Agenda and minutes

None.

None.

Of the meeting held on 21 November 2016 (for confirmation).

The minutes from 21 November were agreed and signed by the Chair.

Report of Director, Children’s Integrated Services

Sonia Cain, Service Manager for Fostering and Adoption introduced a report on the Fostering and Adoption Panel.

The following points were highlighted:

(a)  there used to be one and a half panel managers – this has been reduced to one;

(b)  the following are some example questions to Foster Carers from adoptees:

1.  How will I know that I will be safe in your home?

2.  Will you be loving, happy and friendly?

3.  How will you show you are loving?

4.  If I misbehave how will you discipline me?

5.  Will you take me to see your family?

6.  How would you introduce me to a stranger?

7.  Will I be allowed to have friends over to play?

8.  How much pocket money will I be getting?

9.  Can I continue playing for the same sports club?

10.  Would I be allowed to bring a boyfriend/girlfriend home?

The Panel themselves will select two or three questions to ask Foster Carers;

(c)  the ‘Life Story Book’ gives information to the child and prospective adopters about their whole life journey;

(d)  if there is a poor report to the Fostering and Adoption Panel, this will be fed back to a Service, or Team Manager and they can address report issues in Supervision;

(e)  Panel Chairs and advisers meet with the Service Manager for Fostering and Adoption quarterly at the Panel Steering Group.  In that meeting, any issues with reports, or the running and functioning of the Fostering and Adoption Panel can be addressed;

(f)  one area for development would be to have Councillor representation on both Panels;

(g)  a ‘connected person’ is someone with a connection to an adoptee, such as an Auntie or Uncle.  A ‘connected person’s extension’ would be an eight week extension to the original deadline of 16 weeks.

RESOLVED to note the activity of the Fostering and Adoption Panels.

Report of Director, Children’s Integrated Services

Racheal Osborne, Child Sex Exploitation (CSE) Coordinator & Missing Children’s Team Manager introduced a report on Safeguarding Children and Young People from Child Sexual Exploitation.

The following points were highlighted:

(a)  the Broken Dreams CSE awareness training was delivered with Health colleagues in mind but it is available for all agencies.  So far, training has been delivered to Southgkade and Victoria Leisure Centres, and Byron House. Most Foster Carers have attended Broken Dreams.

Broken Dreams takes place over a half day;

(b)  a training evening was developed aimed specifically at security staff.  58 attended, and then went away to their own firms to feed this training back to other staff members;

(c)  ‘U Create’ has been rolled out into schools to help young people create advertisements for TV and radio.  There is a competition being run with Total Access radio; the school that comes first will get to go into the radio station to produce their advert;

(d)  Racheal is sending out letters to schools who didn’t take part in ‘Luv U 2’;

(e)  the upcoming ‘Alex’ project will hopefully catch homeless families whose children have been unable to get access to courses such as ‘Luv U 2’ and ‘U Create’ in school.

  Numbers of children in Highwood House were high over Christmas; over 90 children were there, whereas there would normally be 40-50 in their in any given month;

(f)  ‘Protect and Respect’ are part of the local arrangements with the Police and the CPS;

(g)  Police now mark Child Abduction Warning notices to say if they are specific to CSE;

(h)  work with schools does not always include colleges and further education establishments;

(i)  the support from children in care on the new safety strategy has been invaluable.  There is now a resource to steer parents and carers towards.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  note the performance in the current action plan;

(2)  note proposed future developments.

Report of Director, Children’s Integrated Services

PC Sam Flint, Children in Care Police Officer (CiCPO) at Nottinghamshire Police, and Natalie Pink, Case Manager at Nottingham Youth Offending Team (YOT) introduced the item on Reducing Offending Behaviour.

The following points were highlighted:

(a)  the rate of reduction in offending behaviour is good; because the rate is good it can be difficult to carry on driving this down, and this continues to be a challenge;

(b)  Sam and Natalie get together on a regular basis to share good practice, as well as coming up with ways of avoiding bad practice;

(c)  all staff are to have a refresher in CSE, as well as the ‘Prevent’ strategy;

(d)  the Leaving Care service has received positive feedback on keeping people out of trouble;

(e)  OFSTED are keen on the cross-authority protocol;

(f)  in terms of the children in care population, the number involved in the criminal justice system has dropped by two thirds.  The relationship with the Police and these young people is important as it gets the Police to see them in a different way.  If you prevent children in care getting involved with the criminal justice system at an early age, it helps to reduce future offending.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  recognise the further reduction of offending behaviour within the Children in Care (CiC) population in the financial year 2015-16;

(2)  recognise the importance of the role of CiCPO and YOT Lead in working together to reduce offending and safeguard CiC;

(3)  support the YOT Board, who propose to formally recognise and adopt the Multi Agency Protocol (currently in draft form), to reduce the criminalisation of CiC for Nottingham City, working towards its adoption as a cross-authority protocol;

(4)  note the continued drive for early identification and intervention in offending within the CiC population, to target resources and inform service development, and embed the use of restorative approaches to reduce the risk of offending across residential and foster care settings. This mirrors the YOT Plan 2016-17;

(5)  support a self-assessment process, by Nottingham City Council, working with the Children in Care and Care Leavers (CL) Council and partners, to review our performance against the recommendations of ‘In Care, Out of Trouble’ (2016), Lord Laming’s Review by the Prison Reform Trust. To consider findings and recommendations in light of the pending Charlie Taylor Review, in order to improve outcomes for our CiC and CL. 

Jon Rea, Engagement and Participation Lead Officer introduced an update on the Children in Care Council.

The following points were highlighted:

(a)  there are between 12-16 active members, who take on some tough issues in a meaningful way;

(b)  Councillors and senior officers have met with the CiC Council – the last meeting was around the consistency of placements, as well as other issues;

(c)  a newsletter is being developed to share outcomes more broadly.  The first issues will be a retrospective on the previous term;

(d)  members of the CiC Council took part in a ‘Commissioners takeover day’.  There were placements with Loxley House restaurant, as well as the Marketing and Communications team. 

In addition, there was individual shadowing with Councillors and MP’s.  These activities are due to be repeated;

(e)  the Children in Care Council awards ceremony took place at the Council House alongside the Lord Mayor and the Sheriff of Nottingham.  The winner was Sam Oliver. 

  There were also a number of Bronze certificates handed out;

(f)  a Kids’ Club for 8-12 year olds has been launched as a fun way to have a say.  The first was held at the Council House before Christmas, with the next one planned before the Easter holidays;

(g)  the spring term focus is ‘safe lives and positive communities’;

(h)  NCH extended an offer to give basic DIY lessons for care leavers;

(i)  there has been a request from the Commons Select Committee on the role of fostering.  Lillian Greenwood MP attended a fostering meeting in the last week, and is interested in meeting the CiC Council on the same subject.

RESOLVED to note the update.

Councillor David Mellen, Portfolio Holder for Early Intervention and Early Years gave attendees an update on activities over the past couple of months.

·  A 12 carriage train from Nottingham Station took in Grantham, Peterborough and the Vale of Belvoir, and contained a mixture of children;

·  Over the Christmas period huge generosity was shown by staff and businesses to sponsor a star for children in need, as part of the ‘Stars Appeal;

·  People contributed to 40 hampers for care leavers;

·  500+ pantomime tickets were given away;

·  Parties were held for Foster Carers and their families, as well as adopters and their families;

·  The ‘Big it Up’ celebration event was held before Christmas, and was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of young people.  Two events were held, with one for the young at Colwick, and the other for older people at Nottingham Trent University.

The Forward Plan was approved.