SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
(LIFELONG LEARNING)
MINUTES of a meeting held on 28th
July 2008.
Present: Councillor J. Clifford
(Chairman); Councillor Mrs. K.A. Kemp (Vice-Chairman); Councillors
C.P.J. Elmore, F.T. Johnson and Mrs. S.I. Sharpe.
Also present: Councillor A.D.
Hampton
196 APOLOGIES FOR
ABSENCE -
These were received from Councillors E. Hacker
and C.L. Osborne.
197 MINUTES -
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the minutes of the
meeting held on 7th July 2008 be approved as an accurate
record.
198 DECLARATIONS OF
INTEREST -
The following Councillors declared the nature
of their personal interests, being governors of schools within the
Vale of Glamorgan:
Councillors J. Clifford, Mrs. K.A. Kemp,
C.P.J. Elmore and F.T.
Johnson.
199 INSPECTION OF THE
YOUTH OFFENDING SERVICE (CX) -
Committee were advised of the outcome of the
inspection of the Youth Offending Service.
The Youth Offending Service (YOS) is a
multi-disciplinary team that was established in 1998 following the
enactment of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Its purpose was
to reduce reoffending by children and young people (aged 10-18
years) who were referred by the Court system. The YOS is made
up of staff from the Council, Police, Health, Probation, Careers
Service and Voluntary Sector. The work of the YOS was
directed and monitored by a Management Board made up of partners to
the Service.
The Service had been the subject of an
inspection co-ordinated by HM Inspectorate of Probation in October
2007. Early indications from the feedback had indicated that
the inspection was poor, with significant criticism of the
management of the Service, particularly the Management
Board.
The inspection team found a YOS that was
failing in several areas. The Management Board did not have a
permanent Chair and was lacking leadership and direction. Key
representatives from Children’s Services, Health, Education and the
Police were not of sufficient status and meetings were poorly
attended.
Key recommendations contained in the
Inspection Report included:
· the Management
Board is properly constituted, works to its terms of reference, is
supported effectively by partner agencies who are held to account,
and new members are properly inducted and prepared for their
role
· the YOS has a
clear strategic role within Community Safety and Young People’s
Partnerships and is able to increase its capacity with their
support
· the Service is
fully staffed to the levels already agreed by partner agencies to
meet the needs of the Service
· the Management
Board develops its performance management framework to monitor and
review the implementation of the Youth Justice Plan and inform the
strategic direction of the YOS
· the YOS manager
receives formal and planned supervision
· all staff,
including administrative staff, are regularly supervised and
appraised within a performance management framework
· the YOS is
supported to make the best use of individual training and
development, and team building opportunities
· all aspects of
national standards relating to practice and operational management
are achieved, with a particular focus on:
- the development
of a prevention service to meet the needs of individual children
and young people
- improving the
quality of multi-agency assessment and contributions to
intervention plans by the YOS case managers and specialist staff,
Children and Families Services, Education and Health colleagues
- improving the
quality of initial intervention plans and, in particular, the
management of Risk of Harm and helping children and young people
stay safe
- the development
of victim and restorative justice work.
In addition, the Inspection Report had
highlighted that:
· children and
young people have inadequate plans in place and detailed
information is not recorded
· are frequently
left without educational provision for weeks at a time
· action to
reintegrate children who had been excluded from school or subject
to extended sanctioned absence had not been made in three out of
seven cases
· access to PRU
provision is difficult to secure.
Strengths of the Service identified in the
Inspection Report included the provision of learning mentors by the
YOS, the work of Careers Wales (particularly Youth Gateway) and the
work of the Education Officer within the YOS to ensure that
children and young people are encouraged to achieve their
potential.
An Action Plan for the period 2008-10 had been
developed with a view to allowing the YOS to improve in line with
the recommendations made in the Inspection Report.
Furthermore, the YOS would be re-inspected in
December 2008.
Members were requested to consider whether to
identify any aspects of the work of the YOS which could be included
within the Work Programme of the Committee.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A T the
Inspection Report be noted.
(2) T H A T the
Chairman or Vice-Chairman of Scrutiny Committee (Lifelong Learning)
be invited to attend the meetings of the Workshops as identified in
the Action Plan.
(3) T H A T
further consideration be given to the possibility of the inclusion
of an item relating to the YOS within the Committee’s forthcoming
Work Programme.
Reasons for decisions
(1) In order to
be aware of the criticisms of the Youth Offending Service and the
importance of the making of the necessary improvements.
(2) To assist in
achieving the aims of the Action Plan.
(3) To identify
the work that needs to be undertaken to improve the Youth Offending
Service.
200 END OF YEAR
PERFORMANCE REPORTS (DLD) -
It was reported that since despatch of the
Performance Data it had become apparent that the data relating to
absence was not sufficiently robust. Accordingly, Members
were requested to ignore the data, and were advised that the
information would be provided at a later date.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A T
the end of year Performance Reports in respect of
- Access and
Inclusion
- School
Improvement
- Strategy
Planning and Performance
- Lifelong
Learning
be noted.
(2) T H A T
the preliminary information available relating to summer
examination results of the Comprehensive Schools be brought before
the Committee in September 2008, with a further report when all
results have been received and validated.
Reasons for decisions
(1&2) For the information of the
Committee.
201 SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
WORK PROGRAMME (DLD) -
Arising from the report received by the
Committee on 7th July 2008 relating to the tracking of
its earlier decisions, Committee received an update report on
uncompleted recommendations.
The previous Committee had also received a
report on the work of the Directorate in relation to strategic
issues and had requested receipt of a brief position statement on a
number of issues with a view to assisting in the preparation of a
Work Programme.
Arising from consideration of the report it
was felt that items to be included within the Action Plan could
include some or all of the following:
· Estyn
report
· Youth
provision
· Children and
Young People’s Plan
· 14-19
curriculum (presentation)
· Foundation
Phase
· Youth
Service
· Youth Offending
Service.
With regard to the School Investment Strategy,
it was also felt appropriate that Committee receive update reports
on a quarterly basis rather than monthly as had been the case in
the past.
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Chairman and
Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee (Lifelong Learning) be
granted authority to:
(1) Determine the Work Programme
for the Committee;
(2) Identify a specific issue
for independent review by the Improvement and Development Team;
(3) Produce
a timetable for the work programme.
Reasons for decisions
(1-3) To formalise the Work
Programme.
202 CHILDREN AND YOUNG
PEOPLE’S PLAN (DLD) -
Committee were informed of the progress
achieved in the development of the Children and Young People’s
Plan.
Production of the Plan by 1st
October 2008 was a statutory requirement. Whilst the Council
had the responsibility to produce the Plan, the Welsh Assembly
Government guidance confirmed that content was a matter for
development with key statutory and voluntary sector partners within
the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership.
The Plan sets out the priorities which will
underpin Partnership obligations to ensure all children and young
people:
· have a flying
start in life
· have a
comprehensive range of education and learning opportunities
· enjoy the best
possible health and are free from abuse, victimisation and
exploitation
· have access to
play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities
· are listened
to, treated with respect and have their race and cultural identity
recognised
· have a safe
home and a community which supports physical and emotional
wellbeing
· are not
disadvantaged by poverty.
Committee received the latest draft of the
working document which had been amended following
consultations. In its final form, this strategic plan would
be supported by a clearly specified action plan detailing
accountabilities and timescales for operational delivery. The
Action Plan was being developed and would be presented to Scrutiny
Committee in September.
RESOLVED - T H A T the progress achieved in
the preparation of the Children and Young People’s Plan be
noted.
Reason for decision
To ensure Scrutiny are aware of progress
achieved in developing the Plan.
203 MATTER WHICH THE
CHAIRMAN HAD DECIDED WAS URGENT -
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the following matter
which the Chairman had decided was urgent for the reason indicated
under the minute heading be
considered.
204 SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
PERFORMANCE PANELS (CX) -
Urgent by reason of the need for
the Performance Panel to be established in time for the September
Committee cycle
Members were advised that a pilot Performance
Panel had been established in November 2007 for the then Community
Wellbeing and Safety Scrutiny Committee. It had comprised of
four Members from each political party and Members of the Panel had
attended a series of training sessions designed to provide an
overview of how to effectively monitor and challenge the
performance of relevant service areas. Building on the
success of the pilot project and positive feedback received from
Members, it had been agreed by the Scrutiny Chairmen and
Vice-Chairmen Group on 30th January 2008 that formal
Performance Panels should be established for each of the Scrutiny
Committees. The report highlighted that once each Panel
had been appointed the Panels would meet during early September to
undergo similar training as the pilot Panel and, as part of the
initial training, each Panel would evaluate performance information
for Quarter 1.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A T
a specialist Performance Panel to examine and evaluate performance
information on a quarterly basis be established for the Scrutiny
Committee (Lifelong Learning).
(2) T H A T
the membership of the Performance Panel consist of four Members,
one from each political party, namely Councillors J. Clifford,
F.T. Johnson, Mrs. V.M. Hartrey and E. Hacker.
(3) T H A T
the progress of the Performance Panel be reviewed in 12 months
time.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To
enable the establishment of a Member-led specialist Performance
Panel for the Lifelong Learning Committee.
(2&3) To facilitate Panel Members to
develop their skills and expertise to scrutinise and challenge
performance and foster a culture of shared learning amongst the
Committee.
205 ATTENDANCE AT THE
COMMITTEE -
Members present asked that their
disappointment at the level of attendance at the Committee by
Members be recorded.