Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence and temporary appointments were received as follows:

Apology from                                              Temporary Appointments

Councillor Val Smith                         Councillor SajjadHussain Malik

Cllr Marilyn Badcock                        -          

Cllr Roger Belson                                          -

Mr Mark Forder                                             Ms Brenda Williams

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

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 8 December 2009 were approved and signed.

Matters Arising

SErvice and Resource Planning 2010/11 - 2014/15

The Chairman reported that she had been delighted to see that the comments of the Scrutiny Committee had been taken on board when considering the budget and that Youth Services

10.10 am

This item was one of the three principal topics earmarked for review by this Committee.

The Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator and Service Manager responsible for bullying will be reviewing the anti-bullying strategy with multi-agency partners in the near future. They would welcome the comments and recommendations of the Committee to inform this review.  The Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider the current strategy attached at CH5, together with a presentation at the committee meeting.

The latest performance data will be released by TELLUS in the coming days. A briefing summarising the findings of the survey will be circulated to all members of the Committee prior to the committee meeting under separate cover.

The Committee will receive an initial presentation from Ms Jo Brown, Anti-Bullying Coordinator, Rennie Thompson, Service Manager and Katie McGraw, National Management Trainee and will then be invited to conduct a question and answer session.  Chief Inspector Lindsey Finch and Dave Parry, the Youth Justice Manager, Thames Valley Police will also be available to contribute to the debate.

The Committee is invited to forward any comments and/or advice to the Director for Children, Young People & Families.

Members of the Committee received a presentation, together with briefing papers (CH5) prepared by Jo Brown, Anti-Bullying Coordinator, Rennie Thompson, Service Manager and Katie McGraw, National Management Trainee on the forthcoming review of the anti-bullying strategy with multi-agency partners. This item had been one of the three principle topics earmarked at the 22 September meeting for review.

Chief Inspector Lindsey Finch and Dave Parry, Youth Justice Manager, Thames Valley Police also attended to contribute to the debate.

Following the presentation, the Committee conducted a question and answer session.  The key some points arising from the debate are set out below:

The Committee recognised that there were a number of multi-agency partners working hard in this area. They recommended that the following points be incorporated into the service strategy in order to promote effective joint working:

·        The Committee recommends that the Anti-Bullying Co-ordinator should be involved in the establishment and development of Safer Schools Partnerships, and that the Co-ordinator considers becoming involved in Safer Schools Partnerships Steering Group;

·        The Committee recommends that the Co-ordinator further develop their links with Thames Valley Police, especially with regard to joint training;

·        The Committee recommends that the Co-ordinator considers signposting schools to the support which other agencies can provide in order to tackle the underlying problems of children who bully.

Much of the Committee’s debate centred around the crucial role which schools must play in tackling bullying. As such, the Committee recommended that the following points related to the Co-ordinator’s work with schools were reflected in the strategy:

·        The Committee recommends that the Co-ordinator should have due regard to the existing pressures on school staff time whilst developing its programme of work;

·        The Committee recommends that the Co-ordinator should, where possible,  pursue links with school councils;

·        The Committee recommends that the Co-ordinator should encourage governing bodies to actively monitor both the bullying situation and the implementation of an anti-bullying strategy in their schools;

·        The Committee recommends that the Co-ordinator examine alternative means of communicating with schools and teaching staff, so as to reduce reliance on its website.

The Committee further welcomed the contribution made on behalf of Thames Valley Police and urged that the two points related to the collection and reporting of data be addressed as follows:

·        The Committee suggests that the Co-ordinator should consider setting minimum standards for data sharing;

·        The Committee suggests that the service should consider the issue of serial bullying and whether this can be tracked.

The following specific issues were also put forward for consideration:

·        The Co-ordinator should consider developing clear guidance on bullying, focussing particularly on resilience to bullying, for circulation to parents.The service should consider ways they can encourage pupils to have empathy for others;

·        The Co-ordinator should think about what sanctions schools can take against bullies, and advise schools on potential effectiveness;

·        The Committee recommends that the Co-ordinator should recognise that the bullying of teachers remains an issue.

Finally, the Committee was of the opinion that working to tackle cyber-bullying should remain  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53/10

11.10 am

In October this Committee agreed its future work programme including the wish to conduct further investigation into the area of school enrolment.

The Committee is invited to consider a briefing paper (CH6) on the impact on school enrolment of the rising influx of children from the independent sector into state schools and what steps the Authority is taking to address it.

Mr Roy Leach, Strategic Lead, School Organisation & Planning will be available to answer any questions the Committee may wish to ask on the briefing.

The Committee is invited to consider whether this is an area that requires further investigation.

In October this Committee had agreed its future work programme including the wish to conduct further investigation into the area of school enrolment.

The Committee considered a briefing paper (CH6) on the impact on school enrolment of the rising influx of children from the independent sector into state schools and what steps the Authority was taking to address it.

Mr Roy Leach, Strategic Lead, School Organisation & Planning was available to answer any questions the Committee may have wished to ask on the briefing.

The Committee thanked Mr Leach for his report and concluded that no further investigation into this area was needed at this time.

11.55 am

As part of its work programme, the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee will be holding a Seminar to look at the Dissolution of the Learning & Skills Council, Transitioning Young People into Employment and Reducing Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) in Oxfordshire. 

The Seminar will be held at County Hall on Tuesday 23 March 2010 at 2.00 pm. All Members of the Council have been invited to attend the Seminar.

A proposed Agenda for the Seminar will be circulated at the Meeting.

Ms Michelson circulated a copy of a proposed agenda for the forthcoming Seminar on Raising the Age of Participation.  She urged members to send any suggestions for the day to herself or the Chairman.

The Committee noted the date for Seminar and made the following suggestions for inclusion to the Agenda for the day:

• Invite a high level representative from the Learning & Skills Council (LSC) who will be able to comment on funding arrangements following the demise of the LSC;
• Invite the Head of Adult Learning (Jane Dixon) or representative from Thames Valley IOD.

12.10 pm

In October this Committee agreed its future work programme including the wish to monitor the progress of the Children’s Centres Programme.

The Committee is invited to consider a briefing paper (CH8) on the current progress of the programme.

Ms Claire Abolins will be available to answer any questions the Committee may wish to ask on the briefing.

The Committee is invited to consider whether this is an area that requires further investigation.

In October this Committee had agreed its future work programme including the wish to monitor the progress of the Children’s Centres Programme.  The Committee was invited to consider a briefing paper on the current progress of the programme.  Ms Claire Abolins attended to answer any questions the Committee may have wished to ask on the briefing.

The Committee was invited to consider whether this is an area that requires further investigation.

The Committee thanked Ms Abolins for her report and noted that Oxfordshire had been recognised by the Government Development Agency as having made very good progress in its development of Children’s centres and undertook to ask officers to report back to the Committee following the completion of phase 3 of the project.

12:30 pm

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.

12:35 pm

An update will be given by the Policy and Review Officer and members of the Working Group.

Ms Michelson updated the Committee on progress made on the Educational Attainment Scrutiny Review.  She reported that the working Group had identified 16 schools to visit and that 13 visits had now been completed.  A report on their findings was being drafted.  The arrangements for the select committee to happen in April/early May were still on schedule. 

The Committee noted the update.

The Meeting Closed at 12.20 pm.