Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest to record. 

There were no members of the public or the press in attendance. 

The Senior Scrutiny Adviser provided an update in relation to recent outcome of the Review of Children’s Cardiac Surgery Services.  The Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts had recommended closure of the Leeds Children Heart Surgery Unit, with a view to relocating surgical services to Newcastle in the future as part of the re-organisation process. 

It was noted that a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, made up of members from each of the Region’s Local Authorities with health scrutiny powers, would be meet shortly. This committee would consider what action to take in respect of the JCPCT’s recommendations. The deliberations of this committee would be presented to this Select Commission in due course.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Improving Lives Select Commission held on 6th June, 2012, were considered. 

It was noted that Central Government had made recent announcements around funding for social care for older people.  A report would be presented to this Select Commission in due course. 

Resolved: -  That the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed as a correct record for signature by the Vice-Chairman.  

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Senior Scrutiny Adviser outlining the recommendations of the Select Commission’s Review into the role of School Governors. 

The role of School Governors had formed part of this Select Commission’s 2011/12 Municipal Year’s Work Programme.  The Review had considered the implications of the White Paper ‘The Importance of Teaching’, published in 2010.

The content of the White Paper, and provisions of the subsequent Education Act, 2011, introduced the need to clarify the accountability and responsibilities of School Governing Bodies.  The changing role of local authorities to commission support services for continuing training and support for School Governors was also taken as a starting point for the Review.  

The report recapped the purpose of the Review and the process taken to gather evidence. 

The Review made a total of sixteen recommendations addressing the following areas:

·        School Governor’s Taskforce;

·        Recruitment;

·        Local Authority Governors;

·        Induction and Training;

·        Role of the Clerk of Governing Bodies;

·        Services provided by the Council.

Discussion ensued on the proposed recommendations, and the following points were raised by the members of the Improving Lives Select Commission: -

• Importance of promoting the role and resource of Governor and Governorship.
• Recognition of the voluntary nature of the role.  
• Personal endorsement by members of the Select Commission about the benefits of working with effective Governing Bodies.
• The vital role of Governing Bodies in raising attainment and improving outcomes for children and young people. 

The ongoing monitoring of the review’s recommendations would be undertaken.  It was recognised that the capacity to implement and monitor the Review’s recommendations was reduced, and that the Governor Support Team, which supported School Governing Bodies, had reduced to one Officer. 

The Vice-Chair of the Improving Lives Select Commission recorded their thanks to Bronwen Moss, Scrutiny Adviser, who had recently left the Authority for the additional support she had provided to complete the Review after she had left the Authority.  

Resolved: - (1)  That the Review recommendations into the role of School Governors, as outlined in the submitted report, be endorsed. 

(2)  That the draft report be circulated to participants and witnesses to undergo a factual accuracy check.

(3)  That the finalised report be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board for final approval before being submitted to Cabinet. 

(4)  That the Improving Lives Select Commission receive feedback in relation to the Cabinet’s response. 

(5)  That the Improving Lives Select Commission receive updates in relation to the progress of the recommendations. 

(1)   Disadvantaged Areas and Troubled Families report;

(2)   For information: Cabinet Report, 20^th June, Disadvantaged Areas;

(3) For information: Cabinet Report, 20^th June, Troubled Families Initiative.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods and the Think Family Co-ordinator, Safeguarding Children and Families Services which provided information for the Select Commission on two ongoing programmes of action, and the overlaps between them i.e. the Troubled Families’ Initiative and Disadvantaged Areas. 

Cabinet reports in relation to both areas of work were submitted for information providing an overview of the work programmes/initiatives: -

Troubled Families’ Initiative: - 

• A National Government programme located in the Troubled Families Unit within the Department for Communities and Local Government.  However, funding contributions would be sourced from six Government Departments; 

• Aim of the project was to address the needs of families with multiple problems to significantly reduce the demands they made of public services;

• The initiative categorised ‘troubled families’ as those experiencing such problems as worklessness, truancy, drug and alcohol addiction, and that caused problems such as anti-social behaviour; 

• Under the initiative,  Central Government would provide 40% of the cost of interventions to help turn the families’ lives around, payable on achievement of successful outcomes;

• The Local Authority had been asked to provide a list of 730 families to fit the funding formula provided by the Troubled Families Unit.  There were three given criteria, and the potential to apply one locally agreed filter.   The given criteria were: -

• It was expected that the number of families that met all three criterion would be below a total of 730;

• It was expected that the number of families that met two out of the three criterion would be higher than 730.  In this case, the Local Authority could apply a fourth filter, based on local discretion;

• Rotherham had compiled a list of families using attendance, anti-social and youth offending data, and had submitted this list to the Department for Work and Pensions to confirm if a family member or a member of the household was claiming an out of work benefit;

• The payment by results model that was proposed was considered; the Department for Communities and Local Government would make £4,000 available for each troubled family, part to be paid up-front as an ‘attachment fee’ to work with the family, and the remainder to be paid once positive outcomes had been achieved with the family. 

Disadvantaged Areas: -

• The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2010) had highlighted a worsening of deprivation in the Borough;

• There was a concentration of people in the eleven  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

• Invitation to all Elected Members to attend.

• Introduction report;
• Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report, 2011-12.   

Consideration was given to the report and presentation delivered by the representatives of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board relating to the Board’s Annual Report for 2011-12. 

The complete Annual Report had been submitted to the Improving Lives Select Commission for their information. 

Key issues raised in the presentation were: -

• Statutory duty on Local Safeguarding Boards to produce Annual Reports;

• Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board’s Annual Report had been published alongside the organisation’s 2011-14 quarterly update of its business plan;

• Annual Reports were required to include assessments of: -

• The first Annual Report had been submitted to the Children and Young People’s Trust Board (now known as the Children, Young People and Families’ Partnership), to robustly challenge the work of the Trust Board in driving improvements in safeguarding and promoting welfare.  The Trust Board would then be expected to commission appropriate services within the Children and Young People’s Plan;

• Performance Data;

• Functioning of Sub-Groups under the governance of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board;

Key areas of focus for the future: -

• Domestic abuse – alcohol links – impact on children;
• Neglect;
• Development role for ‘Lay’ Members.

An opportunity followed for members of the Improving Lives Select Commission to ask the representatives of the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board questions.  Issues raised included: -

• Staffing structure and vacancy rate within Social Care services;
• Impact of planned Benefit Reform on families and children and the work of social care;
• Role of the ‘Lead Professional’ within the Team Around the Child and the Common Assessment Framework;
• Early Help and the Prevention and Early Intervention agenda.

Resolved: -  (1)  That the Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board’s Annual Report for 2011-12 be received and the representatives from the Board be thanked for their contribution.

(2)  That the issues discussed remain a high priority on the Improving Lives’ Work Programme. 

• Wednesday 19^th September, 2012, to start at 1.30 pm in the Rotherham Town Hall.  

Resolved: -  That the next meeting of the Improving Lives Select Commission be held on 19th September, 2012, commencing at 1.30 p.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall.