Agenda item

(To receive a report which sets out the work programmes of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee and the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee in accordance with the Board's agreed programme)

The Board considered the work programmes of two scrutiny committees where the following points were noted:-

Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee

Councillor R L Foulkes, Chairman of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, introduced the Work Programme and confirmed that a change had been made to the work programme since it was published.  Children's Services Annual Complaints report had been added to the meeting on 9 March 2018.

Two meetings had taken place since the last update to the Board in September 2017, and the key issues considered included:-

·       Proposed Changes to Enhanced Resource Provision Units Supporting Children with Hearing Impairments;

·       Building Communities of Specialist Provision for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities;

·       Alternative Education Provision for Key Stage Four Pupils;

·       National Funding Formula for Mainstream Schools; and

·       Inclusive Lincolnshire Strategy.

Councillor Foulkes also asked the Board to note the following:-

·       Consideration of Supported Accommodation for Looked After Children would take place on 20 April 2018.  A scrutiny review into that area had taken place over two years ago;

·       The committee was keen to encourage consultations with young people and was in discussions with the Lincolnshire Youth Council.  There was a proposal to include a section on future scrutiny reports to ask if the Youth Council had been consulted, as it was felt important to include the views of young people on issues which may affect them;

·       A member of the Youth Council was expected to attend the meeting on 9 March 2018 to give their views on the Restorative Panels Pilot report.  The Youth Council was a good organisation but, at present, did not appear to link with other organisations to have their views heard;

·       Prevent and the Implications for Children and Young People was listed on the Work Programme for 20 April 2018.  A presentation on Prevent was to be given to the Youth Council and their comments on this presentation would be presented to the Committee at that meeting; and

·       Councillor Foulkes gave thanks to both Simon Evans (Health Scrutiny Officer) and Daniel Steel (Scrutiny Officer) for their recent, and continued, support with the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.

During discussion, the following points were noted:-

·       Although the Youth Council was an excellent way of engaging with young people, it was suggested that the young people who really needed engagement were not part of these types of organisations.  The difficulty was finding a way to reach all young people;

·       Post Adoption Support was listed under 'items to be programmed' and one member stressed the importance of this issue. It was suggested that support to the adoptive parents ceased when a child was placed which may have been partially responsible for the failure of some adoptions;

At 12.15pm, Councillor M Brookes, left the meeting and did not return.

·       Members were invited to attend the next meeting of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee to give their views in person should they wish to do so; and

·       It was noted that there were a number of items on the list to be programmed.  The meetings scheduled for June and July would be populated with some of those items following discussion with the relevant officers.

Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee

Councillor N H Pepper, Chairman of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee, updated the Board on the work of the Committee.

The scope of the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee was extremely varied and was within the portfolio of three Executive Councillors with whom Councillor Pepper, as Chairman of the Committee, met regularly.

Three meetings had taken place since the last update to the Board in September 2017 and the key issues considered included:-

·       Future Structure for the Heritage Service;

·       Road Safety Partnership Annual Report;

·       Fire and Rescue – Fire Peer Challenge Report;

·       Engagement Strategy; and

·       Adult Offending and Assisting Rehabilitation through Collaboration (sitting as the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee).

Councillor Pepper reported that he had also attended Lincolnshire's first Road Safety seminar which had been very successful.

During discussion, the following points were noted:-

·       Although not listed on the work programme, the Board noted that items regarding the fire service, particularly Co-Responders and the Lincolnshire Joint Ambulance Conveyance Programme (JACP) would be considered at future meetings;

·       A session had been arranged of the "2fast2soon" play, run by the Road Safety Partnership.  It had been disappointing that very few councillors attended this session, which had been tailored especially for members.  A number of councillors had attended the Road Safety Summit where "2fast2soon" had also been presented and therefore those members may have thought that would be sufficient;

·       2018 marks the 100^th anniversary of the RAF (RAF100) and it was asked how the Future Model of Heritage Services would collaborate with aviation companies to promote this.  Councillor Wootten had received a list of planned events for RAF100 at a recent district council meeting and agreed to provide a copy of this for the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee to consider;

At 12.30pm, Councillors R Wootten and B M Dobson left the meeting and did not return.

·       Following the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, it was reported that 200 high-visibility jackets had been purchased for LCC staff to wear in the event of a major incident.  The committee had suggested that all councillors would benefit from high-visibility jackets also when in the community, for example inspecting potholes in the road with local residents.

The Chairman thanked Councillors Foulkes and Pepper for the updates.  Members were asked to have discussions with the relevant officer for each of their respective scrutiny committees to consider potential content for the Annual Scrutiny Report which was due to be published in May 2018.

RESOLVED

          That the work programmes be noted.