Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Mrs Brenda Williams (Council of Oxfordshire Teacher Organisations) and from Mrs Carole Thomson.

Councillor Carol Viney attended for Councillor Marilyn Badcock; Councillor Ray Jelf attended for Councillor Nicholas Turner.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no requests to speak to the Committee or to present petitions.

A request has been received to call in the decision for scrutiny.

The following Councillors have requested the decision be called in for

scrutiny:

Cllr Liz Brighouse
Cllr Larry Sanders
Cllr Richard Stevens
Cllr Val Smith
Cllr John Sanders
Cllr John Tanner
Cllr Roy Darke
Cllr Saj Malik
Cllr Sarah Hutchinson
Cllr Susanna Pressel

The decision was:

"RESOLVED: to approve the proposed service redesign and implementation of services for children, young people and families as detailed in this report."

The reasons given in the call-in request are:

We request that the decision taken by the Cabinet on 19th April to set up an Early Intervention Service and to end provision of youth work across the County be considered by the Children's Scrutiny Committee so that:
1. Risks involved in pursuing this strategy, in particular those related to 1996 Education Act be mitigated.
2. The situation in relation to the provision of services delivered using Youth Work methods and approaches can be clarified for those communities who are listed as losing this provision.

A copy of the report to Cabinet (CA7) is attached.

The Committee was required to consider the following motion for a call-in.

We request that the decision taken by the Cabinet on 19th April to set up an Early Intervention Service and to end provision of youth work across the County be considered by the Children's Scrutiny Committee so that:

1. Risks involved in pursuing this strategy, in particular those related to 1996 Education Act be mitigated.
2. The situation in relation to the provision of services delivered using Youth Work methods and approaches can be clarified for those communities who are listed as losing this provision.

The Scrutiny Committee had before it the report of the Director for Children, Young People and Schools to the Cabinet on 19 April 2011 together with the draft minutes of that meeting.

The Chairman explained that, if the call-in were to be supported the issue would be referred back to the Cabinet for further consideration. The Committee was not expected to consider the whole issue of the future of the youth service but the specifics of the call-in motion. Did the Cabinet take account of the risks associated with the project? Would the proposed changes “end provision of youth work across the County”? Would referral back be necessary to achieve clarification of the nature of the future service?

Those supporting the call-in proposal were then invited to speak.

Ms Cat Hobbs spoke on behalf of “Oxford Save Our Services” in support of the call in being referred back to Cabinet for further consideration. Ms Hobbs stated that she considered that there were risks attached to the proposed changes. Vulnerable children could be put at risk if they had no youth service to turn to.

The proposals for hubs and satellites were unclear and left a number of questions unanswered. For example: Would open access continue? Would youth work be targeted at specific groups? Why was there apparently no requirement for professionally trained youth workers? How many centres would there be? What level of Big Society provision would be needed? Where would young people go if their local youth centre were to close?

Ms Hobbs ended by stating that, in the view of “Oxford Save Our Services” the Cabinet decision had been based on shaky evidence with unclear plans that left the future uncertain.

Councillor Larry Sanders spoke in support of the call in being referred back to Cabinet for further consideration. He considered that there was a serious lack of information and that made the decision unsafe. Councillor Sanders also raised a number of questions: Where will the youth services take place? How will they be delivered? How can meaningful consultation take place when there is such paucity of information? More information, Colonel Sanders said, is needed.

Councillor Val Smith spoke on behalf of the Councillors calling in the decision. Councillor Smith also referred to the lack of information. She referred to the Education Act which requires local authorities to provide activities including youth work. Councillor Smith asked whether the Act would be complied with?  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120/11