To receive apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor CR Butler, Mrs Fisher, Councillor JF Johnson, Councillor MT McEvilly and Mr Sell. 

To receive details of members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the committee.

Councillor DW Greenow attended the meeting as a substitute for Councillor MT McEvilly.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in respect of items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting on 16 April 2018.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 16 April 2018 are agreed as a correct record.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

Deadline for receipt of questions is 5:00pm on Wednesday 9 May.

Accepted questions will be published as a supplement prior to the meeting.

Please submit questions to: councillorservices@herefordshire.gov.uk. 

There were no questions from members of the public.

To receive any written questions from members of the council.

Deadline for receipt of questions is 5:00pm on Wednesday 9 May.

Accepted questions will be published as a supplement prior to the meeting.

Please submit questions to: councillorservices@herefordshire.gov.uk. 

There were no questions from members of the council.

To review the draft Learning Disability Strategy 2018-2028, particularly transitional arrangements between children and adult services, before its presentation to Cabinet.

The Committee was invited to review the draft learning disability strategy 2018 – 2028, particularly transitional arrangements between children and adults services, before its presentation to cabinet.

The Chairman welcomed all in attendance including the witnesses present to comment on the learning disability strategy.

The SCO provided the presentation, as attached to the agenda papers and introduced the strategy.

The following witnesses were then invited to speak: Helen Huxley, a local student; Ian Harper, Service Quality Director, Aspire; Jade Brooks, Deputy Director of Operations Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group; and Mary Simpson, Healthwatch.

In summary witnesses made the following principal observations: 

Helen Huxley

Ms Huxley explained that she was a student who had recently passed through transition and had found a greater level of support after moving from a foster care arrangement to supported living. She enjoyed more freedom than she had experienced previously and wouldn’t change anything about her transition. The transition from sixth form college to college had also been a positive experience and she had settled into the new educational environment very easily.

Ian Harper

Mr Harper explained his involvement with local learning disability charities and advocacy groups. A challenge facing learning disabilities in the county concerned limited public transport and difficulty securing bus passes. There was also a problem in identifying what services were available with sites such as WISH providing some, but not all, details of services. A further challenge concerned the withdrawal of support for people with moderate or lower learning disabilities. Mr Harper explained that people with learning disabilities wanted to work or to volunteer and identified the 50/50 challenge in Gloucestershire as a good example of securing vocational opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Planning around transitions was felt to be too little too late and the impact on wellbeing and families was felt to be significant. It was queries when an alternative to 1 Ledbury Road would be opened and an accessible version of the strategy for people with LD was proposed.   

Jade Brooks - CCG

It was important that the learning disability strategy linked to the children and young people plan. The strategy needed to support people with learning disabilities throughout their lives and the links to employment and housing. Some elements of the strategy may only affect a small number of people but access to good healthcare was paramount. There was a challenge to address health inequalities and better access to healthcare. The strategy also provided for people transitioning back in to the county following receipt of LD services elsewhere.

Mary Simpson - Healthwatch

The tone and aspirations contained in the strategy were welcomed. There was a need to ensure the effective use and access to universal services and establishing best practice in ensuring reasonable adjustments are in place for people with learning disabilities. A system wide implementation of reasonable adjustments was required which should be commissioner-led. There appeared to be training initiatives in some areas of the strategy but not in others. Access to day opportunities and integrated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

To note the performance in relation to children’s safeguarding and family support for the end of March 2018, together with trend data over the previous 12 months and allow the committee to undertake effective scrutiny of the council’s statutory functions in relation to safeguarding for children in need.

The committee received a report concerning performance in relation to children’s safeguarding and family support for the quarter ending March 2018, together with trend data over the previous 12 months. The committee was asked to note the report and raise any items to include in future version of the report. The ADCSF introduced the report and outlined the achievements that had been accomplished in the last quarter and also some of the challenges contained in the report.

The Chairman welcomed Helen Richardson, Chief Nursing Officer at the CCG to the meeting.

In the committee’s discussion the following principal points were made:

·         A question was asked regarding the distinction between contacts and referrals listed in the appendix to the report. The ADCSF confirmed that contacts were defined as queries received which required signposting or simple responses. Referrals were considered to be issues which required further work to gather more information.

·         It was commented that a high number of referrals from the police resulted in a no further action and a number of these referrals centred on domestic abuse cases. The committee asked for a report to be brought to the September meeting of the committee to look into the issue in greater detail and to include access to comparative data. It was also suggested that the Chair of the Herefordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board be invited to the meeting. The ADCSF commented that in all local authority areas the level of referrals from the police was high.

·         The committee asked whether there was any explanation concerning the decreasing number of child protection cases involving physical and sexual abuse in the appendix. The ADCSF would provide greater detail following the meeting. Action note

·         A question was asked regarding the child protection conferences and whether the April figure for the conferences was unusually high given the backlog produced by the adverse weather during the start of the year. The ADCSF did not have the April figures to hand but would report these back to the committee following the meeting. Action note

·         The committee noted an increase in the number of children on child protection plans. The ADCSF confirmed that this was a significant piece of work for the directorate to assess the thresholds and their correct application. However it was explained that very few children had been on a plan for longer than 2 years which demonstrated their effectiveness.

·         An update on joining the regional adoption agency was requested. The ADCSF explained that the general election in 2017 had delayed the process which had caused some impact on the recruitment.

·         The committee noted the positive work that was being undertaken around placing older children into adoption but was concerned about recording practices on case documents, as identified by the peer review, and the consistency of reports which had been a significant area of concern at the council previously. The DCW explained that performance was not reaching the targets set and this was an objective of the directorate to address this issue. The peer review  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

To review the attached draft work programme for 2018/19 and consider additional, potential items for scrutiny. To note the recommendation tracker containing updates of actions in respect of decisions of the committee.

The committee received and noted the draft work programme for 2018/19.

The chairman provided an update on a response received from Lord Agnew to correspondence regarding elective home education.

The committee received an update on the timings for the presentation of the autism strategy to cabinet and it was explained that this had been deferred to a later date to enable more work to be undertaken on the document.

The committee noted that the Bromyard children’s centre decision would be presented to a meeting of cabinet before the committee next met. There would not be an opportunity for the committee to preview the decision therefore the chairman urged members to make their views known to their political groups.

The committee noted that there was an item on the forward plan concerning the childcare sufficiency report 2019 – 2022 which was due to be presented to Cabinet in November 2018. It was requested that the draft decision was previewed by the committee.

The committee agreed a change to the date for the November meeting. The committee meeting would now take place on 12 November.

Resolved – that:

a)    the childcare sufficiency report is called-in for pre scrutiny and considered at the meeting of the scrutiny committee in 12 November; and

b)    the meeting date in November be changed to the 12 November 2018.  

To agree the rescheduling of the meeting date of 19 November to Monday 12 November 2018.

To note the date of the next meeting on 16 July 2018 at 2.00 p.m.

The date of the next meeting was noted. The meeting would take place on 16 July 2018 at 2.00 p.m.