Meeting documents

Notice of Meeting

Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee Tuesday 31 October 2006 at 10.00 am at County Hall, Oxford

Membership

Chairman – Councillor Mrs Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor Deputy Chairman – Councillor Melinda Tilley

Notes:

Derek Bishop
Head of Democratic Services

October 2006

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

Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments



Declarations of Interest - see guidance note

Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2006 (CH3) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

Speaking to or Petitioning the Committee



Green Paper Care Matters: Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care



10.10

Background Information:	In October the Department for Education and Skills published "Care Matters: Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care", its long awaited Green Paper. A number of new proposals are contained in the Green Paper, along with a number of existing "good practice" models drawn from across the country and internationally.
Why has it been included?	The Executive Summary (CH5) (download as .doc file) sets out the key issues and recommendations in the Green Paper, and is presented to the Committee to give Members the opportunity to discuss the proposals, and to establish Oxfordshire's position in relation to the Green Paper. This paper will also be considered by the Children’s Panel on 30 October 2006.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Mr Andy Couldrick, Head of Service, Early Years & Family Support, will attend in order to give a brief presentation on the Green Paper and to answer any questions which the Committee may wish to ask.
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All Members of the Committee and the Head of Service, Early Years & Family Support.
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Members are asked to consider the Executive Summary in preparation for the discussion on this item.

 

Documents Members should bring to the meeting:

None.




Scrutiny Review of Gifted Children: Final Review Report



10.40

Background Information:	On 27 September, this Committee agreed as part of their work programme to undertake a scrutiny review of Gifted Children and appointed Councillor Deborah Glass-Woodin, Hilary Hibbert-Biles, Val Smith and Melinda Tilley to the Lead Member Review Group. Having collected a wide variety of evidence, the review group now presents its findings in this report CH6 (download as .pdf file), for the Committee’s consideration.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	Members of the Review Group will talk to the Review Report, highlighting the key findings and recommendations in the Report. The Committee will then be asked to evaluate the response paying particular regard to whether the Review has achieved its objectives and if the findings and conclusions follow from the evidence. The Scrutiny Committee is RECOMMENDED by members of the Lead Member Review Group to agree the report as submitted to this meeting, or amend the report by consensus with a view to it being submitted to the Cabinet.
When are they going to do it?	During this meeting.
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All Members of the Committee.
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	Members are asked to consider the report in preparation for discussion. The report attached at CH6 (download as .pdf file).
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	None.




Effective Communication to Parents of Children with SEN



11.40

Background Information:	The Chairman and deputy Chairman Have agreed to undertake an investigation into how ‘Effective Communication to Parents of Children with SEN’ is in Oxfordshire. The aim of the investigation would be to explore areas such as parent’s awareness of SEN activities and newsletters, how parents can communicate with each other on this subject and whether Council supplied services are the correct avenues for the dissemination of information. The Committee would then seek to make recommendations to the Cabint, if necessary, in order to implement an improvement to the service.
Why has it been included?	To enable members of this Committee to decide whether they would wish to carry out a ‘select Committee style’ investigation at their meeting in February into how effective communication is to parents of children with SEN.
How is the Committee going to deal with it?	The Committee is asked to consider whether it would wish to nominate a task group to gather background information on this topic to prepare for a Select Style Committee in February.
Who is going to take part in this piece of work?	All Members of the Committee.
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	None.
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	None.




Healthy Schools Scrutiny Review



12.10

Background Information:	On 27 September, this Committee agreed as part of their work programme to undertake a scrutiny review of ‘Healthy Schools’ and appointed Councillors Mrs Anda Fitzgerald O’Connor, Keith Stone and Jean Fooks 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 the Committee..
Work to be done prior to the meeting:	None.
Documents Members should bring to the meeting:	None.




Forward Plan

12:25