Agenda and minutes

Councillor Dorothy Flude – Children and Families Portfolio

Mark Palethorpe - Acting Executive Director of People

Ali Stathers Tracey - Director of Transformation programme

Vicky Howarth -  Project Manager

Jacky Forster - Director of Education and 14-19 Skills

Jacquie Sims -Director of Children's Social Care

Jamilia Tausif - Senior Commissioning Manager

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2019

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 20 June 2019 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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 receive a case study on cared for children and care leavers

A case study was outlined to the Committee about a girl whose parents had a history of drug misuse. The girl had been cared for by a close relative and had remained there for several years. That relationship had subsequently broken down leading to her ‘sofa surfing’ with other family members. For a short period of time the girl had been identified as being vulnerable to potential Child Sexual Exploitation and drug misuse and had consequently been placed into foster care. She had recently successfully been reunited with her mother and was again attending school with very little involvement of social workers and now had a much improved relationship with her mother.

To give consideration to a report on High Needs Funding

The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the progress of the School Forum’s High Needs Formula Working Group (HNFWG). This included further development of the new model for allocating High Needs top-up funding, along with conducting a pilot study and public consultation.

The report was supplemented by a presentation given by Vicky Howarth on the Cheshire High Needs funding consultation June/July 2019.

RESOLVED

(a)  That the progress of the working group to date be noted and the following actions endorsed:

·         The development of a proposed matrix and banding system for mainstream schools based on the model developed by Essex County Council

·         Open consultation on proposed changes to the High Needs Funding Model used in Cheshire East

·         The carrying out of a pilot exercise using the new proposed matrix and banding system with a small number of mainstream schools;

(b)  That the matter be brought back to this committee for an update report in March 2020.

To give consideration to the Early Help Strategy 2019-2022

Ali Stathers Tracey presented a report on the Council’s early help strategy 2019/22 which set out how partners who worked with children, their families and carers would deliver services to prevent escalation of needs that required targeted or intensive interventions from statutory agencies.

The Chairman welcomed the strategy and suggested it would assist committee members if officers could provide practical examples of the process to provide additional insight.

RESOLVED

(a)  That the report be received;

(b)  That the matter be brought back to a future meeting and officers be requested to illustrate how the process operates in practice  by  using a real  example of an anonymised young person going through the system.

To give consideration to the Children and Young People’s Plan

The Committee considered the Children and Young Peoples Plan  which had been refreshed up to 2021. The plan was collaborative document produced by the Cheshire East Children and Young Peoples Trust which was a group of people who provided services for young people and families. The plan had built upon the success of the 2015/18 plan to achieve the next steps of achieving the joint ambition to make Cheshire East a great place to be young.

RESOLVED – That the report be received.

To give consideration to the areas of the forward plan which fall within the remit of the Committee.

The Committee gave consideration was given to the areas of the forward plan which fell within the remit of the Committee.

RESOLVED

That the forward plan be received.

To give consideration to the work programme

The Committee reviewed its work programme.

RESOLVED- That, subject to items being added to review High needs funding in March 2020 and the matter relating to Cheshire East Early Help Strategy to be brought back on a date to be determined, the  work programme be noted.