Notice of Meeting ![](/SiteSpecific/logo.gif)
Children’s
Services Scrutiny Committee Thursday 3 November 2005 at 10.00 am at County
Hall, Oxford
Membership
Chairman – Councillor
Mrs Anda Fitzgerald O’Connor
Councillors:
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Norman Bolster
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Jean Fooks
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Deborah Glass
Woodin
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Sue Haffenden
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Steve Hayward
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Hilary Hibbert-Biles
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Zoe Patrick
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Bill Service
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Val Smith
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Keith Stone
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Melinda Tilley
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David Turner
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Carol Viney
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Co-opted
Members:
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Mr Chris Bevan
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Mr Ben Jackson
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Mrs Sue Matthew
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Ms Bernadine
Spencer
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Notes:
What does this Committee
review or scrutinise?
- Services
for children, young people and families; preventative services;
child protection; family support, educational policy
- Primary
& secondary schools; special education; pupil services; school
transport; music service
- Conduct
of best value reviews as specified in Paragraph 9 of Schedule
2 to the Functions Regulations
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How can I have my
say?
We welcome
the views of the community on any issues in relation to the responsibilities
of this Committee. Members of the public may ask to speak for up
to 5 minutes on any item on the agenda or may suggest matters which
they would like the Committee to look at.
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![](/SiteSpecific/dbsig.jpg)
Derek Bishop
Head of Democratic
Services
October 2005
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 622,000 people. These include:
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social &
health care
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libraries
and museums
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the fire service
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roads
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trading standards
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land use
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transport
planning
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waste management
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The
Council employs 18,840 people. Each year the Council manages £0.7 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.
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 and help it develop Council policies. There are Scrutiny
Committees for:
- Corporate Governance
- Children’s Services
- Environment &
Economy
- Community Safety
- Health & 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 27 September 2005 (CH3)
and to note for information any matters arising on them.
- Speaking to or Petitioning
the Committee
- Preparation for ‘Select
Committee style’ investigation for Achieving Education for Children
with Learning Disabilities
(See also Addenda)
10:10
Why has
it been included?
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To enable members
of this Committee to prepare for a ‘select Committee style’ investigation
in December into how children with learning disabilities are enabled
to participate in education. This will include reported budget issues
surrounding the Learning disabilities service education and training
and proposals to delegate the SEN statementing budget to schools.
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How is the
Committee going to deal with it?
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By means of
evaluating background material and developing lines of enquiry in
relation to the issues above. Questions/lines of enquiry will then
be addressed to relevant witnesses (officer and Cabinet) at the
December meeting.
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When are
they going to do it?
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During this
meeting.
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Who is going
to take part in this piece of work?
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All members
of this Committee and Ms Myfanwy Lloyd, Scrutiny Review Officer.
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Work to
be done prior to the meeting:
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Members are
asked to consider the background information attached at CH5,
in preparation for the discussion. (A Copy has been placed in the
Members’ Resource Centre and a copy is available for public inspection).
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Documents
Members should bring to the meeting:
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Members are
asked to bring the following documents that have been sent to them
under separate cover:
- Best Value
Review of Children’s Services 2005
- Children
and Young People’s Plan (CYPP), October 2005
- Realignment
Of Directorates Report to Cabinet – 18 October 2005 by
the Chief Executive onbehalf
of the County Council Management Team
- Strategy
for Special Educational Needs 2004-2007
If
you would like copies of these documents please contact Deborah
Mitchell on (01865) 815463, or
e-mail: deborah.mitchell@oxfordshire.gov.uk
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Background
Information:
The item was
included as a high priority in the Work Programme.
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- Evaluation of Use of
School Premises for Community Purposes Scrutiny Review ("Room at School")
(See also Addenda)
11:10
Background
Information:
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The
former Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee undertook a scrutiny
review into The Use of School Premises for Community Purposes. The
Review Group had been appointed to identify local community needs
for access to school facilities, assess the degree of non-school
usage and report back on key findings.
The
Scrutiny Review Panel comprised of Councillors Andrew Brown, Mrs
Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor and Dr Athene Reiss.
On
1 June 2004, the Executive considered the review report and resolved
to ask the Director for Learning & Culture to arrange for the
report to be considered by the Extended Schools Strategy Group and
to report back to the Executive at the earliest opportunity with
a prioritised action plan.
On
7 September 2004, the Executive considered a report (EX13) which
commented on each of the review's 18 recommendations in the light
of consideration by the Extended Schools Strategy Group and
set out an overall action plan in response. A second group of actions
would be taken forward through the Capital Programme and Asset Management
Plan Steering Group.
The
Executive resolved: to:
- welcome
the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review Report "Room at School"
and thank the members of the Review Group and the officers supporting
them for the work they have done on the Review;
- endorse
the action plan in response to the Review set out in the report
and Annex 1 subject to the resources identified in paragraph 8
of the report being forthcoming.
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Why has
it been included?
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It
has now been over a year since the (then) Executive agreed the recommendations
of this Scrutiny Review.
The
Committee is asked to question the Cabinet Member in relation to
the progress of implementing the Review recommendations that the
Executive endorsed.
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How is the
Committee going to deal with it?
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By means of
a question and answer session.
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When is
the Committee going to do this piece of work?
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During this
meeting.
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Who is going
to take part in this piece of work?
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All
Members of this Committee and the Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement.
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Work to
be done prior to the meeting:
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A
reminder of the main objectives of the Review and suggested lines
of enquiry is attached at CH6 -
(CH6 - Community Use of School Premises Review: Evaluation 12 months
on - download as .doc file)
(CH6 - Scrutiny Review - Use of School Premises for Community Purposes
- (download as .doc file).
Members
are also asked to consider the report by the Director for Learning
& Culture (CH6) which includes the action plan (Annex
1), County Facilities Management Response (Annex 2) and a diagram
showing the extended schools model (all attached at CH6),
to enable them to question the Cabinet Member for Children &
Young people.
Members
are also invited to forward any questions which they may wish to
ask at the meeting to Deborah Mitchell by 2 November 2005.
A
copy of the full scrutiny review has been sent to all members of
this Committee. A copy of this report will be available for public
inspection and is also available on the County Council’s Web site
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk
or from Deborah Mitchell on (01865) 815463,
e-mail:
deborah.mitchell@oxfordshire.gov.uk
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Documents
Members should bring to the meeting:
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Members
may wish to bring their copy of the full scrutiny review to the
meeting.
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- Scrutiny Review: Gifted
Children
(See also Addenda)
11:30
Background
Information:
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On
27 September, this Committee agreed as part of their work programme
to undertake a scrutiny review of ‘gifted children’ and appointed
Councillors Deborah Glass-Woodin, Hilary Hibbert-Biles and Val
Smith to the Lead Member Review Group.
The final scoping document was agreed by the Lead Member Review
Group in consultation with a Scrutiny Review Officer. This is
attached for information at CH7 (download
as .doc file).
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Why has
it been included?
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To
inform the Committee of current progress on this review and to
enable members to ask questions on areas of interest and to approve
the scoping document for submission to the next meeting of the
Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group.
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When are
they going to do it?
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During this
meeting and at future meetings.
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Who is
going to take part in this piece of work?
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All
members of this Committee.
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Work to
be done prior to the meeting:
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None.
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Documents
Members should bring to the meeting:
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None.
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- Tracking Scrutiny Items
(See also Addenda)
11:45
Report
back on advice by this Committee to the Cabinet or Council:
- Children’s
Centre Strategy 2006/10
On
27 September 2005 this Committee agreed to advise the Cabinet:
- that it was
recognised that the Framework of the Strategy was prescribed by government
but the terminology under Early Years Services and the term "reach"
throughout the document were not considered to be user friendly;
- that more emphasis
should be given to those people who were not accessing services at
present and were therefore unlikely to attend the Centres; and
- that the importance
of creating the right atmosphere in the Centres was key to there success.
On
18 October 2005 the Cabinet resolved to:
(a) approve
the paper "Proposals for Children’s Centres in Oxfordshire 2006-10"
as the basis for continuing consultation with public and stakeholders
and further development;
(b) request
officers to report to the Cabinet in the New Year on the outcome
of consultation on and development of the proposals, together
with a full financial and risk assessment for the medium term,
to include the identification of implications and options and
a costed exit strategy, in the event of external funding not being
maintained.
- Children
& Young People’s Plan
On
27 September 2005 this Committee agreed to advise the Cabinet:
- that more emphasis
was still needed in the Plan around play and recreation and having
fun in and out of school;
- that the Plan
needed to take account of disadvantaged children & young people
in rural areas and the rural issues surrounding them;
- the Committee,
noting that a health workshop had been set up to discuss health issues,
expressed concern that 37% of 5 year olds in Oxfordshire had serious
dental problems;
- that using a
web-based format for the Plan did not necessarily make it user friendly;
- to ask the Cabinet
to ensure that the targets in the Plan were balanced for early attainment;
- that the delivery
and implementation of the Plan was key to its success and to ask the
Cabinet to ensure that all parties were engaged;
- that emphasis
should be given to the development of self esteem and confidence in
children & young people.
On
18 October 2005 the Cabinet resolved:
(a) to
approve the draft Plan for consultation; and
(b) to
ask officers to report back on the financial requirements of the
Plan and how they could be met, in the first instance from existing
directorate budgets or otherwise through the budget bidding process.
- Realignment
of Directorates
On
27 September 2005 this Committee agreed to advise the Cabinet that
it endorsed the proposals set out in the report CH11, subject to:
(i) the
Cabinet dealing sensitively and sympathetically with staff concerns
during the change period;
(ii) asking the Cabinet Members for Health & Community Services
and Children & Young People to meet with representatives of
the Adult Learning Service to discuss their concerns about their
position in the new Directorate;
(iii) asking
the Cabinet to continue lobbying the Learning & Skills Council
over the shift of emphasis towards funding work related courses;
The
Committee further expressed concern over the unknown costs of the
realignment in relation particularly to ICT.
On
18 October 2005 the Cabinet resolved to note with thanks the comments
of the Scrutiny Committees and approve the proposals set out in the
report for:
(a) the
new titles of the directors and directorates;
(b) the
configuration of services within the directorates and their titles;
(c) the
timetable for implementation; and
(d) the
arrangements to enable officers to transfer staff to the new services.
- Best Value
Review of Services for Children & Young People
On
27 September 2005 this Committee agreed to refer the report to Cabinet,
with a recommendation that the Cabinet approve in principle to the
draft model for the Children & Young People’s Strategic Board,
subject to further detailed proposals on how it was going to work
being brought back to the Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet in January.
On
18 October 2005 the Cabinet resolved to approve the proposals set
out in the Best Value Review report for the development of:
(a) a
Children & Young People’s Strategic Board; and
(b) local
multi-disciplinary teams;
for
wide consultation, subject to the outcome of development work on (a)
(including detailed proposals on how the Board is expected to work)
being reported, together with the responses to consultations in each
case, to the Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet early in the New Year.
- County Facilities
Management – Best Value Review
On
27 September 2005 this Committee agreed to refer the best value review
report to the Cabinet as the outcome of the Best Value Review, drawing
the Cabinet’s attention to:
(i) the
further work which was urgently required to give a basis for decisions,
subject to appropriate consultation with stakeholders, including
secondary schools, on the future of the catering and cleaning
services provided by County Facilities Management;
(ii) the
importance of providing a good quality healthy meal and the need
to find a way of achieving this.
On
18 October 2005 the Cabinet resolved, in the light of the Best Value
Review report and the advice of the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee,
to:
(a) authorise
consultation with schools on the options covered in the report,
but focussing primarily on the following three:
- the creation
of a consultancy model designed to assist schools operate catering
services in house;
- the adoption
of a business plan which aims for a sustainable service within,
in the main, present structures; and
- the scope
for running catering through the Community Interest Company model;
(b) ask
the Director for Learning & Culture to set up a Project Group,
led by a suitably qualified and experienced person, to undertake
the outstanding analysis and carry out further comparative work
with other authorities on school meal standards; to manage the
consultation under (a); and to develop practicable options for
managing the cleaning and catering services;
(c) ask
officers to report back to the Cabinet by the end of the year
with a detailed evaluation of the options in the light of the
outcome of the consultation and proposals for next steps.
- Forward Plan
11:55
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 December 2005 to March 2006).
(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).
If
you have any special requirements (such as a large print version
of these papers or special access facilities) please contact the
officer named on the front page, but please give as much notice
as possible before the meeting
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