Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on the agenda.

The Executive Member was invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests she might have in the business on the agenda.  None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Decision Session of the Executive Member for Children and Young People’s Services held on 1 February 2011.

RESOLVED:That the minutes of the Decision Session held on 1 February 2011 be approved and signed by the Executive Member as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak at the meeting can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Monday 7 March 2011.

Members of the public may register to speak on:-

• An item on the agenda
• An issue within the Executive Member’s remit
• An item that has been published on the Information Log since the last session.

It was reported that there were no registrations to speak under the council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report provides information about the current position with regard to vacancies for Authority seats on governing bodies, lists current nominations for those vacancies, as detailed in Annex 1 of the report, and requests the appointment, or reappointment, of the listed nominees.

RESOLVED:That the appointment and re-appointment of Authority Governors, as proposed in Annex 1 of the report be approved.

REASON:      To ensure that local Authority places on school governing bodies continue to be effectively filled.

The Executive Member received a report that provided information about the current position with regard to vacancies for Authority (formerly known as Local Authority) seats on governing bodies, listed current nominations for those vacancies, as detailed in Annex 1 of the report, and requested the appointment, or re-appointment, of the listed nominees.

The Executive Member was pleased to note that the number of Authority governor vacancies had fallen and that there were several Authority appointments currently being progressed.  The Executive Member paid tribute to the work that the Governor Support and Development Team carried out to provide a comprehensive training programme to governors, including on-line training. 

It was noted that a report on the Education White Paper was due to be presented at the Executive Member Decision Session in June.  This paper would include the implications for school governance.

RESOLVED:That the appointment and re-appointment of Authority Governors, as proposed in Annex 1 of the report, be approved.

REASON:      To ensure that Authority places on school governing bodies continue to be effectively filled.

This report details outcomes, impact and lessons learned from the Government funded York Youth Community Action Programme, and seeks comments from the Executive Member in terms of the recommendations being made to ensure the legacy of the programme is sustained.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the outcome and impact of the Youth Community

                                    Action Programme be noted.

                        (ii)            That the importance of youth community action and

                                    volunteering be endorsed.

                        (iii)            That the recommendations detailed in Annex A of the

report be approved to ensure that the legacy of the programme is sustained.

REASON:      Youth volunteering and community action offers a great opportunity for CYC to continue to foster relations between voluntary groups and schools to provide the city’s 14-16 year olds with a range of opportunities that would otherwise have been unavailable to them and for young people to achieve demonstrable outcomes for the benefit of communities, other individuals and the environment.

The Executive Member received a report that gave details of the outcomes, impact and lessons learned from the Government funded York Youth Community Action Programme. 

Officers gave details of what had been delivered during the ten-month programme period January – October 2010.  The Executive Member was delighted to note that 3547 14-16 year olds (75% of the total cohort) had completed 26,927 hours of new community action and volunteering activity across a number of disciplines.  Details were given of the forms that the volunteering had taken and of the outcomes, impact and benefits that the programme had brought.  Examples were given of some of success stories for individuals and families. 

The Executive Member’s views were sought on Annex A of the report, which detailed recommendations that had been made to ensure that the legacy of the programme was sustained.

The Executive Member stated that the Youth Community Action Programme had been hugely beneficial and she paid tribute to those involved in organising the programme and to the young people who had participated.   She stated that she was delighted that there was a commitment by organisations such as York CVS and York Cares to continue to develop opportunities for young people to take part in volunteering.   

RESOLVED:(i)         That the outcome and impact of the Youth Community

                                    Action Programme be noted.

                        (ii)            That the importance of youth community action and

                                    volunteering be endorsed.

                        (iii)            That the recommendations detailed in Annex A of the

report be approved to ensure that the legacy of the programme is sustained.

REASON:      Youth volunteering and community action offers a great opportunity for CYC to continue to foster relations between voluntary groups and schools to provide the city’s 14-16 year olds with a range of opportunities that would otherwise have been unavailable to them and for young people to achieve demonstrable outcomes for the benefit of communities, other individuals and the environment.

This paper sets out proposed transitional arrangements for early intervention work in the voluntary sector to enable the development of its capacity to respond to new commissioning approaches.

RESOLVED:That the allocations set out in Annex A of the report be approved.

REASON:      To maintain the key elements of the early intervention programme, providing transitional stability for the voluntary sector while new commissioning arrangements for the longer term are devised.

The Executive Member received a report that set out proposed transitional arrangements for early intervention work in the voluntary sector to enable the development of its capacity to respond to new commissioning approaches. 

The Executive Member gave consideration to the options for allocating the £93,750 that was available, as detailed in paragraphs 10 and 11 of the report.

At the request of the Executive Member, officers detailed the organisations that it was proposed would be allocated funding.  It was agreed that Annex A of the report would be republished on-line to include the names of the organisations to which the funding would be allocated, as well as the purpose for which the funding was to be used.

Officers confirmed that Equality Impact Assessments had been carried out to assess the impact on vulnerable groups. 

The Executive Member sought confirmation that appropriate monitoring arrangements were in place to ensure that the outcomes were in line with the Authority’s expectations.  Officers confirmed that this was the case.

The Executive Member requested that the Equalities Advisory Group be made aware of the reports and of the decisions that had been taken in respect of this item and the item on the York Youth Community Action Pilot.

RESOLVED:That the allocations set out in Annex A of the report be approved.

REASON:      To maintain the key elements of the early intervention programme, providing transitional stability for the voluntary sector while new commissioning arrangements for the longer term are devised.

This report summarises the key policy and funding changes for the Adult and Community Education Service for 2011/12.  The Executive Member is asked to approve priorities for the service and measures to ensure the service is able to operate effectively within the available funding.

RESOLVED:            (i)            That the service priorities, as set out in paragraph 9 of the

report, be approved.

                        (ii)            That the measures to address the budget, as set out in

                                    paragraph 10 and 12, be approved.

                        (iii)            That the development of a full cost programme, as set out

                                    in paragraph 13 of the report, be approved.

REASON:      To provide a strategic steer and ensure a viable Adult and Community Education Service for 2011/12.

The Executive Member received a report that summarised the key policy and funding changes for the Adult and Community Education Service for 2011/12.  The Executive Member was asked to approve priorities for the service and measures to ensure that the service was able to operate effectively within the available funding.

Officers drew attention to the implications of the reduction in concessionary funding for people on means tested benefits.  They also informed the Executive Member that proposed changes to funding and eligibility for ESOL programmes would mean that only those learners on employment related benefits would be eligible for reduced fees.  Efforts were being made to mitigate the impact. The Executive Member expressed her regret regarding the proposed changes to funding and eligibility for ESOL and stated that she hoped that the challenges that were being made at a national level would have an impact.

Referring to the full cost programme, the Executive Member stated that she was encouraged by the take-up of the courses on offer and congratulated officers on the comprehensive programme, and on the ways in which the opportunities were promoted.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the service priorities, as set out in paragraph 9 of the

report, be approved.

                        (ii)        That the measures to address the budget, as set out in

                                    paragraph 10 and 12, be approved.

                        (iii)       That the development of a full cost programme, as set out

                                    in paragraph 13 of the report, be approved.

REASON:      To provide a strategic steer and ensure a viable Adult and Community Education Service for 2011/12.