Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
E 39 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 E 40 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. 64 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; E 41 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