Meeting documents

Mrs Wendy Mallen

Mr Mark Shaw

Mrs Monique Nowers

To declare any Personal or Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.

There were no declarations of interest made.

Minutes of the meeting held on 27^th January 2015 to be confirmed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 27 January 2015 were confirmed as a correct record.

Public Questions is an opportunity for people who live, work or study in the county to put a question to a Scrutiny Committee about any issue that has an impact on their local community or the county as a whole.

Member of public, who have given prior notice, will be invited to put their question in person.

The Cabinet Member and responsible officers will then be invited to respond. 

Further information and details on how to register can be found through the following link and by then clicking on ‘Public Questions’.

http://democracy.buckscc.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=788

There were no public questions.

For the chairman of the Committee to provide an update to the Committee on recent scrutiny related activity.

The Chairman had attended a conference on cyber safety on 27th February 2015.

The Children’s Internet Safety Inquiry report is due to be received by Cabinet on 16th March 2015.  It is to be considered by the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB) on 17 March 1.30 pm.

Members of the Select Committee are invited to attend as observers at future BSCB meetings. Chairman to attend the next meeting on 17 March

For members of the Committee to update the Committee on any issue they are investigating on behalf of the Committee.

No updates

To question the Strategic Director and Service Director on the implementation of the Children’s Services Improvement Plan and to consider specific areas of delivery: Social worker recruitment and retention and improving early help and the "front door" of the service.

Contributors

Mr David Johnston – Strategic Director, Children and Young People

Mrs Carol Douch – Service Director, Child and Family Service

The Chief Executive was welcomed to the meeting and he described the journey to turn children’s services around. Since November 2014 Red Quadrant had been providing challenge and support to the authority. The initial draft report from Red Quadrant had been circulated to schools and the Improvement Board and the intention had been to report to Cabinet and the Select Committee when the response to the report had been received from the Secretary of State. The report was critical but had not suggested further intervention from the Secretary of State. It had recommended that the Chief Executive step down from the position of Chair of the Improvement Board as he was unable to both undertake the work necessary and then hold himself to account as the Chair. SEE PAPERS/WEBCAST FOR CONTENT

Action: for the Chief Executive to share report with Committee upon a response being received from the Secretary of State

Members queried:

·         Whether the Chief Executive should have intervened earlier in Children’s Services

·         The release of the report draft to head teachers before allowing members of the council to see it

·         The projected £1.3m overspend in Children’s Services

·         Access to reports on Child Sexual Exploitation

·         The recruitment of more senior managers into Children’s Services

·         The recent visit abroad to recruit social workers

·         The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub

SEE PAPERS/WEBCAST FOR CONTENT

To review the implementation of the agreed select committee inquiry recommendations.

Contributors

Mr Mike Appleyard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Mr Chris Munday – Service Director, Learning, Skills and Prevention

The Chairman stated that this was a new way of doing updates on the implementation of inquiry recommendations, in which the Select Committee assessed progress. The Cabinet Member described progress against each of the recommendations and the committee agreed its assessment against each.

Action: for a copy of the Committee’s assessment of progress on young people inquiry to be sent to the Cabinet Member for comment

Mr. Watson left the meeting before agenda item 9.

Questions to the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills and chief officers on Education, Skills and Children’s Services performance for the third quarter of 2014-2015. 

Contributors

Mr Mike Appleyard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Mr Chris Munday – Service Director, Learning, Skills and Prevention

Mr David Johnston – Strategic Director, Children and Young People

Mr Ed Mallam, Head of Children’s Partnerships

The Committee considered the performance reports for the portfolios and commented where issues were red rated.

To note the next meeting of the Education, Skills and Children’s Services Select Committee on 7^th April 2015 at 10am in Mezzanine Room 2, County Hall, Aylesbury.

The next meeting is due to take place on Tuesday 7th April 2015 at 10am in Mezzanine Room 2, County Hall.