Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Mrs Janet Hamid, (Co-Optee Voting) Representing Parent Governors (Secondary).

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None were disclosed.

Resolved: The minutes from the special meeting held on 2 February 2021 and the ordinary meeting held on 9 February were confirmed as an accurate record.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting Sharon Hubber, Director of Children's Social Care and Mandy Williams, Head of Service Family Safeguarding.

The report provided was a follow up report arising from the former Children's Services Scrutiny Committee meeting held on the 15^th January 2020 when it considered a report on the Neglect Strategy. Lancashire County Council launched the new Family Safeguarding Model on the 11^th February 2021. A presentation was also provided to the Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Committee. A copy of which is set out in the minutes.

To support the implementation of the Model it was necessary to remodel the whole Children's Social Care Department. This took place on the 4^th January 2021 allowing for the staff and management to be in place ready for the full launch on the 11^th February. This was the date the evaluation of the Family Safeguarding Model began. The evaluation was being undertaken by 'The What Works Centre' who were commissioned by the Department of Education and would conclude in 2023.

The official launch took place on the 1^st March. This was a virtual event that was opened by the leader of the county council with several speakers who were both external and internal. The purpose of the launch was to ensure all partners were aware of the implementation and provided staff with an opportunity to say how they felt to be in the new structure and what they were hoping to achieve.

During the presentation, the following points were highlighted:

·  The reason for implementing the new Family Safeguarding Model was that there was a rising number of children in care and care proceedings. Resources were largely spent on assessment and monitoring and change was not being achieved.

·  It was important to have open and honest relationships with families.

·  One of the key components of Family Safeguarding was keeping more children safe within their families.

·  Multi-disciplinary teams were in place working together to support children and parents.

·  There was a new computer system in place to reduce bureaucracy. This would allow social workers to spend more time with families and less time doing paperwork.

·  Family Safeguarding Teams would have a team leader, a consultant social worker, 5 social workers, a child and family practitioner, a domestic abuse practitioner, either a mental health or substance misuse specialist and a team co-ordinator.

·  For families the new Family Safeguarding Model would mean a reduction in repeat police call outs to domestic abuse incidents, a reduction in emergency hospital admissions for adults, a reduction in child protection plans, a reduction in care proceedings and an improvement in school attendance.

·  Regarding the next steps, services would be delivered together to meet the needs of all family members.

·  There would be a commitment from the partnership to keep families together safely and understanding the impacts of removal of children.

·  There would be data sharing, and strong shared leadership and ownership across the partnership.

In response to questions and comments from members, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

As this was the last scheduled meeting of the committee during this municipal year and current administrative term, the Chair proposed that the items currently listed on the work programme be considered for inclusion on the 2021/22 work programme by the new committee with responsibility for scrutinising education and children's services following the elections in May 2021.

Resolved: That the items currently listed on the Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Committee's work programme be considered for inclusion on the 2021/2022 work programme by the new committee with responsibility for scrutinising education and children's services following the elections in May 2021.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There were no items of Urgent Business.

The next meeting of the Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Committee will be held on Tuesday 8 June 2021 at 10.30am at County Hall, Preston.

The next scheduled meeting of the Education and Children's Services Committee would take place on Tuesday 8 June at 10.30am.