Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence K Cooke, A Hagues, Ann Wright and Polly Coombes.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED:

           That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 November 2022 be       approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman announced that alongside the Corporate Parenting Manager, he would be attending the first of the Member Briefings to engage with District Council’s on their Corporate Parenting Responsibilities.

(To receive a report by Bridie Fletcher, Senior Commissioning Officer- Children's Strategic Commissioning, which provides an annual update to the Action Plan of the Looked After Children Placement Sufficiency Strategy – 'Commissioning Excellence: Meeting the Sufficiency Duty 2018-2022')

Consideration was given to a report by the Senior Commissioning Officer- Children's Strategic Commissioning, which provided an annual update to the Action Plan of the Looked After Children Placement Sufficiency Strategy – 'Commissioning Excellence: Meeting the Sufficiency Duty 2018-2022’.  

The update provided further detail on the Sufficiency Duty 2018-22 and the Children in Care Sufficiency Strategy 2023-2027. Members were referred to Appendix A, which provided an update on the action plan for ‘Commissioning Excellence: Meeting the Sufficiency Duty 2018-2022’.

Consideration was given to the report and in response to a question raised, it was clarified that the review of existing CAMHS commissioning arrangements, aligned to the Future In Mind Strategy to inform future intentions in partnership with other agencies had now been completed.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the report be received and endorsed;

2.    That satisfaction be given to the updated Action Plan for the Sufficiency Strategy 2018-2022

(To receive a report by Kieran Barnes, Virtual School Headteacher, which provides an update on the work of the Virtual School Head to support the promotion of educational outcomes for Children and Young People in Care for the academic year 1st September 2021 to 31st August 2022)

Consideration was given to a report by Sarah Lane, Interim Virtual Schools Headteacher, which invited the Panel to consider the Virtual School Annual Report for the academic year 2021-22, as set out at appendix A.

The key messages from the annual report were highlighted, which included details about Lincolnshire’s Virtual School team, pupil attendance, pupil premium, early intervention and the importance of working closely with children and young people to develop strong relationships and ensure their voice is heard.

Consideration was given to the report and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·      The virtual school team was made up of education progress leads, office based staff, academic progress leads and a performance team.

·      The Panel acknowledged the virtual school team worked closely with social care colleagues to support and enable young people to start attending school, wherever possible, with additional home tuition being provided on an individual basis for those needing additional support.

·      Both face to face and virtual tutoring was available for young people, with an emphasis on ensuring quality and robustness and maximising the benefits for individuals.

·      Unaccompanied asylum seekers were well supported by Peterborough College and with English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, however Members acknowledged that local provision was becoming saturated. The Panel recognised difficulties in finding secondary school placements for asylum seeking young people who had moved out of County but assurance was provided that interim tuition would remain in place to offer continued to access education whilst awaiting a school place.

·      Additional packages of support could include specialist teachers assessments to identify gaps in learning, extra support from teaching assistants, access to friendship groups and intensive support for emotional wellbeing.

·      The Committee was advised that national performance data for KS4 outcomes had not yet been released, however it was acknowledged that that there had been an increase in the need for special school places as well as a lack of children accessing GSCE pathways to studying.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the report be received;

2.    That satisfaction be given with the assurance provided that the Virtual School continued to promote improving educational outcomes for children and young people, as outlined in the Lincolnshire Looked after Children and Care Leavers Strategy.

(To receive a report by Lisa Adams, Service Manager – Barnardo’s, which provides a 6 Monthly Update from Barnardo’s on behalf of Lincolnshire Leaving Care Service)

Consideration was given to a report by the Service Manager – Barnardo’s, which provided a6 Monthly Update from Barnardo’s on behalf of Lincolnshire Leaving Care Service, as set out at appendix A.

Areas highlighted within the report included accessing and maintaining suitable, safe accommodation, accessing and maintaining appropriate education, employment and training opportunities, update on the Care Leavers Cohort and participation and fundraising.

Consideration was given to the report and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·       Members of the Panel expressed disappointment in the performance figures for Accessing and Maintaining Appropriate Education Employment and Training Opportunities. Barnardo’s assured the Panel that that they would continue to review gaps in mental health services and invest in the service, such as the introduction of a mental help worker and increasing resource for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to further support the young people into education, employment or training. However, it was acknowledged that there were a number of barriers into education, employment and training for many care leavers that were difficult to overcome.

·       Barriers to entering education, employment or training were not impacted by gender. A detailed review of gender and educational achievement for children in Lincolnshire was ongoing and would progress to analysing potential gender barriers in care leavers.

·       The Panel commended the support to care leavers from Tesco.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the report be received and accepted as an accurate overview of the Leaving Care Service for the period concerned;

2.      That the comments recorded from the discussion be taken under consideration by Officers;

3.      That the Panel’s thanks to Barnardo’s for their continuation in delivery a valued and excellent quality of service to Lincolnshire’s young people be recorded.

(To receive a report by Simon Hardcastle, Performance Support Officer – Corporate Transformation, Programmes & Performance, which invites the Panel to consider key performance information for Quarter 2 2022/23 that is relevant to the work of the Panel)

Consideration was given to a report by the Interim Assistant Director – Children’s Safeguarding, which invited the Panel to consider key performance information for Quarter 2 2022/23, as set out in appendix A.

The report provided further detail of the 16 measures for Children in Care that were reported on in quarter two, of which five did not meet their target and four were are ahead of the target set by the services.  

The Interim Assistant Director – Children’s Safeguarding thanked the Head of Service – East Lindsey Locality for her work to improve the number of health assessments undertaken.

Consideration was given to the report and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·      The Panel acknowledged that some young people did not engage in health checks or health assessment was because they felt they could manage their own health needs and access services independently, which was not recorded within performance data.

·      The Panel congratulated the virtual school for their work to support young people to participate in learning.

·      It was suggested that the Chairman of the Panel advise the Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire on the positive achievements in access to dentistry for young people.

·      Officers clarified that the 26-week target for adoption related to public law outline.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the report be received;

2.    That satisfaction be given to the performance achieved and assurances where measures did not meet their targets;

3.    That comments from the discussion be taken under consideration by relevant Officers

(To receive a report by Rachel Freeman, Head of Service - Children in Care and Residential Estates, Elizabeth Bunney, Healthcare Coordinator, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust and Nicola Wilkinson, Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Adults, Children and Looked After Children, NHS Lincolnshire ICB, which invites the Panel to consider the Children in Care Annual Health Report 2021/22)

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Service - Children in Care and the Healthcare Coordinator, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, which invited the Panel to consider the Children in Care Annual Health Report 2021/22, as set out at appendix A.

The report focussed on the profile of Children in Care, cases in which Lincolnshire County Council had initiated court proceedings, the health of Children in Care, education, social care, consultation with Children in Care and advocacy and complaints. A number of recommendations were also detailed.

The Healthcare Coordinator, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust advised that there had been further improvements in the timeliness and quality of health assessments in quarter 2 data.

Consideration was given to the report and following a question on CAMHS data, it was suggested the Panel receive a future report around mental wellbeing of children and young people which was currently being developed.

RESOLVED:

1.   That the report be received and accepted as an accurate record of activity in line with the Department of Health Statutory Guidance of on Promoting the Health and Well-being of Looked after Children;

2.   That the recommendations, as set out on page 170 of the agenda pack be endorsed;

3.   That a report on the mental wellbeing of children and young people be reported to a future meeting of the Panel.

(To receive a report by Kiara Chatziioannou, which invites the Panel to consider its work programme)

Consideration was given to a report by the Scrutiny Officer, which invited the Panel to consider its work programme, as set out on pages 177-179 of the agenda pack.

The Panel noted the addition of a report on mental wellbeing of children and young people to be programmed.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the report be noted;

2.    That the existing work programme, with the proposed amendments, be approved.

In accordance with Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the following agenda item has not been circulated to the press and public on the grounds that it is considered to contain exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended. The press and public may be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of this item of business.

RESOLVED:

That in accordance with Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the  press and public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of this item of business be excluded for the following item of business on the grounds that it is considered to contain exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

(To receive an exempt report by Tara Jones, Assistant Director – Children’s Safeguarding, which provides an update on the National Safeguarding Review)

Consideration was given to an exempt report on the National Safeguarding Review CWD.

RESOLVED:

           That the recommendations, as set out in the exempt report, be            approved.