Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Children & Families Scrutiny Committee

The report details the work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel of the Children & Families Scrutiny Committee in respect of the growth in free school meals and the proposed recommendations.

The Cabinet is recommended to consider the report and consider how it might respond to the report’s findings and recommendations.

Officer contact: Tim Bowman by email at tim.bowman@stockport.gov.uk

The Vice Chair of the Children & Families Scrutiny Committee and Lead Councillor for the Review (Councillor Linda Holt) attended the meeting to present the final report of the Scrutiny Review ‘Growth in Free School Meals’ (copies of which had been circulated) and to answer questions from the Cabinet.

RESOLVED - (1) That the Director of Education, Work & Skills be requested to prepare a response to the “Growth in Free School Meals Scrutiny Review and the recommendations contained therein for consideration by the Cabinet at a future meeting.

(2) That the gratitude of the Cabinet be recorded for the excellent work undertaken by the Scrutiny Review Panel ‘Growth in Free School Meals’ and others involved in the Review.

To consider a report of Councillor Linda Holt, Chair of the Growth in Free School Meals Scrutiny Review Panel.

As part of the Scrutiny Work Programme approved by the Council, a review of the ‘Growth in Free School Meals’ by the Children & Families Scrutiny Committee was agreed

The review aimed to understand the growth in children eligible for free school meals in Stockport and to assess its impact.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to comment on and approve the report for submission to the Cabinet.

Officer contact: Tim Bowman by email at tim.bowman@stockport.gov.uk

The Chair of the Growth in Free School Meals Scrutiny Review Panel submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the findings of the Scrutiny Review Panel around the Growth in Free School Meals aimed to understand the growth in children eligible for free school meals in Stockport and to assess its impact.

The Scrutiny Committee was invited to make amendments to the report prior to its submission to the Cabinet on 14 March 2023.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Welcomed the poverty proofing work and queried what steps were being taken to engage more schools with the project to ensure that all schools re-examine their offer by looking at their school day through the eyes of a child who is living in poverty recognising that no activity should exclude or treat differently children whose household income or resources were lower than others.

·         In response, it was stated that the service would adopt the challenge to ensure that all schools across the borough have completed this poverty proofing work. It was commented that poverty proofing was a significant undertaking to create a participatory model as schools needed to enter into the work with the time and commitment to the task

·         That thanks be extended to officers for their commitment and contribution throughout the review.

RESOLVED – (1) That the draft ‘Scrutiny Review Panel – Growth in Free School Meals’ be approved and submitted to Cabinet for consideration.

(2) That the thanks of the Scrutiny Committee be extended to all those who took part in the Scrutiny Review.