Members of the public are welcome to attend our meetings to watch them in person at any of the venues across the County. Publicly accessible meetings held in County Hall will be webcast, which means they are available to be watched live or recorded on our website. Please see our webcasting notice here. The Committee may, in certain circumstances, resolve to hold part of the meeting in private. If this is the case, you will be required to leave the meeting.
PDF 127 KBVenue: Committee Room 'C' - The Duke of Lancaster Room, County Hall, Preston. View directions
Contact: Sam Gorton Tel: 01772 532471 email: sam.gorton@lancashire.gov.uk
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Introductions and Apologies County Councillor Prynn
To note who is attending and any apologies for absence. Minutes: All were welcomed to the meeting and the following apologies were noted:
County Councillors Lord and Nicky Bamford.
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Notes of the Meeting and Matters Arising from 11 September 2014 County Councillor Prynn
To agree for accuracy the notes of the meeting and receive any matters arising. Minutes: The notes from the previous meeting were agreed as an accurate record and there were no matters arising from them.
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What our Elected Members have been doing (10 mins) County Councillor Prynn and other Elected Members
To note feedback from work undertaken by the Chair of the Board and our Elected Members as part of their role on the CPB, including Member visits carried out since the last meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: County Councillor (CC) Prynn thanked all Elected Members who had carried out Regulation 22 visits since the last meeting and that it was pleasing to note the consistent reporting of the care and passion that is given to our children in care.
CC Prynn, along with Bob Stott and Bradley from LINX attended the Lancashire Children's Safeguarding Board (LSCB) meeting on 14 November 2014 to present the work the CPB does. The presentation is attached. Bradley was commended on the amazing job he did with his presentation from LINX and the work they do with CPB and was thanked for attending. From the meeting it was agreed to look at a mechanism to ensure the Police are made aware and acting upon any Child Sexual Health (CSE) issues that arise from the LSCB and CPB.
Action: A protocol to be created jointly by LSCB and CPB.
CC Prynn attended Liverpool City Council's CPB meeting and met with the Chair of the Board, CC Murray. This is following CC Murray's attendance at our Elected Members CPB Development Day which was held on 26 August 2014 where CC Murray came along to talk to our County Councillors on their experience of inspection as a CPB and share good practice. CC Prynn felt that we engaged better with our young people along with the support from Barnardos in our meetings as theirs was more adult focussed.
All Elected Members met prior to this meeting to discuss the Executive Summary: CLA Sufficiency and Commissioning Effective Placements Strategy – 2014-2017. This document will be pertinent to the Board when looking at priorities in the Task and Finish Groups. CC Beavers attended the Fostering Panel meeting.
CC Brown has undertaken two Regulation 22 visits and attended a Safeguarding conference. Following the last Activity Day he went to, he has since attended another one on 5 October 2014 for a full day and gave positive feedback from this and felt it more beneficial to attend for a whole day than just part of it which helped to understand the whole concept. He also attended the Adoption Panel for a follow up on the progress of the Activity Day.
Action: CC Brown to provide a report to officers from the Activity Day.
CC Prynn was most impressed that officers had actioned recommendations presented by the Board from the previous Activity Day and addressed them for the one held in October.
Action: The Board will continue to monitor the events.
Any potential matches will not be known until January.
Action: Officers to provide a report from the Activity Day at the next meeting.
CC Henig spoke about the Lancashire Fairness Commission that she is involved with which is pulling together information around living in a fairer community. The report will be ready in January and anybody can feed in.
Action: LINX to look at the website and speak to CC Henig about this.
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LINX (Lancashire's Children in Care Council) (60 mins) Young People and Barnardos
To receive feedback on the work our young people have been doing including:
· Performance Report · Children Looked After Young Inspectors Update · Young People's Response to Budget Cuts · Feedback on Independent Reviewing Officers Report · Presentation of Rock FM Time to Shine Award Additional documents:
Minutes: Takeover
During Takeover month, the young people have been all over Lancashire therefore their regular meetings have been a bit erratic. However they gave an overview of what they have been doing since the last CPB meeting was held. A breakdown of their activities is attached.
Young Inspectors
The Young Inspectors programme (details attached) is now in operation and this just for CLA. It was requested that the reports are sent to Elected Members and Bob Stott.
Action: Annette McNeil to send reports already received and future reports to Sam Gorton to circulate as agreed.
It was requested that Elected Members have a copy of the questions that the Young Inspectors ask so that they can link in with the Regulation 22 visits they carry out.
Action: Kate Baggaley to forward a copy of the questions to Sam, who will then forward to Elected Members.
Debbie Ross asked if they would consider looking at health services who are involved specifically with CLA. The Board agreed this should be looked into.
Action: Debbie to speak further with Kate around this and signpost the Young Inspectors to the CLA services within health.
European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC)
Some young people from Lancashire who are involved with the ENOC showed some videos (attached links) that they have produced and been shown around Europe. The Board commented on how very poignant the videos were and that they had made the point brilliantly.
Action: Sam Gorton to send the links to CC Henig so she can link these in with the Lancashire Fairness Commission project.
Christmas Tree Activity
An activity was carried out where the Board were asked to write on the baubles and put on the Christmas trees, in order of priority what they thought people can do to help young people who are looked after. The results are attached. There was a lot of communality from the groups and the majority do not cost a lot of money ie being listened to, being safe, being loved and cared for. We should all look at how we can further support our children in care in the future.
Action: The Board will look at how the priorities such as emotional health and safety highlighted through the activity are being implemented across settings and amongst professionals.
Performance Report
The performance report attached was presented by the young people following their meeting prior to this to discuss it.
Action: Further information is required on the NEET figures. Bob Stott to nominate an officer and ask them to report on what strategies are being devised and implemented to improve the figures.
Regarding the health and dental checks, Debbie Ross and Diane Booth are working on improving the results. Lots of things were highlighted as to why the figures were not good, one being the different targets set by Government for Health and Local Authorities. This has now changed and the measures are the same and updated results will be reported at the next meeting.
Action: To ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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CLA Strategy and Leaving Care Strategy (5 mins) Diane Booth
To note the strategies. Additional documents: Minutes: Young people and the Children's Rights Leaving Care group have been consulted regularly on the strategies which were attached to the agenda, so they are well endorsed by young people.
A website is being developed, which will be young person friendly where all information will be available including these strategies.
Diane agreed to come back later next year when the website is up and running to give a demonstration on it.
The Sufficiency Strategy is taken from the CLA and Leaving Care strategies.
Action: Sam Gorton to email out again the CLA and Leaving Care Strategies to Elected Members.
Diane reported that as part of takeover month, young people took over the CSC Management Team meeting with over 40 managers attending and what young people commented on will feed into the service plan and will also be returning to the service in the New Year to ensure the managers are addressing what was raised by the young people.
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CLA Educational Attainment (15 mins) Bob Stott
To note the current position. Minutes: Bob Stott briefed the Board on the findings in Lancashire for 2014 from KS1 to KS4.
It was noted that there were issues across the board with the figures and work needs to be done to improve future results. The Board agreed that this issue needs to be dealt with immediately and that signposting pupil premium could help.
Action: Bob Stott to invite Jonathan Hewitt to the next meeting to inform the Board of the actions being taken to improve targets, along with the Chair of Lancashire Association Secondary Headteachers (LASH) and a member from the Primary Headteachers in Lancashire forum (PHiL).
Discussion took place around the writing achievements at KS1 and if it was not suffice at this age, then it will have a detrimental affect all through school life.
Action: The CPB agreed that a Key Stage 1 CLA writing strategy urgently needs to be devised and implemented across all Lancashire schools and possibly co-ordinated by the designated teachers and Virtual Head. Bob Stott to report back to the Board.
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Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) and Partnership Arrangements (10 mins) Richard Cooke
To receive an update. Minutes: Richard Cooke gave some background as to the changes and why they have taken place around the Children's Trusts and this is detailed in the report attached to the agenda.
Action: Richard agreed to come back to a future meeting to inform the Board how the new partnerships are working.
The next task is to look at the Partnership Boards and how they can work more collaboratively. CPB will be part of this redesign.
Action: Richard Cooke to discuss with CC Prynn and Bob Stott on how to move the redesign forward.
CC Brindle agreed with the proposal at looking at new ways of working and making meetings more meaningful.
CC Prynn has spoken with the Chair of the LSCB when she attended the conference they held for private providers, which she felt was really successful as to how we could have joined up events in the future.
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Lancashire County Council Provider Report Diane Booth
To note the report. Minutes: Diane spoke to the report that was circulated with the agenda and that feedback from young people was positive.
Only a small cohort of foster carers answered the questionnaire and it was discussed as to whether this was something the young people could do for fostering and residential services.
Action: Diane Booth agreed to look further into the questionnaire and questions being asked and to report back at the next meeting.
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Any Other Business (5 mins) County Councillor Prynn
To receive any other business.
Minutes: Bradley announced that he is going to being helping Kate at Barnardos with uploading information into KOKO which is their online website.
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Date and Time of Next Meeting County Councillor Prynn
Thursday, 5 February 2015 at 6.00pm in the Duke of Lancaster Room (formerly Cabinet Room 'C'), County Hall, Preston, PR1 8RJ. Minutes: Thursday, 5 February 2015 at 6.00pm in the Duke of Lancaster Room (formerly Cabinet Room 'C'), County Hall, Preston, PR1 8RJ. |
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Customer Feedback Team To note the Annual Report. |
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Office of the Children's Commissioner Care Monitor and Other Information To note the information attached. |
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New Rights for Young Carers - Changes to the Care Act and Children Act Explained To note the changes. |