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AGENDA ITEM NO.
REPORT TO: Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee
REPORT NO: CYPSC/01/08
DATE: Wednesday, 18 June 2008
REPORT FROM: Chief Legal and Democratic Services Officer
CONTACT OFFICER: Tracy Davies, Scrutiny Facilitator (Tel: 292258)
SUBJECT: Re-establishment of Task and Finish Groups
WARD: N/A
1 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
Members’ are asked to consider whether they wish to re-appoint any of the Task and Finish Groups which the Scrutiny Committee established during the 2007/2008 municipal year and the continuation of the non-voting Co-opted Member.
2 INFORMATION
2.1 The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee during the 2007/2008 municipal year established 2 Task and Finish Groups:
(i) School Transport Task and Finish Group; and
(ii) Review of Children and Young People Externally Commissioned (Discretionary) Services Task and Finish Group.
3 SCHOOL TRANSPORT TASK AND FINISH GROUP
3.1 At its Meeting of 20 February 2008 (Minute 61 refers), the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee re-appointed the School Transport Task and Finish Group. A Task and Finish Group had been set up in 2004 to undertake a review of School Transport Polices, but findings of this Group had been put on hold pending details of the new capacity assessments for schools. As it was anticipated that this information would be available in early 2008, the Committee agreed to consider this issue in March 2008, by re-establishing the School Transport Task and Finish Group.
3.2 At the Meeting of the Executive Board held on 22 January 2008, a presentation was given by Estyn Inspectors following their inspection of all of Wrexham County Borough Council’s Education Services. Their findings of the inspection were positive, however, the following shortcoming was identified in respect of school transport:-
Estyn Inspection of Wrexham Education Authority, October 2007 (paragraph 53) – “The Council manages the provision of home to school transport effectively but inconsistencies in the Concessionary Transport Policy are not being tackled”. This is an important shortcoming.
3.3 One Meeting of the re-established Task and Finish Group took place in April 2008 where the findings of the former Task and Finish Group and the Concessionary Transport Policy were discussed in the light of new capacity information. It was agreed that the following information be presented to the next Meeting of the Group:-
(i) Projected school admission figures for the next 4 years; and
(ii) Analysis of pupils’ post codes in order to highlight the number of children attending their non nearest school.
Should the Committee agree to re-establish the Task and Finish Group - it is proposed that the next Meeting take place on 7 July 2008 in the morning.
4 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE EXTERNALLY COMMISSIONED (DISCRETIONARY) SERVICES TASK AND FINISH GROUP
4.1 At its Meeting on 20 February 2008 (Minute 61 refers), the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee appointed a Task and Finish Group to consider findings from the independent review of discretionary services commissioned externally by the Children and Young People Service, with the purpose of moving towards a more fit for purpose approach to the commissioning/decommissioning of Children’s Services, with the following terms of reference:-
· to consider the results of the Review of Children and Young People Externally Commissioned (Discretionary) Services, together with any comments received from the service providers effected, as requested by the Executive Board in December 2007;
· to develop a policy for the Commissioning of Children and Young People Services.
4.2 The first Meeting of the Task and Finish Group took place in March 2008 where the following actions were agreed:-
(i) Officers to commence dialogue with a ‘themed’ selection of the organisations (e.g. Early Years) and one in receipt of significant funding (e.g. The Venture) to consider the current SLA’s, the contribution they make to the Council’s corporate priorities, duplication with other service providers, impact of decommissioning, other funding streams available, and report their findings back to the next Meeting of the Task and Finish Group.
(ii) Officers begin drafting a policy for the Commissioning of Children and Young People Services and present ideas at the next Meeting of the Task and Finish Group. Suggested criteria for the future Commissioning of Children and Young People Externally Commissioned Services to include:-
· value for money balanced with the need to take into account services provided to young people with complex needs;
· duplication with other providers, both voluntary and local authority;
· contribution to the Council’s core and corporate business priorities and the Children and Young People Wrexham Promise;
· formalising SLA’s, with measurable targets/outcomes;
· providing longer term funding, e.g. 3 years, but with annual reviews, based on the criteria.
(iii) The Chief Prevention and Inclusion Officer to write to all 15 organisations to inform them of the work currently being undertaken by the Task and Finish Group and to advise them that their comments in response to the review would be taken into consideration.
If the Committee agreed to re-establish the Task and Finish Group, it is proposed that another meeting take place on Monday 30 June 2008 in the morning.
5 CO-OPTED MEMBER OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
5.1 At the meeting of Council which was held on 28 March 2007, the Chief Legal and Democratic Services Officer submitted a report (CLDSO/24/07), for Members to consider the co-option of Mr Brent Evans onto the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee as a non-voting Member.
5.2 Between November 2004 and July 2006, Mr Brent Evans served on the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee as a Parent Governor Representative. When Mr Evans resigned as a parent governor in 2006, his position as Parent Governor Representative on the Scrutiny Committee could not be renewed. However, Mr Brent Evans had indicated that he would be interested in serving on the committee in a non Parent Governor capacity. The former Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee believed that Mr Evans' contribution had added considerable value to the Committee’s business and deliberations and had therefore unanimously supported this proposal to co-opt Mr Brent Evans onto the Committee, subject to a 12 month review. He would not be entitled to vote on any issues.
5.3 The Council supported the proposal to co-opt Mr Brent Evans onto the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee as a non-voting member and that a review and evaluation of this co-option take place 12 months from the date that Mr Evans becomes a co-opted member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.
5.4 In March 2007, Mr Brent Evans indicated to the Scrutiny Facilitator and the Co-Chairs that he would be happy to continue to serve as a non Parent Governor Representative and the Co-Chairs of the former C&YP Committee supported this request. The Committee is asked to consider supporting the continuation of Mr Brent Evans as a non-voting co-opted member of the Committee.
6 RECOMMENDATIONS
1 Members are asked to consider the re-establishment and membership of the following Task and Finish Groups:-
(i) School Transport Task and Finish Group;
(ii) Review of Children and Young People Externally Commissioned (Discretionary) Services Task and Finish Group.
2 Members are asked to consider the continuation of the non-voting Co-opted Member.
7 BACKGROUND PAPERS
None.
8 WEBSITE INFORMATION
N/A.
ZS/MS/Report – CYPSC – 18.06.08