Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made at this meeting.

Agreed:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel, held on 8th July, 2009, be approved as a correct record.

- for discussion.

Further to Minute No. 9 of the meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel held on 8^th July, 2009, consideration was given to a report, presented by the Manager of the Get Real Team, concerning the support and encouragement provided for children who live in state care to stay on at school or college after the official school-leaving age.

The report stated that the Government’s Care Matters agenda, set out in the Green Paper and the subsequent White Paper “Time for Change” (2007) outlined the support which young people could expect when entering higher education. This support includes:-

: applicants coming from care backgrounds can be identified and supported during the admission process and once they begin their studies;

: introducing a national bursary, requiring local authorities to provide a minimum of £2,000 for all young people in care who go on to University;

: giving young people a choice of vacation accommodation while they are studying.

In addition, under Section 20 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008, schools have a duty to appoint a Designated Teacher and Designated Governor to have responsibility to promote the educational achievement of looked after children who are registered pupils at the school (the designated teacher duty became a statutory role from 1st September 2009).

Included with the report was a copy of the document entitled “Going to University from Care”, published by the Institute of Education (University of London).

The Scrutiny Sub-Panel also heard from Mary-Ann Barton (Action for Children Bridges Project) and from Ian Munton (University of Sheffield), who spoke about the support provided for Looked After Children who wished to go on to study at University.

The Scrutiny Sub-Panel’s discussion of this item included the following salient points:-

- financial support for Looked After Children studying at University;

- choice of University, either local or much further afield;

- Personal Education Plans and raising the aspirations of looked After Children;

- student retention rates;

- housing for Looked After Children who return from University during holiday periods;

- links with local Colleges in Rotherham;

- this Council’s performance in relation to the various recommendations of the document entitled “Going to University from Care”, published by the Institute of Education.

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

(2) That the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People’s Services be requested to examine and report back to this Scrutiny Sub-Panel whether any service alterations are required in order to improve the provision of support for Looked After Children who aspire to continue with their education beyond statutory school leaving age and particularly in respect of:-

- maintaining housing priority for those students who study out of the area and may wish to return on the conclusion of their course;

- post 16 academic support from the Get Real Team.

(3) That the development of links with local Colleges through Local Authority nominated Governors be supported.

Sue May/Simon Perry to report.

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Looked After Children Service Manager, concerning the developments within the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ agenda, the results of an initial gap analysis of Rotherham provision in respect of the Care Matters agenda and progress made to improve provision for Rotherham’s looked after children.

The report stated that the Care Matters agenda contains a range of required actions for local authorities and timescales for implementation.

The submitted report provided details of progress made after the full review of the Care Matters agenda and the gap analysis of service provision within Rotherham. This agenda has implications for the whole of Children’s and Young People’s Services Directorate. Service provision is considered to be good and many aspects of the proposed legislation are incorporated within existing practice. Where gaps have been identified, action plans have been developed to ensure compliance. Details of the actions being taken were included in the report.

Discussion took place on the various key aspects of the Care Matters agenda and the actions being taken by the Borough Council:-

- corporate parenting;

- family and parenting support;

- care placements;

- delivering a first class education;

- promoting the health and well-being of looked after children;

- the transition to adulthood of looked after children;

- the role of the social work practitioner.

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

(2) That the various actions, as described in the report now submitted, to ensure compliance with the Government’s Care Matters agenda, be endorsed.

(3) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel detailing the statutory role of the designated teacher for looked after children.

Sue May to report.

The Looked After Children Service Manager submitted a report providing the quarterly statistics and profile of the number of looked after children and young people in Rotherham. The report stated that, as at 7^th September 2009, there were 400 looked after children, 28 of whom were supported by the children’s disability team. This number was an increase from 353 children in June 2008 and 391 in March, 2009, but a decrease from 409 in June, 2009.

Statistics were included in the report of the type of care received by looked after children and young people, their age range, type of care order and ethnic backgrounds.

Discussion took place on the reported figures and how they were recorded and validated on the computer record system (SWIFT).

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

Simon Perry, Director of Targeted Services, to report.

Consideration of this item was deferred until the next meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel, to be held on 2nd December, 2009, to enable the updated action plan to be reported.

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 March 2006):-

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 Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended (information likely to reveal the identity of an individual).

Morri McDermott, Operations Manager – to report.

(Exempt under Paragraphs 2 and 3 - information likely to reveal identity of an individual/information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular individual (including the Council)

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Operations Manager, Provider Services containing a summary of the main issues and events occurring in Children’s Homes during the period June to August, 2009. The report referred to the mainstream Children’s Homes which are:

- Goodwin Crescent Children’s Home at Swinton;

- St. Edmunds Avenue Children’s Home at Thurcroft;

- Silverwood Children’s Home, East Herringthorpe;

- Woodview Children’s Home, Kimberworth Park (formerly Studmoor Road).

The report and appended action plans provided information about the visits and reports made under Regulation 33 of the Children’s Homes Regulations 2001.

Reference was made to the implications of the inspections of the children’s homes undertaken by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

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

Anne Marie Banks to report.

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

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Looked After Children Service Manager outlining the duties placed upon local authorities within the Care Matters agenda to put into place new processes to hear the voice of the looked after child and to ensure that their needs are listened to and responded to. The report also detailed the progress made towards these requirements, in Rotherham.

The report included details of the membership of the Looked After Children (LAC) Council. The work of the LAC Council has included:-

- work on the Borough Council and LAC Council’s ’pledge’ to Looked after Children;

- networking with other LAC Councils;

- a visit to London as part of the London Ministerial Stock;

- development of a magazine for Looked after Children (the Magazina);

- Summer holiday activities and planning for a residential outing in Derbyshire later this year.

Agreed:- That the report be received and the good progress of the Looked After Children Council be noted.