Association of Youth Offending Team Managers Ltd
Minutes of Executive Meeting on 18 April 2016
Location / Anthony Collins Solicitors Ltd. 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham
Present: / G. Jones* / Chair,
L. Tregear* / Vice-Chair
I. Langley* / Secretary & Minutes
M.Rees* / SW Regional Rep
H. Williamson* / W Midlands Regional Rep
H. Doughty* / NW Regional Rep
S. Nicholls
C. Spencer* / East Midlands Regional Rep
Additional Exec Member
Apologies: / A. Peaden*
T. Gibson*
P. Sutton
A. Panaser*
J. Hanna*
P. Vedhara* MBE
N. Wilkinson / Yorks & Humber Regional Rep
Treasurer
AYM Project Officer
Additional Executive Member
Asst. Secretary
North East Rep
South East Rep
*= director of AYM Ltd.
No / Note / Action
1 / Welcome and Apologies
Apologies were noted as above.
2 / Declarations of Interest
None
3 / Quoracy
The Chair declared the meeting quorate.
4 / Minutes of the last meeting on 22/01/2016
Agreed and signed by the chair with minor typographical errors to be amended by IL. / IL
5 / Matters Arising
- YOT Managers Cymru – GJ has not made contact as not a priority at present. The Shadow Youth Justice spokesperson Jo Stevens (A Cardiff MP) has not been active apart from commenting on Medway STC.
- Restorative Justice Consolation has been submitted. HW reported the HMIP Restorative Justice thematic report is due out in the summer. The lead Inspector had taken on AYM advice on RJ Panels.
- Bar Standards Council – GJ invited to be a member of their advisory panel following the BSC Review Report.
- GJ has reported that training won’t become compulsory for Youth Court Advocates as the BSC are concerned some law firms will withdraw from youth court work. The BSC want Youth Advocates to be paid more.
- The role of intermediaries raised by GJ but doubts there will be any change.
6 / Youth Justice Review
Final report likely to come out in June 2016.
7 / Sector Led Improvement (YJB paper previously circulated)
The AYM Executive agrees with the recommendations in the YJB paper.
The YJB want to transfer the governance of Peer Review over to the AYM. Proposing a transition board with two YJB and two AYM reps.
GJ proposed that he and A.Peaden are the AYM reps. AGREED. GJ will inform A.Pe.
The YJB will provide secretarial support for the transition board but the AYM Support Function will need to be discussed/agreed at the next AYM Executive meeting on 9/6/2016, IL/GJ/LT/PS will progress. / GJ/A.Peaden
IL/GJ/PS/LT
8 / YJB Issues: Kate Morris (YJB Deputy Chief Exec joined the meeting)
KM will send IL tracked changes from the YJB section of the minutes. IL will amend.
KM reported MTC Novo proposal Rainsbrook STC is for a therapeutic approach and different culture. Wil be interesting to see how it develops. KM happy to provide more detail.
DfE are putting out some guidance about centrally co-ordinating secure welfare beds allocation. HD reported that the scarcity of secure beds in England has led to the use of beds in Scotland.
Medway
- KM said the YJB had not returned the contract yet as they await the Improvement Report due out this month.
- KM stated the YJB wanted to put a new monitoring framework for the secure estate in place that moved away from the reliance on their on-site monitor. Want a boarder approach and considering independent visits such as Regulation 44 visits to Children’s Homes.
- Placements at Medway still by exception and similar at Rainsbrook with new provider coming in. These restrictions have put pressure on Oakhill STC.
- The office of the Children’s Commissioner has now been into all three STC’s and reported that the perceptions of the young people there are not what you would want them to be. There is a need to develop ways of communicating with these young people about their experiences of custody. In the past there has been too much reliance on Inspection Reports and the YJB want to set up a multi-agency group involving HMIP/Ofsted/Independent Monitoring Boards and would like an AYM rep. KM will advise first meeting date (likely to be May 2016) and AYM will endeavour to ensure someone from the Executive attends. GJ will be the AYM link in the first instance.
- HW recommended that the YJB also involve Voluntary Organisations such as Kinetic Youth. KM agreed to consider.
- Asset Plus – KM looking for some good news stories/practice with those YOTs who have gone ‘live’. SN agreed to ask practitioners from her YOT.
- PNC IP’s – LT said despite discussion with YJB officials concerns remain about the identification of young people and YOT’s should not be asked to provide due to these data issues – KM agreed to review.
- Taylor Review – As part of the YJ Review the YJB had taken forward work about getting the views of young people and asked for AYM support for some YOT focus groups. GJ/HD said their YOTs would be happy to organise focus group.
- GJ said he was attending the All Party Parliamentary Group that Charlie Taylor is addressing on 24/5/2016 and he has been given 5 minutes to respond.
- KM said the YJB want to focus on placements in the same estate and monitoring programme (especially in custody) whatever the outcome of the Taylor Review.
- KM said the YJB had received 60 responses to the consultation. 97% of respondents said there should be a professional Youth Justice workforce. 53% said the YJB proposals met their expectations.
- There had been some useful feedback about greater academic input and some cynicism about apprenticeships. The YJB are meeting Charlie Taylor to give their views on this.
- The YJB are interested in exploring academic interest to include Youth Justice module/certificate as part of Social Work degrees.
- MR raised issue about workforce development of staff seconded to YOTs about what Youth Justice means to them.
- IL said Social Work Step up courses for past graduates with a 2:1 or 1st Class degree are increasing in popularity. IL added the University of Winchester may be interested in discussing further with YJB.
- KM said letters to YOTs would go out on 19/4/2016 stating a 12.5% reduction in YOT grant from 2015/16. GJ said the domino effect this caused with other YOT partners was a concern not affecting the critical mass of the YOT model.
- KM said there had been little support for the ring fencing of the Junior Attendance Centre grant.
- LT commented that id the YJB was abolished then the Effective Practice Library should come to the AYM as it was entirely YOT property in it.
KM/AYM Exec
KM
SN
KM
GJ/HD
KM
IL
9 / DfE Send Bid
Marcus Frank (Achievement For All) joined the meeting.
IL introduced MF and explained that following consultation with GJ/LT a joint bid led by AFA and Manchester University had been submitted within the short timescale given by DfE. The outcome of the bid should be known on 3/5/2016 and if successful there would be up to 30k support budget available to the AYM which would be considered as part of the discussion about AYM support infrastructure (see item 7).
MF gave background of AFA who are committed to raising the attainment of the lowest 20% of achievers in school.
MF briefly outlines the joint bid which would involve:
- Staging 10 regional SEND conferences for YOTs in the latter part of 2016.
- Free on-line access for all YOTs to the AFA Youth Justice ‘bubble’.
- MF said we will need to move quickly after 3/5/2016 if the bid is successful.
10 / AYM Support Officers Report (previously circulated)
Joint event with Ambition in Westminster on 2/3/2016 was very successful. 40 AYM members attended. Lord McNally, YJB chair gave positive feedback about the event.
Next newsletter due in May 2016 – the DFE SEND bid will feature if successful.
The 2nd Cohort attending the Aspiring YOT Managers course had given very positive feedback.
Website – IL reported that not all members had activated the link to the members section of the website that had been sent out. IL will ask PS to include in the newsletter.
- PS will include website usage figures in his next report.
- MR felt something on Restorative Justice/ victims needed to be added to AYM ‘Where we stand’ statements and agreed to draft something.
IL/PS
PS
MR
11 / Treasurers Report
IL has spoken to TG and provided a verbal update. TG will provide a full written update to next Executive meeting and AGM on 9/6/2016.
Current balance was £39.6k. Some expenses for the Aspiring YOT Managers course still to be paid, but balance is healthy. It was agreed that a 3rd cohort of the Aspiring YOT Managers course could go ahead later in 2016.
All member Invoices for 2016 (103) have gone out. Usual problems with Local Authority Finance Systems but no YOT has declined to re-join. / PS
12 / 2016 AGM
YJB Chair Lord McNally invited to attend
LT will liaise with PS about AYM Exec dinner venue on 8/2/2016.
Dame Glenys Stacey and Prof Ray Jones confirmed as speakers.
10 non AYM Executive Members have confirmed attendance so far. PS will push in May newsletter.
Nominations for Chair/Vice-Chair/Secretary Asst Secretary and Additional Executive Members need to be with IL by 2/6/2016.
GJ will be standing down as Chair. LT has indicated her willingness to stand as Chair, and so nominations for Vice Chair will be needed.
IL will send out nomination papers in early May 2016.
C Spencer left the meeting. / LT/PS
PS
IL
13 / Light box Media Documentary
Four YOTs talking to Lightbox but filming YOT work will put a significant strain on YOTs and their staff so nothing confirmed yet.
14 / Sexting Research Proposal
A University PHD Student from Birmingham has been doing research on this. HW has met them a couple of times to look at research proposals. Wants to interview YOT staff and young people. HW will ask PS to put in Newsletter. Please let HW know if interested. / HW/PS
15 / Five Nations Conference (MR)
Put on hold as some countries not prepared to commit resources due to the message it send out in times of austerity. Will be revisited at end of 2016.
16 / Troubled Families Roundtable
SN attended meeting with Charlie Taylor and reported that CT was keen YOT grants should go to Local Authorities and not PCC’s and YOTs should be within Children’s Services Depts of LA’s.
17 / Date of the next meeting
Prior to AGM on 9/6/2016 at Warwickshire YOT, Rugby.
IL will arrange July and September 2016 meetings at Anthony Collins in Birmingham. The last meeting of the year will coincide with the YJ Convention on 29/11/2016. / IL
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