Agenda and minutes

Members are invited to elect a Chair of the Board for the remainder of the current municipal year.

Members were invited to nominate a Chair of the Board.

Resolved:           That Councillor Keith Myers be appointed as the Chair of the Board, for the current 2017/18 Municipal Year.

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 invited to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in relation to the business on the agenda or any other general interests they might have within the remit of the Board.

Cllr Crawshaw declared a personal interest in that his partner was employed byTees, Esk and Wear Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, working in clinical psychology, supporting children throughout North Yorkshire.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2018.

Resolved: That the minutes of the last meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board held on 12 February 2018 be approved and then 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 on Friday 13 April 2018.

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 Officers (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/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

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

Members to receive the Virtual School background paper, which contains a summary of the current position and references the background relating to the last 12 months.

Members received a report that contained a summary of the current position and background in relation to the Virtual School over the last 12 months.

The Deputy Headteacher of the Virtual School for Looked After Children and the Assistant Director of Education and Skills gave an update and informed Members of the robust interim   arrangements that were in place until a permanent virtual Headteacher had been appointed. They highlighted the current structure and the various support that was provided to the designated teachers and social workers to allow the virtual school arrangements to be developed and reflect the new statutory duties introduced by the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

Members noted the current number of children in care, the educational outcomes for those children and discussions took place around the benchmark performance data for each key stage. Officers highlighted the challenges faced when providing statistical data and confirmed they monitor the progress made by each child looked after (CLA) and would be ensuring all schools were taking reasonable steps to support the development of those children.

Officers also highlighted the challenges faced when engaging schools to develop and review each CLA Personal Education Plan (PEP). They confirmed that communication with schools would become more robust to improve the quality of the PEP, which summarised a child’s educational provision, highlighted their targets for the year and any additional support needed.

Members noted that officers were reviewing the use of the premium plus funding and would be consulting with Headteachers on a way forward that would best support the individual needs of each CLA.

 In answer to Members questions officer confirmed:

·        the vast majority of our looked after children were receiving  the correct support in school.

·        case studies could be provided.

·        the provisions that were in place for children placed out of the area and how good relationships with other authorities, national and regional support groups helped support and monitor those children.

The Board thanked officers for their update.

Resolved: That the report and update be noted.

Reason: To keep Members updated.

Members to receive a verbal update from the Principal Social Worker, who will describe:

a)   the new Teaching Partnership and how it supports the recruitment, retention and career- long training and development offer for social workers, starting from their pre-qualification training, and

b)   how City of York Council has been at the forefront of piloting a new set of online supported learning tools, which forms a significant part of the council’s local training offer for social workers and its preparation for the national accreditation of social workers.

Members received a verbal update from the Principal Social Worker.

He discussed:

a)   the new Teaching Partnership and how it supported the recruitment, retention and career-long training and development offer for social workers, starting from their pre-qualification training, and

b)   how City of York Council had been at the forefront of piloting a new set of online supported learning tools, which formed a significant part of the council’s local training offer for social workers and its preparation for the national accreditation of social workers.

Members noted that the government seed funding used to support the Teaching Partnership would end in March 2019, so ways to sustain this were being considered. Officers confirmed the Partnership included City of York Council, North Yorkshire County Council, Calderdale Council, Kirklees Council, the University of York and the University of Huddersfield and their aim was to raise quality, standards and consistency of education to provide a higher standard of practice learning and experience, including an option for any newly qualified social workers to complete a masters module following their pre module training.

Officers highlighted the process that permanent social workers must endorse ready for national accreditation and explained the training and support that would be offered to assist them through the rigorous testing.

Following discussions around the seed funding and recruitment and retention of social workers Members noted that York were working closely with partners and other local authorities within the region to build a resilient workforce that operated on the same principles when recruiting agency staff.

The Corporate Director of Children, Education and Communities explained how the successful recruitment pilot scheme approach, used in the Referral & Assessment team, could benefit the staffing issues arising in the Safeguarding Social Work teams.

Members thanked officers for the update.

Resolved: That the update be noted.

Reason: To keep Members updated.

Members to receive a verbal update regarding City of York Council’s position on Junior ISAs for CYPIC.

Members received a verbal update from the Group Manager of Achieving Performance regarding City of York Council’s position on Junior ISA’s for Children & Young People in Care (CYPIC).

The Board were informed that CYPIC received a Junior ISA, where the government contributed £200 to each one.

It was noted that City of York Council does not currently contribute to these accounts but that young people in care were provided with pocket money which could be saved as well as being offered financial support and advice. This included a one day workshop as part of the Bright Future Summer School, to young people.

In answer to Members questions officers confirmed that a placement review was in progress which would look at all support including financial.

Members thanked officers for the update.

Resolved: That the update be noted.

Reason: To keep the Board updated.

To consider the Board’s work plan for the remainder of 2017-18 and the draft work plan for the 2018-19 municipal year and to receive any updates Members may wish to give on their agreed areas of interest relating to the work of the Board.

Members considered the work plan for the 2017/18 and the 2018/19 municipal year.

Cllr Funnell confirmed that officers had been provided with the educational departments contact details at York Minster.

Following discussion it was:

Resolved:  That the work plan be amended to include, at the next Corporate Parenting Board meeting, an update on Pathways to Mental Health Services for CYPIC.

Reason: To keep the Boards work plan updated