Download Minutes of Meeting held on 27th November 2007

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CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SCRUTINY PANEL,
27th November 2007
PRESENT: Councillor M K Swift (Chair)
Councillors Collins (Substitute for Councillor Coombs), Marshall MBE, Winterburn
60
MINUTES
IT WAS AGREED that the Minutes of the meeting of this Panel held on 6th
November 2007 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
61
RACIST INCIDENT REPORTING IN SCHOOLS
The Group Director, Children and Young People’s Services submitted a written
report setting out the racist incident data reported by Calderdale schools for the
period 1st April 2006 to 31st March 2007. The report made reference to data recorded
in previous years to allow comparison. The report advised that the new equality
legislation, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the Equality Act 2006 and the
Education and Inspections Act 2006 had placed new duties on schools regarding
disability, gender, faith, sexual orientation and community cohesion. To support
these duties, schools would need data on the incidence of sexist and sexual
homophobic, disability and faith related incidents. The Local Authority had produced
the Calderdale Equality and Diversity Scheme to comply with the equality duties.
IT WAS AGREED that the Panel acknowledges the broader categories of hate
incident reporting and the vital role this will play in challenging bullying and
supporting schools to fulfil their equality duties.
62
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICES BUDGET 2007/2008 – SECOND
BUDGET MONITOR
The Group Director, Children and Young People’s Services submitted a written
report the purpose of which was
(i)
to advise of the second projection of service controlled expenditure for
2007/2008; and
(ii)
to draw Members’ attention to budget difficulties around the costs of looked
after children and actions being taken to manage the situation.
The second monitor showed that with the exception of costs around looked after
children, the Directorate’s budget was in balance. The projected overspend on
looked after children placements and support costs was considerable. More work
had taken place during August and September which had provided more confidence
around these projected costs. The Directorate faced in-year budget pressures that
would be extremely difficult to manage without cutting back on a significant amount
of development work in this financial year. The Directorate’s ability to manage these
pressures was limited by the fact that a significant proportion of its resources outside
Care Services budgets formed part of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). DSG
funds were ringfenced to schools and school spending and regulations did not permit
its use for anything else. Outside the Care Services budget, the Directorate had
resources of £16.9m of which approximately half sat within the DSG. This left only
£8m of the Directorate’s budget on which to find the significant savings required. It
was becoming clear that the Directorate may be unable to manage these costs in
future years without taking longer term preventative actions for supporting looked
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CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SCRUTINY PANEL,
27th November 2007
after children and at the same time providing these services with additional funds.
This would be the focus of the recovery plan to be produced by the end of November
and the discussions to follow at the third monitor. In the meantime, the Directorate
continued to maintain a freeze on non-critical expenditure and closely reviewed the
need to fill vacant posts. These actions were providing additional in-year savings to
support budget management.
IT WAS AGREED that the report be noted.
63
SCRUTINISATION OF CHILD OBESITY – RECOMMENDATION OF HEALTH AND
SOCIAL CARE SCRUTINY PANEL
At its meeting held on 31st October 2007 the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel
had considered a written report of the Group Director, Health and Social Care
requesting Members to choose a topic for in-depth scrutinisation by that Scrutiny
Panel. The three topics put forward were:Topic 1:
Primary Care and Long Term Conditions;
Topic 2:
Child Obesity (and/or all Age Obesity);
Topic 3:
Area Based Review of Health Inequalities.
The Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel selected Topic 1 as the next topic for indepth scrutinisation. The Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel also agreed to
request this Panel to consider scrutinising Topic 2 (Child Obesity).
IT WAS AGREED that it be recommended to the Health and Social Care Scrutiny
Panel that a joint Working Party be established between the Health and Social Care
Scrutiny Panel and the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel to scrutinise the
issue of child obesity. The Working Party to be established on the following basis:
Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel – three Members on a 1:1:1 basis plus 1
co-opted member
Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel – it is suggested that this could be three
Members on a 1:1:1 basis plus the Chair.
In addition, the Primary Care Trust be requested to nominate a representative to be
part of the Working Party. The report from the Working Party to be submitted to this
Panel in April 2008.
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WORK PROGRAMME
The Chief Law and Administration Officer submitted the Work Programme for
consideration.
IT WAS AGREED that the Work Programme be amended as follows:(i)
the report on the Quarter 2 Performance Monitor (scheduled for 27 th
November 2007) be submitted to this Panel on 18th December 2007;
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CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SCRUTINY PANEL,
27th November 2007
(ii)
the report on Complaints and Compliments (scheduled for 18 th December
2007) be submitted to a future meeting;
(iii)
reports in relation to St Catherine’s Catholic High School and The Ridings be
submitted to the meeting on 18th December 2007;
(iv)
reports on Elland CE (VA) J, I and N School and Moorside Community
Primary School (scheduled for a future meeting) be submitted to this Panel on
5th February 2008;
(v)
the report on academies (scheduled for a future meeting) be submitted to this
Panel on 5th February 2008;
(vi)
the meeting to be held on 15th January 2008 take place at the Halifax Bowling
Club when feedback will be received from the children and young people.
Note: The following reports are available for inspection by Members of the Council:Minutes of Meeting held on 6th November 2007
Racist Incident Reporting in Schools
Children and Young People’s Services Budget 2007/2008 – Second Budget Monitor
Scrutinisation of Child Obesity – Recommendation of Health and Social Care Scrutiny
Panel, 31st October 2007
Work Programme