Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2017.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 25 January 2017 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 interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

There were no call in items to consider.

Representatives of Stockport Action for Voluntary Youth will attend the meeting and make a presentation in respect to the work of that organisation.

www.stockportsavy.gov.uk

Representatives of Stockport Action for Voluntary Youth attended the meeting and made a presentation in respect to the work of that organisation.

The following comments were made/issues rasied:-

·         SAVY provide high quality youth work for vulnerable young people aged 11-25 in Stockport and had actively been promoting youth activities since 1991.

·         Activities were delivered through youth clubs, weekly targeted sessions and detached street work in areas such as Castle Street, Edgeley, the Swythamley Estate, Brinnington, Adswood & Bridgehall and Marple and Bredbury.

·         Councillors discussed numerous projects including Project Pheonix and notably the Motorcross Project which was currently being undertaken for hard to reach young people in Brinnington who don’t typically access mainstream services. 

RESOLVED – That the report and presentation be noted and the representatives of Stockport Action for Voluntary Youth for their attendance.

A representative of the Corporate Director for People will attend the meeting and provide an update on issues relating to FSM.

Representatives of the Corporate Director for People attended the meeting and made a presentation in respect to issues affecting children in receipt of ‘Free School Meals.’

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Councillors commended officers for the excellent work undertaken support schools, parents and children in this service area.

·         5,583 young people were entitled to FSM in Stockport.  Figures relating to uptake would be available shortly and would be detailed on the Council website.

·         Introduction of universal free school meal entitlement for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 had resulted in a decline in the amount of pupil premium that schools were receiving. As a result a lot of targeted work had been carried out with schools and the Benefits Team to encourage parents who were entitled to complete the necessary paperwork.

·         Investment by some schools in cashless systems in an effort to reduce the stigma associated with being in receipt of free school meals.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and officers be thanked for their attendance and presentation.

To consider a report of the Independent Chair of the Children’s Safeguarding Board.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Una Hagen on Tel: 474 5657 or email: una.hagen@stockport.gov.uk

The Independent Chair of the Children’s Safeguarding Board submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining issues and work undertaken by the Board during 2016/2017.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Councillors noted with interest that five Serious Case Reviews (SCR) had been commissioned on behalf of the Board in cases where children or young people had tragically dies, had been significantly harmed or abused or neglected. This was highly unusual as only two SCR reviews had been carried out in the previous 2 years.

·         Four of the cases were coming to a conclusion and the Board would be ensuring that the learning from the reviews was widely disseminated over the coming months.

·         The whole system for safeguarding remained under strain but was proving resilient in the face of the number of referrals.

·         The Government’s decision to devolve greater funding and responsibility to Greater Manchester provides a range of opportunities with the potential for enhanced quality assurance of services and a ‘centre of excellence’ approach to complex safeguarding challenges such as Child Sexual Exploitation, modern slavery and FGM.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the Independent Chair be thanked for her attendance and presentation.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration.

The report is a follow up report to the 2016 Road Safety near Schools report presented to the Children and Young Peoples Scrutiny Committee, Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee and All Area Committees.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Sue Stevenson on Tel: 474 4351or email: sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on activities concerning road safety near schools which included Road Safety Education and Training.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         All primary schools had been contacted concerning road safety/education projects – “Operation Eagle Eye and Bikeability.”

·         All Head Teachers at the 40 schools with the oldest school travel plans had been contacted with an offer of support to update those plans.

·         The Traffic Services’ Road Safety Team was fully booked to deliver courses in schools until October 2017.

·         Road safety initiatives were being promoted by the school health and wellbeing officer. The activities included ‘Child Safety Week’ and the ‘Injury Minimisation Programme for Schools.’

·         Councillors noted that four Speed Indicator Devices were available to be placed at various locations in the borough and were moved every 2 to 3 weeks.

·         Speed Indicator Devices could be purchased and placed on routes near to schools to discourage drivers from speeding. Signs cost approximately £3000 to purchase and approximately £1,500 per year to manage.

·         Officers would liaise further with Manchester City Council to further research the use of the ‘Smart Camera Car’ especially with regards to enforcement of bus lanes.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report provides the Scrutiny Committee with the opportunity to comment on the draft joint Local Authority (LA) and Schools response and seek any additional views/comments.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Peter Hughes on Tel: 474 3947 or email: peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the Committee with an update on the draft response for the Stage 2 Consultation on the National Funding Formula.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         Councillors noted that the impact on individual schools would differ from school to school in the borough depending on the current baseline funding for each school. Some schools would gain and some would lose.

·         It was noted that given the current financial climate and the cost pressures faced by schools which included pay awards, increased employer costs, inflation and the new apprenticeship levy, realistically no school would benefit under the proposed formula in Stockport or the country as a whole.

·         The consultation period for the NFF proposals remained live until 22 March 2017 and the response would reflect the views of both the Council and School Leaders.

·         Officers noted Councillors requests to consider amendment to the tone and language in parts of the report to reflect the views expressed that the Council should not be in competition with neighbouring authorities, rather the proposed formula was not fair for any Local Authorities.

·         Councillors endorsed the responses detailed in Appendix 1 of the report subject to the comments above.

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 Forward Plan items that fall within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

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 any Forward Plan items within the remit of the Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.