The Cabinet Member (Children’s Services) and the Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement) will comment on achievements or areas for improvement in the past year in their programme areas as they relates to this Committee, what will need to be addressed in the coming year and issues that they may wish to involve Scrutiny in the future.

The Cabinet Member (Children’s Services) and the Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement) were invited to comment on achievements or areas for improvement in the past year in their programme areas as they relate to this Committee, what will need to be addressed in the coming year and issues in which they may wish to involve Scrutiny in the future.

The Cabinet Member (Children’s Services) and the Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement) gave a presentation, the slides for which had been printed in the agenda, together with supporting documents. 

Based on the slides the following are the principal points or comments made by the Cabinet Members:

Slide one – based on the APA outcome, there was generally an improving picture. New Heads of Service were in place.

Slide two – an assessment of educational standards and attainment indicated that good progress was being made.  Health Care also indicated some good successes.  Both Cabinet Members attended the ‘Children in Care Council’.  Good work was being undertaken on the use, and co-ordination with social care, of Children’s Centres.

Slide three – the number of referrals and assessments was being closely monitored.  Targeted Youth Support was showing some recovery, however, while limited by budgets the range of support was being looked at.  The economic down turn had increased the number of young people in jobs without training.

Slide four – indications were that the ‘No Wrong Door’ approach to locality working would be a success.  The new Children and Young People’s Plan, reflecting national and local visions and priorities, had been produced and launched.  The scope of the Children’s Trust was being reviewed.  High level staff recruitment would see a change in the Service from which the schools would also see a benefit, however, time was needed for the changes to bed in.  Following a re-fresh the Herefordshire Shadow Children’s Board now had an independent Chairman.

Slide five – work and consultation was on-going to implement ‘School Passports’ and a report was expected to go to Cabinet in autumn 09.  Following the transfer of functions from Connexions and the Learning and Skills Council it was acknowledged that the staff pay/conditions of those transferred now needed to be addressed. While the recent bid under Building Schools for the Future had been unsuccessful the Council now had a robust programme should a further bid be invited.  Implementing ‘No Wrong Door’ approach to locality working and embedding the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) would be issues for the year.

Slide six – the appointment of Every Child Matters (ECM) Link Members will enable Scrutiny Members to build a greater understanding of issues in the Directorate.  No new money was available for ‘No Wrong Door’ and therefore it was essential that existing resources were directed to ensure that the different teams provided a truly integrated service.

During the course of debate the following principal points were noted:

• It was asserted that the overall Annual Performance Assessment (APA) grades, set out in the table on agenda page 21, indicated no appreciable improvement over a number of years.  In response the Director of Children’s Services reported that the Government Office confirmed that progress was being made.  She agreed that the Service should not be complacent, however, limited finance and greater expectations by central government increased the pressures on the Service.
• Following a number of high profile cases, nationally it had become difficult to recruit staff to key posts.  Herefordshire were employing a number of ways to attract personnel to the County.
• The Children’s Advocacy Service continued to provide assistance, particularly to Looked After Children.
• Questioned on the relationship between the Capital Programme and the Task Force Programme the Committee noted that the Building Schools for the Future Programme was a national programme.  Bids for funding were made balancing local needs to national targets and the national framework.
• There was likely to be a loss of expectation by the public when the 2 year funding for ‘Under 16 Swimming’ ceased.

RESOLVED: That the presentations be noted.