Agenda and minutes

Rachel Bailey – Children Families and Adult safeguarding Portfolio Holder

Rhoda Bailey – Deputy Cabinet Member

Stewart Gardiner - Deputy Cabinet Member

Tony Crane – Director of Children’s Services

Mark Bayley – Principal Manager, Quality Assurance

Nigel Moorhouse – Head of Service Social Care

Fintan Bradley – Head of Service Strategy Planning and Performance

Ann Gadsden – Monitoring and Intervention Manager

Gill Betton – Children’s Improvement and Intervention Manager

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To provide an opportunity for Members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of the existence of a party whip.

A total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to make a statement(s) on any matter that falls within the remit of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes, but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned, where there are a number of speakers.

Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research, it would be helpful if members of the public contacted the Scrutiny officer listed at the foot of the agenda, at least one working day before the meeting to provide brief details of the matter to be covered. 

There were no members of the public present who wished to speak.

To consider a report of the head of Corporate Manager: Standards and Learning.

Councillor Ken Edwards attended the meeting and addressed the committee in respect of this matter.

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Manager: Standards and Learning concerning relationships with schools and the raising achievement plan for Cheshire East.

Over the past 5 years, the Council had improved education standards in all areas resulting in a position where 85% of all learners attended a school which was a good or outstanding. However, the Council and its partners were still committed to raising standards even further to ensure that the best educational opportunities were available to all.

Although the Council retained a statutory duty to promote high standards, ensuring fair access to educational opportunities, and promoting young peoples learning potential wherever they were educated, it was acknowledged that the Council’s influence in respect of academies was limited. However, academies were monitored through a regional schools commissioning structure. Cheshire East was a member of the West Midlands group.

In response to a question about school funding, the Committee was informed that 94% of government funding went directly to schools, leaving the Council with a sum in the region of £18 million allocated to the school programme.

RESOLVED

(a)          That the report be received;

(b)          That an informal Members awareness session be arranged to be held before the start of the next meeting of the committee on 6 October 2014 to explore the main issues affecting school improvement.

Head of Early Help & Protection to give a presentation

Nigel Moorhouse gave a presentation on recent changes made in respect of the Council’s the recruitment and retention arrangements for social workers. The presentation provided an update on the progress of a project that the former Children and Families Policy Development Group (PDG) had been involved in during the latter part of 2013 running into 2014.

The PDG had interviewed a number of social workers in 2013 and had made a number of recommendations regarding the improvement of working conditions which included amongst other things upgrading ICT for social workers.

Nigel explained that the Council’s recruitment programme had to be understood in the national context of there being a poor supply of competent agency social workers and managers, which had led to a high churn of agency social workers in 2013/14.

A recruitment action group had been established within the Council which had led to the social work service in Cheshire East being re-branded.

Working conditions had now improved significantly with dedicated office space, improved ICT and reduced caseloads although it was acknowledged that a third recruitment campaign was still required to fill a number of vacancies.

The current position was that 16 social workers and 3 practice managers had been recruited. All manager posts in Macclesfield were now filled and those in Crewe were expected to be filled by 1 October 2014.

RESOLVED – That the Committees appreciation for the progress made in respect of the recruitment and retention of social workers be placed on record.

The Head of Children’s Services to give a presentation.

Tony Crane outlined some key topics within the Children’s directorate which were considered appropriate for scrutiny activity, some of which already featured in the committee’s draft work programme.

The topics were:

• Safeguarding and in particular corporate parenting especially in connection with the Council’s new delivery vehicles such as the Council’s  new Leisure Trust;
• Social worker HR Policies;
• SEN Policy – development of a policy in line with new legislation
• LSCB – the effectiveness of and the Council’s relationship.

RESOLVED – That the matters above be included in the Committees work programme.

To consider a report of the Head of Governance and Democratic Services.

The committee reviewed its work programme having regard to the discussions held under the previous item.

The Committee suggested that the item to develop an SEN policy under the new legislation would benefit from the input of the Director of Public health.

In connection with the item regarding home to school transport, the committee expressed the view that although it was still important to follow up the work of the 2011 task and finish group, there was now a wider issue for the committee to look at, particularly if the Council pursued its intention to set up a transport company.

RESOLVED –

(a)          That the work programme be updated to include the additional items outlined by the Head of Children’s Services;

(b)          That an update report be submitted to the next meeting of the committee on the home to school transport recommendations;

(c)          That the item relating to school allocation of places in the north of the borough be deleted;

(d)          That 6 monthly progress reports be submitted to the Committee on safeguarding issues;

(e)          That a standing item regarding the Improvement board be placed on all future agendas

To note the current forward plan, identify any new items, and to determine whether any further examination of new issues is appropriate.

The Committee considered items listed in the current forward plan.

RESOLVED – That the Forward Plan be received.