Meeting documents

i)  Cabinet Member for Children’s Services

ii) Deputy Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Lin Hazell, Cabinet Member for Children Services provided an update on the following:

·         A 2 day monitoring visit had been undertaken by OfSTED during August.  This had focussed on quality of management decision making, multi-agency safeguarding, missing children and CSE and assessment and planning processes.  OfSTED’s findings were now published on their website and the Cabinet Member highlighted a number of improvements that had been recognised, together with some key areas that remained outstanding.

·         The Committee welcomed the news of these improvements but the Chairman expressed disappointment that the letter had not been circulated to Select Committee members ahead of the meeting.  The Cabinet Member agreed to liaise with her officers to ensure timely communication with Members.

ACTION: Cabinet Member for Children’s Services

·         The ongoing issue of out of county placements was noted and the Cabinet Member explained that this had been considered as part of the Looked After Children Strategy.

·         It was noted that OfSTED had made criticisms around follow up interviews with young people who have been missing from care. Mr D Johnston, Managing Director of the Children’s Social Care and Learning Business Unit explained that this service was being recommissioned and the new contract would set out explicit timing standards for return interviews, which would usually be within 24 hours of a young person’s return.

·         Members were reminded that under the new OfSTED arrangements a further monitoring visit which would focus on Looked After Children was due to take place at the end of November/December 2016, although OfSTED could choose to reinspect at any time.

·         A Member raised concerns that the fostering service were providing inadequate support to foster carers and losing a significant number as a result.  A specific case had been reported in the media.  The Cabinet Member agreed to look in to the particular case, but commented that she was not aware that the number of foster carers had fallen dramatically in recent months.  The Committee was advised that during 2015/16, there had been a high number of foster carer resignations. Exit interviews were conducted with these carers and insight gained was used to inform an improved support offer for foster carers, provided by an independent improvement partner.

Mr N Wilson, Service Director Education provided an update on behalf of Mr Z Mohammed, Cabinet Member for Education, in his absence.

·         Work was focussing on the changes to the Schools Funding Formula timetable. These proposed changes would have addressed the historical underfunding of Bucks Schools, but had now been delayed by a year, creating uncertainties in the schools budget. The Leader of the Council had lobbied ministers for transitional funding.

·         The High Needs funding block, central to SEND had also been delayed. The High Needs block was £74million – modelling based on the first consultation indicated Bucks could lose £5m per year, as it was based on proxy indicators, rather than actual children or schools.

·         Currently the High Needs block was forecast to be overspent by £3million.  Mr Wilson was having discussions with Schools Forum and School leaders about contingency plans.

·         Members were advised that the Government had published a Green Paper on proposals to introduce new Grammar schools and the County Council’s response would be shared with the Committee. 

ACTION: Service Director, Education