Draft minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 8^th February, 2012, were approved as a correct record subject to the correction of those in attendance.

Early Help Strategy Launch and Children and Young People’s Health Summit

27^th April, 2012 at Rockingham Teachers’ Centre

LAC Council would receive development money for 2012/13 which had previously been the activities budget.

The Youth Cabinet at their last session led the safeguarding of young people on the agenda.  They also wished to raise their concerns regarding the parks in Rotherham and fear of gangs.

Rotherham Parent Carer Forum

Funding had been secured from the Early Intervention Grant to support the a Parent and Child Charter for the coming year.

Work also taking place around the issue of School Transport Post-16.

Following discussion at the previous meeting, Warren Carratt, Service Manager, Strategy, Standards and Development, submitted a progress report on integrated working, a cross cutting priority in the Children and Young People’s Workforce Strategy developed via the commitment to 3 strategic priorities:-

-        Effective leadership

-        Multi-agency working

-        Ensuring capacity to deliver

Much workforce development activity was already underway given the CYPS Notice to Improve and the inter-dependencies with the wider partnership and multi-agency working.  Additionally, the launch of the Prevention and Early Intervention Strategy in 2010 saw workforce development activity identified, specific to multi-agency working around the Common Assessment Framework.  The Transforming Rotherham Learning Strategy for Change also accounted for a large proportion of the leadership development priority.

The unannounced Ofsted inspection in May, 2011, reported workforce development as a strength in Safeguarding Services.  The Peer Review Team had also felt that Rotherham’s multi-agency working was a strength particularly in the newly emerging world of Health and Wellbeing Boards.

It was an evolving picture as to the way forward at the moment.  Martin Kimber was the lead Chief Executive in Yorkshire and the Humber for the Children’s Improvement Board and there would be £.25M available for the region.  It was suggested that partners with training budgets should pool together their resources and maximise instead of each doing their own.

Agreed:-  (1)  That the achievements made against the Strategy to date be noted.

(2)  That discussion take place with partner organisations with regard to training opportunities and policing of budgets.

Sarah Whittle submitted the proposed revised terms of reference for the Children, Young People and Families Partnership and Think Family Strategic Group for consideration together with a Rotherham Partnership structure for Children, Young Peoples and Families.

Discussion took place on the structure with suggestions made on the diagrammatic style of showing linkage to Adults.  It was felt that there should be a structure illustrating how the Partnership functioned and secondly a structure for how the governance operated.

Agreed:-  (1)  That the Safer Rotherham Partnership be included in the revised Rotherham Partnership structure.

(2)  That further work take place on the Partnership structure as stated above and brought back to the next meeting.

Jenny Lingrell presented Rotherham’s Early Help Strategy to Reduce Inequalities for Families, a refresh of the Prevention and Early Intervention Strategy, which was to be launched on 27^th April, 2012.

The previous Prevention and Early Intervention Strategy was launched in 2010 and, although the commitment was undiminished, the context in which it must be delivered had changed significantly not least of which was the change in Government.

The document set out the strategic position and vision for children, young people and families in the Borough.  It would balance the needs across the range of need and from pre-birth up to the age of 25 and beyond as it was recognised that the Authority must work with partners who delivered support to parents who may have their own problems and areas of vulnerability.

The pledge remained the same and represented a multi-agency commitment to work together to realise the vision and had 5 strategic objectives:-

-        To identify the needs of children, young people and their families (across the continuum of need)

-        To understand and respond quickly to the needs of children and young people and families (across the continuum of need)

-        To support the refocusing of resources from crisis intervention to prevention

-        To mitigate the effects of child poverty (including health inequalities) by supporting families to fulfil their potential

-        To provide the context for multi-agency partnerships to work together to improve outcomes for children, young people and families

Discussion ensued on the document with various issues highlighted including;-

-        CAF

-        Mapping exercise

-        Measuring of outcomes and impact

-        Workforce development/training

-        CART

-        Need to recognise Invest to Save

-        Benefits Service was there to help the whole family not just those 19+

-        Data sharing working group

-        Capturing intelligence

Consultation was still taking place but would end on 31^st March.

Agreed:-  (1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That any final comments be forwarded to Jenny Lingrell before the consultation deadline.

Deborah Johnson presented the CYPS Audit of Need Refresh and Developments 2012.

The JSNA continued to be refreshed annually and incorporated a specific section on Children and Young People.  However, locally it was felt by some that this part had lost the scale, scope and importance of the work and remit of the Children, Young People and Families Partnership.  To address this, the Audit of Need was to be refreshed ensure wider engagement and usefulness across a variety of audiences.  The executive summary of the audit of need would then become the children and young people’s section in the 2012 JSNA.

It was proposed that the Audit’s format would build upon the success of the 500 babies model and help tell the story of a child growing up and living within Rotherham today.  It would demonstrate how the Children and Young Peoples’ Partnership was responding to local needs and help shape their priorities for the future with a particular emphasis on prevention, early intervention and child poverty.

Due to resources, it would mainly be an online document based on the ‘Data Story’ model which had proved popular within learning communities.  It could be updated individually as data was available or when required rather than when the full audit was refreshed.

Work had already commenced to gather the required intelligence from across the Partnership.  The completion of the Audit of Need would be a phased process with the first analysis being available online by mid-April.

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised:-

-        Children and Young People needed to be properly represented in the JSNA

-        Should it follow life cycle?

-        Consultation with commissioners

-        Were the priorities correct?

-        Local knowledge

Agreed:-  That the report be noted.

Phil Morris, Business Manager, Rotherham Local Safeguarding Board, submitted for information the draft annual report 2011-12.

It was noted that the finalised document would be submitted June, 2012 and that there was to be an all Member Seminar.

Agreed:- (1)  That the finalised report be submitted in June.

(2)  That Partnership members informed Phil Morris or Alan Hazell of any areas they particularly wished to have detailed discussion on when the final report was on the agenda.

Peer Review

The Chairman reported that he was to speak next week to the LGA on the benefits or otherwise of the peer review process.

Agreed:-  That meetings be held as follows in the Town Hall, Rotherham:-

Wednesday, 23^rd May, 2012

Wednesday, 18^th July

Wednesday, 19^th September

Wednesday, 21^st November.