Items
No. |
Item |
31. |
Minutes PDF 327 KB
To approve as a correct record
the minutes of Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny
Committee meeting held on 12 October 2021.
Minutes:
The Chair highlighted page six of the minutes
and stated that she had specifically requested a RAG rated action
plan on the LSCP recommendations. She added that she had also
proposed additional recommendations to both the report on
Children’s Services Savings – Education and Skills, and
the report on Proposed Budget Reductions for Children’s
Social Care and Early Help, and requested that these be added to
the minutes in bold.
Subject to these amendments, the minutes of the meeting held on 12
October 2021 were approved as true and correct record.
|
32. |
Items of Urgent Business
To receive additional items
that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter
of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local
Government Act 1972. To agree any relevant briefing notes submitted
to the Committee.
Minutes:
The Chair stated that she had one item of
urgent business that she wished to raise, which related to the
nurseries consultation that had recently finished. The Assistant
Director Education and Skills explained that a briefing note had
been sent to the Committee, and would form part of the report that
would be submitted to Cabinet in January.
The Chair felt that a good number of responses had been submitted
to the consultation, as almost 300 responses had been received. She
questioned if the consultation had been digital only. The Assistant
Director Education and Skills replied that it had been mostly
digital, but paper copies had been supplied to the relevant
affected services. The Chair highlighted that 96% of respondents
had felt that access to local nursery placements was either
important or very important. The Chair stated that the Committee
had seen a Childcare Sufficiency Report that evidenced a lack of
childcare places in Tilbury St Chads, before the potential closure
of these nurseries and the loss of another 126 places. The
Assistant Director Education and Skills replied that there were a
small proportion of schools and the rest were local nurseries, but
that she did not have these numbers to hand, but would find this
information and report back to the Chair. The Chair questioned if
there would be enough time between January Cabinet and the
potential closure in March to find an alternative provider. She
explained that to her knowledge there was only one other local
nursery in Tilbury St Chads. The Assistant Director Education and
Skills replied that both nurseries discussed in the report would
remain open until August, but initial interest had been received
for when the procurement process began in January. She added that
feedback had also been received from other providers that more
placements could be opened if necessary. The Chair welcomed the
news that the nurseries would stay open until August. The Corporate
Director Children’s Services added that it was difficult to
gauge the level of interest until Cabinet gave approval for the
procurement process to proceed at January’s Cabinet meeting.
She explained that the team would then go to market for the
procurement of the nurseries and feedback would be given to the
Committee during this process.
Councillor Thandi questioned if initial interest in the procurement
of the nurseries had been strong. The Corporate Director
Children’s Services replied that it was difficult to say but
there had been an indication of initial interest, and the team were
hopeful that this would be developed once the full procurement pack
had been released. The Committee agreed the briefing
note.
|
33. |
Declaration of Interests
Minutes:
There were no declarations of interest.
|
34. |
Youth Cabinet Verbal Update
Minutes:
The Youth Cabinet Representative stated that
the Youth Cabinet had been holding monthly meetings, and had been
focussing on three main projects. She explained that these projects
were: pollution and recycling, particularly promoting the idea of
plastics recycling to pre-school children by creating a sculpture
made out of waste plastic; mental health; and working with the
police to create a YouTube video. The Youth Support Worker added
that Essex Police had been working well with the Youth Cabinet to
produce this video.
Councillor Kent questioned how the Youth Cabinet had met during
COVID-19. The Youth Cabinet Representative replied that they had
been meeting monthly via Zoom, but had also been holding regular
Zoom activity evenings, taking part in online quizzes and making
friends. She added that the waste plastics sculpture had been
delayed due to the pandemic, but Youth Cabinet were hopeful that
this could begin in the New Year.
|
35. |
Items Raised by Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children Partnership - Verbal Update
Minutes:
The Chair highlighted that she had requested a
RAG rated action plan report be brought to this Committee meeting,
and requested that a written report, with the RAG plan included, be
brought to February’s Committee meeting.
The Independent Chair and Scrutineer Thurrock LSCP
introduced the report and stated that she had recently been chosen
for the role, and would be focussing on the future of scrutiny and
safeguarding in terms of children. She stated that Sir Alan Wood
had carried out a national review of Local Safeguarding Childrens
Boards four years ago, and from this LSCPs had been developed, and
had been enshrined in legislation in 2017. She explained that this
legislation made the local authority, the Clinical Commissioning
Group (CCG), and the police equally responsible for child
safeguarding, and the LSCP had an overarching role to co-ordinate
safeguarding in the area and implement learning from serious case
reviews. She added that Thurrock’s LSCP had a constitution
that enshrined these principles, and helped to hold partners to
account. She stated that Thurrock’s LSCP were currently
working on: early identification of vulnerability; increased
learning within the partnerships to ensure learning was embedded
and changes could be made when required; and ensuring information
was shared effectively.
She explained that Thurrock’s peer review last year had
highlighted the need for scrutiny and governance, which was why she
had been appointed into the role. She stated that she would be
reviewing the arrangements for broader scrutiny aiming for it to be
objective and a critical friend. She explained that the peer review
had driven actions to support Thurrock’s scrutiny,
particularly through the increased use of Key Performance
Indications (KPIs) and improved multi-agency partnerships, such as
with the police, health colleagues, and schools. She added that
additional quality assurance had been implemented, such as
multi-agency audits from the LSCP. She summarised and stated that
the LSCP could provide safeguarding assurance information to
Committee Members, and a report would be brought to Committee next
year which would outline their upcoming priorities.
The Safeguarding and Children’s Manager stated that there
were four reviews and one peer review action plan currently
underway. She stated that these were:
1. Frankie – 14 actions identified (11 blue and 3
amber)
2. Sam and Kyle – 18 actions identified (16 blue and 2
amber)
3. Leo – 14 actions identified (1 blue, 4 green, and 9
amber)
4. Shay and Ashley – learning published but not yet ratified
through governance processes.
She explained that blue actions meant the work had been embedded
into the service; green meant complete but not yet embedded; and
amber meant work had been started but not yet completed. She added
that the peer review had identified 26 actions, 23 of which were
now blue and 3 of which were amber.
The Safeguarding and Children’s Manager added that the
reviews had identified four overarching themes of: information
sharing; professional curiosity; thresholds and escalations; and
working with resistance. She stated that lots of work was ongoing
on these ...
view the full minutes text for item 35.
|
36. |
Fees and Charges Pricing Strategy 2022-23 PDF 393 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Assistant Director Education and Skills
introduced the report and stated that it was presented before the
Committee on an annual basis. She highlighted the charge that
related to Grangewaters which had increased by 64% and explained
that this was because it was an activity that required the whole
lake and staff onsite to manage. She explained that previously this
had been undertaken by volunteers or by holding other activities
that required onsite staff at the same time, but this was no longer
feasible. She summarised and stated that the team tested the market
for fees and charges, and the proposals would be implemented in
April, if agreed by Cabinet.
Councillor Kent highlighted the increase of 64% at Grangewaters,
and asked if this was for the Water-ski and Jet-Ski Club, and if
any consultation had been undertaken with them. The Assistant
Director Education and Skills replied that conversations had been
ongoing throughout the season, as they used the whole lake and it
had been difficult to identify space for them. She explained that
there were no volunteers identified in future, so staff costs would
increase. She stated that the Club had felt disappointed that there
had been no space for them this year, but the team would continue
to work closely with them in future. Councillor Anderson questioned
how the overall pricing of Grangewaters related to the national
average. The Assistant Director Education and Skills answered that
pricing at Grangewaters was lower than the national average, but
Grangewaters followed a different pricing strategy as it was aimed
for local community use.
The Chair stated that over 50% of the fees and charges increases
outlined in the report were above inflation. She asked if any
consultation had been undertaken for these increases. The Assistant
Director Education and Skills replied that some of the fees and
charges had only been increased by approximately £1 above
inflation, and this was low when compared to the national average.
She stated that the team had spoken with services and service users
before proposing an increase in fees and charges. The Chair
questioned why the commercial rate hall charge had been removed.
The Assistant Director Education and Skills responded that this
related to the Thurrock Adult Community College building, which was
not in operation. She stated that the removal of fees and charges
relating to Grangewaters had been to simplify and streamline the
system.
Councillor Kent questioned the approval process for the report. The
Assistant Director Education and Skills explained that the report
would go to February’s Cabinet meeting for their sign off.
Councillor Kent stated that he would not agree to give director
delegated authority to change the fees and charges in year, and
felt that this should have some Member oversight, for example in
consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder. Councillor
Anderson questioned if the recommendation relating to director
delegated authority had been previously included in fees and
charges reports. He also questioned how regularly director
delegated authority was utilised. The Assistant Director Education
...
view the full minutes text for item 36.
|
37. |
Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Children's Social Care PDF 711 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Assistant Director Education and Skills
introduced the report and stated that a previous report presented
to the Committee in July had requested data on attainment, but
explained that this was currently not available. She stated that
therefore this report outlined how the service was supporting
children on a holistic level. She stated that a survey had been
sent out to schools to collect this information, and the completed
report had been sent back to schools for their information. She
added that it was also good to hear that the Youth Cabinet were
undertaking work relating to mental health, as this was a concern
within the service.
The Assistant Director Education and Skills stated that the main
elements of the report related to the socialisation of children,
particularly those children with special educational needs and
disabilities (SEND), as children required socialisation with their
peers that they did not necessarily receive during the pandemic.
She stated that some children had enjoyed isolation, whereas others
had not, so the report highlighted a mixed individual picture. She
explained that work was being undertaken to support
children’s socialisation and consultation had been undertaken
during the pandemic to find out what schools needed. She commented
that from this consultation the team had set up ‘The
Hangout’ and ‘The Junior Hangout’ to improve
children’s socialisation.
The Assistant Director Education and Skills stated that the
pandemic had also had an impact on children’s learning, as
schools had reported that children had lower stamina and resilience
for learning. She highlighted that the School’s Forum had
also reported increased speech and language problems among the EYFS
cohort, which could lead to an increased number of Education,
Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in the future. She stated that the
team were therefore working closely with schools to ensure teachers
and other professionals were working with children experiencing
speech and language difficulties.
The Assistant Director Education and Skills added that the team
were also seeing challenges amongst Year 11 pupils in schools, but
highlighted that the government was still planning for exams to
take place next summer, but this was dependent on a number of
factors including the new Omicron variant. She clarified that
schools were still experiencing problems relating to COVID-19 as
some schools were seeing significant outbreaks, and children and
staff were having to self-isolate, so the team were working to
mitigate these challenges. She stated that attendance was currently
90% which was lower than pre-COVID levels, but in line with the
national average.
The Assistant Director Children’s Social Care (CSC) and Early
Help added that the team had now moved to business as usual, with
98% of contact happening face-to-face, with remote contact only
occurring as an exception after being risk assessed. She explained
that the team were also using hybrid working, with some people in
the office and some people working from home. She added that the
courts had also decided to maintain a hybrid system, with the
majority of court proceedings occurring via video, and only
...
view the full minutes text for item 37.
|
38. |
Pupil Place Plan Update (2021-2025) PDF 238 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Service Manager Education and Support
Service introduced the report and stated that it was produced for
Committee on an annual basis and provided the key highlights of the
PPP. She explained that birth rates had hit a record high in
2015/16, but had reduced by 7% in 2020, which could leave surplus
places in schools in five years’ time. She stated that the
PPP allowed the team to think strategically about capital works,
such as where to place bulge classes, and which schools to work
with for additional places. She stated that all schools were
consulted on the PPP and when finding additional placements as
required. The Service Manager Education and Support Service stated
that the team currently had concerns regarding capacity in
Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham, which she hoped would be rectified
by Abbots Hall Primary becoming a two form entry. She stated that
the team also had concern regarding capacity in Tilbury and talks
were underway with both the Gateway Free School and Tilbury Pioneer
Academy regarding additional placements. She stated that the team
considered the PPP regularly at monthly meetings and were currently
considering Year 1 placements following the high birth rates in
2015/16. She mentioned that there had been over 4000 in-year
applications received for primary and secondary school placements,
due to families moving to England, moving to Thurrock, or
requesting different school placements. She explained that
approximately 2000 places had been offered, and explained that not
all 4000 requests had been offered a place due to factors such as
parents not moving to Thurrock after they had requested a place.
She explained that both Thames Park Academy and Orsett Heath
Academy were currently in temporary locations, with Thames Park
Academy scheduled to move to their permanent location in September
2022 and Orsett Heath Academy scheduled to move to their permanent
location in Easter 2023. She explained that Treetops School had
recently accepted additional classroom space, so would be moving to
their permanent location in Easter 2022.
The Parent Governor Representative asked if bulge classes could be
removed once they were added. The Service Manager Education and
Support Service replied that bulge classes were applied to a
particular cohort, and the bulge class would remain until that
cohort had left the school. The Parent Governor Representative then
asked if some schools were oversubscribed. The Service Manager
Education and Support Service replied that those areas marked in
red in the report were areas of concern, such as Stanford-le-Hope,
Corringham and Tilbury, but these were monitored monthly alongside
in-year applications. Councillor Kent welcomed the report as he
felt the PPP led to proactive decisions and was comprehensive. He
questioned point 3 on page 77 of the agenda, and queried if parents
had a choice in school places, and if not, if the report could be
reflected to amend this. The Assistant Director Education and
Skills replied that parents could only express a preference rather
than having a choice and this would be removed.
RESOLVED: That the Committee:
1. ...
view the full minutes text for item 38.
|
39. |
SEND Inspection Outcome - Written Statement of Action Update PDF 281 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Assistant Director Education and Skills
introduced the report and stated that Ofsted would be revisiting
Thurrock in relation to the WSoA in December, and would be on site
between 13 and 15 December. She explained that all relevant
documents would be submitted to Ofsted by their deadline, which
would identify how actions within the WSoA had been addressed. She
explained that Thurrock needed to show sufficient progress on the
recommendations, and the key document would be the Impact Statement
which had come before Committee. She added that Ofsted had
previously identified action regarding governance and scrutiny, and
felt that the Committee had taken their role of scrutiny seriously.
She mentioned that this a revisit rather than a re-inspection, and
Ofsted would be talking to schools, health colleagues, young
people, parents, Directors and Senior Managers. She summarised and
stated that the RAG rated document provided for Committee would
form part of the evidence submitted to Ofsted.
The Corporate Director Children’s Services added that the
team had worked hard since the last inspection two years ago, and
had worked collaboratively with colleagues from health and
education. She stated that there was as large agenda for
Ofsted’s onsite visit, although some meetings with parents
and young people would be held virtually. She explained that both
the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted would be visiting and
their findings would be presented in a progress letter next year.
The Assistant Director Education and Skills added that as part of
the local offer, SEND children had been asked to design a mascot,
which had been judged by the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee.
She felt that the team had been undertaking lots of engagement work
and the evidence of this would be presented to Ofsted.
The Chair thanked officers for the report and wished them luck on
the re-visit. She added that choosing a winner for the mascot
competition had been difficult, and thanked everyone for their hard
work on the entries. She felt glad to see that the majority of
recommendations were now blue or green RAG rated. Councillor
Anderson echoed the Chair’s comments and thanked the team for
their hard work, as well as wishing them luck for the upcoming
visit.
RESOLVED: That the Committee:
1. Scrutinised the work that has been undertaken during the period
outlined in the report and offered support and challenge.
|
40. |
Update on the Progress of the Recommendations in the Annual Public Health Report of Serious Youth Violence and Vulnerability PDF 300 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Director of Public Health
joined the meeting at 8.45pm.
The Director of Public Health introduced the report and stated that
it had been completed by the previous Director of Public Health in
2019/20 and since then the Violence and Vulnerability Board (VVB),
which had been set up in the summer, had begun working to take
forward the recommendations. She stated that the VVB had held two
meetings so far, which had established governance processes and the
future work programme, ensuring that they added value and did not
duplicate work. She stated that direct action had been undertaken
with the perpetrators and victims of youth violence, and areas of
further work had been identified, such as exclusions. She stated
that the report had identified four areas of work, and the VVB had
added a fifth area regarding raising awareness. She explained that
the four areas were:
1. Surveillance, which was mainly undertaken by the police, and
information was then pulled together by the public health team.
There had been some progress in this area, but the team had had
difficulty in recruiting an experienced data analyst. A data
analyst had now started this week who would develop a predictive
model of violence.
2. Primary prevention, which improved protective factors and
reduced risk through work with parents and schools.
3. Secondary prevention, which included youth outreach work in
schools.
4. Tertiary prevention, which reduced harm and took action on
gangs.
The Director of Public Health stated that a number of projects were
being developed and provided a comprehensive programme.
The Chair thanked the Director of Public Health for the
comprehensive report and asked for clarification regarding the
levels of prevention. The Director of Public Health explained that
the levels of prevention were developed using a public health
model, and gave the example in a public health setting that primary
prevention considered increasing physical activity; secondary
prevention considered treatment by the GP; and tertiary prevention
considered treatment at hospital to prevent further adverse
outcomes. The Assistant Director Education and Skills added that
the VVB had links across Essex and had received funding for the
Olive Academy to undertake outreach work for children at risk of
permanent exclusion. She stated that this funding, and other
funding avenues, were a direct result of the report.
Councillor Kent stated that this approach had first been undertaken
in Glasgow, which had seen long term investment. He queried if the
Council were committed to the approach in the long term, and if any
tangible outcomes had been seen so far. The Director of Public
Health replied that the Council was committed to the long term
approach, and would start to see the benefits in five to ten years.
She stated that the Council were also committed to ensuring the
entire system and a range of organisations remained committed. She
stated that lots of work was ongoing, for example the multiagency
operation to tackle gangs in Thurrock, so it was difficult to
determine which outcomes were the result ...
view the full minutes text for item 40.
|
41. |
Work Programme PDF 230 KB
Minutes:
The Work Programme was amended as
follows:
1. An update on the Ofsted re-visit be provided to the
Committee.
2. The report on the impact of COVID-19 would be removed.
3. The report on Inspire would be provided to the Committee as a
briefing note.
|