Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Big plans, bright future

Children & Young People Select Committee Minutes

Date:
Wednesday, 12th October, 2016
Time:
17.00
Place:
Jim Cooke Conference Suite, Stockton Central Library, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1TU
 
Please note: all Minutes are subject to approval at the next Meeting

Attendance Details

Present:
Cllr Carol Clark(Chairman), Cllr Tracey Stott(Vice-Chairman), Cllr Elsi Hampton, Cllr Di Hewitt, Cllr Barbara Inman, Cllr Ross Patterson, Cllr Lauriane Povey, Cllr Mrs Sylvia Walmsley, Cllr Sally Ann Watson
Officers:
Dave Willingham (Youth Services Manager), Martin Gray (Assistant Director - Early Help, Partnership and Planning), Dave Pickard (Independent Chair - SLSCB), Judith Trainer, Jenna McDonald (DCE)
In Attendance:
Cllr Ann McCoy, Cllr Steve Nelson, Tony Beckwith (Healthwatch)
Item Description Decision
Public
CYP
36/16		 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
 Councillor Steve Nelson declared a personal non prejudicial interest as a Board Member of Catalyst.
CYP
37/16		 MINUTES FOR SIGNATURE - 13TH JULY 2016
Preamble
AGREED that the minutes were signed by the Chair.
CYP
38/16		 DRAFT MINUTES-21ST SEPTEMBER 2016
Preamble
AGREED that the minutes be approved.
CYP
39/16		 HEALTHWATCH ANNUAL REPORT
Preamble
AGREED that the Healthwatch Annual Report be noted.
CYP
40/16		 SCRUTINY REVIEW OF YOUTH SERVICES
Preamble
AGREED that the report be approved for submission to Cabinet.
CYP
41/16		 SCRUTINY REVIEW OF THE STOCKTON LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD
Preamble
AGREED that the information be noted.
CYP
42/16		 MEMBER VISITS TO FRONTLINE SERVICES
Preamble
AGREED that the feedback from visits to frontline services be noted.
CYP
43/16		 WORK PROGRAMME
Preamble
AGREED that the work programme be noted.
17:00 - 18:20

Preamble

ItemPreamble
CYP
37/16		The minutes of the meeting held on 13th July 2016 were signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
CYP
38/16		Consideration was given to the draft minutes of the meeting held on 21st September 2016.
CYP
39/16		Tony Beckwith Healthwatch Manager presented the Annual Report

The following points/questions were raised by Members:

Concerns were raised around experiences when booking GP appointments, the different booking systems and triage arrangements

Concerns were raised around Asylum Seekers being asked to provide paperwork when registering with a GP.

With regard to the difficulties around booking a same day appointment with a GP. It was noted that Alma house offered an arrive and wait service whereby patients seeking a same day appointment could turn up between the hours of 8:30am - 10:30am and wait to be allocated an appointment that day.

It was noted that some GP surgeries arranged a telephone appointment for those patients who could not be seen by a GP the same day. If during the appointment, a decision was made that the patient required a face to face appointment, one would be arranged.

With regard to a recent Mental Health Event, it was asked why there was no reference to Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TWEV). In response, it was noted that TEWV were present at the event and received praise and acknowledgement for their work first hand.

It was asked whether there were current issues around low numbers of GPs. In response, it was noted that there were too few GPs nationally.

Young Inspectors could play a role in assessing the quality of services provided.

Delays in autism assessments were part of the work programme for the following year.

It was suggested that Healthwatch be invited to attend a Looked After Children event in November.

The Committee commended the report and thanked the Healthwatch Manager for attending the meeting.
CYP
40/16		The Committee received the draft final report on the Scrutiny Review of Youth Services.

Members asked that all Council provided services and facilities be included in the appendix to the report together with non SBC provision.

Members felt that the Council should retain an on-going co-ordination role in relation to open access provision and asked that this be reflected in the recommendations.

In relation Youth Offending Services focusing on restorative approaches, it was noted that a recent Member visit demonstrated that the services were extremely focussed on restorative approaches. Members asked therefore that the recommendations be amended to reflect that the strengthening of restorative approaches related to work with the wider family.

Cabinet Members commended the work detailed within the report.
CYP
41/16		Members received information on from the Independent Chair of the Stockton Local Safeguarding Children Board (SLSCB).

Key points were highlighted as follows:

The Chair was appointed in April 2016 and had some experience in chairing the Hartlepool LSCB.

6 months into the Chair's appointment to the SLSCB an Ofsted Inspection was carried out.

A development day took place in September 2016 which provided the Chair with an opportunity to analyse where the board was, what the aims of the board were and how it would achieve those aims.

At the development day, the Independent Chair provided a short presentation which highlighted the feedback from four fundamental questions which were asked to Board Members.

Board Members were asked what they liked about the SLSCB. Feedback included:

- Good information shared at meetings
- Interesting/stimulating meetings
- Broadened perspectives
- Sincerity
- The genuine desire to do better
- Learning into practice from serious case reviews

Board Members were asked what they did not like about the SLSCB. Feedback included:

- Too many papers and lengthily meetings
- Imposing and LA dominated
- An unclear thread of where the Board was going
- Defensiveness
- The focus on process and not outcomes
- Wanting to be a part of the Board but feeling on the edge and being unsure as to whether they had an equal voice

Board Members were asked what they would like to see on the SLSCB. Feedback included:

- More group work and a thematic approach
- Evidence of outcomes and impact
- Best practice - locally, regionally and nationally
- Mentoring (particularly for newer Members)
- Discussion on implications of a report rather than verbal reproduction of the report
- The Board being a team with a common aim

The Chair highlighted what he would Consider to be the role of the Board. Key points included:

- An encouraging mutual responsibility from all Members
- Helping people to understand views/organisations
- Focussed agendas/discussions
- Ensuring an equal voice
- Contribution
- Valuing
- Authority
- Challenge
- Accountability
- Leadership

It was noted that the positive feedback from the recent Ofsted Inspection included:

- Very good understanding of strengths and weaknesses
- Good membership, attendance and commitment
- Work carried out by sub-groups
- Instrumental in the shaping of services
- Good governance across partnerships
- Safer place for children in public settings

The Committee noted the Ofsted Inspection recommendations as follows:

- Ensure that quality assurance and performance management processes provide clear analysis, so that the SLSCB had a clear understanding of the effectiveness of partner agencies.

- Ensure that the joint Hartlepool and Stockton-On-Tees threshold document was effectively used and understood by partner agencies.

- Ensure that the views of children and young people held to influence the work of the board and the safeguarding practice of all partner agencies

- Undertake an analysis and evaluation of need to inform the Stockton-On-Tees and Hartlepool 2017-18 joint training programme

- Ensure that the annual report for 2015-16 is succinct and includes a clear analysis of performance and the effectiveness of partner agencies in undertaking their safeguarding function

The Independent Chair of the SLSCB felt that every Board Member was passionate about making a difference and did so within their own sphere of influence.

With regard to whether the Board was clear on what it was doing and why, it was noted that the previous business plan had six priorities and that at times the priorities did not have clear ownership.

The key roles of the Board were Ensuring Co-ordination, Effective Challenge and Enabling Change.

Trust, challenging with respect and engagement were vital in the operation of the SLSCB.
CYP
42/16		Members shared their experiences of visits to frontline services.
CYP
43/16		Consideration was given to the work programme 2016/17.

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