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 (Scrutiny Services, Legal and Democratic reported on the progress of this Select Commission’s reviews on domestic abuse, and anti-bullying work in schools. 

The review into domestic abuse would conclude evidence taking in July and report back to an early meeting in the Democratic Year. 

The review into anti-bullying work in schools had concluded and the report would be presented to the Select Commission on completion. 

Resolved: -  That the information shared be noted. 

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Improving Lives Select Commission held on 24^th April, 2013, were considered. 

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

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Senior Scrutiny Adviser which updated Members of both the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and all of the Select Commissions on the outcomes from the development session on the scrutiny work programme, held during the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board meeting on 24^th May, 2013, and on the proposals for allocation of that work programme to each of the Select Commissions in 2013/14.

Members were asked to note and endorse the work programme and consider the following matters:

·         That the OSMB maintain oversight of the emerging Scrutiny arrangements for the City Region Economy and conduct any work as deemed necessary;

·         Additional items for both Health Select Commission and Improving Places Select Commission;

·         How Self Regulation and/or Improving Places should deal with the Local Procurement agenda;

·         Reallocation of the Housing Finance agenda from Self Regulation to Improving Places.

In relation to the Improving Lives Select Commission it was considered that the priority items would include Poverty and Safeguarding areas. 

Discussion was undertaken in relation to the Scrutiny arrangements for the City Deal co-ordinated at the City Region level.  Scrutiny arrangements were being developed.  It was likely that a representative would be sought from each Local Authority.   

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

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Children and Young People’s Services and Schools’ Human Resources Manager concerning the coalition Government’s issuing of statutory guidance entitled “Working Together to Safeguard Children.” This statutory guidance was issued for the wider children’s workforce and came into force on 15th April, 2013. The Select Commission noted that this Council’s policy and practice continued to meet statutory requirements in all areas covered by the statutory guidance.

The report also stated that, as part of its consultation document “Keeping Children Safe in Education”, the Department for Education has proposed the removal of the regulation which required at least one member of a recruitment panel in a school to have undertaken training in Safer Recruitment approved by the Secretary of State for Education. A copy of the consultation response form was appended to the submitted report.

Discussion ensued on the draft response suggested by the Human Resources Manager.  The strong view of the stakeholders who had contributed to the response was that the existing requirement ensured consistency across all Schools, and the removal of the requirement potentially created gaps and inadequacies in recruitment processes.

Discussion ensued on the consultation: -

·         This approach could lead to Schools adopting inconsistent and potentially dangerous approaches;

·         The existing buy-back arrangements that operated with Rotherham’s Schools’ human resources and payroll resources;

·         The responsibilities of academy schools in relation to their recruitment training;

·         Support for the safer recruitment training.  Members of the Select Commission had personal experience of working with Governing Bodies where the training had been accessed and had proven to be worthwhile;

·         Support for the draft consultation response as outlined. 

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

(2)       That members accept this report and feed into the process of consultation in addition to the feedback from Officers on the proposals.

(3)       Whatever the outcome of the consultation process, school governing bodies be encouraged to continue with arrangements whereby their policies continue to make training in safer recruitment a mandatory requirement.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Education Welfare Service Manger concerning “Children Missing Education” (CME), a term which refered to all children of compulsory school age who were not on a school roll, and who were not receiving a suitable education otherwise than being at school, for example, at home (Elective Home Education (EHE), privately, or in alternative provision.

The report stated that Section 436A of the Education Act 1996 required all local authorities to make arrangements to enable them to establish (so far as it is possible to do so) the identities of children residing in their area who were not receiving a suitable education.  The duty did not apply in relation to children who were registered at a school, but who were not attending regularly. Children not receiving a suitable education were at increased risk of a range of negative outcomes which could have long term damaging consequences for their life chances. For example, they were at risk of not attaining the skills and qualifications they needed to succeed in life, and were at significant risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) once they have reached the compulsory school leaving age. Such children may be from disadvantaged families (experiencing multiple risks such as poverty, substance misuse, mental ill-health and poor housing), travelling communities, immigrant families, become unaccompanied asylum seeking or trafficked children, or be at risk of neglect or abuse or disengaged from education. Local authorities must have robust measures in place both to identify quickly when a child is not receiving a suitable education, and to follow through with effective tracking and enquiry systems. 

Data collection at Rotherham was in line with national good practice, and there were links regionally in terms of data collection capabilities.  The system recorded details of CME ‘missing out’, CME ‘missing in’ and pupils ‘not on a school roll’. 

Members noted that local authorities were also required to put in place arrangements for joint working and appropriate information sharing with other local authorities and relevant partner agencies which come into contact with children and families.

Appended to the submitted report were:-

·         Details of the role and function of this Council’s Children Missing Education Officer;

·         Details of Opened Children Missing Education referrals, during the year 1st April, 2012 to 31st March, 2013;

·         Details of Closed Children Missing Education referrals, during the year 1st April, 2012 to 31st March, 2013;

·         A list of children most at risk of becoming Children Missing Education.

Reference was made to: -

·         The Local Authority’s In-year Fair Access Protocol;

·         Recruitment of employees to work with the EU Migrant community.

The Select Commission also considered the contents of this Council’s robust response to the Department for Education consultation (which had ended in February, 2013) about a proposed revision to the statutory guidance in relation to Children Missing Education (reducing the guidance from 44 pages to three pages). This Council’s response outlined some of the identified deficiencies in the revised guidance, some of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Senior Scrutiny Adviser stating that, as part of its work programme for the 2013/14 Municipal Year, the Chair of Improving Lives Select Commission has proposed that the Select Commission undertakes a scrutiny review into extent and impact of poverty in the Borough. To inform the scope of the review, Members received a presentation describing the national context, a profile of people affected by poverty and an overview of services in Rotherham.

The Policy Officer (Policy and Partnership, Environment and Development Services) provided a presentation that informed members of the Improving Lives Select Commission of: -

·         National context and policy direction;

·         Rotherham specific information: -

o   There was a two-year delay in information, so the most recent picture related to 2010;

o   60% of households reported to be in poverty were in work.

·         Strategic context of help and support available in Rotherham, including the Early Help, the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Economic Plan (which was currently being refreshed);

·         Impacts of on-going Welfare Reform programme;

·         In the period 2010-2011 to 2020-2021, there was an expected increase in the numbers of children living in poverty from 2.3 to 3.4 million;

·         Local Government funding, which had been cut, was expected to be prioritised to generating growth, increasing local businesses and building local resilience;

·         Rotherham was working with other local authorities on shared learning and lessons learned;

·         The role of Scrutiny in asking ‘key questions’.

Discussion ensued and the issues raised included: -

·         Low income families – the potential impact of the Living Wage, the on-going impact of rent subsidisation, employers, tax payer subsidy of low income jobs;

·         Awareness raising with families in relation to information, advice and guidance available;

·         Potential for entrenched poverty – larger families will lose out in terms of Welfare Reform, affecting all generations, restriction of housing benefit (known as the ‘bedroom tax’) under the Welfare Reform Act, 2012;

·         Local policy in relation to the restriction of housing benefit would be shortly presented to Cabinet;

·         Health impacts – including poor diet and vitamin deficiencies.

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

(2)  That the Improving Lives Select Commission continue looking at issues of poverty in Rotherham after the summer recess, 2013. 

·         Wednesday 10^th July, 2013, to start at 1.30 p.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall.

Resolved: - That the next meeting of the Improving Lives Select Commission take place on Wednesday 10^th July, 2013, to start at 1.30 p.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall.