Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 3 - Council House. View directions

Contact: Caroline Taylor  Tel: 024 7697 8701 Email:  caroline.taylor@coventry.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

6.

Declarations of Interests

Minutes:

There were no disclosable interests.

 

7.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 310 KB

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 21st July 2022

b)  Matters Arising

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2022 were agreed.

 

8.

Co-option of Other Faiths Representatives to the Scrutiny Board pdf icon PDF 197 KB

Briefing Note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

Minutes:

The Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) received a Briefing Note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator regarding the Co-option of Other Faiths Representative to the Board.

 

At the Council meeting held on 19 May 2022, it was agreed to delegate the approval of the outstanding co-opted Members for Education matters appointments for the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee and the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) to that Committee and Scrutiny Board.

 

Part 2D, Section 6 of the Council Constitution, Education Representatives states:

 

“6.1 The Scrutiny Board responsible for Education matters will include the following

 

(a) One person nominated by the Church of England

(b) One person nominated by the Roman Catholic Church.

(c) A maximum of two parent governors elected by the parent governors in the City in respect of either the Primary or Secondary phase of education.

(e) One representative from other faith groups in the City.

 

6.2 Such appointees, with the exception for the time being of the representative appointed under 6.1(e) above, may speak and vote on education issues only, but may speak on other issues.

 

6.3 They will also be invited to attend the meetings of Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee (if it is considering a call-in on an educational matter) and of other Scrutiny Boards (if education matters are to be considered at those meetings) and may speak, but not vote upon those matters.

 

6.4 Such appointees shall serve a minimum term of two years and a maximum term of four years.”

 

The Board noted that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee had approved the co-option at their meeting held on 28 September 2022.

 

RESOLVED unanimously that:

 

·  The Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) approves the co-option of Mr Ghulam Vohra as a non-voting co-optee to the Board under Part 2D, Section 6.1 (e) of the constitution.

 

The Chair welcomed Mr Ghulam Vohra to the Committee.

 

 

 

9.

Children's Services Ofsted Outcome pdf icon PDF 365 KB

Briefing Note of the Director of Children’s Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) received a Briefing Note of the Director of Children’s Services regarding the re-inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers and Self-Assessment.

 

Children’s Services were re-inspected by Ofsted from on 13 June – 1 July 2022 with a shift in focus from the last inspection to a strength-based approach.  The inspection focused on social workers and social work practice. The outcome of Children’s Services in Coventry had been rated by Ofsted as ‘Good’.

 

The full inspection report, a copy of which had been appended, could also be found at:  www.reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/80456.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor P Seaman introduced the report, commending officers on the fantastic achievement and the years of effort which had gone into changing the culture of Children’s Services and which would continue into the future.

 

The Chair echoed the Cabinet Members comments, adding that the transformation  was making a real difference to children’s lives in the city.

 

The inspection report identified four areas that required further improvement:

 

  • The focus on children’s views and carers capacity to meet children’s needs in private fostering arrangements.
  • The response to children aged 16 and 17 who are homeless.
  • The mental and emotional wellbeing provision for care leavers.
  • The quality of team managers supervision provided to social workers.

 

The report also advised that the next steps would be:

 

  • A Children’s Services Development Plan would be developed in response to the Ofsted recommendations and areas for development.
  • The Development Plan would be presented to a future Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) and submitted to Ofsted by November 2022.
  • The Development Plan would be shared with staff and partners and progress against the plan reported on a regular basis.

 

Members asked questions and were given responses in the following areas:

 

  • Progress was being made in the four areas identified by Ofsted as follows:

 

  • An Action Plan to meet children’s needs in private fostering arrangements had been compiled and was making good progress.
  • More funding from Council and the Integrated Care Board had been put in place. Re-commissioning LAC CAMHS services was under way and these new services would be available in May 2023 with tier 2 services operational from December 2022 which would include anyone up to the age of 25 and would include care leavers. The Integrated Health Care Board would be monitored and challenged to ensure services identified were being delivered. Training in mental health for personal providers would be rolled out.
  • There was a more integrated and considered approach to young people presenting as homeless.  Training social workers on consistency of responsibilities and assessments was being rolled out.  Joining up with youth work to ensure the right young people are provided with accommodation if needed or they stay with their families.
  • A robust quality assurance framework was in place to feed back on supervision provided to social workers.  Development was taking place regarding recording discussions.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Work Programme and Outstanding Issues pdf icon PDF 353 KB

Briefing Note of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator (attached)

Minutes:

The Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) noted the work programme 2022-2023 and asked for the inclusion of the following items:

 

·  The impact of the Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry on Council’s work to protect children.

·  Social Worker recruitment and retention – financial incentives.

 

RESOLVED that the work programme be updated.

 

11.

Any Other Business

Any other items of business which the Chair decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

Minutes:

There were no other items of business.