Issue - meetings

At its meeting on 9 May 2010 the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee will consider a call in requested by the following Councillors:

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 of Cabinet on 19 April 2011 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.

In the event of the decision taken on 19 April 2011 being referred back to Cabinet for reconsideration a paper will circulated separately setting out the material concerns found by the Scrutiny Committee.

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

Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/032

Contact:

Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA7).

This report sets out a proposed new direction for the provision of services for children, young people and families in Oxfordshire, including the creation of a new, single integrated Early Intervention Service and changes to the provision of Education Services and Children’s Social Care Services. 

The proposals set out how services will be redesigned and reshaped to better meet the needs of children, young people and families and to address the financial challenges and new national policy direction set out in the Children, Young People & Families Directorate Business Strategy. This report seeks Cabinet approval to proceed with the implementation of service redesign taking account of the outcomes of extensive consultation, an assessment of equality and inclusion and a financial appraisal.

Cabinet considered a report that set out a proposed new direction for the provision of services for children, young people and families in Oxfordshire, including the creation of a new, single integrated Early Intervention Service and changes to the provision of Education Services and Children’s Social Care Services. The report sought Cabinet approval to proceed with the implementation of service redesign taking account of the outcomes of extensive consultation, an assessment of equality and inclusion and a financial appraisal.

Councillor Janet Godden, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Families noted that consultation on the current proposals had been very thorough but commented that there had been two other restructures in recent years, the latest in 2008. She referred to the low number of schools responding and was concerned that schools and Governing Bodies were not ready and that attainment would suffer. She commented on the early intervention proposals and would have liked to have seen more in the proposals about health and well being, highlighting the concerns in the consultation about the loss and dilution of skills. She felt that there was not sufficient information about the budget and to the financial outcome and reputational risks to the Council of the proposals.

The Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement commented that the previous changes had not been as far reaching as the current proposals.

Councillor Zoe Patrick, speaking as a local member referred to the potential closure of facilities in Grove and Wantage. She was working together with Councillor Hannaby to see what could be done. An application under the Big Society Fund had been submitted but there were many calls on this funding. She referred to the work of the Sweatbox and Beatbox and the high levels of local use. Beatbox provided a valuable service for people with learning difficulties. She asked that the Cabinet rethink how the service redesign would impact on those areas without a hub and what could be revised to help.

Councillor Liz Brighouse, speaking as a local member, expressed frustration around contradictions she found in the paper between statutory responsibilities, the concept of universal provision and targeted services. She highlighted the position of Wood Farm Youth Club which was run by volunteers and noted that it was in one of the most deprived wards. She believed that the report did not look at the specific impact of the proposals on the families in deprivation and poverty. The proposals would lead to a lack of the universal services they required and she asked that Cabinet look again at how areas in deprivation could be best served to provide the best outcomes for young people. She commented that young people wanted somewhere to go and without the Youth Club were more likely to be perceived as likely to offend. The aim should be to help young people stay out of the higher end of social care provision. Some facilities had been given an extra year and she asked that Wood farm Youth Club be given the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46