Meeting documents
Children's Services Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday, 27 February 2007
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Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee Tuesday 27 February 2007 at 10.00 am at County Hall, Oxford Membership Chairman – Councillor Mrs Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor Deputy Chairman – Councillor Melinda Tilley
Notes: Date of next meeting: 22 May 2007 A pre-meeting briefing has been arranged for all Members of the Committee at 9.00 am in Committee Room 2.
Derek Bishop 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. 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. AGENDAAddenda1. Apologies for Absence and Temporary Appointments 2. Declarations of Interest – see guidance note 3. Minutes To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2006 (CH3) and to note for information any matters arising on them. 4. Speaking to or Petitioning the Committee 5.
Effective Communication to Parents
of Children with SEN 10:10
6. Scrutiny Review of Healthy Schools: Draft Review Report 12:10
7. Scrutiny Review of Workforce Remodelling – Planning, Preparation and Assessment 12:50
8. Tracking Scrutiny Items 1:05 Report back on advice by this Committee to the Cabinet or Council. · Service and Resource Planning 2007/08 – 2011/12 - A response from the Cabinet is attached at CH8 (download as .doc file). 9. Forward Plan 1:10 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 March 2007 to June 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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