Agenda and minutes

No Declarations of Interest were made. 

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

·             Looked After Children’s Issues – Feedback from Members.

Councillor Hoddinott provided feedback to the Improving Lives Select Commission on the visits of inspection that she and Councillor Ahmed had undertaken on behalf of the Commission (Minute Number 33 of the previous meeting held on 16^th December, 2016, provides a progress update).

Both councillors had received training prior to undertaking visits.  Councillor Hoddinott had visited Cherry Tree, Liberty House, Silverwood and St Edmund’s Children’s Residential Homes as a lay person.  Informal feedback had been provided following these visits.  Councillor Hoddinott thought that it was important to keep abreast of the Regulation 44 reports in order to triangulate information observed in her informal visits. 

Councillor Hoddinott reported to the Improving Lives Select Commission the issues she had noted during her programme of visits: -

·       Record keeping and communication remained a concern;

·       Transport available to looked after children living in residential homes was not consistently reliable and meant that their participation in activities was sometimes disrupted;

·       Some Looked After Children felt there was a stigma attached to using taxis and the minibus.  These were not always the most appropriate methods of transporting small groups/individuals;

·       Looked After Children and young people were enterprising and often requested, and were granted, free tickets from attractions;

·       Councillor Hoddinott had found standards at two residential homes to be not those she would expect for Rotherham’s Looked After Children. This included décor and furnishing;

·       Councillor Hoddinott had reported these issues and was reassured that an urgent officer response would follow;

·       Some educational arrangements were not appropriately challenging for the young people involved;

·       Some residential homes did not have adequate ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ paperwork;

·       Staff reported uncertainty in the Service;

·       All wanted long-term high quality solutions for children living in the residential homes;

·       It would be important for the Corporate Parenting Panel to continue to receive residential home visit updates, including after the elections.

Councillor Hamilton thanked Councillors Hoddinott and Ahmed for their work and update.  She welcomed the visits and that two councillors were involved.  She would wish the visits to continue after the election in a similar way, as this method of visiting was sustainable and allowed two elected members to build on-going relationships with looked after children. 

Councillor Currie, member of the Corporate Parenting Panel, thanked Councillor Hoddinott for her update.  He informed the Improving Lives Select Commission of the work of the Corporate Parenting Panel and the regular presentations that the Panel received from young people.  He described how a recent presentation had focused on the looked after children survey that had concluded with the young people’s plea of ‘listen to us’.  Councillor Currie reminded all members that corporate parenting was everyone’s responsibility. 

Resolved: -  That the update received be noted.   

The minutes of the previous Improving Lives Select Commission held on 3^rd February, 2016, were considered. 

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

Councillor Hamilton, Chair of the Improving Lives Select Commission, welcomed Officers in attendance to provide an update of the ‘Prevent’ element of the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Delivery Plan (2015-2018).  The Improving Lives Select Commission’s work programme had focussed on the steps taken to address CSE in the Borough.  The Prevent actions would be taken to explore the wider issues of governance and performance management as a whole. 

The Officers with responsibilities relating to the prevent theme in attendance were: -

Gary Ridgeway, Assistant Director, CSE Investigations;

Jo Smith, CSE Support Services Co-ordinator;

Kay Denton-Tarn, Healthy Schools Consultant;

Anthony Evans, Education and Skills Manager;

David McWilliams, Assistant Director, Early Help and Family Engagement;

Jo Abbott, Assistant Director for Public Health;

Phil Morris, Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board Business Manager;

Leona Marshall, Communications. 

The Prevent theme covered: -

Prevent children and young people from becoming sexually exploited through effective leadership, governance and a wider culture  embedded within organisations and communities that recognises the root causes of CSE, the signs and risk indicators and do all they can to tackle them.

Councillor Hamilton invited questions from the Select Commission members on each strategic objective within the plan. 

1.1                           Establish a clear view of the CSE profile in the Borough to           ensure that the Health and Wellbeing Board undertaken informed     commissioning of service provision. 

Councillor Pitchley asked how the action point to commission post support services was progressing in the early stages? Would the project be extended again?

Gary Ridgeway explained how his Service was working with 21 adult survivors in respect of a court case.  All 21 individuals had been able to give evidence with mostly positive outcomes for the individual.  A learning event had been commissioned.  Work within the Roma community was also underway.

The project could not be commissioned beyond June, 2016.

Councillor Hoddinott asked about the development of the profile relating to current CSE?  How did this compare to Jay’s analysis of more historic abuse?  What did the hard-to-reach profile look like?  Was outreach work taking place for Asian children? 

Gary explained that the Service had identified 130 children and young people at risk  or who may  demonstrate ‘trigger’ points relating to CSE.  Just under 30 were boys.  A significant number came from the Roma community.  Work was taking place to review all multi-agency records for the individuals identified and develop family profiles.  This would be used to perform needs-based commissioning.  This should be completed by the third week of April.  The independent Analyst needed a 4-6 week turnaround time to report back on the completed profile. 

Work on all types of CSE was taking place: -

·       ‘Journey’ was responding to on-line grooming;

·       The Roma community was forming a separate work stream;

·       Sessions provided through the Lifewise Centre were being explored;

·       Work was continuing with the Pakistani community to engage girls and women. 

Councillor Hoddinott thanked Gary for his honest answer.  It was important to recognise that victims of CSE could come from any community /  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

Caroline Webb, Senior Adviser (Scrutiny and Member Development), to report

Caroline Webb, Senior Scrutiny and Member Training Officer, introduced the report outlining options for consideration for the Improving Lives Select Commission’s work programme for the 2016/2017 municipal year.  She asked that members consider the issues and indicate their priorities. 

During the 2015/2016 municipal year, the Select Commissioner’s focus had been on CSE: -  the emerging strategy, the first version of the plan, work in schools and work with victims.  Some members had attended a meeting in Birmingham to look at the Council’s approach to CSE and how they ran their scrutiny hearings. 

Work had been initiated with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) to enable elected members to participate in the critical challenge of services provided to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the borough. This area will focus on the scrutiny of the LSCB annual report and feedback on the quality assurance work.

A presentation on Early Help had been presented in November, 2015, and this would be looked at again in terms of savings identified and targeting interventions at an early stage to prevent cases escalating during 2016/2017. 

Children missing from home and education would also be a focus. 

Performance information would be taken on a quarterly basis.  This would focus on the aspiration to create a child-centred Borough.

Domestic Abuse and the impact on children and young people would be considered. 

Apprentices and apprenticeships for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities. 

Resolved: -  That the identified priorities for the Improving Lives Select Commission’s work programme for the 2016/2017 municipal year be noted.   

Councillor L. Pitchley, Vice-Chair of the Improving Lives Select Commission, wished to place on record the Members of the Improving Lives Select Commission’s thanks to Councillor Jane Hamilton for all of her hard work and commitment to the Select Commission at both the formal meetings and preparatory work outside, at what had been a very pressured time for Rotherham over the past twelve months.  Councillor Hamilton was due to retire at the local elections in May, 2016, following twelve years as a Borough Councillor. 

Councillor Hamilton, thanked Dianne Thomas, from the Centre for Public Scrutiny, for her commitment and support to the Improving Lives Select Commission’s work over the past twelve months. 

Resolved:- That the next meeting of the Improving Lives Select Commission take place on Wednesday 29^th June, 2016, to start at 1.30 p.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall.