Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Director People & Integration.

The report provides details based on the 2024/25 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA), which was considered by the Committee on 12 June 2024 and approved by Cabinet on 25 June 2024 and the Mid-Year Report focuses on delivery of the portfolio priorities from April to September 2024. It includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to:

a)    Consider the Mid-Year Portfolio Performance and Resource Report; 

b)    Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2024/25;

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

d)    Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report; and

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

Officer contact: Gaynor Ward, Strategy and Performance Manager

gaynor.ward@stockport.gov.uk  

Gill Dixon, CSS Manager (Specialist) Finance – Children’s Social Care

gill.dixon@stockport.gov.uk  

Peter Hughes, CSS Manager (Specialist) Finance – Education & Schools

peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk   

The Executive Director People & Integration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing details based on the 2024/25 Portfolio Performance and Resource Agreement (PPRA), which was considered by the Committee on 12 June 2024 and approved by Cabinet on 25 June 2024 and the Mid-Year Report focuses on delivery of the portfolio priorities from April to September 2024. It includes forecast performance and financial data (where this is available) for the portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

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

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

Priority 1 - All babies and children are given the very best start in life by their parents and carers and are ready for school at the end of reception

·       Members enquired about the comparison to the national average relating to the 69.4% of two year olds screened using the Age and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). In response, it was noted that there was no national average for the ASQ, however, in the Greater Manchester area that figure would be a little lower in comparison to other local authorities.

·       It was commented that the information received through the ASQ would be used to ensure those children that did not reach those milestones would get the support needed including more intensive early help and support being put in place.

·       Clarification was sought regarding how far the ASQ reached in terms of children and families across the borough. In response, it was stated that the ambition was to make sure it reached every child in the borough and the current take up rate was already quite high.

·       It was noted that Stockport was doing quite well to reach its targets in the various priorities, but what happens once those targets are met. It was commented that discussions were underway to demonstrate statistically where the neighbouring local authorities were at Greater Manchester level and continuing to be ambitious for the children and young people in Stockport to set stretch targets which would continue to be better than the national average.

·       Members welcomed the achievements with reaching the targets especially in the early years as it would benefit the young people to be better and achieve more later on, when it could potentially get harder for them.

·       Members enquired about the disparity between the 63.3% figure for the free school meals and the target for 67%.

·       It was commented that the assessment practices was really good to compliment the work being done in the early years and the Stockport Family model but it was not known why the outcomes were improving strongly for those children eligible for free school meals, but not improving in the same way in the early years.

Priority 2 - All children and young people can access and engage in education and achieve the best they can

·       Members enquired about the persistent absences and the target to be achieved. In response, it was stated that the attendance numbers in Stockport are better than the national average, but there would be a review in terms of a possible stretch target.

·       It was commented that new ways to learning should be explored involving online learning and a hybrid model of education for children.

·       Young people who are not in school was a concern regarding what they were doing, but there was an approach that children need to be in school everyday and learning with technology and supporting their social and developmental needs.

·       Clarification was sought regarding the attainment levels between girls and boys and if there was any data to support it. In response, it was stated that the data could be provided, but that girls were already outperforming boys in attainment.

Priority 3 - Children and families with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the best possible support at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4