Agenda item

Child Centred Borough

 

·       Appendix 1 and 2.

Minutes:

Ian Thomas spoke about the creation of a Child-Centred Borough as an important aspiration for Rotherham. 

 

The idea had been inspired by Leeds City Council who had gone one step further and placed children at the heart of their growth strategy in recognition of the future contribution of children to the local economy and prosperity when they were older and started to work. 

 

Central to the idea was Nelson Mandela’s assertion that it takes a community to raise a child. 

 

Ian referred to Rotherham’s potential and resources.  It had the Advanced Manufacturing Park, a world recognised centre for sciences and technology.  The Child-Centred Borough looked to harness the resources of communities and community assets and create partnership to empower communities and strengthen the sense of pride in the local area. 

 

Rotherham’s ambition had been covered up by the national press.  The next steps would involve the establishment of a member-led working group that would cut across all agencies, public and private, and community groups. 

 

Key to supporting and developing Rotherham’s Child Centred Borough would be considering and acting on the ‘Voice of the Child Lifestyle Survey Report’.  Ian was grateful to Schools in helping to capture the voices of 8,000 children on a wide-range of issues impacting on their lives.  There had been many good news stories resulting from the Survey outcomes which had not been reported. 

 

Members of the Improving Lives Select Commission asked questions relating to the aspiration: -

 

Councillor Cusworth asked what was being done to get the message out to children and young people about the resources available to children and young people who had concerns about their mental health (as shown on page 38 of the submitted report)?

 

Ian outlined the role of awareness raising.  Rotherham had a brilliant and proactive Healthy Schools Co-ordinator.  This was a priority of the Youth Cabinet, so CYPS shared this priority. 

 

Councillor Elliot was concerned that there were 22% of young people not using any method of contraception.  There was a similar outcome in the previous year’s survey. 

 

Ian felt that a comparison with adults would be useful; adults do not always model the behaviour they expected young people to!  The majority of young people knew where to get contraception from and had received sex education.  Ian believed that it was relationship education that was was key.  This sat within the Public Health Directorate, but was clearly a priority for both CYPS and Public Health.  Ian felt that raising aspirations was key for young people choosing to access contraception. 

 

Councillor Jarvis referred to a factor within abusive relationships where pressure was placed on young women not to use contraception as a form of manipulation.

 

Ian agreed to consider the factors with the Director of Public Health. 

 

Councillor Allcock asked about the support to children providing 8 or more hours of care a day. 

 

Ian referred to the Care Act provisions. 

 

Councillor Cusworth asked about the United Nation’s Article 3 and 12 of the Convention.  How far did agencies go in listening to children before they had to say that they knew best as adults? 

 

Ian felt that it was important to see children alone to avoid any influences.  Currently this was not done enough, and it was not recorded enough/accurately.  Ian explained that the Customer Service Excellence Charter, which Rotherham was pursuing, involved the recording and consideration of customers’ ‘Voice’.

 

Councillor Cusworth was concerned about the cases where children make a preference but the Council needed to act differently.

 

Ian reassured Councillors that the Council will always act in the best interests of children.  The consultation that had taken place on Woodview was an example.  Parents have to take tough decisions, and these sometimes differed from what the child wanted.  As far as possible the Council would accommodate wishes and feelings, but those with the professional experience on what was in children’s best interests would make the decision.

 

Councillor Cusworth asked if children and young people accepted when decisions did not go their way. 

 

Ian felt that, yes, they did.  He had met a young person whose wishes and feelings could not be accommodated.  He had explained the rationale behind the decision and she understood and accepted this.

 

Councillor Elliot shared an example of a young carer who had not been adequately supported. 

 

Ian explained that he hoped that a Professional assessing a case of a young carer would liaise with other relevant professionals.  He committed to completing an in-depth piece of assessment on this in Rotherham. 

 

Councillor Clark asked for this to be reported back to the Improving Lives Select Commission.

 

Councillor Clark asked what the ‘asset-based strengths approach focus to children’, as referred to in the report, was?

 

Ian explained that the Council did not routinely act on the strengths of families.  Professionals working with families often looked at negatives, but this did not inspire families to want to change their situations.  The jargonistic term looked to build on family’s strengths rather than focus on the negatives.  It galvanised families and workers to become solution focused. 

 

Councillor Clark asked for an update on the appointment of Members to the Working Group and how was the rhetoric going to be put into practice?

 

Ian explained; the Lifestyle Survey would be used as the baseline, and future surveys would be used to track progress about the impact of the Child-Centred Borough. 

 

Councillor Clark suggested that a visit to Leeds City Council could be arranged to see the exemplar and look at how this could be applied in Rotherham. 

 

Ian had visited Leeds and agreed that it would be useful.  It could be useful to see how children had been placed at the heart of Growth Strategy, especially considering how they were tomorrow’s parents, employees and growth. 

 

All Members of the Improving Lives Select Commission supported this idea. 

 

Resolved: - (1)  That the following be recorded as unanimously supported by the Improving Lives Select Commission: -

 

·           The ambition to become a Child-Centred Borough;

 

·           The six priority principles of a Child-Centred Borough: -

1.  A focus on the rights and voice of the child;

2.  Keeping children safe and healthy;

3.  Ensuring children reached their potential;

4.  An inclusive Borough;

5.  Harnessing the resources of communities;

6.  A sense of place.

 

·           The establishment of a member-led working group to develop the actions to achieve the priorities for a Child-Centred Borough, including how impact will be measured;

 

·           The Publication of the Voice of the Child Lifestyle Survey report, as a benchmark for future years’ monitoring of the success of the Child-Centred Borough ambitions in changing the experiences of children and young people in Rotherham. 

 

(2)  The a visit to Leeds be arranged for members of the Improving Lives Select Commission to view their exemplar Child-Centred Borough to consider how it could be adapted to work in Rotherham. 

Supporting documents: