To recommend the  children and young people’s partnership plan 2015-2018 for approval by Council.

The Children and Young People’s Plan was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Young People and Children’s Wellbeing. The plan provided a clear vision for Herefordshire to ensure that young people had the best start to life. It also minimised the impact on services as people grow older, therefore good for the county as a whole, and reminded councillors of their responsibilities as corporate parents. A child friendly version was being developed. Acknowledgement was given to all who developed the plan.

The assistant director, education and commissioning, explained the plan’s key points:

•           relationship to the health and wellbeing strategy and specific targets, recognising the work with partners to identify priorities including resources and savings;

•           working with troubled families, with a focus on early help and targeting direct services and supporting 600 families which would-draw in finance;

•           targets to reduce first time entrants (FTEs) and reoffending;

•           improving performance in such issues as breast-feeding, immunisations, health visitors and school nurses; 

•           mental health linked to adults’ services to redesign services;

•           improving safeguarding and recognising pressures on placements;

•           focus on adolescent services and those not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and their contribution to the economy;

•           recognition of recent legislation regarding changing care plans to develop single pathways for disabled children moving into adulthood.

In response to a comment from the group leader for Herefordshire Independents regarding risk management and the statistics provided regarding mental health, it was confirmed that the plan was intended to be clear about responsibilities and resources and the partnership provided a vehicle to identify risks. I

It was recognised that people needed access to the right mental health support at both at national and local level and that developments in mental health services needed to be seen as it was expected that the number of people identified with mental health issues would grow. It was also recognised that emotional health needs could be addressed as a wider issue on the basis that supporting those needs in earlier years made people more resilient as adults.

The chair of the general overview and scrutiny committee commented on the plan’s reference to safeguarding and questioned the level progress made in this area, for example with the Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). The director for children’s wellbeing clarified that they key issue was to retain focus on safeguarding and practice improvements and to develop the MASH further to cover all age-groups with further input from police and other partners.

In response to a further question regarding children coming into the county, it was explained that the issue of advance notification had improved and better arrangements were in place, although there remained issues where children were placed in an emergency and so systems had to catch up with their situation.

The leader of It’s Our County (IOC) welcomed the preventive approach and asked how the plan linked to the public health agenda and budget. It was confirmed that the plan was produced with input from the public health team and that there was a member of that team focused on children and families.

In answer to his further question regarding the development of healthy child services and the family nurse partnership, it was clarified that service developments would allow for better local planning within the national framework. 

The Cabinet Member for young people and children’s wellbeing acknowledged a further comment from the IOC group leader regarding community engagement and the potential role of parish councils and the third sector. He commented that, in order to avoid duplication, it was important to recognise that the plan belonged to the county rather than the council. He added that parish and town councils played an important role in ensuring services were provided.

The leader of the Green group asked about financial implications associated with funding the work with troubled families.  In response, reference was made to the outcome that partners were to identify 600 families and that work with them would continue and as there was no reliance on funding, there was no associated risk.  The approach taken centred on multi-agency work with families with particular problems such as offending and truancy. There was a new scheme to fund volunteers to work with families in order to draw communities in and identify areas where communities can help and this was seen as a sustainable way of meeting high level and infinite needs against finite funds.   

The chair of the health and social care overview and scrutiny committee observed that the plan referred to free school meals provision being linked to a child’s development, although it is now the case that meals are provided to all children. It was clarified that this criterion still existed for the purposes of data collation.

RESOLVED

That the children’s and young people’s plan be recommended to Council for approval.