To receive a report concerning the approach to updating the Children and Young People’s Plan.

The committee received a report from the Director Children’s Wellbeing concerning the production of the children and young people’s plan. There was a presentation by Richard Watson, Children’s Joint Commissioning Manager and Amanda Price, Children’s Commissioning and Contracts Lead. The committee was asked to consider the approach to the production of the new version of the plan and propose priorities for inclusion. The plan would include a review of the previous three years of the existing plan and would provide a strategic link to other existing documents such as the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. It was anticipated that a draft plan would be developed by April and consultation would be undertaken with schools and youth groups. An early version of the plan would be shared with the committee for consideration.

The committee made the comments below in the discussion that followed:

·         The early engagement activity and feedback appeared to be from children in urban areas of Herefordshire. It was questioned how engagement would take account of children from rural area to ensure a fully representative plan of the county was produced. It was confirmed that the early engagement was conducted in the market towns but schools throughout the county would be visited in February including those in rural areas.

·         It was hoped that the plan would complement other initiatives in Herefordshire including the Youth Project developed by Leominster Town Council.

·         The committee queried what examples there were of projects involving the positive involvement of children and families and what the impact had been.  The children’s commissioning and contracts lead explained that parents had been involved in: the recommissioning of disability services; the development of the mental health plan; and that it was intended that they would be closely involved in the development of the children’s and young people plan.

·         How the plan would engage partners and ensure that they were committed to the priorities was raised. Youth safety and the role of West Mercia police force was raised in particular. Part of the role of the Plan was to engage partners and seek to influence the role they can play in fulfilling its objective/priorities. The cabinet member young people and children’s wellbeing explained that it was intended that partners would adopt the plan and feel an ownership for it. In respect of West Mercia police and youth safety it was felt that this was of greater concern to community safety.

·         Detail was requested regarding the legal status of the plan. The Director Children’s Wellbeing explained that it was not a statutory requirement but the plan formed part of the policy framework at the council and through engagement with key partners it would be adopted by local organisations such as the CCG.

·         The provision of transport and youth facilities were key issues which should be included in the plan. It was confirmed that an element of the plan would focus on the aspirations of young people for Herefordshire.  

·         The committee queried those areas of the existing plan to which it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37