Meeting documents

Notice of Meeting

Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee Tuesday 13 December 2005 at 10.00 am at County Hall, Oxford

Membership

Chairman – Councillor Mrs Anda Fitzgerald O’Connor

Notes: A working lunch will be provided.

Derek Bishop
Head of Democratic Services

December 2005

About the County Council

The Oxfordshire County Council is made up of 74 councillors who are democratically elected every four years. The Council provides a range of services to Oxfordshire’s 622,000 people. These include:

The Council employs 18,840 people. Each year the Council manages £0.7 billion of public money in providing these services. Most decisions are taken by a Cabinet of 10 Councillors, which makes decisions about service priorities and spending.

About Scrutiny

Scrutiny is about:

• Providing a challenge to the Cabinet
• Examining how well the Cabinet and the Authority are performing
• Influencing the Cabinet on decisions that affect local people
• Helping the Cabinet to develop Council policies
• Representing the community in Council decision making
• Promoting joined up working across the authority’s work

Scrutiny is NOT about:

• Making day to day service decisions
• Investigating individual complaints.

Five Scrutiny committees ‘scrutinise’ or review and challenge decisions made by the Cabinet and help it develop Council policies. There are Scrutiny Committees for:

• Corporate Governance
• Children’s Services
• Environment & Economy
• Community Safety
• Health & Community Services

There is also a Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee which brings together councillors from the County and the five district councils in Oxfordshire to scrutinise health issues.

What does this Committee do?

The Committee meets up to 6 times a year or more. It develops a work programme, which lists the issues it plans to investigate. These investigations can include whole committee investigations undertaken during the meeting, or reviews by a panel of members doing research and talking to lots of people outside of the meeting. Once an investigation is completed the Committee provides its advice to the Cabinet, the full Council or other scrutiny committees. Meetings are open to the public and all reports are available to the public unless exempt or confidential, when the items would be considered in closed session.

AGENDA

Addenda

1. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments
   
   
2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note
   
   
3. Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2005 (CH3) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

4. Speaking to or Petitioning the Committee
5. ‘Select Committee style’ investigation for Achieving Education for Children with Learning Disabilities
   
   (See also Addenda)
   

10:10

Background Information:	The item was included as a high priority in the Work Programme.
Why has it been included?	To enable members of this Committee to carry out a ‘select Committee style’ investigation into the potential impact of delegating the Statementing Budget to schools. These proposals are currently out to consultation. The consultation ends on 15 November and the results are due to be presented to the School’s Forum in December, and the County Council Cabinet in January. The Committee is asked to explore the implications of the proposals for children with a learning disability, and to make recommendations to the Cabinet based on their findings.
How and when is the Committee going to deal with it?	Members will carry out a Select Committee Style investigation at the meeting. At the last Scrutiny Committee meeting a number of witnesses and experts were identified to attend the December Committee session to give evidence. The following witness have been invited: Simon Adams – Learning & Culture Cllr Michael Waine David Ansell, Executive Director Learning & Skills Council Cynthia Bartlett, Headteacher, Bicester Community College Sally Dicketts, Principal and Chief Executive, Oxford & Cherwell Valley College Linda Hulin and Elaine Evers from CHOICE A primary school SENco and a secondary school SENco The initial lines of inquiry formed by the Scrutiny Committee are attached (CH5) as a guide to the sorts of questions that the Committee may wish to ask at the meeting. These have also been sent to the witnesses. Members are asked to develop further supplementary questions. At the Committee four Members were identified to act as Lead Members for the witness questioning. The letters in brackets relate to the areas of questioning which are attached. The group of questions (e) are general, and will be addressed by the Chairman. Jean Fooks (a) Sue Haffendon (b) Hilary Hibbert-Biles (c) Deborah Glass - Woodin (d)
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All members of this Committee, Ms Myfanwy Lloyd, Scrutiny Review Officer and the witnesses listed above.
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Members are asked to consider the background information attached at CH5, in preparation for the discussion. (A Copy has been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre and a copy is available for public inspection). A briefing meeting has been arranged for all members of the Committee at 9.30 am on the day of the meeting.
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	Members are asked to bring the following documents that have been sent to them under separate cover: Best Value Review of Children’s Services 2005 Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP), October 2005 Realignment Of Directorates Report to Cabinet – 18 October 2005 by the Chief Executive on behalf of the County Council Management Team Strategy for Special Educational Needs 2004-2007 If you would like copies of these documents please contact Deborah Mitchell on (01865) 815463, or e-mail: deborah.mitchell@oxfordshire.gov.uk

6. Service and Financial Planning 2006/07 – 2010/11 and Budget Scrutiny of Occupational Health and the Youth Service
   
   (See also Addenda)
   

11:20

Background Information:	The attached report (CH6(a)) is one in a series which informs members on the service and financial planning process and issues for the budget in 2006/07 and the medium term, following the reports to the Cabinet on 20 September and 15 November 2005. (CM6(a) - download as .doc file) (CM6(a) - Annex 1 - 2, download as .xls file) (CM6(a) - Annex 3, download as .xls file) (CM6(a) - Annex 4, download as .xls file) (CM6(a) - Annex 5, download as .xls file) (CM6(a) - Annex 6, download as .xls file) On 15 November the Cabinet referred the identified budget pressures in the respective service areas, and the choices as to how these could be funded, to the Scrutiny Committees for consideration and advice, on the basis of schedules to be drawn up and presented to the committees by the Head of Finance & Procurement with the relevant service officers, following consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Members. Comments from each Scrutiny Committee will be collated and fed back to the Cabinet via the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee on 12 January 2006. On 17 January the Cabinet will consider Scrutiny Committees’ comments and agree a draft medium term financial plan, budget, council tax precept, virement arrangements, capital programme and borrowing arrangements to recommend to the Council. On 27 September 2005 the Committee further appointed Councillors Jean Fooks, Zoe Patrick and Keith Stone to undertake budget scrutiny to focus on Occupational Health and the Youth Service. Mr Rick Harmes (Head of Service – Community Learning) and Ms Monica Hanaway (Senior Education Officer - Head of Youth Service) have been invited in order to answer questions on the Youth Service. Mrs Sue Corrigan (County HR Manager) has been invited in order to answer questions on the Occupational Health Service. The Committee will be asked to follow the key lines of enquiry set out in the attached briefing papers provided by Scrutiny Review Officers (CH6(b) (CM6(b) download as .doc file) and CH6(c)) (CM6(c) download as .doc file) . It is recommended that the Budget Scrutiny Task Group lead the Committee in making recommendations to the Cabinet regarding these two areas.
Why has it been included?	To enable the Committee to: consider and advise the Cabinet on the identified budget pressures and the choices as to how these could be funded for their programme area; comment to the Cabinet on the relative priorities of its capital bids, bearing in mind that only £1.0m per annum is available for all the Council’s services outside of Schools and Transport; and formulate recommendations to the Cabinet on Occupational Health and the Youth Service.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	During a one meeting session. Members of the Committee will have the opportunity to question the Cabinet Members for Schools Improvement and Children & Young People, together with the Director for Learning & Culture and Director for Social & Health Care on the identified budget pressures. Ms Sue Scane, the Head of Finance & Procurement and/or Ms Jenny Hydari, the Assistant Head of Finance (Accountancy) will also be present at the meeting to answer any questions the Committee may wish to ask.
When are they going to do it?	During this meeting.
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All members of this Committee.
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Members are asked to consider the ‘Effective Budget Scrutiny’ guide which was sent to scrutiny members on 20 October 2005. Spare copies are available from Deborah Mitchell, tel (01865) 815463, email: deborah.mitchell@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	The Effective Budget Scrutiny guide. Annexes 4 & 5 to the report CH6, which have also been sent separately in A3 format to relevant members and officers.

12:50 Working lunch to be served (there will be a 15 minute comfort break).

7. Children’s Inspection Report

(See also Addenda)

1:05

Background Information:	The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) (download as .pdf file) carries out frequent ‘regulatory inspections’ of Children’s Homes, Fostering and Adoption services, to check our adherence to legislation and regulation and the quality of these services. CSCI also carries out overall inspections of the effectiveness and quality of Children’s Social Care Services every 1 to 5 years, depending on performance. Oxfordshire was last inspected in 2002. The inspection is conducted over 2 – 3 weeks and involves interviews with staff, Councillors, service users and providers, examination of files, and some study of documentation relating to policy, planning and performance. This current inspection took place in July. Future inspections of children’s social care services will take place through Joint Area Reviews. The inspectors made comments and recommendations under 6 headings: National Priorities and Strategic Objectives Effectiveness of Service Delivery and Outcomes Quality of Service for Users and Carers Fair Access Cost and Efficiency Management and Resources. Each of these headings has up to 7 or 8 sub-criteria against which the Council is measured. CSCI require the report to be presented to a public meeting agreed with the Council. The report remains confidential until that time by Direction of the Secretary of State, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972. After the meeting, the report will be released to members of the public and the response will be placed on the Council’s web-site and will also be placed on the Commission’s web-site.
Why has it been included?	To enable this Committee to comment on the Action Plan prior to consideration by the Cabinet.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	During a one meeting session. The Committee is asked to consider what advice, if any, to offer to the Cabinet.
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?:	All Members of this Committee. Mr Andy Robinson and Mr Jim Logan from Commission for Social Care Inspection will present the Commission’s findings in relation to children’s social care services in Oxfordshire. Ms Sue Richards, Interim Head of Social Care for Children will present the Council’s Action Plan in response to the recommendations. There will then be an opportunity for members of the Council and Members of the Public to ask questions.
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	An Inspection report ‘Inspection of Children’s Services’ has been circulated to all members of the Committee and a copy has been placed in the Members’ Resources Centre. Copies will also be available for the public at the meeting.
Documents Members should being to the meeting.	Members are asked to bring their copy of the Inspection Report to the meeting.

8. Scrutiny Review: Gifted Children

2:05

Background Information:	On 27 September, this Committee agreed as part of their work programme to undertake a scrutiny review of ‘gifted children’ and appointed Councillors Deborah Glass-Woodin, Hilary Hibbert-Biles, Val Smith and Melinda Tilley to the Lead Member Review Group.
Why has it been included?	To inform the Committee of current progress on this review and to enable members to ask questions on areas of interest.
When are they going to do it?	During this meeting and at future meetings.
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All members of this Committee.
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	None.
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	None.

9. Forward Plan

2:35

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