Further to Minute No. 135 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People’s Services held on 11^th February, 2009, consideration was given to a report presented by the Assistant Head of School Effectiveness outlining the progress to date with the planning and commissioning education business partnership services to meet the needs of the 14-19 cohort for work-related learning. 

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

(2) That approval be granted for the exemption, in accordance with Standing Order 38 (exemptions from contract standing orders) to allow a one year extension to the existing contract with the current education business partnership services provider, Business and Education South Yorkshire, until 31st August, 2011, to ensure continuity of service delivery and to enable the longer term strategic planning and commissioning activity to be agreed and implemented.

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

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

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Principal Catering Officer containing the out-turn trading position for the Education Catering Service for the financial year 2009/2010. In addition, the report provided a summary of the Service’s action, to date, to work in partnership to promote Healthy Eating and increase the take-up of school meals.

Reference was also made to the agreed contribution to the deficit carry-forward and the suggested increase in the price of a school meal.

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

(2) That the increase in the price of a school meal by five pence, with effect from September, 2010, be approved.

(3) That the deficit recovery to be achieved over the next three years, as detailed in the report submitted, be approved.

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