Meeting documents

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Cllr. Val Letheren was proposed by Cllr. Robin Stuchbury – this was unanimously agreed by the committee.

Cllr. Letheren took the Chair.

Cllr. Paul Irwin proposed Cllr. Dev Dhillon, this was seconded by Cllr. Margaret Aston and was unanimously agreed.

Michael Moore

To declare any Personal or Dislosable Pecuniary Interests.

Margaret Aston declared that she was on the Haddenham Children’s Centre Board and that she sat on the Corporate Parenting Panel.

Paul Irwin declared that he was on the Corporate Parenting Panel and the advisory board for Waddesdon Children’s Centre.

Minutes of the meeting held on 7^th April 2015.

Agreed

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

None

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

The Chairman had been appointed to sit on the Improvement Board by the new Chairman. She gave her views of the first meeting that she had attended. The Director of Children’s Services from Essex County Council and Cambridgeshire County Council had seats on the Board. She reported that it was good to see representatives from schools. Multi-agency buy-in was good and everyone was in agreement that the improvement process would be long.

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

Cllr. Stuchbury had attended a Safeguarding Board meeting and reported that there was some level of scrutiny and challenge. There needed to be a discussion around what is appropriate level of engagement by the Select Committee in the Board.  Cllr. Stuchbury had also attended CSE conference in Wycombe.

Cllr. Mallen had attended an improving quality of social work practice meeting which she had found very informative. She reported on several of the issues that were faced by social workers that were addressed at the meeting, which had been well chaired by the Service Director and was very positive.

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To agree the Select Committee’s report recording its scrutiny of the Children’s Services Improvement Programme (Sept 14-March 2015).

Contributors:

Mr Reece Bowman - Committee Adviser

Mr Maurice Emberson - Expert Adviser

The Chairman introduced the report, which was an account of the work undertaken on the Improving Social Care Inquiry. The report was noted by the Committee.

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A report to update the committee on progress of implementation of the Children’s Services Improvement Plan (all workstreams).

Contributors:

Ms Lin Hazell – Cabinet Member for Children’s Services

Mr David Johnston – Managing Director Children's Social Care and Learning

Mr John Goldup – Chair, Improvement Board

The Chairman welcomed John Goldup to the meeting. Mr. Goldup had been appointed by the Department of Education (DoE) to Chair the Improvement Board on a monthly basis. He was to report on a quarterly basis to DoE. There was to be a 6 monthly review against the improvement notice issued by the minister in the second part of last year.

Members raised questions with those in attendance on the following issues:

·         Early Help Panels

·         The Practitioner Board

·         Timeliness of statutory meetings

·         Case audits

·         The interface between children’s centres and social care staff

·         The process of hiring and retaining staff from overseas

·         The conversion rate of temporary staff to permanent roles

·         Levels of trust in the senior management team

·         The improvement data dashboard

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For the Committee to consider a report on educational attainment across the County.

Contributors:

Mr Zahir Mohammed - Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Ms Atifa Sayani – Education Champion

Ms Pauline Cue – Data team

Ms Louise Goll – Interim Director of Education

Ms Amanda Taylor-Hopkins – Director of Education – Bucks Learning Trust

Zahir Mohammed gave an introduction to the item and stated that he was more than pleased to be here in his capacity as the new Cabinet Member.

Members raised questions with those in attendance on the following issues:

•           The gap in attainment at the Early Years phase and Key Stage 4

•           The breakdown of results to particular schools

•           Comparing the performance of village schools with non-rural schools

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For the Committee to receive a 12 month update and to ask questions on the implementation of the Narrowing the Gap Select Committee Inquiry agreed recommendations. Cabinet provided its initial response to the recommendations on 17^th March 2014.

For members to make an assessment of progress against recommendations based on the update and questioning of the Cabinet Member and to highlight the completion status of each of the recommendations.

Contributors:

Mr Zahir Mohammed - Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Ms Atifa Sayani – Education Champion – Bucks Learning Trust

Ms Amanda Taylor-Hopkins - Director of Education - Bucks Learning Trust

Following on from the above discussion, members scored the progress being made against the recommendations made in the Narrowing the Gap Inquiry.

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A report to update the committee on the provision of educational support for service children in Buckinghamshire.

Contributors:

Mr Zahir Mohammed - Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Mr Ed Mallam - Head of Children's Partnerships

Mr Rob Beadel

Ms Joy O’Neill

The Chairman asked for this item to be deferred as the meeting was running late.

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To discuss and agree the work programme.

The work programme was agreed subject to the inclusion of the CSE Inquiry.

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To note the next meeting of the Education, Skills and Children’s Services Select Committee on 22^nd September 2015.

22^nd September 2015

To receive the briefing of the Managing Director Children’s Social Care and Learning.

To resolve to reopen the meeting to the press and public.

Members to discuss and agree the scope of the Preventing Child Sexual Exploitation Inquiry.

Members agreed the scope of the inquiry and agreed that the following members should form the Inquiry Group: Margaret Aston, Wendy Mallen, Phil Gomm, Robin Stuchbury, Dev Dhillon, Val Letheren.

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