Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the register of interests, any prejudicial interests or disclosable pecuniary interests which they might have in respect of the business on the agenda or any other general interest they might have within the remit of the committee. Councillor Taylor declared a personal interest in agenda item 6 (Attendance of Chair of York@Large) as he is employed by the City Screen who have been involved with red letter nights. 

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 19 November 2014.

Resolved:      That the minutes of the last meeting of the Learning and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 19 November 2014 be approved and signed by the chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Tuesday 20 January 2015.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officers for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

 Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast or audio recorded and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts  or,if sound recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/3130/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report is to inform the Scrutiny Committee of the progress and performance of the York Theatre Royal under the current Service Level Agreement (SLA). This item has been withdrawn until the next Learning & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting due to take place on 24 February 2015.

This item had been withdrawn prior to the meeting. Members were advised that the update on the progress and performance of the York Theatre Royal under the current Service Level Agreement SLA) would be provided at the next meeting of the committee due to take place on 24 February 2015.

The Chair of Learning City will be in attendance at the meeting to provide an update on how the organisation has been working with the Council and other partners to deliver joint services since it provided its last update in March 2014.

The Chair of Learning City York attended the meeting with the Learning City Partnership Manager to provide an update on how the organisation had been working with the Council and other partners to deliver joint services since it provided its last update in March 2014. The Powerpoint presentation has been attached to the online agenda.

Members were reminded that Learning City York’s aim and priorities which were sustainable business growth, enterprise and an enterprising culture, employability and economic inclusion, and personal, social and community development. The partnership provided support to children and young people (including undergraduates / graduates), families and communities, working age adults (both those in and out of work) and employers, including self-employed.

Officers explained that while York Learning Partnership focused on young people up to the age of 19 and Learning City York focused on adult provision from age 19 upwards, there was some overlap in the19 to 24 age range with crucial links with York Economic Partnership and other key groups and organisations.

Officers updated the committee on services which had been delivered with City of York Council during 2014. A key focus had been on business growth & productivity with a lot of work taking place in this area and a number of projects led by partners.  With regard to employability & career progression,  work had been taking place with the unemployed, Job Centre Plus and schools with lots of activity around apprenticeships, as well as the celebration of skills and lifelong learning. Members noted that key factors in delivering services included signposting where necessary, building links with Make it York and making the most of European funding.

The Chair of Learning City York and the Council’s Learning City Partnership Manager responded to Members questions in relation to the use of intelligence in informing priority actions, European funding, and with regard to information which they felt could help inform the review currently being carried out by the committee on Entrepreneurship in York Schools. 

Resolved: That the update be noted.

Reason:     In order that Members are kept informed on work undertaken by the Council’s strategic partners.

The Chair of York@Large will be in attendance at the meeting to provide an update on how the organisation has been working with the Council and other partners to deliver joint services since it provided its last update in September 2013.

The Chair of York@Large attended the meeting and provided an update on how the organisation had been working with the Council and other partners to deliver joint services since Members had received their last update in  September 2013. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation has been attached to the online agenda.

The Chair advised Members that, as well as the City of York Council, the cultural partnership had partners from within the arts, education, festivals, media and creative industries, museums, universities, the voluntary sector, visitor attractions and tourism.

He provided an update on activity which had taken place in relation to the following initiatives: Red Letter Nights; Make it York; Festival of Faith; Tour de France Yorkshire Festival; York@Large recruitment; York TV; Cultural Plan; UNESCO City of Media Arts; Urban Realm; York@Large workshop; and Legible York, which he explained would see the introduction of new signposting in the city.

He confirmed that during 2015, the cultural partnership would be working with City of York Council as its strategic partner and the council, York Explore and Make it York as its delivery partners, to promote the following priorities:

–     Red Letter Nights, York City of Media Arts, York TV

–     Legible York, Case for Culture, York Awards

–     Research

–     Review partnership in new context

He provided further information in response to specific queries raised by members during discussion.

Resolved:      That the update from York@Large be noted.

Reason:         In order that Members are kept informed on work undertaken by the Council’s strategic partners.

This report analyses the latest performance for 2014/15 and forecasts the financial outturn position by reference to the service plan and budgets for all of the relevant services falling under the responsibility of the Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods and the Director of Children’s Services, Education & Skills.

Members considered a report which provided an analysis of the latest performance for 2014-15 and a forecast of the financial outturn position by reference to the service plan and budgets for all of the relevant services falling under the responsibility of the Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods and the Director of Children’s Services, Education and Skills.

Members noted that the projected overspend of £750,000 was an improvement on quarter 1 and that the figures due to be reported to Cabinet the following month indicated that this overspend had reduced further since quarter 2 for both the Communities and Neighbourhoods directorate and the Children’s Services, Education and Skills directorate.

Members suggested it would be useful if the information in relation to pupils eligible for free school meals could be highlighted better and that the inclusion of a narrative in relation to the figures provided in Annex 1would be beneficial.

Officers confirmed that the statement in paragraph 13 with regard to a teaching assistant being appointed to support transition from KS2 to 3 and KS3 to 4 was not specifically in relation to travellers’ children but instead a more general comment. Members asked for an update on this to be provided in the next update to committee.

The Finance Manager agreed to pass these comments onto officers in the performance team in order that they could be taken into account for the production of future reports. ¹

Resolved:      That the report be noted.

Reason:         To update the committee on the latest financial and performance position for 2014-15.

At a meeting of the Committee in June 2012 Members agreed to receive a six monthly update on children’s safeguarding issues. This sixth report updates the Committee on key local and national safeguarding developments since July 2014.

Members received a six monthly update report on key local and national safeguarding developments since July 2014. The report addressed those issues that directly concerned or related to the delivery of the children’s safeguarding arrangements by the council . Members noted that they would receive an update from the Independent Chair of York’s Local Safeguarding Children’s Board on wider multi agency safeguarding at the next meeting of the committee.

Members noted:

·         The peer challenge outcomes and the local authority’s response

·         The continuous improvement plan

·         The improved performance monitoring and reporting arrangements

·         The progress of the Child in Need service

·         The outcome of the most recent DBS (Disclosure And Barring Service) audit

·         The continued progress of the Keeping Families together strategy.

Member noted that they would receive further updates on progress in these areas as part of future committee six-monthly reports.

Resolved:      That the report be noted.

Resolved:      To allow Members to be fully informed on key children’s safeguarding issues in York and to support Member challenge in this area.

This report provides an update about Key Stage 4 (KS4) performance in 2014.

Members considered a report which provided an update on Key Stage 4 (KS4) performance in 2014.

Members acknowledged that the significant changes in both the national KS4 performance indicators and the examination system in 2014 had created turbulence and meant it was difficult to make comparisons between the KS4 results for this year and previous years. Members noted that the national performance tables had not yet been published and the data used in the report had been taken from the invalidated RAISEonline reports produced by Ofsted.

The Council’s 14-19 Development Manager responded to specific issues raised by members. Members were advised that attainment in York had remained significantly above the national average across all the main performance indicators. The pupil group which performed below national average was disadvantaged pupils (those eligible for free school meals (FSM) and children looked after by the authority.)The gap in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and their peers had widened in York in 2014 but this was as a result of non disadvantaged pupils achieving significantly better in 2014. Members commented that the committee was currently undertaking a review on Narrowing the Gap.

Resolved:      That the report be noted.

Reason:         To update the Committee on secondary school performance in 2013-14.

This report provides further information in support of the Committee’s consideration of a proposed scrutiny review of the planning, promotion and delivery of the Council's programme of activities which accompanied the Tour de France.

Members considered a report which provided them with further information in support of the Committee’s consideration of a proposed scrutiny review of the planning, promotion and delivery of the Council’s programme of activities which accompanied the Tour de France. A report which had been considered by Cabinet at their meeting the previous evening was appended to the scrutiny report as Annex B. The Cabinet report detailed the outcomes achieved against the objectives set by Cabinet in 2013 and reported on the management of the event and lessons learned for the future.

In light of the information contained within the Cabinet report, the committee’s current review workload and the proposed consultation the committee had previously identified for the review, Members were asked to consider whether the agreed aim identified at paragraph five of the report was still appropriate and whether the review could be undertaken within the current municipal year.

Some Members expressed the view that the Cabinet report did not address the issues identified in the committee’s proposed review remit and that the review should still be undertaken in order to address those issues. They confirmed they were happy with the proposed review remit. 

Members agreed that the high workload associated with the three ongoing reviews and the limited time remaining before the end of the municipal year (noting also the start of the purdah period on 30 March) would make it difficult to undertake the review during the current municipal year. Some Members felt it would be better to prioritise the review on the committee’s workplan for the next municipal year.

Members however acknowledged also that the forthcoming election would mean a change in the committee’s membership and that it could be some months into the new municipal year before the new committee would be ready to commence a review. Some members felt that it would be difficult to pass the review onto a new set of members and raised concerns that it may not get undertaken. Some felt that if the committee did not start the review now, it would look bad from a public viewpoint.

Following discussion and consideration of the above factors, it was agreed that the Tour de France review should be deferred until the next municipal year but that priority should be given to this review going forward as the first review of the next municipal year. Members agreed it would be possible to seek nominations to the Task Group at the same time as seeking nominations to the Committee.

Resolved:      (i)         That, due to the limited timeframe and current heavy review workload, the Tour de France Scrutiny review be deferred until the next municipal year.

                        (ii)        That the proposed remit be agreed and the review be prioritised on the workplan for the forthcoming year.

Reason:         In order that the Committee is able to devote the required time and effort to undertaking the review in line with scrutiny procedures and protocols.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s workplan for the 2014-15 municipal year and receive a verbal update on ongoing reviews.

Members considered the committee’s work plan for the remainder of the 2014-15 municipal year and received a verbal update on the ongoing reviews.

They agreed that the following items be added to the next meeting scheduled for 24 February 2015.

·         York Theatre Royal – Service Level Agreement Performance Bi-annual Update Report. (originally scheduled form 21 January meeting)

·         Further update on implementation of recommendations arising from previously completed Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Scrutiny Review (At their meeting in July 2013, Members had signed off three recommendations as completed but other recommendations remained outstanding)

The Scrutiny Officer asked if Members would be interested in receiving an overview of ‘Make it York’ as there had been a lot of discussion around it recently. Members felt that as the two final meetings of the civic year already had lengthy proposed agendas, it would be more sensible if they could be provided with some written information in the first instance.

Members noted that all the ongoing reviews were progressing well.

Resolved:      (i)         That the work plan, including the above amendments, be agreed.

(ii)        That the updates on the ongoing scrutiny reviews be noted.

Reason:         To keep the committee’s work plan updated.