Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence and temporary appointments were received as follows:

Apology from                                     Temporary Appointments

Councillor Altaf-Khan                          Councillor Jenny Hannaby

To approve the minutes of the meetings held on 5 November 2009 (CH3) and to note for information any matters arising on them.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 5 November 2009 were approved and signed.

Matters Arising

Educational Attainment Scrutiny Review

Ms Michelson updated the Committee on progress made on the Educational Attainment Scrutiny Review.  She reported that the working Group had now identified a number of schools to visit and that visits would be carried out during January and February.

Teenage Conception Review

Ms Michelson updated the Committee on progress made on the Teenage Conception Review.  She reported that the Working Group had written to officers at Oxfordshire County Council and Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust with recommendations towards the development of the Strategy for reducing teenage conceptions in the County.  She tabled the response from the Interim Director for Children, Young People & Families (a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of the minutes).

The following requests to address the meeting had been agreed:-

Request From                                                              Agenda Item          

Cllr Zoe Patrick (Speaking as Local Member)            5 – Service & Resource Planning                 2010/11

Ester Kincova, Alice Beck and Tom Myatt

on behalf of Sweatbox, Grove & Wantage

Cllr Charles Mathew on behalf of Eynsham Youth

Club

Councillor Zoe Patrick spoke on behalf of the Grove and Wantage community in support of the ‘sweatbox’ youth club.  She urged the Committee to oppose cuts to youth work funding to ensure that youth clubs such as the sweatbox remained open on the basis that they provided huge resource in terms of education, mentoring and advice especially to vulnerable young people.

She asked the Committee to look carefully at any proposals which would cut youth services such as the sweatbox and to listen carefully to the voices of the young people using the services.

Councillor Mathew spoke on behalf of the users of Eynsham Youth Club in support of the Service.  He urged the Committee to look at alternative ways of providing a service which was both appreciated and effective before making any cuts.

Ester Kincova, Tom Myatt and Alice Beck (users of the sweatbox) spoke in support of the sweatbox remaining open.  They outlined the varied and essential work the service provided including:

• keeping youth off the street and therefore reducing the risk of anti-social behaviour;
• facilitating youth involvement in the Neighbourhood Action Group and Youth Action Committee;
• providing an opportunity for the young people of the area to talk to community leaders;
• teaching young people how to communicate with older people;
• qualifications in areas such as food hygiene, care in the Community and other training to prepare for the transition into adulthood;
• education and advice on sexual health issues;
• beatbox – a programme which helped both mentally and physically disabled youth into the community – making young people less judgemental;
• the provision of a place where all walks of society came together and social issues were put aside.

The Chairman of the Committee thanked all the speakers and in particular the Young People for such an eloquent address to the Committee.  She gave an assurance that there would be no closures for the following two years and that their comments would be taken on board when the Committee were debating the issue.  She further asked officers to ensure that affected Young People were consulted throughout the process.

10:15

Contact Officer: Lorna Baxter, Assistant Head of Finance (Corporate Finance), 01865 323971

The attached report (CH5) sets out the Business Improvement & Efficiency Strategies for the Children, Young People and Families Directorate. The strategy contains the identified pressures and proposed savings over the medium term from 2010/11 to 2014/15. For reference, the current financial context and the report to the Strategy & Partnerships Scrutiny Committee are included. The scrutiny committee is invited to consider and comment on the strategies and the pressures and savings contained therein.

Comments from each scrutiny committee will be collated and fed back to the Cabinet by the Strategy and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee which meets on 14 January 2010.

Members of the Committee will have the opportunity to question the Cabinet Members for Schools Improvement and Children, Young People & Families, together with the Interim Director for Children, Young People & Families,

Heads of Service and other officers on the identified pressures and proposed savings. Officers from Financial Services will also be present at the meeting to answer any questions that the Committee may wish to ask.

A presentation will be given to the Committee on the identified pressures and proposed savings for 2010/11.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider and comment on the Directorate Efficiency Strategies plus the identified pressures and proposals for savings contained therein.

The report at CH5 set out the Business Improvement & Efficiency Strategies for the Children, Young People and Families Directorate. The report contained the identified pressures and proposed savings over the medium term from 2010/11 to 2014/15. The scrutiny committee was invited to consider and comment on the strategies and the pressures and savings contained therein.

The Committee were advised that comments from each scrutiny committee would be collated and fed back to the Cabinet by the Strategy and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting on 14 January 2010.

The Cabinet Members for Schools Improvement and Children, Young People & Families, together with Jan Paine, Paula Tansley and Tan Leigh made themselves available to respond to questions from the Committee.  Also present were financial officers Lorna Baxter and John Hickson from Corporate Core and Shared Services respectively.

Councillor Bonner outlined the severity of the financial challenges facing the Authority over the coming years and whilst acknowledging that cuts would have to be made, stressed the importance of protecting frontline services wherever possible.  She reminded members that the remit of the Committee was to scrutinise the services provided to the young people of the County by the Authority and that where changes to the proposed savings were made, sensible alternatives must be given at the same time.

Lorna Baxter then gave a brief presentation on the identified pressures and proposed savings for 2010/11 (A copy of which is attached to the signed minutes).

Paula Tansley, Interim Head of ………. then gave a brief overview of the pressures facing the Children’s, Young People & Families Directorate.  She reported that, out of the Gross Budget of £511m,  £317m was dedicated School’s Grant, £92m was grants for specific purposes, £22m was area based grant and other ringfenced leaving only £98m base budget funding. Scope for efficiencies of £18 was consequently reduced.

In putting together the efficiency plan, officers looked at the three directorate priorities as set out in the Children and Young People’s Plan 2010-2013:

• Keeping all children and young people safe
• Raising achievement for all children and young people
• Narrowing the gap for our most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups

Further pressures were the increased numbers of asylum seekers and the provision of transport for children in care.  However, officers had tried to achieve efficiences without making cuts to frontline services and tried to avoid any efficiences in social care and safeguarding.  The Strategy for further service improvement and efficiency was focused around cutting bureaucracy and streamlining services; rationalisation and restructuring; reduction in subsidies and increased income generation and prioritisation of services – major rationalisation and reductions.  The proposals would include a reduction of 270 posts over 5 years through natural wastage.

Councillor Chapman and Waine reminded members of the restricted parameters the Cabinet were working within and that the efficiency savings before the Committee today were proposals and that the Cabinet Members present would be listening carefully to the Committee before any final decisions were made.   Councillor Chapman reiterated that there would be no  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48/09

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, together with details of what it thinks could be achieved by looking at any items.

The Committee was 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 was taken, together with details of what it thought could be achieved by looking at the item.

No items were identified.

The Meeting Closed at 1.00 pm.