To receive apologies for absence from Members of the Committee

49.1    Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Andy Boddington and Robert Tindall and from Sian Lines (Diocese of Hereford) and Carol Morgan (Diocese of Shrewsbury)

49.2    Councillor Roger Evans substituted for Councillor Boddington

Members are reminded they must not participate in the discussion or vote on any matter in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and should leave the room prior to the commencement of the debate.

50.1    None were declared

The minutes of the last meeting, held on 14 December 2017, are attached for confirmation.

51.1    The minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2016 had been circulated

51.2    RESOLVED: -

That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2016 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a true record.

To receive any public questions or petitions from the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 14.  The deadline for this meeting is 5.00pm on 27 January 2017

52.1    There were no questions from members of the public.

To receive any questions of which Members of the Council have given notice.

Deadline for notification: The deadline for this meeting is 5.00pm on 27 January 2017

53.1    The following Question had been received from Councillor Kevin Turley

Pupil Funding

Where this subject is going to leave a lot of our schools during difficult times and can Scrutiny be involved with working with our MPs over keeping this grant. Government always said education would be one of the protected pots this doesn't look like it to me.

Response:

There are a number of funding proposals that are likely to impact on schools budgets over the period up to 2020.

The proposed changes in school revenue funding in 2017-18, in particular the removal of general duties Education Services Grant funding from both Local Authorities and Academies from September 2017,  will require the diversion of resources within schools to underwrite statutory support services previously funded through direct Government grant. This adds to existing pressures on school budgets.  The impact will vary from school to school, but it is probable that there will be increased pressures for a number of schools in 2017-18.

Beyond next year, the Government consultation on a national funding formula - due for implementation in 2019-20 - is suggesting that a large number of Shropshire schools, in particular medium and large primary schools, will lose funding through the national formula currently being proposed.  This is disappointing given the historic underfunding the county’s schools have experienced and the expectation that Shropshire would be a major beneficiary from the move to a national formula.  Shropshire Schools Forum will be making a comprehensive response to the NFF proposals. 

A meeting took place with Shropshire’s MPs last Friday, 27 January.  Some of the challenges facing Shropshire schools from the changes in school funding arrangements were brought to their attention.  Through the response to the national funding formula consultation, and lobbying of the county’s local MPs, representations will continue to be made for a better funding settlement for Shropshire’s schools.

53.2    Several Members expressed concern regarding the effect that the proposals would have on their local schools especially given the extra expenditure that would be incurred as a result of the increase in living wage and pension contributions.

53.3    The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services advised Members that the matter had been discussed at a recent meeting between Cabinet Members and local MPs, and agreed to circulate the briefing note which had been prepared for the meeting.

53.4    The Director of Children’s Services advised that the Government consultation on Schools Funding would end on 22 March 2017 and that the Schools Forum would be making a response.

53.5    It was agreed that an additional meeting of the Scrutiny Committee be held to look at schools funding and that the Chair of the Schools Forum be invited to attend.

To receive an update from the Service Manager - Safeguarding & Review

54.1    The meeting received a presentation from a mother whose daughter had been the victim of online grooming, in which she related the effect that it had had on her daughter and the rest of her family.

54.2    Several Members thanked the mother for relating her experiences and commented that it had really brought home to them the seriousness of the subject.  They expressed concern at the length of time it had taken to access services such as CAMHS.

54.3    The Head of Children’s Social Care and Safeguarding commented that CSE was becoming a growing issue and that there was “no quick win”.  Each case required long term service provision to provide the necessary support to families.  She informed the meeting that the Safeguarding Board were looking at how agencies responded to CSE and how there could be better support in the future.

54.4    The Director of Children’s Services commented that she was keen to use the experiences of the Mother to help guide the future development of services.

54.5    A Member commented that whilst children were taught about online safety in schools, parents also had a significant role in teaching their children and that the message about the seriousness of on line exploitation did not seem to be getting through to parents.

54.6    The Chair thanked the Mother for attending the meeting and relating her experiences.

To receive a verbal update

55.1    The Service Manager - Safeguarding & Review advised the meeting that there were currently 15 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in Shropshire and that 6 of these had come to Shropshire through the National Transfer Scheme including some children that had come from the camps in Calais.  He informed Members that a range of different provisions were used for the children depending on age and need.

55.2    A Member commented that as well as children from the usual areas there was a child from Vietnam currently being accommodated.  The Director of Children’s Services commented that it was thought that that particular child had been subject to trafficking.

55.3    The Chairman thanked the Service Manager - Safeguarding & Review for his update.

The report of the Head of Social Work and Safeguarding is attached marked 8A

A Performance Update is attached marked 8B

56.1    Members considered the report of the Head of Social Work and Safeguarding, which set out to provide assurance to the Committee in relation to the effectiveness of the arrangements for the safeguarding of our most vulnerable children in Shropshire. 

56.2    A Member asked for more information about children that were subject to a second Child Protection Plan (CPP).  The Head of Social Work and Safeguarding informed the meeting that there were currently 52 children subject to a second CPP and that 20 of those had been restarted within two years of the previous plan finishing. She stated that work was currently being undertaken to look at the reasons for this.

56.3    A Member commented on the number of agency staff currently employed.  The Head of Social Work and Safeguarding informed the meeting that the number of agency staff employed had been reduced following a recruitment campaign.  She added that there would always be need to employ some agency staff to cover maternity leave and other such long term absences.

56.4    RESOLVED:

a)    That Members note the contents of the Social Care Assurance report

b)    That the decision on whether to establish a Task & Finish Group to consider Corporate Parenting Functions be deferred to after the election in May.

Report to follow marked 9

57.1    Members considered the report of the Director of Performance and Delivery – Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) which updated the Committee on the current position of the Child and Adolescent Mental health Services (CAMHS) in Shropshire. Updates on current waiting times and the work being undertaken to reduce the waiting times prior to the start of the new contract were circulated. (Copies attached to the signed minutes).

57.2    The Commissioning and Redesign Lead, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Shropshire CCG reminded Members that there were six programmes within CAMHS and that four of the six programmes had been recommissioned and the remaining two would be commissioned shortly.

57.3    Members expressed concern at the current length of time taken for referral to the CAMHS service and welcomed the work being carried out to reduce waiting times.  They asked what steps were being taken to ensure that the current situation with regard to waiting times was not repeated under the new contracts.  The Commissioning and Redesign Lead stated that the new contracts contained different performance indicators and that these would be monitored in a more robust way.

57.4    Members asked for more details regarding the new contract that had been awarded.  It was agreed that a further report be brought to the next meeting and that this report would also give an update on the work being done to reduce waiting times.

57.5    RESOLVED:

a)    That Members note the content of the report

b)    That a further report be brought to the next meeting giving more detail on the contracts that had been awarded and giving a further update on the work being done to reduce waiting times.

The current Scrutiny Work Programme and Cabinet Forward Plan are attached.

Members are asked to consider whether there are any other items they wish to be added to the work programme

58.1    The current Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and Cabinet Forward Plan had been circulated.

58.2    A Member asked for an update on Children who were subject to a second Child Protection Plan.

58.3    A Member commented that the subject of the support available for young carers had been raised at the last meeting of the Health and Adult Social care Scrutiny Committee and asked whether this was a subject that the Committee should be looking at. The Chair commented that it may be a subject for a joint meeting of both Committees.

58.4    The Chairman asked Members to let her know if there was any other topic that they wished to be added to the Work Programme.

Members are reminded that the next scheduled meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday 29 March 2017 at 10.00am

59.1    Members were reminded that the next scheduled meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday 29 March 2017 at 10.00am