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, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests that they might have had in relation to the business on the agenda or other general interests they might have had within the remit of the Board. No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 5 March 2014.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the last meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board held on 5 March 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 regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Board’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is 5pm the working day before the meeting, in this case 5pm on Tuesday 6 May 2014.

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

Filming or Recording Meetings

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 were no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

The Children’s Rights and Advocacy Service have prepared two  reports relating to feedback from York’s children and young people, who are looked after. The U Matter survey took place in early 2014 and the report summarises the findings. The Show Me That I Matter annual report 2013-14 summaries the discussions which have taken place in York’s children in care council during the past year.

Members considered a report relating to feedback from York’s looked after children and young people, the Show Me That I Matter Annual Report and the U Matter survey.

Show Me That I Matter (SMTIM) Annual Report

Officers presented the report to the Board and commented that;

·        A lot of children and young people did not know who to talk to at the Council.

·        That the move to West Offices had been positive and the SMTIM panel had a Chair and Vice Chair on a more stable basis.

·        It was hoped that an update to the SMTIM website would be complete by and relaunched in June.

Members asked the following questions in relation to the report;

·        That the membership of the SMTIM panel comprised of ten members and two Councillors. How were the panel selected and how were people able to join?

·        How was the agenda set for each meeting?

·        Was there any communication between the Schools Councils and SMTIM, did their objectives overlap?

In response to the questions it was reported that;

·        Officers were unsure if there was a cap of numbers on the SMTIM panel but any prospective members were encouraged to get in touch with the Council’s Children’s Rights Officer.

·        Generally the agenda was set by young people, who would ask questions to Officers and if they had not received answers these would then go on as items for the agenda for the next meeting of the panel.

Some Members spoke about how they wished to see how Looked After Children were active in all organisations which involved Children and Young People’s voices. They questioned why professional language continued to be used around these organisations and why language which was more likely to be understood more clearly by young people could not be used.

They hoped that the Annual Report was sent out to all Members so that they had the chance to see at least the front page.

U Matter Survey

Members commented on the figures presented in the survey. Comments included;

·        In the opinion of Officers, how representative were the responses?

·        That they wanted to see the actual figures rather than percentages to see how representative the survey group was.

·        That they were worried about the high turnover of social workers and what this would mean for the continuity of support for children and young people in the city.

In response, it was stated that the results of the survey were compared with the overall population of children and young people in York. Members were also informed that social worker recruitment had been examined, as there had been a significant turnover during 2013 but the vacancy rate in the city was now low. However, it was pointed out that the city was always vulnerable to social workers moving to jobs elsewhere.

A representative from the SMTIM panel was in attendance at the meeting and he told Members that lots of young people did not like filling out surveys. The Chair added that this could be because  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

All local authoritieswith responsibility for Children’s Services will be inspected from November 2013 onwards under Ofsted’s new framework for Children in Need of Help or Protection, Children Looked After and Care Leavers.Inspections will be undertaken at short notice andthey will last for 4 weeks. This verbal briefing will advise the Board about the preparation that is being undertaken for York’s inspection.

Members received a verbal update regarding the preparations being undertaken for the Ofsted inspection of Children’s Services in York.

It was noted that the inspection regime had changed from previous arrangements such as the Safeguarding and Looked After Children Inspection for which York was graded ‘good’. The previous Inspection had previously been focus group and case file audit centred, with the Local Authority given notification to enable some preparation. The inspection was also shorter. 

The new inspection framework, the Single Inspection Framework, would last for four weeks and there would be no notice period to enable preparation. The Inspection would look at Child in Need, Children in Need of Protection, Looked After Children, Leaving Care and Adoption Services. The framework did incorporate some inspection of the Early Help offer but this was not its main focus.

As has been widely reported in the media, the previous category of ‘adequate’ had now been replaced with ‘requires improvement’.

Members were told about the various stages of the process these were;

1.   That the Local Authority would receive a call from the Lead Ofsted Inspector at approximately 0930on the Tuesday morning of Week One. The Inspectors would arrive later the same day.

2.   That the inspectors would initially focus on the Referral and Assessment Team (the Front Door arrangements). For contacts, referrals and assessments. The inspectors were very interested in front-line practice and would accompany social workers on their visits.

3.   Within Week One a dataset would need to be produced (known as Annex A) to reflect the range of children and young people at different stages of the child’s journey through the safeguarding processes within York.

4.   This data set would form key lines of enquiry for Ofsted inspectors in WeekThree of the inspection.

5.   In Week Two the Inspectors were ‘off site’ but would request that 18 cases selected by them be audited by Officers. The audits would evidence whether Officers knew the strengths and deficits of the Service.

6.   Week Three is the fieldwork week when Inspectors are on site. Other Local Authorities note this to be an intense process with excess of 100 cases reviewed. Inspectors may well visit Looked After Children in foster care, sit in on Fostering Panel, attend Child Protection conferences in York and observe direct Social Work with service users.

7.   Week Four allows for two days evidence gathering and then, on the Wednesday, initial feedback. The formal Report is moderated and published approximately six weeks later.

It was pointed out that there would be more scrutiny of the outcomes of the processes for children and young people rather than processes, and that the stated aim of the inspection would be to look at whether Children’s Services were making a difference to children and young people and their families in York.

It was not clear as to when York would receive its Ofsted Inspection. A list of possible ‘Tuesdays’ had been circulated by Ofsted.

Further discussion took place regarding areas that the Ofsted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

To consider the Board’s draft work plan for the forthcoming municipal year.

Consideration was given to the Board’s draft work plan for the 2014-15 municipal year.

It was suggested that if Officers that an inspection for Looked After Children was imminent that the Board receive a briefing note from Tricia Head, the Virtual Headteacher for Looked After Children and Maxine Squire, the Interim Director for Education and Skills. Other Members suggested that in advance of an inspection that the Board could review its effectiveness as a body.

Resolved:  (i) That the work plan be approved.

                  (ii) That Members receive a briefing note if notified of an upcoming Ofsted inspection.

Reason:     To ensure that the Board has a planned programme of work in place.