To agree the work programme and meeting dates for the 2021/22 administrative year. To agree the scoping document for the paediatric therapies task and finish group.

The committee considered its work programme for 2021-22. The following principal points were raised during the discussion:

·         The arrangement of an additional meeting of the scrutiny committee on 20 May 2021 at 2.00 p.m. to receive a report on the work of legal services with children’s services;

·         The improvement plan report would be removed from future meetings of the committee; it was understood that the detail from the report would continue to be received at performance challenge sessions. The improvement plan report would be replaced by more detailed reports into elements of children’s services, e.g. looked after children.

·         Additional meetings of the committee would be arranged to evaluate detailed information and data arising from the Improvement Board.

·         An additional item needed to be added to the meeting date of 1 June to consider progress with the peer on peer abuse recommendations.

·         In place of the improvement plan at the 1 June there would be a dedicated performance report around looked after children.

·         At the meeting on 14 September the item around the impact of the pandemic would be clearly split into a mental health item and an item relating to the economic downturn and effect upon the opportunities available to young people. Before the meeting there would be a briefing note circulated on the kick start programme.

·         The funding routes to schools and the governance around schools funding would be added to items to be allocated during the year.

·         Early years intervention and prevention would be added to the business to allocate.

·         An update on the progress of the savings proposal relating to foster carers should be added to the work programme together with the sufficiency strategy.

The work programme 2021/22 as amended by the changes outline above was proposed by Councillor Carole Gandy and seconded by Councillor Graham Andrews.

The work programme 2021/22, as amended, was put to the vote and agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED: That the committee agrees the 2021/22 work programme and meeting dates at appendix 1 and the additional meeting and business as outlined above.  

The committee considered a scoping document for a task and finish group concerning paediatric therapies.

It was requested that a bullet point was added to the terms of reference of the group, in the scoping document, as follows: To consider the impact of the merger of the local CCGs on the performance of paediatric therapy services.

It was requested that bullet point 4 in the terms of reference and bullet point 3 in the key questions section of the scoping document were removed as they were felt to be implicit in the objectives to the task and finish group.

It was requested that the word including was removed from the section regarding reasons for the review to provide clarity over what services the review would concern. It should be replaced with the wording the review will cover the following services.

Councillor Kath Hey volunteered to act as chairperson for the task and finish group and it was agreed that the group should consist of five members. It was reported that Councillor Mike Jones and Councillor Diana Toynbee would be members of the group. Group Leaders would be consulted to nominate member to sit on the group.

The scoping document, as amended, the appointment of Councillor Hey as chairperson and appointment of Councillors M Jones and Toynbee as members of the task and finish group was proposed by Councillor Gandy and seconded by Councillor Howells.   

The scoping document, as amended, the appointment of Councillor Hey as chairperson and appointment of Councillors M Jones and Toynbee as members of the task and finish group was put to the vote and agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED: That the committee approves the scoping document in appendix 2 for the paediatric therapies task and finish group, subject to the addition and changes agreed above, and agrees the appointments below:

Chairperson – Councillor Kath Hey

Membership – comprising five members including Councillors Mike Jones and Diana Toynbee.

The committee received updates on the outstanding resolutions attached as appendix 3 to the work programme report. During the course of the updates the committee requested that an update be added to the business to allocate in the work programme for an item on the autism nurture hubs.