Agenda item

Work Programme update

To consider a report of the Borough Solicitor.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Borough Solicitor setting out a process to approve the work programme for 2010/2011.

Corporate Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held on 19 April 2010 had approved a paper entitled ‘Strengthening the Scrutiny Function’ which proposed a more formal approach to the work programme setting process in 2010 to enable the views of Cabinet to be fed into the process. This approach had also been considered and endorsed by the Scrutiny Chairs Group. The main aim of the new approach was to share work programmes with colleagues in Cabinet and Corporate Management Team (CMT) at the outset, so that Overview and Scrutiny became an integral part of the corporate business planning process of the Council. Work programme items would subsequently be linked to relevant Corporate plan targets, and where appropriate, Performance Indicators and LAA targets.

It was intended that emerging work programmes of all five Overview and Scrutiny Committees would be presented to Cabinet informally in June, and then each Committee would formally endorse its work programme before the summer recess. It was suggested that this Committee would approve its work programme on 29 June 2010. (Note: since the meeting it has transpired that the work programme will not be approved until July 2010 because of changes to the consultation arrangements with Cabinet)

The committee was reminded that it needed to ensure that there was sufficient leeway to allow for additional activities throughout the year.

A schedule attached to the report, set out all existing items in the work programme together with a number of suggestions provided by the former portfolio holder and members of the Committee.

Members were also requested to have regard to the emerging Corporate Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy, both of which were currently in consultation stage and expected to be adopted by Council in July.

The Committee reviewed each work programme item and made the following comments

Issue	Description /	Comment	Date
Safeguarding and Redesign of Children’s Services	Committee to be kept updated on the current position with the redesign - Challenges and Opportunities, emerging work programme, update on redesign of integrated service delivery - and given the opportunity to comment	Separate Safeguarding from Redesign of Children’s Services But keep as a standard item on agendas to receive regular updates	On-going
Performance reporting	(key exceptions – red/amber and explanations/commentary) to include adoption rates, staffing information and profile of children in Cheshire East.	Continue with on a 3 monthly basis reporting but if any red flags are identified, a full explanation of the background be given at every meeting.	Every quarter
Corporate Parenting	Training event	Completed – As there are new Committee Members, this training session be repeated and offered again to all members of the Committee	TBA
Inspections Children’s Services Performance rating Youth Offending Inspection Fostering Inspection	Committee to be informed of the outcome of any relevant inspections Report on Performance rating YOS Action plan to be considered at a future meeting Report on the outcome from inspection	Regular reports from individual members who have undertaken regulation 33 inspections Also need a regular agenda item to update the committee on progress on post - inspection action plan	TBA 6 Monthly
Review of Residential Provision	Task/Finish Group set up and underway	Review nearing completion	Final report expected July 2010.
Family Support Services	Task/Finish Group set up	3 meetings held, next meeting on 1 June 2010	Final report expected October 2010
School Admissions Policy	Formerly TLC. Review completed, several new policies recommended in the report.	Scrutiny to be consulted when policies called for in the report are developed Delete from Work programme	As appropriate
Education Attainment	Headlines submitted when available. Detailed analysis follows	Set up a Task and Finish Group to review the work of the multi agency Improvement and Achievement group.	To be set up after completion of Family Support Group.
Early Years Funding Reform	Consultation	Arrange a briefing by Children’s directorate on the national formula and the pathfinder status of Cheshire East.	July 2010

Post 16 Transfer of Funding to Local authorities		No further action recommended at the moment. Put on reserved list for possible action 2011/2012	On hold.
Children’s centres	Investigation into the role and purpose of Children’s Centres	Included in the scope of task and finish Group on Family Support Services
Transport for Young People	Access arrangements for young people in education and/or employment.	Arrangements be made for a presentation at a future meeting and Provision Task and Finish group set up in the Autumn	TBA
Draft Children’s plan/children’s trust	Presentation on current position	Further training agreed at meeting on 18 January 2010	TBA, but ASAP
Teenage Pregnancy Reduction	Committee to be kept updated on action taken as a result of the visit by the National support team	Report be submitted on the action plan	Completed
Budget	Scrutiny Consulted on draft budget 2010/2011	Committee represented on Budget Consultation Group preparing for the 2011/12 Budget. Chairman to provide regular update reports to Committee.	Ongoing
Analysis of School Performance	Connected with the Educational attainment item	To be included in School attainment (as above)
School Status Report	New Government policies could significantly influence the status of schools and the relationship with the LEA.	Presentation to future meeting on current status	June 29 meeting
Schools White Paper	Presentation	Completed – delete from work programme	N/A
Sex and Relationships Education (		Completed – delete from work programme	N/A
IT Systems	Review of IT systems as they relate to the redesign of children’s services	Include section on Children’s IT systems such as PARIS as part of the briefing on redesign of children’s services	TBA
Foster Services	Review of adequacy	Set up a task and finish Group	To be set up after the completion of the residential provision Task and Finish Group report
Connexions – Value for money	Investigation recommended in light of funding reductions in the North West	A Full meeting be reserved to deal with Connexions, in terms of the services provided and the commissioning role of the Council	16 September 2010
Every Child matters	Re visit the ECM agenda	Refresher Training session be arranged	TBA
NEET’s –	availability of schemes for college places entry into employment etc	Include as part of the review of Connexions
CRB checks for Members and Corporate Parenting. And Regulation 33 visits		Not a matter for work programme, but all members of the Committee be given an opportunity to undertake such visits	TBA

(Note: The Committee also agreed that a spreadsheet be developed to maintain a record of the frequency of items listed for regular review)

Supporting documents: