Venue: Committee Suite 1,2 & 3, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach CW11 1HZ. View directions
Contact: Denise French Email: denise.french@cheshireeast.gov.uk
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Also Present Minutes: Councillor S Davies, Substitute Member Councillor W Livesley, Substitute Member Mr G Roper, Church Representative Councillor J P Findlow, Cabinet Member Councillor Rhoda Bailey, Cabinet Support Member Councillor L Smetham, Cabinet Support Member |
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors T Jackson and G Merry and J Kelly, Church Representative. |
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Declaration of Interest/Party Whip To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests and for members to declare the existence of a party whip in relation to any item on the agenda.
Minutes: Councillor D Flude declared a personal interest on the grounds that she was a Governor of Westminster Nursery School and a Director of EIPC Ltd and Councillor D Neilson declared a personal interest on the grounds that he was a Governor of a school with a nursery. |
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Minutes of Previous Meeting To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16 November 2009. Minutes: RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 16 November 2009 be approved as a correct record subject to:
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Public Speaking Time/Open Session 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 notified the Scrutiny officer listed at the foot of the agenda, at least one working day before the meeting with brief details of the matter to be covered.
Minutes: There were no Members of the Public present who wished to address the Committee. |
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Children’s Services Annual Rating To receive an oral report of the Strategic Director People. A letter dated 9 December 2009 received from Ofsted relating to the Children’s services annual rating is enclosed. Minutes: The Committee considered a letter dated 9 December 2009 from Ofsted on the Children’s Services Annual Rating. This was now derived from a new performance profile of the quality of services and outcomes for children and young people in each local area. The profile included findings from across Ofsted’s inspection and regulation of services and settings for which the Council had strategic or operational responsibilities, either alone or in partnership, together with data from the relevant Every Child Matters indicators in the new National Indicator Set.
The annual rating derived from a four point scale and Cheshire East scored 3 which indicated that children’s services performed well.
The overall effectiveness of a majority of inspected services and settings was good or better. A large percentage of childcare, nursery education and primary schools were judged to be better than similar areas or the national provision. There was little inadequate provision but the proportion of secondary schools and sixth forms judged to be good or better was below that found in similar areas or national provision. Provision for children and young people who were vulnerable was variable and one Children’s Home was judged inadequate, although this had now closed permanently.
RESOLVED: That the report be noted. |
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Redesign of Children's Services To consider a report of the Strategic Director People. Minutes: The Committee considered a report on the current position with the redesign of Children’s Services. A Programme Manager had been appointed for a 12 month period to lead the introduction of a new model for Children’s Services. The new model would be based on multi-agency working targeted at addressing needs earlier in children’s lives as this was the most effective way by which the risks of poor outcomes to children and young people could be reduced.
The main features of the new ways of working were:
Locality Teams comprising partners from the Children’s Trust would be formed to provide access to targeted support appropriate to the local needs presented. Services would be commissioned on a multi-agency basis appropriate to the needs of the locality and informed by a good needs assessment/evidence base. Services would be co-located where appropriate and possible.
Members discussed the report and the following points were raised:
RESOLVED: that the progress report on the redesign be noted. |
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Summary of School Performance 2008-9 To consider a report of the Strategic Director People. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director People summarising performance across all schools for all phases for 2008 – 09. The Committee was advised that constant updates were available to officers on performance results and comparisons with statistical neighbours.
The overall picture of school performance had been outlined at a previous meeting and showed either an improvement or the same position as before. Agreed priorities were:
The Committee was advised that as part of its inspection regime Ofsted would take account of safeguarding and any issues could result in the school being put into a category. There were no such schools in Cheshire East. Schools must show that they had strategies and mechanisms in place to track individual pupils’ rates of progress. Schools that were low on attainment would receive proactive/assertive engagement at an early stage and there would also be a focus on early education settings and its uptake in the relevant areas.
RESOLVED: That the report be received and the priorities needed to further raise standards and reduce underperformance be endorsed. |
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Cheshire East Budget 2010 - 11 To receive a verbal update on the budget. Minutes: The Committee considered a verbal update from the Chairman on the Scrutiny Budget Task Group. The Group had received a presentation on the budget from the Borough Treasurer and Head of Assets. Special meetings of each Scrutiny Committee would be arranged to look at the budget proposals in relation to the Committee’s remit.
RESOLVED: that the update be noted. |
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Schools White paper To receive a presentation on the Schools White Paper. Minutes: Maggie Swindells briefed the Committee on the White Paper – Your child, your schools, our future – Building a 21st century schools system. The main points in the paper included:
RESOLVED: That the presentation be noted and discussed further at a future meeting. |
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Early Years Funding Reform The Committee has previously been consulted on the implementation of a single funding formula for early years provision. The formula was the subject of a consultation exercise prior to implementation from April 2010. A verbal update on the current position will be made to the meeting. Minutes: The Committee received a verbal update on the reform of Early Years Funding.
A single funding formula had been required to be introduced by April 2010 but this had now been delayed, however, Cheshire East Council could apply for Pathfinder status to implement the new formula from April 2010 if full Cabinet approved this at its next meeting. The new formula applied a base rate with additional elements based on flexibility, quality and rurality.
Following consideration by the Committee in August 2009, when the formula was being consulted upon, officers were looking at doing some pilot work of an additional element being available based on provision for children where English was not their first language.
Transitional arrangements were in place to help providers during the change to a single funding formula and a business manager would help individual schools where required.
RESOLVED: That the update be noted. |
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Children's Trust To receive a presentation on the Children’s Trust. Minutes: The Committee was briefed on the role of the Children’s Trust. The Trust had a statutory basis in that Section 10 of the Children Act 2004 placed a duty on local authorities and their Statutory partners to co-operate in making arrangements to improve children’s well-being, this would mean partners working together to improve commissioning and delivery of services for all children, young people and families in a given area. The local authority would have a leadership role in the Children’s Trust but would not control it.
The outcomes of the Trust included:
The Trust comprised the Director of Children’s Services; the Lead Member with Cabinet responsibility and one representative from:
RESOLVED: that the presentation be noted and a training session be organised to explain further the role of the Children’s Trust. |
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Youth Offending Service - Improvement plan To consider a report of the Strategic Director People. Minutes: The Committee considered the Cheshire Youth Offending Service Improvement Plan following the inspection of the service in August 2009. The Committee noted that all actions were timetabled for completion by March 2010.
RESOLVED: that a summary of actions taken be submitted to a future meeting. |
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Scrutiny Review - Managing the Provision of School Places - report on Transforming Learning Communities and its implications for Cheshire East Council The final report of the Scrutiny Review Panel was submitted to Cabinet on 22 December, a verbal report on the outcome will be made at the meeting. Minutes: The Committee was advised that the final report of the Scrutiny Panel who had reviewed the future management of school places had been submitted to Cabinet on 22 December 2009; the Cabinet had accepted in full the recommendations within the report.
RESOLVED: that the update be noted. |
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Work Programme update To consider a report of the Borough Solicitor. Additional documents: Minutes: The Committee considered the current position with the Work Programme which had been revised at the mid point meeting on 14 December. The first meeting of the Task/Finish Panel on Family Support Services would be arranged shortly.
RESOLVED: that the Work Programme be noted. |
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Forward Plan - extracts To note the current Forward Plan, identify any new items and to determine whether any further examination of new issues is appropriate Minutes: The Committee considered the current Forward Plan in relation to Children and Family Services.
RESOLVED: that the Forward Plan be noted. |
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Consultations from Cabinet To note any consultations referred to the Committee from Cabinet and to determine whether any further action is appropriate. Minutes: There were no consultations from Cabinet. |