Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Sabrina Francis and

Co-opted Member Martin Morton.

Councillor Samata Khatoon gave apologies for having to leave early

and Councillor Siobhan Baillie gave apologies for lateness.

No declarations were made.

The Chair proposed and it was agreed that items 12 and 15 would be considered as the first two substantive items on the agenda. The remaining items would then be considered in numerical order.   

There were no deputations.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 25^th March 2014.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the last meeting and the following points were made:

Item 5, Minutes, Page 2, the Chair clarified that she had agreed to sit on the working group that would look at the participation of young people in a scrutiny panel. 

To Note: All

RESOLVED

THAT subject to the above, the minutes of the meeting held on 25^th March be accepted as a correct record

To Note: All

There was no urgent business.

To note the terms of reference of the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee.  

Consideration was given to the terms of reference and it was

RESOLVED

THAT the Terms of Reference for the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee be noted.

To Note: All

Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families

This report presents the finding and recommendations from the Independent Admissions Review undertaken by Graham Carter. 

In November 2013, the Cabinet Member for Children, Councillor Mason outlined to the Children Schools and Family Scrutiny Committee and to the Admissions Forum a plan to commission an independent review of Admissions Services in Camden. It was proposed that the review would consider admissions criteria, fraudulent applications and involve meetings with stakeholders to discuss admissions issues.  This review has taken place and this report provides an overview of it’s finding as well the recommendations.

This review links to the Camden Plan by developing services that provide a high standard and value for money. It will also help to deliver services that are right first time and require fewer resources to resolve problems.

The report also provides some general updates on admissions for September 2014. 

The scrutiny committee considered a report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families and a supporting presentation on the findings and recommendations  from the Independent Admissions Review undertaken by Graham Carter.  The report also provided some general updates on admissions for September 2014. 

During consideration of the report the following points were made in response to questions raised by members of the committee:

·       Of the schools listed in the report, 23 of them were faith schools. Pressures on places at faith schools often occurred where they had not moved to Camden’s 50-50 admissions policy.

·       Changes to the booklets for parents had included - highlighting particular points that had always been included but that parents had cited as being unclear. In addition parents also received information from teachers and schools to support them during the admissions process. There was also follow up work by the Admissions Team when applications had not been submitted. 

·       The committee was advised that the availability of school places was an ever changing picture depending on if places were accepted by parents or became available  

·       There had been an increase in the number of Camden residents getting a first preference place and this could partly be attributed to more places being made available because of additional spaces at free schools in the borough    

·       Comments made previously by committee members about some schools not being inclusive in their approach to children with SEND had been noted and conversations were taking place with schools about what could be done to address this 

RESOLVED

THAT the report be noted.

To Note: All

Action By: Director of Children, Schools and Families

Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families

Every year, the authority reviews its school roll projections and place planning need.  This report provides an overview of the school place planning process currently in operation in Camden. It highlights the 2014 current capacity and pressures within the borough, likely projected future demand, local variation and any likely impact of changes in other boroughs.  It is linked to the Camden Plan aim of ‘investing in our communities to ensure sustainable neighbourhoods’ and in particular helping to ensure Camden has enough school places.

The report uses the latest available population projection estimates (2013 GLA March Development), 2014 school roll projections (SRP) from the GLA and the Council’s latest projected housing development trajectory and additional children anticipated as a consequence.

The paper provides a summary of the analysis and implications of the detailed analysis undertaken by officers to assess need for places and inform school place planning strategy. As in previous years and for transparency, full detailed reports for both primary and secondary places planning and analysis tables are appended (Appendix 1 and E – Primary; Appendix 2 and D – Secondary).

The conclusion of the analysis is that for both primary and secondary phases, there are sufficient school places in the borough until at least the end of the current reporting period (2023/24), once the Council’s plans for new and expanded schools have been implemented.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families that provided an overview of the school place planning process currently in operation in Camden. It highlighted the 2014 current capacity and pressures within the borough, likely projected future demand, local variation and any likely impact of changes in other boroughs.  It was linked to the Camden Plan aim of ‘investing in our communities to ensure sustainable neighbourhoods’ and in particular helping to ensure Camden had enough school places.

In response to questions the committee was advised that there were enough schools places to meet the population numbers in the borough over the planning period up to 2023/24 in both primary and secondary phases, subject to the implementation of the planned expansion of school places set out in the report.   The Committee was told that that there was a consensus between the GLA and Camden about the projected school role projections.    

Existing free schools in Camden had worked closely with the borough but Camden had not been kept informed by the Department for Education about the establishment of other free schools, particularly the proposed primary free school at Kilburn Grange, which was a new school on the Brent border. Members queried whether the proposed development on the King’s College site had been included in the projections. Officers would investigate and provided the Committee with further information.

Action By: Director of Children, Schools and Families

RESOLVED

THAT the report and the summary of annual places planning process be noted.

To Note: All

Action By: Director of Children, Schools and Families

Report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Technology Policy

This report presents an overview of the Council’s financial position, and provides detail on the progress of the implementation of the financial strategy to address the challenging medium-term financial deficit by prioritising the Council’s limited resources towards key priorities. The report sets out the broad timetable for future Cabinet and Member decisions to meet the financial challenge.

The report also provides detail on the 2013/14 outturn and an update on the Council’s Capital Programme. It asks Cabinet to agree the re-profiling of the Capital Programme and agree the areas for increased investment in the new Programme. Cabinet is further asked to agree the allocation of year-end balances and the reallocation of amounts previously highlighted to reserves.

The scrutiny committee considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Technology Policy that would be considered by the Cabinet on 23 July 2014.    

The report provided an overview of the Council’s financial position and details on the progress of the implementation of the financial strategy to address the challenging medium-term financial deficit, by prioritising the Council’s limited resources towards key priorities. The report set out the broad timetable for future Cabinet and Member decisions to meet the financial challenge. Along with details on the 2013/14 outturn and an update on the Council’s Capital Programme and recommendations for the Cabinet’s approval. Officers also explained to Members of the committee the latest information about future school funding.

The committee was provided with a summary of areas of the report directly linked to Children, Schools and Families and the terms of reference for this committee.

The following points were made in response to comments made during consideration of the report:

·       The Council had been aware that there would be changes in external funding since 2010/11 and there had been a variety of proposed changes to funding structures during that time

·       Officers could not comment at this stage on whether it was possible to have additional social housing units as part of the Kingsgate proposals. Consultations were taking place and then a planning application would need to be submitted.

·       From September 2014 it would be the statutory duty of the Council to provide places for disadvantaged 2yr olds in the borough. There were currently 300 places available but the government had estimated that there were 1,043 eligible 2yr olds in the borough. Camden was not the only London authority who was having difficulty finding places and a great deal was being done to ensure that places would be available. The Council would be at risk of not fulfilling its duties if the places were not provided but everything would be done to demonstrate that progress had been made in trying to provide as many places as possible.   

RESOLVED

THAT the report be noted.

To Note: All

Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families

This report provides a summary of the Children, Schools and Families (CSF) performance for the year April 2013 – March 2014.

The performance information set out in the report attached at Appendix 1 is linked to CSF’s delivery of the Camden Plan and provides a strategic overview of performance across children’s services. It is also linked to the Council’s transformation programme, Fast Forward 2014 and comes under the ‘Knowing and Managing Our Business’ work stream. 

The committee considered a report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families that provided a summary of the Children, Schools and Families (CSF) performance for the year April 2013 – March 2014.

During consideration of the report members made the following comments:

·       Whilst the attainment of Looked after Children at KS4 5+ A*-C (inc English and Maths) was better than in previous years, illustrating it in green coloured banding was not helpful because there was a disparity in the levels of improvement for the indicators coloured green. 

·       It was good to see improvements in other groups but the level of attaining for White British Free School Meals (WBFSM) children continued to be lower than other groups in the borough.

·       Why had there been a fall in the indicators for young people who were Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET)?   

In response the committee was advised that the attainment of all Camden young people was important and a great deal of work was being done to  support Looked After Children and young people, particularly through the work of the Council’s Corporate Parenting Board.

Councillor Gould, Cabinet Member for Young People spoke briefly about the work to support WBFSM children and the pilot project in Gospel Oak, which was a direct result of the scrutiny panel work that had been undertaken by this committee.  

The data for the young people who were NEET was a reflection that this was a particularly challenging and hard to reach group, that required more support. 

RESOLVED

THAT the report be noted

To Note: All

Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families

The Camden Plan 2012-17 has an overall focus on ensuring that Camden is a place where everyone has a chance to succeed and where no one is left behind.  Safeguarding children links in with Camden plan themes of “delivering value for money services by getting it right first time” and “developing new solutions with partners to reduce inequality” and with the new children and young people’s plan, Change for Children and Families - delivering the Camden plan.

Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) were established by the Children Act 2004 which gives a statutory responsibility to each local authority to have this mechanism in place. LSCBs are the key statutory mechanism in every locality of the country for organisations to come together to agree how they will cooperate to safeguard children and promote the welfare of children and for ensuring the effectiveness of what they do. The purpose of this partnership working is to hold each other to account and to ensure safeguarding children remains high on the agenda across their borough.

Camden’s LSCB is the Camden Safeguarding Children Board (CSCB). The Board has an independent Chair (Dominic Clout) who is held to account by the Council’s Chief Executive, in line with updated government guidance, Working Together 2013.  The Board has representatives from Camden Children, Schools and Families, health, housing, police, voluntary and community sector and Probation and has recently appointed two Lay Members. The CSCB meets regularly and work is guided by an annual business plan and a focussed set of priorities.

From November 2013, new arrangements came into effect for the single inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers. This includes for the first time, a review of LSCB. A grading will be given by Ofsted on the effectiveness of the LSCB.

The draft annual report and business plan has been prepared by the CSCB and sets out (a) progress against 2013/14 priorities and (b) key areas of focus for 2014/15.  Comments from the CSF Scrutiny Committee will feed into the CSCB discussions which will finalise and sign off the report at its meeting on 22 July 2014. Scrutiny will be informed of final outcome at the next meeting of the committee.

The scrutiny committee considered a report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families that provided an outline about the establishment of the 

Camden Safeguarding Children Board (CSCB).

The report focused on the draft annual report and business plan that had been prepared by the CSCB and set out (a) progress against 2013/14 priorities and (b) key areas of focus for 2014/15 and was asking the scrutiny committee to comment on the report and feed into the CSCB discussions which will finalise and sign off the report at its meeting on 22 July 2014. 

During consideration of the report members of the scrutiny committee raised the following points: 

·             Why had there been a decrease in the number of Looked After Children?   

·             Why was there no reference to Trafficking in the report, how big a problem was it?

·             Some of the language used in the report to describe the responses to the areas of abuse based on faith and belief and domestic violence did not reflect the seriousness of the issues. 

·             There was a great deal of national concern about ‘Young people displaying risky behaviours’ and violent extremism. There were good community relations in the borough but were there concerns about this locally?

·             Was the Safeguarding Board satisfied that there was sufficient liaison with the police about Operation Yew Tree and was the Council ready and able to respond if there was a case in the borough?

·             What work was being done to support victims of domestic violence and in particular how young people were affected.

·             That a larger and clearer copy of the structure chart of the Safeguarding Children Team (page 280 of the report) be provided for members of the scrutiny committee. 

Action By: Director of Children, Schools and Families

In response the committee was advised that:

·       There had been a significant reduction in the number of Looked After Children because of the alternatives to care that were now available. The Camden Centre for Learning had made a difference to work across agencies to support children and their families. There was also more fostering arrangements within families taking place. The scrutiny committee was assured that Looked After Children placed out of borough were given the same consideration as those placed in Camden. 

·       Trafficking was an overarching responsibility for many agencies. The immigration service was working to ensure that cases were identified before they reached the UK.  There had been one case in the past year where a young person had been found to be frequently moving between France and England and steps had be taken to ensure that this young person was safe and cared for.   

·       This was the first time that the Prevention of Extremism had been included in the work of Safeguarding Board, it had previously been within the governance of Community Safety

·       There had been two instances where the police had been found wanting about sharing information and assurances had since been given that CSGB concerns about the process had been addressed. There was close work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families

The Children and Families Act 2014, due to be implemented from September 2014, introduces a number of fundamental changes to the support system for children, young people and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from 0 to 25. It also introduces a range of reforms covering adoption, flexible working for parents, shared parental leave, family justice reform and a new time limit of 26 weeks when courts are considering whether a child should be taken into care.

This report provides information about the implementation of the Act in Camden as the legislative changes have significant implications for services across the Council, particularly within CSF, Housing and Adult Social Care Directorate and the NHS Camden Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). There is a good level progress overall and plans are being monitored on an ongoing basis by services and teams leading on specific sections of the Act. Regular reports are being routinely provided to respective Directorate Management Teams and include information on risks and mitigating actions.

The provisions on SEND, adoption and family justice chime with the Camden Plan objective that the borough should be a place for everyone and that no-one should be left behind.  The changes also complement the right first time work-stream which has begun to consider how the Council can develop more integrated services to meet the needs of children and adults with additional needs.  The learning from the complex families work has also been utilised to help prepare the borough for the implementation of the Act.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families about the Children and Families Act 2014, that was due to be implemented from September 2014. The Act would introduce a number of fundamental changes to the support system for children, young people and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from 0 to 25yrs. Including a range of reforms covering adoption, flexible working for parents, shared parental leave, family justice reform and a new time limit of 26 weeks when courts would consider whether a child should be taken into care.

The report provided information about the implementation of the Act in Camden as the legislative changes had significant implications for services across the Council, particularly within the Children, Schools and Families,  Housing and Adult Social Care Directorates and the NHS Camden Clinical Commissioning Group (CCCG).

In response to questions from members about the impact of implementing the changes the committee was advised that:

·       The changes would be phased in over a three year period.

·       Children were removed from the Looked After Children list as soon as they were placed with their adoptive parent(s)

RESOLVED

i)                 THAT the report and the progress being made towards implementing the Children and Families Act 2014 be noted

ii)               THAT the issues and risks and the mitigating actions being taken be noted

To Note: All

Councillor Headlam-Wells (Chair) welcomed Councillor Gould, to the committee in her capacity as the Cabinet Member for Young People.

Councillor Gould told the committee that she was pleased to be back  meeting with scrutiny, taking on the Cabinet Member role and about the excellent work of her predecessor Councillor Ali. Councillor Gould shared with the committee some of the areas and discussions that she had been involved in as part of her portfolio: 

·       Further development of the 14-19 Strategy

·       The Camden Head Teachers Conference 

·       Developing other skills for Camden young people, e.g active citizenship, community engagement and working with the outgoing and incoming Camden Youth MP to coordinate this work

·       The Early Help offer to vulnerable young people

·       Youth mental health and proposals to address the gaps in that provision. Which included plans for a youth led integrated youth base with Camden Clinical Commissioning Group and the voluntary sector working alongside the council. The youth base would not be just one building but a series of venues in the borough  

·       The Adult Community Learning Service 

Councillor Headlam-Wells welcomed the projects that were taking place in response to the issues that had been raised by young people in the borough and the committee discussed the option of co-opting the Camden Youth MP as a member of this scrutiny committee. Members supported the idea that young people would be represented on the committee and this support was welcomed by the Councillor Gould. In response officers explained the position of the current co-opted members and said that advice would be sought about the process for co-opting or appointing additional committee members.

To Note: All

Action By: The Borough Solicitor

Report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families

The committee has requested an updated report on their future work programme at each meeting. This report sets out the work programme for  2014/15 for the committee’s consideration.

The following points were raised during consideration of a report of the Director of Children, Schools and Families that had provided the committee with an update on their future work programme for 2014/15:    

·       That the committee be provided with the report on attainment that was to be considered by the Cabinet in September

·       That the committee be provided with an update on the work of the Camden Partnership for Educational Excellence 

·       Was there an audit available of how Camden had prepared to deal with the allegations of Operation Yew Tree? If so, could it be provided to the scrutiny committee?

·       A report on the effects of domestic violence on young people

·       That consideration be given to the proposal from Councillor Khatoon Appendix A, that a Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee working group be established to look at the involvement of girls and young women in sport. What provision was there and what more could be done to encourage participation? The committee welcomed this proposal and the opportunity to consider what could be done in this area. The Chair and Councillors Baillie, Wood, Yarde and Olszewski expressed an interest in being part of this working group and it was suggested that members of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee might also want to participate.

RESOLVED

THAT the report and the points above be noted.

To Note: All

Action By: Director of Children, Schools and Families

The Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee is

asked to note that the next meeting will take at place at 6.30pm on

Tuesday 16^th September 2014 and to also note the following schedule of  meeting dates.

Tuesday 25^th November 2014

Tuesday 17^th February 2015

Tuesday 24^th March 2015

It was noted that the next meeting would take place at 6.30pm on Tuesday 16th September 2014 and the following schedule of meeting dates was also noted:

·       Tuesday 25th November 2014  

It was noted that the November date was likely to move in order for the committee to consider the Financial Strategy report being considered by the Cabinet in December.

·       Tuesday 17th February 2015

·       Tuesday 24th March 2015

To Note: All

There was no urgent business.