Agenda and minutes

Annette Pottinger

Paul Burnett

Phyllis Brackenbury

Peter Moyes

Wendy Smith

Charlotte Croft

Rob Ghahremani

Nigel Hill

Heidi Watson

Malcolm Cowgill

Karen Slack

None.

Of the meeting held on 19 March 2014 (for confirmation).

The Board confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 19 March 2014 is a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of Corporate Director of Children and Adults (Nottingham City Council).

Helen Blackman, Director of Children's Social Care, presented the report and delivered a brief PowerPoint presentation highlighting the main points raised by Ofsted following the Safeguarding Inspection during March 2014 which specifically focused on 'services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers’.

It is noted that the full Ofsted report is available at http://www.ofsted.gov/local-authorities/nottingham

Ofsted inspectors have concluded that Nottingham children remain safe.

The response of Nottingham City Council and the Nottingham City Safeguarding Children Board to the inspection is attached to the report.

The areas identified for development included:

(a)  delivering consistently good Common Assessment Frameworks (CAFs);

(b)  ensuring the escalation processes are used effectively;

(c)  ensuring planning is SMART and outcome/child focussed;

(d)  recruitment of more local foster carers;

(e)  considering adoption for children who cannot return home;

(f)  prioritising effectively and being outcome focused;

(g)  reflective supervision to be strengthened;

(h)  ensuring good educational attainment for children in care;

(i)  improving capacity to ensure high quality services are delivered;

(j)  ensuring the board hears the voice and experience of the most vulnerable children;

(k)  monitoring and robust evaluation of training and attendance to practice linked to practice improvements.

John Yaman of Futures, took responsibility for the levels of ‘not in education employment or training' (NEET).

RESOLVED

(1)  for the Partnership to note the outcome of the Safeguarding Inspection and the follow up action to address the areas for improvement;

(2)  for the Partnership to receive updates on the improvements action plan every 6 months.

Report of Corporate Director of Children and Adults (Nottingham City Council).

Helen Blackman, Director of Children's Social Care, presented the report and delivered a brief PowerPoint presentation on the performance of the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) during 2013/14.

The following points were highlighted:

(a)  the demand for social care remains high with 5,007 referrals to social care and 5,500 instances of domestic abuse referred by the domestic violence referral team;

(b)  8/15 children Centres inspected by Ofsted are rated as good/outstanding;

(c)  987 Common Assessment Frameworks (CAFs) were initiated which equates to a 27.3% increase;

(d)  ‘Children and Families Direct’ was launched in 2013 and received approximately 8,000 calls during the first 27 weeks of operation;

(e)  teenage pregnancy is falling with 37.6/1,000 reports this year, compared to 45.5/1,000 last year;

(f)  there has been an increase in take-up of Chlamydia screening;

(g)  at 86% the healthy schools status target has been met;

(h)  the statistics for 'not in education, employment or training' (NEET) have slightly increased since last year with the key issue being that the status of a significant number of young people is not known. This produces deceptive results;

(i)  an above average proportion of children and young people are an unhealthy weight with 26.6% of year 6 pupils considered obese.

The Board’s questions were responded to as follows;

(j)  there is evidence that CAFs are having a positive impact. They should not be about the process but about making a difference, where focused goals are set.

Members of the Board made the following comments;

(k)  school attendance is a priority and a two-pronged approach is currently in use resulting in 223 penalty notices (137 since last year alone), and prosecutions. There needs to be a carrot and stick approach with the City Council working closely with schools to incentivise attendance;

(l)  with the appointment of a significant number of health visitors, it is predicted that weight issues in children and young people may be reduced as health visitors will be helping to educate parents on healthy diets from pregnancy onwards;

(m)  the City Council should carefully consider licence applications for fast food outlets sited near schools, including mobile fast food vendors, and schools should be given guidance on what they can and should not sell on the premises.

RESOLVED that the 2013/14 Performance Review of The Children and Young People’s Plan be noted.

Report of Strategic Director of Early Intervention (Nottingham City Council).

Chris Wallbanks, Programme Manager for Early Intervention and Partnerships, presented the report which seeks approval for the refreshed family support pathway which will ensure that recent legislative and policy updates, including ‘Munro’ and ‘Working Together 2013’, are elected in the practices of Nottingham’s Children’s Workforce, to best meet the needs of the City’s children and young people.

If approved by the board of the documents are to be published and publicised with a refresh undertaken at the end of the year.

RESOLVED

(1)  to approve the refreshed Family Support Pathway as partnership policy, replacing all previous versions of the document;

(2)  to approve the publicity plan for the refreshed Family Support Pathway.

Report of Corporate Director of Children and Adults (Nottingham City Council).

Martin Smith, Sports, Outdoor Learning and Adventures Services Manager, presented the report on the 'Opportunity Nott's' program which started only 8 months ago, inspired by the 'tick list' idea of ‘50 things to do before 11 ¾’.

The programme aims to broaden the horizons of young people and get them out and about from as young as 5 years old, to 16 years old as activity is important for physical development. Broadening experiences is also important for young people’s personal and social development, and can even increase a young person’s employability.

There are plenty of opportunities and activities available to young people.

The programme provides 5 levels of challenge that encourage young people to take all challenges and to tick them off online as they are achieved with evidence of the activity provided through a verbal report to their peers under adult supervision.

The committee’s questions were answered as follows;

(a)  any young person can access the programme which can be promoted through schools, but the voluntary sector are important for spreading the information;

(b)  funding of £10,000 has already been received. The program is low cost with a website and the ability to print of a certificate once the challenges have been achieved;

(c)  activity providers have been approaching managers and are keen to engage with a programme. This offers new possibilities and as the ideas build, the websites can be expanded to enable discount incentives to be offered.

RESOLVED to note the report.

Presentation of Chief Executive of Nottingham Music Service

Ian Burton, CEO of Nottingham Music Service, delivered a brief presentation which was accompanied by a document outlining the work that the Nottingham Music Hub proposes, in line with the Department for Education National Plan for Music Education for the City.

Nottingham Music Service is a charitable organisation and, along with Nottingham Music Hub, works with a range of partner organisations to provide musical opportunities for young people in Nottingham, including the Robin Hood Orchestra and supporting schools to fulfil the expectations of the National Music Plan.

Currently the demographic of children involved in the music service matches that of the City.

Funding is secure until March 2015, but the future of the Nottingham Music Service beyond that date is uncertain.

The Board welcomed this work as very positive for enabling children to become more rounded citizens and improve their employability.

RESOLVED to note the presentation.

Report of Director of Children and Families (Nottingham City Council)

Jon Rea, Engagement and Participation Lead, presented the report which informed the Board of the scope of the National Citizen Service (NCS) in Nottingham City, and its impact on young people.

The National Citizen Service programme takes place for up to 4 weeks during the school summer holidays and is open to 16-17 year olds to have new experiences and build life skills to help develop them as citizens.

This government backed scheme has been introduced as an element of 'the Big Society' and in Nottingham is currently facilitated by New College Nottingham and Nottingham Forest in the Community.  Since 2012, 1,217 young people (two thirds of whom live within the City Boundary) have graduated the programme with certificates signed by the Prime Minister. In 2013 members of the Youth Cabinet supported the Engagement and Participation Lead in engaging approximately 300 NCS graduates in training to develop their skills to deliver youth-led social action projects.

Holly White, Youth Cabinet Member, who has also been a team leader for a group of young people on the programme, responded to the Board's questions as follows:

(a)  New College Nottingham and Nottingham Forest in the Community are the current facilitators of the programme but there is to be a competitive tender for the new contract which will run from 2015;

(b)   NCS members are keen to continue the programme to benefit communities;

(c)  the young people are grouped in areas but with links into the social action project which offers a good opportunity for partners to speak to them about projects which need the support of young people;

(d)  the graduation event at the Nottingham Forest Football Ground would be an ideal time for Nottingham Voluntary Action Centre representatives to talk to young people about future volunteering opportunities;

(e)  young people are directed to the scheme by schools and partners such as Futures.

The Board welcomed the report and the involvement of the Youth Cabinet.

Resolved

(1)  to note the positive impact of National Citizen Service on the lives of 16-17 year olds and its potential for numerous social benefits to the City;

(2)  to support the National Citizen Service in developing their programme and to promote the scheme as a valuable addition to the opportunities for the people in the City.

Supt Paul Burrows, Nottinghamshire Police, referred to the inquiry by the 'Parliamentary Group for Children' regarding Children and Police. Concern had been raised regarding the use of 'stop and search' and custody in relation to young people with the following comment made as an area for improvement under the section of 'risk factors for looked after children:

Corporate Parenting Boards also have an important role to play. For example, it is worth questioning how many CPBs have local police officers sitting on them. Police could support CPB with their aim of reducing the criminalisation of looked after children.

Supt  Burrows informed the Board that while no child under the age of 10 has been searched during the past few years, consideration is to be given as to how best to approach the subject of looked after children to enable monitoring of any instances where they are stopped and searched.

PC Sam Flint, Children in Care Police Officer, is also be involved.

Chair to report.

None, as items are included within the agenda.

It is recommended for the Board to note the upcoming items and suggest further topics for consideration.

It is noted that any requests for the Board to consider further topics, should be forwarded to Dot Veitch, Partnership Support Officer at dot.veitch@nottinghamcity.gov.uk 

RESOLVED to note the Forward Plan subject to the inclusion of twice yearly updates on the progress against the recommendations of the Ofsted Safeguarding Inspection.