Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families’ Services held on 18th July, 2012, were considered. 

Resolved: -  That the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed as an accurate record for signature by the Chairman. 

• Eastbourne, 24th - 26th October, 2012.

Resolved: -  That the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families’ Services (or their representative) be authorised to attend the National Children and Adult Services Conference to he held in Eastbourne between 24th and 26th October, 2012. 

The Performance and Quality Manager, Commissioning, Policy and Performance, Resources Directorate, reported on the 2011/12 outturn of Children and Young People’s Services performance indicators.  This information included: -

• 2011/12 outturn against targets;
• Direction of travel against  previous year performance;
• Comparisons against statistical and national data. 

Children and Young People’s Services performance indicators were structured to reflect the five Corporate Plan Priorities.  The report provided a commentary of the work that was ongoing and Appendix A displayed the performance rating set under the RAG status.  

Priority 1: -  Making Sure no community is left behind: -

• Proportion of children living in poverty.

Priority 2: -  Providing quality education; ensuring people have opportunities to improve skills, learn and get a job: -

• Achievement at level 4 or above in both English and Maths at Key Stage 2;
• Achievement of 5 or more A* to C grates at GCSE or equivalent, including English and Maths;
• Achievement of a level 3 qualification by the age of 19;
• Inequality gap in the achievement of a Level 2 qualification by the age of 19;
• Secondary schools judged as having good or outstanding standards of behaviour;
• Progression by two levels in English between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2;
• Progression by two levels in Maths between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2;
• Looked after children reaching level 4 in Maths at Key Stage 2;
• Looked after children achieving 5 A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) at Key Stage 4 (including English and Maths);
• Achievement gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers achieving the expected level at Key Stages 2 and 4;
• The Special Educational Needs (SEN)/ non-SEN gap – achieving Key Stage 2 English and Maths threshold and achieving 5 A*-C GCSEs, including English and Maths;
• 16 to 18 year olds who are not in education, training or employment (NEET). 

Priority 3: -  Ensuring Care and protection are available for those people who need it most: -

• Percentage of core assessments for children’s social care that were carried out within 35 working days of their commencement;
• Timeliness of placements of looked after children for adoption following an agency decision that the child should be placed for adoption;
• Stability of placements of looked after children: length of placement. 

Priority 4: -  Helping create safe and healthy communities: -

• Take up of school lunches;
• Obesity among primary school age children in Year 6. 

Priority 5: - Improving the environment: -

• There were no Children and Young People’s Services indicators under this priority. 

It was noted that some of the data within the 2011/12 outturn was now out of date, including that in relation to Key Stages 2 and 4 outcomes. 

Resolved: -  (1)  That the 2011/12  Performance Indicator outturn report be noted. 

(2)  That the report be submitted to the Children, Young People and Families Partnership for their information. 

Consideration was given to the report presented on behalf of the Strategic Commissioner that outlined options for taking forward the provisions of the Department for Education Green Paper ‘Support and Aspirations: a New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability’. 

The Green Paper had been released in March, 2011, and sought to improve outcomes for children and young people, minimise the adversarial nature of the system and maximise value for money.  By 2014, it was an intention that all families would be entitled to a personal budget that included funding for education, health and social care. 

The five main areas of proposed changes were: -

• Early Identification and Support;
• Giving Parents Control;
• Learning and Achieving;
• Preparing for Adulthood;
• Service working together for families. 

There were a number of strategic commissioning issues arising from the Green Paper: - 

• Supporting 0 – 25 year olds with disability or special educational needs;
• Personal budget options to families by 2014;
• Early (and earlier) intervention and prevention;
• Joint working – health, social care and education;
• Partnerships – in and across agencies, communities and the Voluntary and Community sector;
• Parental participation – individual and strategic level through consultation;
• Structural and cultural change;
• Focus on outcomes. 

A number of pathfinder pilots would take place in the future to test the core elements of the reform.  There were a number of ongoing pilots involving Local Authorities that covered: -

·        Developing a health and education care plan from birth to 25 years;

·        Personal budgets.

Learning from the pilots would be embedded into future policy. 

The Green Paper offered the opportunity to develop a strategic and co-ordinated partnership approach and for partners to work together to develop joint, integrated commissioning and service delivery. 

In Rotherham, it was proposed that a Project Group be established to act as the overarching body to respond to the new requirements.  Issues of focus would include: -

·        Education, Health and Care Plans;

·        Personal Budgets;

·        Market facilitation;

·        Market management;

·        Workforce and human resource implications;

Task and finish groups would sit underneath the Project Group.  Sub-Groups would be initiated that focussed on Finance and Resource Allocation, Personal Budgets, Consultation, Commissioning, HR and Education. 

The proposed Project Group would report to the proposed Joint CYPS Commissioning Group, who would in turn report to the Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group, the Children and Young People’s Partnership and the Health and Wellbeing Board. 

Discussion ensued on the proposals.  The risks and opportunities associated with the provisions of the Green Paper were contained in the report, but a fuller analysis was required. 

The Cabinet Member fully supported the principles and approach of the Project Group.  However, due to the cross-cutting nature of the issues involved, the report would need to be referred to the Cabinet.  The report as submitted did not include a sufficient analysis of the risks and opportunities inherent in the work.  These should be included in the report submitted to Cabinet. 

Resolved: -  (1)  That the Cabinet Member endorses the proposed strategic approach to respond to the Green  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

Consideration was given to the report presented on behalf of the Strategic Commissioning Manager, Resources Directorate, which outlined the arrangements for commissioning on behalf of Rotherham MBC. 

It was noted that Rotherham NHS and the Council planned well together as partners and there were established good practice in relation to joint commissioning around Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHs), substance misuse and disability short breaks, but changes were required in relation to the development of joint commissioning plans against the national and local priorities of the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and 29 outcomes going forward.  Taking forward the DfE SEN Green Paper, ‘Support and Aspirations’ would also require greater partnership working. 

There was currently no overarching group or body that oversaw the strategic direction of commissioning for Children and Young People’s Services across Health, Public Health, Social Care and Education.

It was proposed that a Joint NHS and Rotherham Children, Young People’s and Families’ Commissioning Group be established that: - 

·        Worked alongside the Children, Young People and Families’ Partnership;

·        Accountable to the Health and Wellbeing Board and Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group;

·        Tasked with taking forward a strategic approach for commissioning of Children and Young People’s Services;

·        Considered intelligence from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and other local intelligence;

·        Was responsive to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy;

·        Was responsible for meeting the recommendations of the Peer Review of 2011 and the Ofsted inspection of 2012;

·        Membership would include: -

o       NHS Clinical Commissioning Group;

o       Social Care;

o       Education;

o       Voluntary Sector. 

Discussion ensued and the Cabinet Member confirmed his support for the principle of undertaking joint commissioning as there were clear benefits and opportunities for improving outcomes for children, young people and families.  Due to the cross-cutting nature of the report, it was requested that the report be referred to Cabinet for discussion and decision.

Resolved: -  (1)  That the Cabinet Member endorsed the proposal for a Children, Young People and Families’ Commissioning Group as set out in the submitted report. 

(2)  That the report be referred to the next meeting of the Cabinet for consideration.

Consideration was given to a request for exemption from Standing Order 49 (Tender invitation and receipt of tenders) to extend the contract of the Independent Chair of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board.

It was noted that the existing contract of the Independent Chair ended on 27th August, 2012, and it was intended that an exemption to Standing Order 49 would allow the contract to be extended until the 27th August, 2013.  This would ensure momentum and continuity to support ongoing improvements to safeguard children in the Borough. 

It was noted that the Independent Chair had participated in a 360 degree appraisal process that had recognised that the Board operated effectively and that the partner agencies had sufficient independent challenge.  Areas for development over the next twelve months had been identified. 

It was also noted that over the twelve month period of the contract extension, preparation would begin for an external tendering process to confirm the Independent Chair from August, 2013. 

The Cabinet Member sought assurances that a timely tendering process would be entered into which would ensure a seamless transfer would be in place for the conformation of an Independent Chair at the end of the extended contract.   

Resolved: -  That exemption from Standing Order 49 (Tender invitation and receipt of tenders) be approved for provision of the Independent Chair of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board for the period 27th August, 2012 until 27th August, 2013.

The following item is likely to be heard in the absence of the press and the public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular individual (including the Council)).   

Resolved: -  That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular individual (including the Council)). 

Consideration was given to the report submitted by the Outdoor Learning Youth Work Manager, Schools and Lifelong Learning, Children and Young People’s Services, which detailed a proposal to enter into an agreement for the shared-use of resources located at the Ulley Activity Centre, which would enable the provisions to be retained for the benefit of young people in Rotherham. 

Resolved: -  That the report be referred to the Cabinet for consideration. 

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Performance and Quality Manager, the CYPS Service Improvement Officer and the Performance and Improvement Officer, which detailed the Children and Young People’s Services Annual Comment and Complaint Report for 2011/12. 

Between 1st April 2011 and 31st March, 2012, 82 people made 422 complaint points which were dealt with at Stage One, and 5 people made 83 complaint points which were dealt with at Stage Two.  There were no complaints escalated to Stage Three. 

Overall, the total number of complaint points increased from 385 (in 2010/11) to 505 in 2011/12: -

·        Number of Stage One complaint points increased from 336 (in 2010/11) to 422 in 2011/12;

·        Number of Stage Two complaint points increased from 49 (in 2010/11) to 83 in 2011/12.

The number of people making complaints at Stage One had decreased from 115 to 82. 

There was a reduction in the percentage of complaints that were upheld from 28% in 2010/2011 to 16% in 2011/12. 

43 compliments had been received about the Services.

External complaint investigation costs had been reduced from £22,541 in 2010/11 to £12,592 in 2011/12. 

The CYPS Service Improvement Officer reported on the work that had been undertaken to simplify the process for managers investigating complaints.  This had led to improvements in complaint response times and complainants feeling that their complaint(s) had been fully addressed. 

A lessons learned exercise was undertaken at the conclusion of every complaint investigation and learning points fed back into the Service. 

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

(2)  That the Cabinet Member endorsed the contribution of Kevin Rimes, Service Improvement Officer, to the Children and Young People’s Services Complaint, Comment and Compliment Service. 

(3)  That this report be referred to the Self-Regulation Select Commission. 

• Wednesday 17th October, 2012, to start at 9.00 am in the Rotherham Town Hall. 

Resolved: -  That the next meeting of the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families’ Services be held on Wednesday 17th October, 2012, commencing at 9.00 am in the Rotherham Town Hall.