Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 8 April 2015.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 8 April 2015 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

There were no call-ins to consider.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director (Services to People)

The report presents for consideration the Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs) for the Children & Young People and Lifelong Learning & Achievement Portfolios are presented for consideration by the Committee. These provide a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities and budgets over the year and specifically during the fourth quarter of 2014/15. They include full-year out-turn performance and financial data for each Portfolio, or forecast / provisional data where this is not yet available. The reports also include the final position for the 2014/15 portfolio savings programmes.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Simon Finch on Tel: 474 4019 or email: simon.finch@stockport.gov.uk

Representatives of the Corporate Director for People and the Executive Councillors (Safe & Resilient Communities) and (Supporting Children) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, budgets and capital programmes during the final quarter of 2014/2015, as well as performance and financial data for each Portfolio.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

Children & Young People portfolio

·         Councillors were reminded of the successful Social Care Innovation Programme grant of £3.03m to further support the integration of social care with the integrated children’s service and the Stockport Family programme.

·         There had been a further increase between Quarters 3 and 4 in the number of early year providers and child minders being rated good or better.

·         The Council was continuing to work with partners to support people into employment, particularly young people and those involved with the Supporting Families Programme.

·         There had been a reduction in the number of young people subject to a domestic abuse referral for 2014/15 in comparison to the previous year.

·         There was a cost pressure on the portfolio budget relating to care placements, but this was partially offset by income from inter-agency adoption income.

·         Councillors welcomed the partnership working with Job Centre Plus and the Employment & Skills Advisers, and requested an update to a future meeting.

·         Budgeting support was provided to those transferring onto Universal Credit. Councillors requested further information on this support.

·         The improvements seen in early years and child-minding settings were sustainable and based on current analysis the sector in Stockport would be able to meet the likely demand arising from recent announcements about the extension of the hours of free placements.

·         The ‘decline’ in performance relating to children centre visits reflected the specific measure used that was based on the Sure Start model, which the Council was now moving away from toward a more flexible service. The measure counted registered children from within the area attending two or more formal sessions. Increasingly the services previously provided from the Children’s Centres were now delivered in more flexible ways and contact was being made with ‘registered children’ in their homes via midwives and health visitors. Any type of ‘contact’ with any children via Children’s Centres was likely to be much higher than the formal measure. There was specific monitoring for take-up of services by priority groups.

·         The provision of support for healthy weight in primary schools was under review, but the current provision was leading to positive improvements although it was hoped more could be achieved.

·         Teenage conception rates were higher in Priority Areas than elsewhere in the borough. There was a multi-agency strategy to reduce the instances of unplanned teenage conception, and the Family Nursing Partnership operated in these areas to work with young mothers to reduce the likelihood of early re-conception.

·         Recent changes to the methodology for the collection of data on children in care running away from their care home had enabled better tracking of the numbers, although there was no data for years prior to 2014/15 for comparison.

·         The Council worked closely with partners, including Stockport Homes, to support Family Learning in particularly through the Supporting Families Programme to assess the needs of clients. This would then inform a tailored programme of training to improve skills and employability. Councillors requested additional information in respect of the programme of activity provided as Family Learning.

·         Further details were requested in relation to the Drink-wise campaign.

·         Assurances were sought in relation to communication and information sharing between partners within the Integrated Prevention Service. In response it was stated that communication was working between partners, and improvements were being overseen by a Board comprising senior officers from the relevant organisations.

·         Councillors welcomed the involvement of the Stockport Credit Union with the delivery of the Local Assistance Scheme. Although funded from Central Government, there were not currently proposals to reduce the funding allocation.

Lifelong Learning & Achievement portfolio  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.

The report sets out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committees next meeting and Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Stephen Fox on Tel: 474 3206 or email: stephen.fox@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Democratic Services Manager submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out planned agenda items for the Scrutiny Committee’s next meeting and any forward plan items that fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

Councillors discussed possible items for consideration at future meetings, drawing on issues raised during the previous item.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director for People be requested to provide reports on the following topics, and the Democratic Services Manager be requested to liaise with the Corporate Director to programme these for future meetings:-

·         Partnership working with Job Centre Plus to help Supporting Families clients into employment

·         ‘Drink-wise Campaign’

·         Family Learning update

·         Pupil Premium to support parent partnerships, particularly in supporting early reading and basic skills

·         Raising attainment – progress and plans for the future

·         Enhancing the teaching of maths

·         Stockport Family and its role in reducing exclusions

·         Ensuring Secondary School place capacity

·         Female Genital Mutilation

·         Adoption and performance in Stockport (with particular reference to recent Government announcements on measure designed to remove unnecessary delays in the process)

·         16-19 Provision in Stockport – overview of current situation and future challenges