Agenda item

To consider reports of the Executive Councillors for Children and Families and Education.

The attached Portfolio Performance and Resources Report (PPRR) for the Children and Families and Education Portfolios provides an update on key activity during the first quarter of 20117, with a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priority outcomes through the Council’s investment programmes. It includes forecast performance data (where this is available) and projected financial data for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

·         Consider the first quarter Portfolio Performance and Resource Report;

·         Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2016/17;

·         Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

·         Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Executive alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report;

·         Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Officer Contact: Gaynor Ward on Tel: 474 3186 or email: gaynor.ward@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Services to People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment the First Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs) for the Children & Families and Education Portfolios. The reports provided an early update on progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects during the first quarter (April to June) of 2016/17. They included forecast performance data (where this is available) and projected financial data for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme. The Executive Councillors (Education) and (Children and Families) attended the meeting and answered questions in respect to the report.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

Education Portfolio

·         The Education and Skills Partnership Board had developed three themes and specific actions to help address the attainment gap and improve the educational outcomes of vulnerable children and young people being (i) supporting transition (ii) improving attendance and reducing exclusions and (iii) raising aspiration. There had been a number of important developments in the first quarter in relation to these themes.

·         Pump priming funding had been given to each cluster of primary and secondary schools to focus on improving transitions from primary to secondary schools. Councillors recognised that this was an extremely important time in young people’s lives and were keen to hear updates at future meetings.

·         A cross phase meeting of primary and secondary head teachers had been held in May where it was agreed to focus on improving primary/secondary subject leader liaison commencing with English and Mathematics.

·         All schools were training in restorative practices, working with children and families to establish positive relationships in order to reduce absence and exclusions.

·         The Committee heard that a new Special Educational Needs (SEN) 0-25 Board was being developed to guide and direct work for the implementation of the SEN Code of Practice 2014. In addition, a Vulnerable Pupils Group had been formed with officers, representatives of schools and pupil referral units to identify and progress opportunities to develop mainstream schools and specialist capacity to improve inclusion and reduce levels of permanent exclusion.

·         Councillors discussed the growing pressures on secondary school places and special school places and were keen to have further updates provided in the future as to what actions were being taken to address those concerns.

·         The full set of provisional educational attainment for Stockport revealed that performance was well above the national average – it was noted that attainment date for 2015/2016 were the first under the more challenging curriculum and were therefore not comparable to previous years. Councillors discussed the potential negative effect that the changes to assessments could have on young people.

·         Councillors welcomed the fact that 600 parents and young people had attended the Council’s post 16 education and training programme event organised by 14-19 Services to find out more about the options available to young people in further education and apprenticeships. They also noted that a six week cyber safety programme aimed at parents and children had been developed which was currently being implemented at Ladybridge Primary School. There was potential for this programme to be rolled out at other schools following an evaluation.

·         Councillors discussed the persitant problem of parking in the vicinity of schools and options to enhance security includining the possible use of a camera car which would cost in the region of £50.000. A number of Councillors suggested that rather that deploying a camera car if would be more prudent to employ additional Traffic Enforcement Officers.

·         The Committee requested further information and details in respect to (i) the Independent Travel training contract (ii) the uptake in respect to Universal Free School Meals and (iii) the impact of the additional performance measures on teachers and ne accountability measures for schools.

Children and Families Portfolio

·         Concern over (i) projected large overspends on external placements of Looked After Children, Special Guardianships and Section 17 payments for those on the edge of care (ii) a 21 % increase in children with a child protection plan given a downward trend in recent years.

·         A Steering Group has been created to oversee the implementation of the extended entitlement to childcare for working families. The Steering Group was working with Stockport Early Year and the Childcare Forum in order to ensure representation from all Early Years sectors.

·         The Committee discussed issues arising from the transition from Common Assessment Frameworks to Stockport Family Early Help Assessments

·         Key areas of work in respect to preventing sexual exploitation included the development of a multi-agency contribution to the Domestic Abuse and Child Sexual Exploitation Team (DACSE) including a male social work input from the Youth Offending Team.

·         An explanation was provided in respect to Adoption Rate targets in conjunction with the process undertaken for decision making.

·         There had been a further extension of the use of daily governance tasking meetings within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding and Support Hub (MASSH) to focus on children as risk of CSE and missing from home. Quarter 1 had saw an increase in the number of cases of children running away of care.

·         The All Together Active (A2A) children’s weight management programme had now been incorporated into the specification for the new Wellness Service as part of public health’s recommissioning of healthy lifestyles service.

·         Councillors discussed the impact of targeted initiatives to reduce maternal smoking and welcomed the fact that it was still being treated as a priority. Additionally, Councillors welcomed efforts to increase breastfeeding rates and the targeting of deprived areas.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.