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 any disclosable pecuniary interests which they may have in respect of the business on the agenda. No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2012.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the meeting of the Learning and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 19 September 2012 be approved and signed by the chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak on an item on the agenda or an issue within the committee’s remit can do so.

Anyone who wishes to register or who requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officer for this meeting, details of whom are listed at the foot of this agenda.

The deadline for registering to speak is 5.00pm the working day before the meeting, in this case 5.00pm on Tuesday 20 November 2012.

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

The Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People’s Services will attend the meeting to give a verbal update on her progress against her challenges and priorities for this municipal year.

The Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People’s Services attended the meeting and updated Members on the following areas within her portfolio areas and responded to specific questions asked by Members

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·        New Children and Young Peoples Plan “Dream Again” recently launched which sets out the councils vision for 2013-16. Page 6 of the plan sets out a solid and inspiring vision which gives every child and young person the right to be stretched, supported and nurtured. This is a huge challenge and we have to strive for highest standards.

·        Seeking to reduce the number of children taken formally into care. This is a challenging target which refocuses the way in which social work teams are working.

·        Education continues to be politically challenging. Focus from government is now to push academy agenda. Primaries are most at risk of becoming forced academies, especially if schools in special measures are required to become academies. It is important to be proactive and put in place protocols for defining which people we want to do business with. More likely to go down route of sponsored academies. This is an ongoing challenge – we have looked into possibility of setting up a Cooperative Schools Trust – interesting but slow and complex process – we need to talk to schools to see if they are interested. In the meantime other options being considered. We can provide leadership but actual decision making doesn’t sit with the LA. There are opportunities for further and higher education too.

·        Burnholme situation is now moving ahead. Since decision taken to close the school, parents have been supportive.

·        Education Partnership is now at the end of its first year. This official education forum has to approve the formula for the distribution of school funds. We need to take robust papers to the Education Partnership to ensure some things continue to be maintained by the authority. The School improvement group provides important support for schools from within the school community.

·        Corporate Parenting Board has been established and has had two meetings. This is the first time we have a member body who can manage corporate parenting issues. The Board has met with those who manage fostering/adoption service and the new head of the Virtual School. The gap in achievement by Looked after Children has been narrowed. The Board will be provide a useful and necessary way to ensure accountability links are there.

·        The go ahead has been given to start consultation regarding the future of the Derwent Schools Federation and Osbaldwick Primary School.

·        New social has been work team put in place to manage early intervention. Want to ensure children’s centres are working with families to identify youngsters early before they start school.

The Cabinet Member agreed to provide a brief written update for future meetings.

RESOLVED:             That the information provided by the Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People’s Services be noted.

REASON:                  To ensure that Members are kept informed of work within the remit of the Committee

This report analyses the latest performance for 2012/13 and forecasts the outturn position by reference to the service plan and budgets for all of the relevant services falling under the responsibility of the Director of Adults, Children & Education and the Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods.

Members received a report analysing the latest performance for 2012-13 and forecasting the outturn position by reference to the service plan and budgets for all of the relevant services falling under the responsibility of the Director of Adults, Children and Education (ACE) and the Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods.

The Head of Finance (ACE) drew Members attention to the financial pressures on the children’s social care budgets due to the increase in demand for services and pressure on the budget for children’s services which reflects various costs associated with the increase in the total number of looked after children. He advised Members that the Home to School Transport budget was also likely to overspend. This reflected the growth in the number of students attending the Danesgate Community and other alternative education settings. The report detailed what mitigation proposals were being progressed in order to deal with these and other financial pressures.

The Head of Finance (ACE) and Director of ACE responded to specific queries and issued raised by Members regarding the financial and performance analysis detailed in the report.

RESOLVED:             That the report be noted.

REASON:                  To update the committee on the latest financial and performance position for 2012-13.

This cover report presents the draft final report arising from the York Museums Trust (YMT) scrutiny review, and asks the Task Group to identify any changes required to the report ahead of its presentation to the Learning & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 21 November 2012.

Members received the draft final report arising from the York Museums Trust (YMT) Scrutiny Review which asked them to agree a number of recommendations to Cabinet.

The YMT Scrutiny Review Task Group (Councillors Taylor, Watson and Fitzpatrick) updated Members on the work they had undertaken in respect of the review. They advised that it had been an interesting and enjoyable review to undertake and expressed their appreciation to the musuems’ staff for their time and the assistance they had given to Members. They also thanked the Scrutiny Officer for her hard work in respect of the review.

The Head of Arts, Heritage and Culture asked for a minor change to the wording in paragraph 102 (Council Plan 2011-15) so that it reads “The success of the Trust and its business plan contributes to the council’s priority to create jobs and grow the economy, through its investment in the tourism infrastructure.  It also provides opportunities for residents cultural life long learning across the city.” She noted that some clarification of the acquisitions/disposals policy would be very welcome. She asked that the report was made clearer in stating that YMT had achieved accreditation in collections management and Members agreed that this could be clarified in the review conclusions.

Members agreed that recommendations 1 and 2 should be amended to include the meeting dates when the committee would receive the presentation and revised policy document.

Members agreed that a seventh recommendation be added stating “The appropriate Cabinet Member to seek continued improvement in collection management standards and that this be monitored annually”

The Committee agreed that these changes be made prior to the final report being considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 8 January 2013. Members noted that Councillor Taylor, on behalf of the Task Group, and Cllr Fitzpatrick, as member of the Task Group and Vice Chair of the Learning and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee, would attend the Cabinet meeting. The Committee expressed its thanks to the Task Group for their work on the review.

RESOLVED:

That in order to achieve the appropriate collections management standards (in line with the Collections Loan Agreement and Collections Management Protocol agreed in 2002), the Committee recommend to Cabinet that:

(i)         YMT be requested to provide, as a matter of urgency, a presentation to the Learning and Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee on the key principles that their Acquisition and Disposal policy review will be based on – In order to help frame and support YMT’s work on those revisions

(ii)        YMT provide a revised version of the Acquisition and Disposal policy for the Learning & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s consideration at its meeting on 1 May 2013.

(iii)       To help facilitate the recruitment of additional volunteers, the Cabinet  Member for Leisure & Culture encourages all Councillors to invite YMT’s Volunteers Manager to attend a future ward meeting or community event, and identify ward residents who may have the appropriate skills.

(iv)       A mechanism should be put in place for disseminating information to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s workplan for the 2012-13 municipal year.

Members discussed the committee’s work plan for the remainder of the 2012-13 civic year. The Scrutiny Officer advised the committee of the following additions to the work plan.

23 January 2013                  

·        Presentation from York Museums Trust (YMT) on the key principals that their Acquisition and Disposal Policy review will be based on in order to help frame and support YMTs work on those revisions.

·        Receive a verbal update on the Libraries review.

20 March 2013

·        Receive an update on progress in relation to development of the city’s parks

1 May 2013

·        Consider draft revised YMT Acquisition and Disposal Policy

RESOLVED:             That the work plan be agreed subject to the above additions.

REASON:                  To keep the Committee’s work plan up to date.