MEMORANDUM Date: 10 July 2006

To: All Members of the County Council

and of the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee
All Chief Officers
cc: CSF officers
All officers named for 'actions'
Democratic Services / From: COUNTY SECRETARY'S
DEPARTMENT
Ask for: Elaine Shell
Ext: 25560
Minicom: 6611

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE 2006

MINUTES

ATTENDANCE

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

C L Berry, D E Billing, N K Brook, R J Clarkson, A D Dodd, B C Engel, P V Goggins, D J Hewitt, D W Hills, A F Hunter,T G M Kent (Chairman), B J Lamb, A Lee,

J Morton, E T Roach, R Roberts, R H Smith (Vice-Chairman), L Spencer,

M J Tucker.

Parent Representatives:

P A Cherry North area

J E Shire South area

M Calvert East Area

R Tucker West Area

Church Representative:

P Barber Archdiocese of Westminster Schools Commission

Teacher Representatives:

T Douris National Governors’ Association

I Gibson National Association of School Masters/Union of Women Teachers

G Rowlands Association of Teachers and Lecturers

S Springett National Association of Headteachers

D Williams National Union of Teachers

Also present:

Executive Members: D B Lloyd (Education)

J M Pitman (Children’s Services)

Other Members: R Mays

I E M Tarry

CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

Membership changes:
N K Brook replaced S Quilty for this meeting only.
Apologies
Apologies for absence were received from J Reynolds, A Saunders, M Mitchell, L Wallace and M Walker.
MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15 March 2006 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

PUBLIC PETITIONS (Standing Order C11)
None.
QUESTIONS (Standing Order C9(4))
There were four questions and four supplementary questions to the Executive Member (Education). These, together with the (verbatim) responses given, are attached as an Annex to these minutes.

PART 1 ('OPEN') BUSINESS

1. / INTERIM REPORT OF THE CHILDREN ACT TOPIC GROUP /

ACTION

[Officer contact: David Moses, Head of Scrutiny
01992 555300] /
1.1 / The Children Act Topic Group are investigating the ability of Hertfordshire’s safeguarding agencies to deliver the services required by the Children Act. The initial report, presented to this Committee for consideration, concerned the Topic Group’s scrutiny of the ‘outcomes for children and young people’ layer of the Children Act ‘onion’. /
Conclusions: /
1.2 / The Committee noted the progress of the Children Act Topic Group. /
1.3 / Having recognised the need for at least the draft recommendations to be formulated and shared with senior CSF officers and Executive Members in time to influence the 2007/08 budget considerations, the Committee welcomed the Director of Children, Schools and Families’ offer to meet with the Topic Group to discuss the draft report of the first Children Act Topic Group workshop. / John Harris
/David Moses/ Elaine Shell
2. / UPDATE ON EXISTING TOPIC GROUPS /
[Officer contact: David Moses, Head of Scrutiny
01992 555300]
2.1 / The Committee received an oral progress report on the work of the Supporting Ethnic Minority Achievement Topic Group, the Secondary School Place Planning Topic Group, and the Support to Families with a Family Member with Disabilities/Sensory Disabilities Topic Group. A summary of the reports given and of the Committee’s conclusions in respect of each of them is set out below:
(a) / Supporting Ethnic Minority Achievements Topic Group
2.2 / The Topic Group have held five formal meetings. They have also made a number of visits, including those made to four mainstream schools and to four complementary and supplementary schools. Members have also met with officers at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council, and have attended a Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Education Forum meeting.
2.3 / In addition to information received from CSF officers, this range of meetings and visits has enabled the Group to receive input from parents, carers and pupils. Engagement with the BME community continues through these visits and through correspondence encouraging attendance at topic group meetings.
2.4 / Five key issues have been identified by members as a result of their scrutiny:
·  funding
·  teaching styles
·  community links
·  communication, and
·  sustainability
2.5 / The Topic Group will focus on these key issues at their next meeting, at which they will also agree their final work programme and the timetable for completion and report to Committee.
Conclusion:
2.6 / The Committee noted the progress report of the Supporting Ethnic Minority Achievement Topic Group.
(b) / Secondary School Place Planning Topic Group
2.7 / The Secondary School Place Planning Topic Group was established in March 2006, in accordance with the County Council’s urgency procedures, to review the forecasting and planning of secondary school places for 2006/07 within the greater Harpenden area.
2.8 / Three meetings have been held to date, focusing primarily on information gathering and on hearing witness evidence.
2.9 / Members will be considering further written submissions from parents at their next meeting, before going on to evaluate the methodology and forecasting of place planning.
2.10 / The Topic Group anticipate that their work will be completed by the end of the summer term (July 2006). In order for their recommendations to be in place in time to inform place planning for 2007/08, their recommendations will be reported to the Cabinet for decision.
Conclusion:
2.11 / The Committee noted the progress report of the Secondary School Place Planning Topic Group.
(c) / Support to Families With A Family Member With Disabilities/Sensory Disabilities At Transition From CSF To ACS
2.12 / This scrutiny work had not yet commenced.
2.13 / After consultation with the Chairmen of both Adult Care, Community Safety and Health Scrutiny Committee and the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee, a scoping document for this piece of work had been prepared. (A copy of this scoping document is attached. Further copies are available from Elaine Shell, Democratic Services Officer, Tel 01992 555560.)
2.14 / An all day session, involving both committees, will be held on 12 October 2006. It is proposed that this session receives input from both service providers and service users. Members will then be invited to consider whether existing processes and procedures are working effectively. If members consider that specific elements of the process require further scrutiny they will also be asked to agree, at this meeting, how this work should proceed.
Conclusion:
2.15 / The Committee noted the proposal to scrutinise arrangements for support to families with a family member with disabilities/sensory disabilities at transition from CSF to ACS, at a joint meeting of the Adult Care, Community Safety and Health Scrutiny Committee and the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee on 12 October 2006. / David Moses/ Natalie Rotherham/
Laura Shewfelt/ Nicola Hayden
All to note
ITEM FOR REPORT TO THE COUNCIL
There were no items for report to the County Council.
PART II ('CLOSED') BUSINESS
There were no items of Part II (Confidential) business.

Andrew Laycock

County Secretary

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S:\Member & Committee\Committees\SCRUTINY\Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee\minutes\14 June 2006 Minutes.doc