Meeting documents
Children's Services Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday 25 September 2007 at 10.00 am at County Hall, Oxford Membership Chairman – Councillor Sue Haffenden Deputy Chairman – Councillor Ann Bonner
Notes: Date of next meeting: Tuesday 30 October 2007
Tony Cloke 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 630,000 residents. These include:
Each year the Council manages £0.8 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. Some decisions will now be delegated to individual members of the Cabinet.
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 or the appropriate Cabinet Member and help it develop Council policies. There are Scrutiny Committees for: · Corporate Governance · Children’s Services · Environment & Economy · Community Safety · Social & 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
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 10 July (CH3) (download as .pdf file) and to note for information any matters arising on them.
4. Speaking to or Petitioning the Committee
5. Presentation on Budgetary Pressures 2008/09 10:15
6. Children’s Centres 11:15
7. Scrutiny Work Programme 2007/08 and onwards 11:35
(a.) Young (Child) Carers (and support for them): Scoping Template
(b.) Educational Attainment amongst the most “deprived” children across all Key Stages. 11:55
At its previous meeting, this Committee agreed its Scrutiny Work Programme for 2007/08 and onwards. It gave second priority into a scrutiny review into educational attainment amongst the most economically “deprived” children in Oxfordshire across all Key Stages.
The Lead Member Review Group comprises Councillor David Turner, Councillor Val Smith, Mrs Sue Matthew and Ms Bernadine Spencer.
The Scrutiny Committee is asked to note that a date for the first scoping meeting has yet to be arranged.
(c.) Ongoing Review of Children & Young People’s Plan as it is implemented: Discussion 12:00
8. Tracking Scrutiny Items
12:10
Report back on advice by this Committee to the Cabinet or Council.
On 17 July the Cabinet approved the Review of the Children and Young People’s Plan.
On 17 July the Cabinet agreed to:
(a.) approve a change to full-time admission for all reception aged children from January 2009;
(b.) instruct officers to work with the private and voluntary sector providers to implement actions outlined in the report; and
(c.) request the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State to ask that the Government assesses the impact of the principal existing and all new Early Years initiatives on the financial viability of Oxfordshire’s private, voluntary and independent nurseries, pre-schools and day-care providers before proceeding further with the initiatives, in view of the vital role these play.
On 17 July the Cabinet considered this review. The Cabinet’s response will be attached to the Addenda to be circulated at this meeting.
On 17 July the Cabinet agreed to recommend the Council to approve the Youth Justice Plan for submission to the Youth Justice Board.
9. Forward Plan 12:15
The Committee is asked to suggest items from the current Forward Plan on which it may wish to have an opportunity to offer advice to the Cabinet before any decision is taken.
(Please bring along to the meeting the latest copy of the Forward Plan which, at the time of writing covers September 2007 to December 2007).
(Members are asked to contact the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and/or the Committee Officer at least 3 days before the meeting should they wish to raise an item on the Forward Plan for possible consideration).
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