Agenda and minutes

The Representative of the Improving Lives Select Commission informed those present that further sessions of the Countering Child Sexual Exploitation Training would be run for Elected Members during February and March, 2013. 

Councillor G. A. Russell, Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission, welcomed Councillor P. Lakin, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families’ Services, to the meeting.  Councillor Lakin had prepared a presentation in relation to the work streams ongoing across Children and Young People’s Services, and the challenges and priorities facing the Directorate and its Partner Organisations. 

• Priorities of the Children and Young People’s Partnership;
• High level of alcohol and drug abuse in neglect cases;
• Child Sexual Exploitation – best practice visits;
• Ofsted inspection and new, multi-agency framework;
• Contact and Referral Team – ‘front door’ for social care was assessing contacts and signposting the cases that did not meet the threshold for social care to early intervention and prevention services;
• Looked after children and corporate parenting;
• Reduction in young people ‘not in education, employment or training’;
• Deployment of Delegated Schools’ Grant.

Discussion ensued and the following issues were raised by members of the Improving Lives Select Commission: -

·         The number of Rotherham schools in an Ofsted category that included Notice to Improve and Special Measures;

·         Challenge and support provided to schools;

·         Key Stage Two outcomes;

·         The prevalence of parental alcohol and drug misuse and the impact this may have on children’s attainment and increased social care interventions;

·         Availability of school places in certain areas of the Borough;

·         The positive relationship between the Local Authority and schools, including those with Academy status, and the challenge of maintaining this;

·         The role for schools in providing early identification and prevention services;

·         Improving budget forecast outturn – management actions to control the budget over-spend;

·         Importance of maintaining financial support for early intervention services, to avoid escalation costs further down the line.

The Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission thanked Councillor Lakin for his informative presentation and contribution to the discussion. 

Resolved: - (1)  That the information shared be noted.

(2)  That the following items be added this Select Commission’s Work Programme for future consideration: -

·         Invite representatives of the Rotherham Schools’ Forum to discuss how improved outcomes at Key Stage 2 were being resourced;

·         Role of alcohol and drug misuse in child protection and safeguarding processes;

·         Corporate Parenting, including outcomes for looked after children. 

The Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission welcomed Bev Pepperdine, Service Improvement Officer, Commissioning, Policy and Performance, Resources Directorate, to the meeting to provide an overview of the results of the 2012 Lifestyle Survey for Secondary Schools.  The Lifestyle Survey was undertaken by eight secondary schools, who contributed on a voluntary basis.  The questions were answered by Years 7 and 10 pupils, and related to healthy eating, drinking, smoking, drugs, bullying and general lifestyle. 

The submitted report outlined the outcomes of the 2012 survey. 

·         There had been a drop in numbers undertaking the survey in 2012, from the previous year (1,434 compared to 1,882 in 2011).  The decline had been attributed to schools not timetabling sessions to complete the survey.  Communication would be improved during 2013 to ensure that schools were aware of the survey when they were setting their timetables / work programmes at the beginning of the school year;

·         The Rotherham Council website would be adapted so that the survey could be completed on-line;

·         The length of time that the survey could be completed would be extended from 3-4 weeks to 7 weeks during the summer term;

·         Following the close of the survey, the responses were collated and analysed, and borough-wide and school-specific statistics were made available;

·         Where appropriate, the outcomes were passed on to central teams, who would create action plans responding to the issues raised;

·         Stakeholders receiving copies of the borough-wide returns included, the Healthy Schools Team, Safer Neighbourhood Partnerships, Directorate Leadership Teams, Locality Teams, the School Nursing Service, the Integrated Youth Support Service, partner agencies (including Homestart, GROW and MIND), Family for Change Coordinators and Strategic Boards. 

Discussion ensued, and the following items were raised: -

·         There was a concerning drop in the numbers of pupils reporting that they wanted to attend University from Year 7 to Year 11 – why was this the case;

·         There was a concerning lack of young people who felt safe using public transport in the Rotherham Town Centre.  It was noted that this would form part of the Eleven Million Take Over meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and the Rotherham Youth Cabinet meeting to be held on 7^th February, 2013;

·         Role of the Survey in informing service plans; did the Survey have a significant impact on service planning;

·         How School Governing Bodies were informed of the outcomes of the surveys;

·         Was the Survey designed in language that the Year 7 and 10 pupils could understand?;

·         Identification and support for young carers.

The Chairperson of the Select Committee thanked Bev for attending the meeting and for her informative presentation and contribution to the discussion.

Resolved: -  (1)  That the information shared be noted.

(2)   That the Improving Lives Select Commission recommend that the following be implemented to improve the Lifestyle Survey in 2013: -

·         Circulate outcomes to School Governing Bodies;

·         Ensure that the use of language in future surveys be tailored to young people;

·         That the results also be made available to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

The Senior Scrutiny Adviser, Scrutiny Services, Resources Directorate, introduced a report that outlined a proposal to undertake a spotlight review on how schools encouraged and sustained peer mentoring networks to support anti-bullying works. 

The Rotherham Youth Cabinet had requested that anti-bullying form part of this Select Commission’s work programme. 

The Local Authority’s Anti-Bullying Officer and Youth Cabinet Support Worker were welcomed to the meeting and outlined the initiatives already in place, including how peer mentoring schemes operated, how training could be provided, why they were successful and how they were resourced.

The submitted report contained a number of key questions that the spotlight review could consider.

A question was asked in relation to the benchmarking of such schemes.  It was believed that this was being developed and related to qualitative measurements. 

Resolved: -  (1)  That the Improving Lives Select Commission undertake a spotlight review into how schools sustain peer mentoring networks to support their anti-bullying work.

(2)  That a sub-group of the Improving Lives Select Commission undertake this review. 

The Senior Scrutiny Adviser, Scrutiny Services, Resources Directorate, gave an update on the Improving Lives Select Commission’s work programme.

The submitted report outlined the progress made against the already-agreed priorities on the Select Commission’s work programme. 

Additional items to incorporate on the work programme were noted: -

·         How agencies were working together to address domestic abuse;

·         Corporate Parenting activities;

·         Support for improving outcomes at Key Stage 2;

·         Outcomes and impact of the Lifestyle Survey – six-month progress review;

·         Update on countering child sexual exploitation – in May / June, 2013;

·         Update on the Families for Change programme – when appropriate.

Resolved: - (1)  That the progress to date on the Improving Lives Select Commission’s work programme be noted.

(2) That the above mentioned topics be incorporated into the work programme.