Agenda item

·                OFSTED.

·                CGI.

·                South Yorkshire Police (recommendations herewith)

Access to the full report via - http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/media/south-yorkshire-police-response-to-child-sexual-exploitation.pdf

Jane, Parfrement, Acting Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services, provided the Improvement Board with an update on the current inspections taking place on the Council.

The Ofsted Inspection report was due to the published on the 19^th November, 2014.  This was earlier than the usual timescales and was at the request of the Ofsted Commissioner.  An initial draft had been received by the Council, which was being checked for factual accuracy.

An invitation had also been received for a meeting on the 17^th November, 2014, for the pre-publication of the Child Sexual Exploitation thematic inspection of which Rotherham was one of nine authorities.  The inspection results were due to the published the same day as the Otsted inspection and could lead to Rotherham being identified and associated with the published results.  A copy of the report would only be available on the day of publication.

The Board suggested that consideration be given by the Council, in conjunction with the Local Government Association, to an approach to Ofsted to challenge the publication date as this could have a detrimental effect on the recruitment process and the positive strengths of the appointments moving forward.

The Corporate Government Inspection would be published in a report to the Secretary of State on or after the 29^th November, 2014. The inspection remained ongoing and it was uncertain at this stage if there was a formal reporting mechanism for Louise Casey to report back to the Council.

The report into South Yorkshire Police published by the H.M.I.C. had been circulated with the agenda papers and referred to joint working by the Police and the Council and which had led to an integrated child sexual exploitation unit.

The Chairman confirmed the Chief Constable was to be invited to the January, 2015 meeting of the Improvement Board, but this would be subject to confirmation.

In addition, a meeting earlier this week, involving representatives from the four Local Authorities, South Yorkshire Police Public Protection Unit and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board Chairmen, had discussed how to move forward in terms of the implications of the reviews and specifically around the child sexual exploitation and child protection arrangements.

The Board were informed of the need to firm up accountability and reporting arrangements with appropriate roles and challenge to the responses by the Police and cross agency, to which many of the recommendations of the H.M.I.C. report were linked, but which would be further enhanced with the interim appointments of the Chief Executive and Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services.

The Board confirmed they would find it helpful if a written summary of these arrangements could be produced and brought back to a future meeting.

The Leader of the Council also confirmed, in response to a query as to how the barriers to the handling of child sexual exploitation intelligence would be removed, that a meeting was to be arranged with representatives from South Yorkshire Police to look at how to tie up the loose ends and look at future monitoring.

Resolved:-  (1) That the information on the inspections to date be noted.

(2)  That consideration be given by the Council and the Local Government Association to an approach to Ofsted to challenge the day of publication of the inspection results.

(3)  That a written summary of the accountability arrangements be produced following the publication of the H.M.I.C. report and for this to be presented to a future meeting.