Agenda and minutes

Venue: This meeting will be held remotely. The meeting can be viewed live by pasting this link into your browser: https://youtu.be/BYBLywsJXkE

Contact: Michelle Rose  Tel: 024 7697 2645 Email:  michelle.rose@coventry.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 64 KB

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2020

b)  Matters Arising

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2020 were agreed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

3.

Children's Services Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic - Vulnerability and Disadvantage pdf icon PDF 100 KB

Briefing Note of the Director of Children’s Services

Minutes:

The Board considered a briefing note of the Director of Children’s Services which provided an update on the current situation and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Children’s Services and partners. Councillor Seaman, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and Councillor Maton, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills attended the meeting for the consideration of this item.

 

The briefing note indicated that Children’s Services had continued to deliver protection, support and intervention to vulnerable families across Coventry, whilst maintaining critical services throughout the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic. The critical elements of the service involved the immediate protection of children who were brought to the attention of Children’s Services involving MASH; The Emergency Duty Team (EDT); Child Protection (CP) enquiries; and assessments of need. The ongoing protection and support of children had also continued during this period and included: children who received an early help offer to prevent them requiring statutory intervention, Open CiN cases, open CP cases, open Looked After Children (LAC), open care leavers. Children’s Services continued as far as possible to provide the same range of provision to children and families in Coventry, albeit scaled back and delivered in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The Board were informed that, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, Children’s Services scaled back: routine contract management and commissioning activity; face to face contact; large gatherings; face to face group work; certain statutory visits to children where these had been risk assessed and signed off by a manager and where IT systems were used as an alternative.

 

Children’s Services also depended on a system of partners across the city to enable the delivery of a safe and efficient service. Partners continued to work with the service throughout this period. Where services temporarily ceased, there was increased pressure on families/carers, wherever possible alternative support was offered. The vast majority of Children’s Services continued to operate albeit in a different way.

 

Four Family Hubs and the area social work offices closed. This enabled staff to be supported to work from home and continue to ensure children were safeguarded. Four Hubs remained open which continued to provide an Early Help Offer to families and were open for a ‘Here to Help’ function so families could access face to face support at a time of crisis. The consequence of the pandemic and resulting changes had led to increased levels of risk within Children’s Services. Fewer members of staff, parental stress, reduced availability, children seen less often, less reliance on partners and greater partial closures of schools had all contributed to operating with a greater level of risk in the system.

 

The briefing note detailed the impact of Covid 19 on Children’s Services indicating that in April 2020 there were 25% fewer referrals than in April 2019 when national lockdown meant that access to children and families was greatly reduced, with a particular reduction in school referrals. Reference was made to the partnership work to identify children deemed to be vulnerable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Work Programme 2020/21 and Outstanding Issues pdf icon PDF 53 KB

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

Minutes:

The Board considered their work programme for the current municipal year.

 

The Chair, Councillor Sandhu, informed of the intention to set up a Task and Finish Group to look at racism in schools and asked for volunteers to become members of the Group.

 

Reference was made to a new pilot project concerning children with autism and learning difficulties and it was suggested that this was appropriate as a future issue for the Board to consider.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1) The work programme for 2020/21 be approved.

 

2) Councillors Blundell, Kaur, Lloyd and Sandhu and Kellie Jones, Co-opted Member be appointed to serve on the Task and Finish Group considering racism in schools.

 

3) Report on progress with the new pilot project concerning children with autism and learning difficulties be included on the work programme as a future item.

5.

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:

The Board were informed that the recommendations from the Task and Finish Group on Partnership Working in Children’s Services were to be discussed with the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and the Director of Children’s Services and would be submitted to the next meeting of the Board.

 

There were no other additional items of public business.