Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made at this meeting.

FOR DECISION

Agreed:- (1) That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel, held on 23rd September, 2009, be approved as a correct record.

(2) That a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel in respect of Minute No. 14 of the 23^rd September 2009 Sub-Panel meeting (housing priority and post 16 academic support for looked after children studying in further and higher education).

(3) That future agendas for meetings of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel shall include a glossary of the definition of the terms in use in the various subject reports submitted to the Sub-Panel meetings.

FOR MONITORING

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Senior Scrutiny Adviser which referred to the scrutiny review, undertaken during 2005 by the former Social and Community Support Scrutiny Panel, into the Role of Councillors as Corporate Parents.  Since that scrutiny review, the Care Matters White Paper had been published in 2006, initiating a continuing programme to improve outcomes for children and young people in care. The recommendations arising from the scrutiny review and how these relate to the wider governance arrangements for corporate parenting have not been re-examined in recent years. As part of its work programme, the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel agreed to revisit the 2005 review to examine whether the recommendations are still fit for purpose and accord with accepted good practice.

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

(2) That a working group of councillors be established to revisit the 2005 scrutiny report on the ‘Role of the Councillor as Corporate Parent’, and review current corporate parenting activity, drawing upon national best practice and inspection guidance; the membership of this working group shall comprise Councillors Austen, Burton and Dodson and others to be appointed.

(3) That the recommendations emerging from this working group review be reported to a future meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel and forwarded to the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People’s Services for consideration.

Further to Minute No. 23 of the meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel held on 25^th March, 2009, consideration was given to a report presented by the Looked After Children Service Manager concerning the inspection of Rotherham’s Fostering Services which had taken place during the week commencing 22nd June, 2009. This report summarised the findings of the inspection, listed the actions required to improve provision and the recommendations made to improve provision and also described the resource implications.

The inspection recorded an overall outcome of Satisfactory, with ‘good’ scores across four areas. The inspectors commented positively on the progress made during the last year, especially in reducing the number of placements requiring an exemption to acceptable numbers and in the development of a robust risk assessment procedure.

The Scrutiny Sub-Panel noted that there were a number of actions required by the Service and an action plan is in place to address this work. Discussion took place on the significant budget pressures upon the fostering services.

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

(2) That the various actions outlined in the submitted action plan be endorsed.

(3) That a further report describing the progress of the various actions be submitted to the meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Panel to be held on Wednesday, 30^th June, 2010.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Looked After Children Service Manager concerning a recent (May, 2009) Law Lords judgement (G vs Southwark), which considered how local authorities support homeless 16 and 17 year olds. The legal case tested the circumstances in which local authorities should provide accommodation for this age group and the legislation that should apply. The judgement concluded that the duties of local authorities to accommodate children in need cannot be circumvented by referring the young person to the housing authority. The case has profound implications for local authority children’s services.

The report also referred to the position of unaccompanied asylum seeking young people, including support arrangements, accommodation support, support in relation to their status as looked after children and financial arrangements, as informed by a 2003 High Court judgement, (R v London Borough of Hillingdon and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills).

Discussion took place on the financial implications of this Law Lords judgement. Members requested clarification of the amounts of grant claimed by local authorities providing services for unaccompanied asylum seeking young people. There was also reference to a seminar for local authority children’s services, organised by the Home Office and taking place in Manchester on 7^th December, 2009, to consider further the implications of the Law Lords judgement.

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

(2) That further information about this matter be reported to the next meeting of the Looked After Children Scrutiny Sub-Panel.

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 20^th November 2009, there were 398 looked after children, 29 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.

Further discussion took place on the reported figures and how they were recorded and validated on the computer record system (SWIFT). Reference was also made to the number ‘not recorded’.

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

Consideration of this report was deferred until the next meeting.

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):-

Agreed:- 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 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 findings of Ofsted following the unannounced inspection on 5th and 8th October, 2009 of the St. Edmund’s Avenue Children’s Home, Thurcroft. The report also detailed the response of the Looked After Children service team.

Members noted that this was an unannounced key inspection to check the home’s capacity to meet the outcome areas of being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, achieving economic well being and organisation.

The Scrutiny Sub-Panel requested further details of the response of the Looked After Children service team to the various issues raised by the Ofsted inspection.

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

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

(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 September to November, 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 (formerly Creswick Road);

- 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.

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

(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:-

- events and activities – preparation and participation (eg: SWAMP circus);

- awareness day;

- approach to the Council’s Youth Services to employ a youth worker to work with the Looked After Children Council;

- publication of the second edition of the magazine for Looked after Children (the Magazina);

- investigation of alternative sources of funding for the LAC Council;

- arranging a further meeting with Elected Members of the Borough Council.

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

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