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Contact information

E-mail

customer.service@shropshire.gov.uk

Telephone

0345 678 9000

Postal Address

Shropshire Council
Shirehall
Abbey Foregate
Shrewsbury
Shropshire
SY2 6ND

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Shrewsbury Room, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 6ND. View directions

Contact: Tim Ward  Committee Officer

Items
No. Item

11.

Apologies and Substitutions

To receive apologies for absence from Members of the Committee

Minutes:

11.1    Apologies for absence were received from Sian Lines (Diocese of Hereford)

12.

Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

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.

Minutes:

12.1    There were no declarations of pecuniary interest

13.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 71 KB

The minutes of the last meeting, held on 27 September 2017 are attached for confirmation.

Minutes:

13.1    The minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2017 had been circulated

 

13.2    RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the People Overview Committee held on 29 September 2017 be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman

14.

Public Question Time

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 Friday 24 November 2017

 

Minutes:

14.1    There were no questions from members of the public.

15.

Members' Question Time

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

 

Deadline for notification: 5.00pm on Friday 24 November 2017

Minutes:

15.1    There were no questions from Members

16.

Early Help Working Group pdf icon PDF 3 MB

To receive a report from the Early Help Task & Finish Group - to follow

Minutes:

16.1    Member’s received the report of the Director of Children’s Services which set out proposal for the development of Early Help Family hubs and updated the Committee of the work of the working group which had helped develop the proposals.

 

16.2    Councillor Potter, the Chair of the Working Group outlined the proposals which included the creation of Early Family Help Hubs which would bring multiagency multidisciplinary teams together to provide a joined up service, which would result in a saving of £875,000

 

16.3    A Member congratulated Officer and the Working Group on a detailed and through piece of work but expressed concern regarding the large area the Ludlow Hub would cover as it was difficult to deliver services in the more rural areas and there would be a need to ensure sufficient resources going forward to take account of this.

 

16.4    Members expressed concern that some Children’s Centres would close.  The Head of Early Help, Partnerships and Commissioning explained that it was proposed that the number of family hubs would reduce from 11 to 6 which would enable the delivery of a more joined up service. Members asked to be kept updated on the situation by way of regular briefings.

 

16.5    RESOLVED

 

            That the People Overview Committee

           

a)    Approve the proposals for Early Help Hubs and the associated savings projected.

b)    Note the timescale for delivery

c)    Note the proposed consultation programme

d)    Approve the closure of some Children’s Centres

17.

Placements for Looked After Children (LAC) pdf icon PDF 3 MB

To receive a report from the Adoption, Fostering and Residential Placements Service Manager - to follow

Minutes:

17.1    Members received a presentation from the Service Manager - Fostering and Adoption which gave an overview of Children’s Placement Services on which she updated the Committee on the number of Looked after Children (LAC) and the processes around the placing of LAC, the current pressures on the service and the key service priorities.

 

17.2    The Service Manager requested that the Committee establish a Task and Finish Group to look at the current challenges to the service and to look at solutions to enable the service to meet its key service priorities.

 

17.3    Members agreed that a time limited task and finish group be set up with a view to a report being brought to the March meeting of the Committee.

 

17.3    RESOLVED

 

            That a Task and Finish Group be established to look at finding solutions to the current challenges to the services and in meeting the key service priorities.

 

 

18.

Task and Finish Group - Corporate Parenting pdf icon PDF 172 KB

To agree the formation of a Task and Finish Group on Corporate Parenting and agree the Terms of Reference – to follow

Minutes:

18.1    Member’s received a report which set out proposed terms of reference for a task and finish group on Corporate Parenting.

 

18.2    The Scrutiny Officer advised Members that the objectives of the group were: -

 

·                To examine how the Corporate Parenting Panel ensures that it understands the profile of looked-after children in the county, and the outcomes for looked-after children compared to their peers

·                To understand how the Council ensures that its officers and elected members understand their responsibilities as corporate parents.

·                To scrutinise the structures in place to support looked-after children in Shropshire, in particular the Children in Care Council, Children’s Charter and Corporate Parenting Panel.

·                To look at the effectiveness of Regulation 44 visits by corporate parents.

·                To learn how looked after children and care leavers understand the support available from corporate parents.

18.3    RESOLVED

 

            That the Corporate Parenting Task and Finish group be establish and the terms of reference be agreed.

19.

Child Sexual Exploitation pdf icon PDF 199 KB

To receive a report from the Service Manager COMPASS and Assessment - to follow.

Minutes:

19.1    Member’s received the report of the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Co-Ordinator and the Manager – COMPASS which gave an update on the current situation regarding child sexual exploitation (CSE) and missing in Shropshire.

 

19.2    Members were advised that currently there were 72 children in Shropshire identified as being at risk of CSE, with only 6% being male, although it was felt that the number of males at risk of CSE was under reported, and that all children at risk of CSE were tracked to ensure that the level of risk was being managed appropriately.

 

19.3    In response to a query it was confirmed that training was provided for Bed and Breakfast and hotel owners and for taxi drivers a part of their licencing process. A Member asked if feedback was provided to the licencing department where there were concerns about a particular driver or company.  The CSE Co-Ordinator confirmed that a member of the licencing team sat on the CSE sub group and that where there were specific concerns these were raised directly with the licencing team.

 

19.4    A Member asked how the situation in Shropshire compared with neighbouring councils.  The Director of Children’s Services commented that it was difficult to compare as the context in each county was different.

 

19.5    A Member asked whether it would be possible to have regular updates.  This was agreed.

 

19.6    The Chairman thanked Officers for the report

 

 

20.

Ofsted pdf icon PDF 95 KB

To receive a verbal update on the recent Ofsted inspection from the Director of Children’s Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

20.1    Members received the report of the Director of Children’s Services which reported on the result of the recent Ofsted Inspection.

 

20.2    The Director of Children’s Services reminded Members that a team of 9 inspectors from Ofsted had spent four weeks in the Children’s Services directorate inspecting services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers and that they had also undertaken a review of the effectiveness of the Local Safeguarding Children Board.  She advised the meeting that the report of the Inspectors had been received and that the overall judgement for Shropshire’s services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers was “Good”.

 

20.3    The Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People congratulated the Director of Children’s Services and her team for the excellent results of the inspection which was a testament to all the work put in by officers.  The Chairman echoed these sentiments which were endorsed by all Members.

 

20.4    The Director of Children’s Services advised Members that the Council was required to draw up an action plan for the recommendations contained in the report and that this would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee.

 

20.5    RESOLVED:

 

·         That Members note the contents to the report and congratulate the Director of Children’s Services and her team on the excellent results of the inspection.

 

·         That Members agree that the action plan be brought to the next meeting of the Committee

21.

Date of Next Meeting

Members are advised that the next meeting if the People Overview Committee will be held on Wednesday 31 January 2018 at 10.00am

Minutes:

21.1    Members were advised that the next meeting if the People Overview Committee would be held on Wednesday 31 January 2018 at 10.00am

 

 

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