Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report presents for comment the Final Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports (PPRRs) for the Supporting Children and Safe & Resilient Communities Portfolios are presented for consideration by the Committee. These provide an update on key activity during the third quarter of the year, with a summary of progress in delivering portfolio priority outcomes through the Investing in Stockport programme and other key projects since the mid-year report. They include forecast performance data (where this is available) and projected financial data for the Portfolios, along with an update on the portfolio savings programmes. 

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·         Consider the Final Update Portfolio Performance and Resource Reports;  

·         Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2015/16;

·         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

Representatives of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing for comment the quarterly Portfolio Performance and Resources Reports (PPRR’s) for the Supporting Children and Safe & Resilient Communities portfolios. The Executive Councillor Shan Alexander (Safe & Resilient Communities) attended the meeting and answered questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

Supporting Children Portfolio

·         The Investing in Stockport service redesigns relating to the 0-25 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) had secured Executive approval in December and work on the redesign had commenced in January.

·         Additional funding of over £584,000 had been awarded to enhance the Child Adolescent Mental Health Service.

·         The number of children subject to Child Protection Plans continued to fall significantly. It was felt that the cause for this fall was due to improved early intervention and more targeted support.

·         How the Council ensures that Schools and Academies are buying into the concept of Stockport Family – Two Head Teachers were seconded full time to the Stockport Family implementation team. All schools were in the process of having a Stockport Family Worker allocated to them.

·         The admission of young people to Accident & Emergency who had taken legal highs and the response and advice provided to them.

Safe and Resilient Communities Portfolio

·         The recently published HMCI Annual Report states that 90% of Stockport pupils attend ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ primary schools and 74% attend ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ secondary schools.

·         2014/2015 date revealed improved performance at Key Stage 1 and 2 and Stockport remained one of the top performers on progress and attainment across all key stages.

·         Inclusion Services are working with local schools to pilot a new approach to ‘managed transfers’ which aimed to reduce the number of pupil exclusions.

·         A number of projects to increase primary school capacity had been completed – a review was being conducted in respect to the future demand on secondary school places.

·         The Councils relationship with Academies was a strong one and they bought back many services from the Council. The Council challenges Academies about their exclusion rates and worked with the regional commissioner.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.