Agenda and draft minutes

There were no Declarations of Interest to report.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting held on 16^th September, 2014.

With regards to Minute No. F3 (Effective Home Education) it was noted that the arrangements in terms of policy and procedures were found to be robust by Ofsted.

Resolved:- That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 16^th September, 2014 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chairman.

Pursuant to Minute No. C50 of January, 2000, consideration was given to nominations received to fill Local Authority Governor vacancies on school governing bodies.

Resolved:- That, with the effective date of appointment as shown, the following reappointments be made to school governing bodies, subject to satisfactory checks being undertaken:-

Further to Minute No. D2 of the meeting of the Deputy Leader held on 23^rd June, 2014 and Minute No. F10 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member for Education and Public Health Services held on 15^th July, 2014, consideration was given to the representatives on outside bodies and sub-groups that required revision following the changes to the Cabinet.

Resolved:-  That the following appointments be made:-

Corporate Parenting Panel:-

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member for Children and Education Services together with: -

Councillor Doyle, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health

Councillor Havenhand plus one other Member, representatives of the Adoption Panel

Councillor Sharman, representative of the Fostering Panel.

Councillor J. Hamilton, Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission. 

Councillor C. Vines, Representative of the Opposition.   

Education Consultative Committee:-

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member together with Advisers.

Chairperson of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission.

LEA Governors’ Appointment Panel -

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member together with Advisers.

Councillor Sims.

Local Admissions Forum:-

Councillors Beaumont, Havenhand and Roche.

Rotherham Children, Young People and Families’ Partnership:-

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member, along with Councillor Roche plus one other Member.

Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board:-

Councillor Beaumont Cabinet Member.

Rotherham Schools’ Forum:-

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member.

Rotherham Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education:-

Councillors Lelliott, Roche and Sharman.

Think Family Steering Group:-

Councillor Beaumont Cabinet Member. along with Councillor Lelliott.

Transport (Education) Appeals Panel:-

Councillors Gosling, J. Hamilton, Roche, Sharman and Whelbourn plus one other Member.

Visits to Children’s Establishments:-

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member together with Advisers.

Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission.

Ward Councillors.

Yorkshire and Humberside Grid for Learning – Foundation Board:-

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member

Mrs. Susan Wilson, Performance and Quality Manager, Performance and Quality, Neighbourhood and Adult Services. 

Yorkshire and Humberside Children and Young People Lead Member Network:-

Councillor Beaumont, Cabinet Member (Chair).

Consideration was given to a report presented by Joy Hobson, Principal Finance Officer, which provided a financial forecast for the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate to the end of March, 2015 based on actual income and expenditure to the end of August, 2014. 

The Directorate was currently projecting an overspend outturn position of £2.847m (6.6%) principally as a result of continued pressures in the Safeguarding, Children and Families Service. 

Considerable concerted proactive management actions to contain and where possible reduce the projected outturn position were continuing.  So far, within this financial year, these actions would have helped the service avoid £454k of costs that would otherwise have been incurred. 

The table within the report summarised the outturn against approved budgets for each service division and an analysis of the main variances and the underlying reasons beneath them were provided, the detail of which was set out in the report submitted.

Discussion and questions were raised and answered on issues relating to:-

·                Staff turnover, increased agency costs and the impact on the delivery of services.

·                Roles of newly qualified social workers.

·                Comparators of staff turnover, vacancy levels and sickness rates amongst statistical neighbours.

·                Numbers of children in out of authority placements and the steps being taken for this to reduce.

·                Independent review process and the projected costs associated with Regulation 33.

·                Retention and recruitment of Social Workers and the ongoing negotiations over Terms and Conditions.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the latest financial projections against budget for the year based on actual income and expenditure to the end of August, 2014 be received and the progress noted.

(2)  That a further report on comparisons of staff turnover, vacancy levels and sickness rates be submitted to the next meeting of the Cabinet Member.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Paul Theaker, Operational Commissioner, which detailed how from 1st October, 2011 all Local Authorities had a duty to publish a Short Breaks Statement.   Short Breaks Statements must be reviewed annually and include information for services, practitioners, parents, carers and young people in their area and include:-

·                Details of the range of short breaks services provided.

·                How to access the criteria against which eligibility to services would be assessed.

·                How the range of services was designed to meet the needs of children, young people and carers.

The report submitted set out the background information on the development of a Needs Analysis to inform the 2014-15 Short Breaks Service Statement and the Statement itself and also included information on commissioning activity to support the Short Breaks Service.  Some of the information was from the 2011 Census, showing where in the Borough disabled children lived. 

Short Breaks provision was re-commissioned from 1st April, 2014 for a period of two years and comprised the YMCA ‘Yours Project’ Weekday Evening Project, the YMCA ‘Yours Project’ Weekend Project and the RMBC Autism Communication Team ‘Chat n Chill’ Project.

The commissioned provision would, as in previous years, work alongside officers to implement the recommendations outlined in the Short Breaks Statement.

The value of commissioned Short Breaks provision for the period 1st April, 2014 to 31st March, 2016 was £341,033.

The Cabinet Member and Advisers welcomed the report and requested that some analysis be provided on the provision accessed by young people in terms of short breaks and early intervention.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Short Breaks Statement 2014-15 be approved.

(2)  That an analysis report be submitted to a future meeting of the Cabinet Member highlight the provision accessed by young people.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Paul Theaker, Operational Commissioner, which detailed how the draft Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy 2014-19 had been produced to support Local Authority and Health Commissioners and service providers to improve the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people in Rotherham.

The draft Rotherham Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy for Children and Young People 2014-19 has been produced by RCCG Commissioners, RMBC Commissioners and RMBC Public Health and drew on national and local guidance, local needs information, surveys of local emotional wellbeing and mental health services and information from key stakeholders.

The Strategy included sections on the scope of the Strategy, the needs of children and young people, services in Rotherham, investment, challenges and risks and recommendations.

The Strategy went out for consultation to a wide range of stakeholders, including RMBC  CYPS, schools, colleges, NHS providers and VCS providers, in June and July, 2014. There have also been specific consultation sessions with parents/carers and with the Youth Cabinet.

The responses from consultation have been evaluated and the draft Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy was substantially amended to take into account the comments that have been made. In addition the Healthwatch Rotherham report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services was reviewed to ensure that the key findings were addressed within the Strategy.

The Rotherham CCG commissioned Attain, an independent sector consultancy organisation, to review CAMHs and their report was considered by the CCG and the Attain recommendations that the CGG agreed to take forward, have been included within the strategy.

The key recommendations within the Strategy were outlined and set out in detail as part of the report.

It should be noted that as the governance process progressed for final approval of the Strategy, the key recommendations and actions were already being acted upon. The development of multi-agency care pathways was a priority piece of work and would address a number of issues in relation to thresholds/access to services and pathways such as post diagnosis ASD. A workshop with stakeholders had been held and was informing the work of small time-limited working groups that had been established for each multi-agency pathway.

The Strategy had been endorsed by CYPS DLT and following consideration by Cabinet Member, would go to the Health and Wellbeing Board for final joint RMBC/RCCG approval at its meeting on 12th November, 2014.

It was noted that there were no financial implications at this stage. However, there may be financial implications arising from implementing the recommendations contained within the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy. Any such financial implications that arose would be fully outlined within future reports that were submitted through governance structures.

The Cabinet Member welcomed the Strategy and sought clarification on the feasibility of promoting the prevention of mental health, the research promoting resilience and the outcomes framework for CAMHs.

Resolved:-  That the final draft of the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy 2014-19 be approved.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Dean Fenton, Principal Officer, School Organisation and Risk Management, which outlined proposals to create increased space and capacity for future Reception/Foundation Stage 2 cohorts for the 2016/17 Academic Year onwards at Rawmarsh Sandhill Academy.

Pupil Numbers in Key Stage 1 were rising across the Borough creating the need for permanent school expansions and ‘bulge’ year classes in individual schools.

Projections indicated that a ‘bulge’ year would occur in the Rawmarsh Learning Community in the 2016/17 Academic Year where more places in Reception/Foundation Stage 2 would be needed than were currently available.  Added to this was the substantial new housing development in the local area, both current and proposed, and potential additional pupil yield from this new housing.

It was proposed that the Local Authority should work with the Sandhill Academy Trust to create additional teaching and learning spaces at the school for the 2016/17 Academic Year onwards to enable the Academy to submit a business case to the Department for Education in relation to proposals to increase the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Reception/Foundation Stage 2 and subsequent cohorts from 30 to 45 by providing additional teaching and learning spaces at the Academy.

Funding for the initial additional space required (relocation of a temporary classroom from Flanderwell Primary School and internal modifications at the Academy) would be provided from Basic Need Funding (Basic Need Funding was allocated to the Local Authority to ensure a sufficiency of school places across the Authority). The estimated cost of this project was £100k.

There was the potential for future Section 106 Developer Education Contributions from proposed catchment area housing development and the Academy/Local Authority would work in partnership to secure funding from other streams to create additional resources required for the longer term needs.

The Academy would need to plan for the expansion and appoint additional teaching and non-teaching staff. Funding for the additional staffing would be generated from the additional pupils on roll and be part of the school’s annual budget. However, in the first year of operation, as the pupils would not be on roll in time for the school’s budget to be allocated, additional funding would need to be requested from the Contingency for Pupil Growth Fund to cover the 7/12 funding gap via the Schools Forum.

Further information was sought on whether the additional capacity at Sandhill Academy and the next report relating to Thorogate Junior and Infant School and it was confirmed that this should meet the demand in the Rawmarsh Learning Community.

Resolved:-  That Local Authority support be approved for Sandhill Academy to create additional capacity in future years.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Dean Fenton, Principal Officer, School Organisation and Risk Management, which outlined proposals to create a ‘bulge’ year cohort of Reception/Foundation Stage 2 pupils for the 2016/17 Academic Year at Rawmarsh Thorogate Junior and Infant School.

It was noted that pupil numbers in Key Stage 1 were rising across the Borough creating the need for permanent school expansions and ‘bulge’ year classes in individual schools.

Projections indicated that a ‘bulge’ year would occur in the Rawmarsh Learning Community in the 2016/17 Academic Year where more places in Reception/Foundation Stage 2 would be needed than were currently available.   Added to this was the substantial new housing development in the local area and potential additional pupil yield from this new housing.

It was proposed to create a ‘bulge’ class at Rawmarsh Thorogate Junior and Infant School for the 2016/17 Academic Year by increasing the School’s Published Admission Number (PAN) for Reception/Foundation Stage 2 only from 30 to 45 by providing an additional teaching and learning space.

There was a Section 106 Developer Education Contribution of £150k from the nearby ‘Wickets’ development which would be used to create the additional permanent teaching and learning space at the School.

The School would need to plan for the expansion and appoint additional teaching and non-teaching staff. Funding for the additional staffing would be generated from the additional pupils on roll and would be part of the School’s annual budget. However, in the first year of operation, as the pupils would not be on roll in time for the School’s budget to be allocated, additional funding would need to be requested from the Contingency for Pupil Growth Fund to cover the 7/12 funding gap via the Schools Forum.

Resolved:-  That a one year increase in the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Thorogate Junior and Infant School for the 2016/17 Academic Year to accommodate an increased cohort ‘bulge’ year be approved.

Consideration was given to a report presented by Sue Wilson, Performance and Quality Manager, which outlined performance at the end of Quarter 1 2014/15 against targets, with direction of travel against previous year’s performance and comparisons with statistical neighbours and national data where available.

Reference was made to the report and appendix ‘Performance – Qtr1 2014-15‘ which provided details of performance by each Corporate Plan Priority relating to Children and Young People’s Services measures rated as red. It was confirmed that no outcomes were rated as red indicators in this quarter.

Full details of performance and commentary at indicator level were provided and which included:-

·                Performance against targets (Comparing performance against set targets).

·                Direction of travel analysis (Comparing 2014/15 Quarter 1 performance to 2013/14 outturn performance).

·                Performance against Statistical Neighbours average.

·                Performance against National average.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Performance Report be received and performance noted.

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

(3)  That should any indicators have ongoing issues or poor performance they should be recommended for performance clinics.

Proposed dates: -

All of the proposed meetings are on a Monday and are due to start at 10.00 a.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall: -

•           10th November;

•           8th December;

•           19th January;

•           9th February;

•           9th March;

•           20th April;

•           8th June;

•           13th July. 

Resolved:-  That the next meeting of the Cabinet Member for Children and Education Services take place on Monday 10^th November, 2014, to start at 10.00 a.m. in the Rotherham Town Hall.