Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2013.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 18 September 2013 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 interest was declared:-

Personal Interest

There were no call-in items to consider.

To consider a report of the Independent Chair, Stockport Safeguarding Children Board.

The report outlines the activities of the Stockport Safeguarding Children Board in 2012/2013

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Chris Mcloughlin on Tel: 474 4624 or email: chris.mcloughlin@stockport.gov.uk

RESOLVED – That consideration of this item be deferred to the next meeting to enable the Chair of the Safeguarding Children Board to attend.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report informs the Scrutiny Committee of the impact of Pupil Premium on improved pupil outcomes.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Alan Beswick on Tel: 474 3918 or email: alan.beswick@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the impact of the Pupil Premium on improved pupil outcomes.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 in an attempt to narrow the gaps in performance for children in receipt of free school meals, children in care and children from Armed Forces’ families. It was viewed as being integral to improving young people’s life chances.

·         The level of Pupil Premium funding in 2011-2012 was £488 per child which increased to £600 per child in 2012-2013 and now stands at £900. This would increase to £1300 in 2014-2015 with schools able to utilise the funding as they saw fit.

·         The percentage of eligible pupils in Stockport in 2013 is 13.8% compared with a national figure of 17.1%. The total pupil premium allocation for Stockport being £6,098,400.

·         It is a requirement of Ofsted that Schools publish an online account of the pupil premium amount and how they intend to spend it and at the end of each year they must publish what the pupil premium had been spent on and its impact.

·         Locally, the school improvement team worked closely with school senior management teams to ensure that pupil premium funding is targeted appropriately and that its impact is monitored and evaluated.

·         Stockport pupils, whose parents or carers were entitled to the relevant benefits are now automatically in receipt of free school meals unless they specifically choose to opt out.

·         Councillors suggested it may be worth scrutinising further how schools utilised their pupil premium money and different outcomes to ascertain if there was any good practice which could be shared.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report provides an update on the provision established as part of the response to the Exclusions Review of 2011. Provide, Prevent, Return (PPR) offers a tier of intervention between 8 Secondary School and referral to one of the Pupil Referral Units.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact:- Andy Simpkins on Tel: 474 3944 or email: andy.simpkins@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the provision established as part of the response to the Exclusions Review of 2011.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Provide Prevent, Return offers a tier of intervention between 8 Secondary Schools and the referral to one of the Pupil Referral Units.

·         In 2010/2011, the rate of permanent exclusions from secondary schools was the 10^th highest rate amongst local authorities and the rate of fixed term exclusions was the 25^th highest.

·         The key aim was to reduce exclusions in Key Stage 3 and to enable a full Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Assessment to take place so that appropriate support could be allocated. Moving forward the programme would be rolled out to incorporate year 7 children.

·         Councillors commended Janice Cahill and the staff and the Pendlebury Centre Pupil Referral Unit for the excellent work undertaken.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Service Director for People.

The Plan outlines the key achievements against last year’s Youth Justice Plan and identifies priorities for the coming year. The work of the Youth Offending Service and the plan is monitored through the Youth Offending Services Partnership Board.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Jacqui Belfield – Smith on Tel: 474 2876 or email: jacqui.belfield-smith@stockport.gov.uk

The Service Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the key achievements against last year’s Youth Justice Plan and identifying priorities for the coming year. The report further explained that the work of the Youth Offending Service and the Youth Justice Plan was monitored through the Youth Offending Services Partnership Board.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The Scrutiny Committee noted that since 2007 there had been an overall reduction of 86% of First Time Entrants entering the youth justice system. The number of entrants was now the lowest in Greater Manchester.

·         Councillors questioned the joint working took place between the Youth Offending Services and the Pennine Care Trust.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the Youth Offending Service be commended for their continued excellent work.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report provides the Scrutiny Committee with an update on the child protection process and information relating to the growing number of children in Stockport subject to a child protection plan.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider and comment on the report.

Officer contact: Deborah Woodcock on Tel: 475 6789 or email: deborah.woodcock@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Scrutiny Committee with an update on the child protection process and information relating to the growing number of children in Stockport subject to a child protection plan.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Councillors noted that there had been a steady, albeit fluctuating, rise in the number of Stockport children subject to Child Protection Plans over the course of the last three years. Whilst the percentage had increased, the percentage of looked after children was now under the national average.

·         It was suggested that the safeguarding work with children subject to child protection plans was helping to keep the numbers of looked after children comparatively low.

·         During the last two years, around 90% of children subject to an initial child protection conference become subject to a child protection plan indicating that the process is targeted at the right children within the child protection system.

·         Councillors questioned why the number of domestic abuse referrals over the first 3 months of 2013/2014 had increased significantly when compared to the same period in the previous year. It was explained that there was no one single determining factor but rather a number of reasons including the improved recognition of domestic abuse, increased confidence in completion of the Domestic Abuse Staking Harassment)reports and that the Stockport MARAC (Multi –Agency Risk Assessment Conference) was working effectively.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report provides the Scrutiny Committee with details of the savings proposal of the Integrated Prevention Service as detailed in the report that was considered by the Executive in October 2013.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Kate Fitzhugh on Tel: 474 3625 or email: kate.fitzhugh@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Scrutiny Committee with details of the savings proposal of the Integrated Prevention Service as detailed in the report considered by the Executive in October 2013.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The intention of the new model was to create a new integrated prevention and universal service for Stockport which would provide intensive, integrated whole family support for children, young people, families and younger adults by fully integrated teams that covered the four Clinical Commissioning Group localities in Stockport.

·         There would be a strong focus in future on safeguarding, prevention and health promotion, early identification of needs and clear packages of support to children and families by radically re-thinking how prevention services were configured and delivered.

·         Councillors sought clarification in respect to which parts of Services for Young People were included within the proposals.

·         An explanation was given in respect to the proposal to save £80k through the setting up of a new delivery model through Bookstart and ending the Storybus Service. Families and young children would still be able to attend Storytime sessions free of charge which would be delivered in libraries across Stockport.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Democratic Services Manager.

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

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to consider the information in the report and put forward any agenda items for future meetings of the Committee.

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 Forward Plan items which fell within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.