Agenda item

·           LAC Council

·           Youth Cabinet

Looked after Children’s Council

-          Currently meeting fortnightly for Voice and Influence training

-          Also meeting weekly and holding additional weekend meetings to prepare presentations and complete high profile work

-          3 days residential at Manchester University Campus at Crewe, theme being ‘Campaign don’t Complain’.

-          3 Chill & Chat days held over the summer holidays

-          Sub-group formed of leaving care young people who received basic peer consultation training and were supported in the design, development, delivery and analysis of feedback from Rotherham young people

-          Involvement in a number of consultations including Health and Wellbeing, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner survey

-          Engagement in the interview process for the new Service Manager, Family Placement and Residential Services

Youth Cabinet

Due to issues regarding suicide and self harm in the Borough, it had been suggested to the Youth Cabinet that it was an important piece of work they may wish to undertake.  They had given it some consideration and agreed that they would be interested in looking at self harm, what it meant for young people and making Services more accessible to them.  They would like support with the work from partner agencies particularly the attendance of a Public Health representative to speak about what self harm meant in Rotherham and its prevalence etc.

David Polkinghorn reported that work had been undertaken between the CCG, RDaSH and CAMHS on the guidance and pathways of care covering the whole spectrum of the Health Services available.  The work was almost finalised and may be appropriate to link the 2 together. 

Young Carers Card

The Card was to be launched at 5.00 p.m. that day at MyPlace.

Child Sexual Exploitation

-          The CSE Sub-Group met on a monthly basis.

-          Action plan has been revised in light of the Home Select Commission and Rochdale Inquiry and would be sent to every named person who had an action in the plan by the end of the week. Colleagues would be invited to submit an update by  the 7^th October for the CSE Sub-Group meeting on the 9^th with a full report to the December  meeting of the Local Safeguarding Board.

-          The Barnardos Review of CSE activity in the Borough.  A report would be produced for the 7^th October.

-          The Chair of the Safeguarding Board was to conduct a diagnostic review of CSE on 17^th and 18^th October.

-          The Authority had announced there was to be an independent inquiry into historical CSE.  The Terms of Reference had now been agreed and would cover 1997-January, 2013.  There was no timescale for completion as yet as the LGA was to commission the work independently of the Council and would agree the timeline with the independent person.  All agencies would be looked at.  The inquiry was to be welcomed and any partner asked to contribute would be urged to do so.

-          HMI would be conducting a National Thematic Review of CSE in Rotherham on the 30^th September.  It would be very much focused on internet grooming.

-          The Police and Crime Commissioner had commissioned 3 pieces of work – the Crown Prosecution Services’ involvement in CSE, cold case review of CSE and a thorough review of the process and structures currently in place in South Yorkshire Police to investigate allegations of CSE.

Fostering

The inspection report had now been published.  The Authority had received a “good” rating with only 2 recommendations.