No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were received. 

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 January 2018 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Fatima Butt/Tracey Sugden – 01274 432227/434287)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 January 2018 be signed as a correct record.

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

(Tracey Sugden - 01274 434287)

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict documents.

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

To hear questions from electors within the District on any matter this is the responsibility of the Committee. 

Questions must be received in writing by the City Solicitor in Room 112, City Hall, Bradford, BD1 1HY, by mid-day on Tuesday 13 February 2018.

(Fatima Butt/Tracey Sugden – 01274 432227/434287)

There were no questions submitted by the public.

The Committee is asked to consider Document “Y” which provides an update on the progress of the Better Start Bradford programme and the implications for the District.

Recommended –

That the report be noted and Ward Councillors receive regular updates.

(Michaela Howell – 01274 5134227)

The Committee was asked to consider Document “Y” which provided an update on the progress of the Better Start Bradford programme and the implications for the District. 

Document “Y” reported that the Better Start Bradford programme was the result of a successful £49 million Big Lottery Fund bid led by Bradford Trident, for a 10 year early intervention and prevention programme. The programme was currently in the third year of its ten year duration. It was explained that Bradford was one of only five areas nationally to be awarded funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s A Better Start programme.

Members were advised that Better Start Bradford was a ‘test and learn’ programme which was being used as a vehicle for reform across the district in early years.  The programme had already informed the development of the Integrated Early Years Strategy and the Prevention and Early Help programme. The programme was being ‘tested’ in three wards (Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton) and the ‘learning’ about what successfully improved outcomes for Bradford’s children would be integrated throughout the district.

It was explained that, from a value for money point of view, research had revealed that the best time to invest scarce resources to improve children’s outcomes was in pre-conception, pregnancy and the first three years of life, as that was the time when the improvement in outcomes was greatest.

The key benefits of the BSB approach were outlined and these included “know what you want to change; use what works and create local evidence; joint accountability; cost benefit analysis; community involvement and improve how systems work together”.

A presentation depicting interviews with parents involved in the project and the benefits that they felt, including amongst many other advantages, coping with older children with a baby; recognising anti natal depression; improved parental skills; bonding with babies and an understanding of how babies brains developed in the first three years, was provided.

A monthly newsletter was tabled to Members and they were requested to spread the work of the new programme.

Following the very detailed presentation Members raised a number of questions and concerns as follows:-

·         Members had seen many previous schemes which had benefited participants during the time they were involved.  It was questioned, however, what the long term benefit of the programme might be following its ten year duration.

·         The wards targeted by the project experienced greater levels of immigration than the district as a whole and movement in and out of the area was high.  The parents benefiting from the programme would be likely to move out of the area taking the benefits they had learned out of the constituencies. 

·         Aspirational parents may take advantage of the programme but hard to reach communities may not access BSB’s services.

·         Low cost housing in the targeted constituencies attracted more deprived families and the quality of that housing was what impacted on people’s health.

·         What assessments had been made of the impact the programme had made on early health?

·         Given that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

Previous Reference: Executive, Minute 55 (2017/18)

The Strategic Director Children’s Services will present a report (Document “X”) which highlights the progress that the Council and partners have made in bringing together existing arrangements for early help and early years services.

The report also advises that, in November 2017, the Executive was asked to approve a period of consultation on a proposed new Prevention and Early Help model. Bradford East Area Committee is asked to consider and comment on the report as part of the formal consultation.

Recommended –

(1)  That it be noted that formal consultation is underway with all interested parties as outlined in appendix 12 to Document “X”.

(2)  That Members consider and comment on the report.

(3)  That it be noted that the Executive will receive a further report in April 2018 following formal consultation.

(Judith Kirk – 01274 431078)

The Strategic Director Children’s Services presented a report (Document “X”) which highlighted the progress that the Council and partners had made in bringing together existing arrangements for early help and early years services.

The report also advised that, in November 2017, the Executive was asked to approve a period of consultation on a proposed new Prevention and Early Help model. Bradford East Area Committee was asked to consider and comment on the report as part of the formal consultation.

The report outlined the need for proposed changes to how services were delivered in order to ensure resources were targeted, at a time of increasing demand, to avoid a detrimental impact on outcomes to children.  It was explained that unprecedented reductions in Government funding meant that the Department of Children’s Services could not deliver services in the way it previously had.  The proposed focus would be on a partnership approach which was more targeted to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities for children and young people across the District.

The Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills addressed the meeting and provided a visual depiction, in diagrammatic form, of the proposed changes to how the children’s centre core offer across the District would be provided.  Members were advised that the proposals would result in a move from separate services (the seven Children’s Centre clusters and five Early Help clusters) to one new Prevention and Early Help Service. The preferred model included a combination of a small group of central services and four new Prevention and Early Help teams.  Based on the Families’ Needs Assessment it was proposed that the four area based teams would cover Keighley/Shipley combined; Bradford East; Bradford West and Bradford South.  There would be two types of teams working in each area dealing with both case management and preventative measures.  The proposals would reduce duplication and implement a whole family approach where families would not receive a series of interventions from different services.

Members questioned if the preferred model would still be seen as better than the existing structure if the financial cuts were not required.  The Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills  explained that the eradication of duplication of service and a move to a family based approach would still have been proposed regardless of financial cuts. In response to that statement it was felt that there could not be £13m of duplication in the service and that the new model would result in reductions in provision.  It was acknowledged that the service did not have the resources to continue as it had previously operated; however, a core offer provided in Children’s Centres would still be a priority.

A Member suggested utilising existing community buildings to provide outreach services rather than opening Children’s Centres for only a few hours per week.   That Member felt that as well as financial savings additional links would be developed within communities. The Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills agreed that, whilst there were no current plans, there may be opportunities in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

Previous Reference: Minute 49 (2016/17)

The Strategic Director Children’s Services will present a report (Document “Z”) provides an update to the report presented to this Committee in 2017 regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). It sets out the arrangements that have been put in place, an which continue to develop, to safeguard children from CSE.

Recommended –

(1)  That the contents of the report be noted.

(2)  That ways in which CSE can be tackled at a local level be considered.

(Mark Griffin – 01274 434361)

The Strategic Director Children’s Services presented a report (Document “Z”) which provided an update to the report presented to this Committee in 2017 regarding the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE). The report set out the arrangements that had been put in place, and which continued to be developed to safeguard children from CSE.

The report included a summary of statistics and data prepared by the Bradford CSE Hub Intelligence Officer and Members questioned if rises in referrals of CSE cases depicted that the Bradford East Ward was experiencing increased incidents of CSE or that they more vigilant in reporting.  It was explained that the rise was a combination of better reporting but that there were vulnerable children in that Ward.  Targeted work had been undertaken with the night time economy in Bradford East and it was agreed to get information on the focus of that work to Members.

A Member referred to discussions with the Police at regular Ward Officer Team meetings and assurances that the Police would allocate extra officers to work with Children’s Residential Homes particularly to ensure children met their curfews.  It was questioned if that intervention had been successful and, in response, he was advised that there was a police focus on missing looked after children (LAC) and ensuring that whereabouts of LAC were known at all times.  A more cohesive response could be provided with the colocation of police and local authority personnel. 

The appendices to the report referred to Bradford East Youth Work Team developing work to support young people in identifying behaviours making them vulnerable to exploitation.  It was questioned how Members could obtain those services in their own Wards.  It was agreed that discussions would be undertaken with the Area Co-ordinator after the meeting.

Members questioned the effectiveness of ethnicity definitions contained in Document Z as it was felt that classing someone as ‘white-northern European’ was vague and ambiguous.  It was explained that the definition was a police term stipulated by the Home Office.  It was agreed that the term was unclear but it did help to dispel a myth that Asian men were the main perpetrators. 

It was noted that 73% of CSE flagged young people were female but that the ethnicity was not contained in Document “Z”.  Members stressed that in order to allow strategies to be developed more detailed information was required depicting the age, gender, ethnicity and location of those people.

A Member referred to two unsuccessful bids for funding to provide online safety sessions in local communities and questioned what funds were available for community centres trying to deliver preventative work.  It was stressed that previous bids had failed due to lack of evidence, however, it was felt that the need was evidenced in the statistics and data contained in Document “Z”.  It was agreed to discuss possible funding solutions, such as the NSPCC cyber strategy, outside of the meeting.

The Portfolio Holder, Health and Wellbeing reported an event undertaken by Year 10 pupils  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

The Committee is asked to consider Document “AA” which presents the revised proposed model for the restructuring of SEND Specialist Teaching Support Services for children and young people with SEND to improve their educational outcomes.

Recommended –

That the details of Document “AA” be noted and Members make comment.

(Judith Kirk – 01274 439255)

The Committee was asked to consider Document “AA” which presented the revised proposed model for the restructuring of SEND Specialist Teaching Support Services for children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Need and Disabilities) to improve their educational outcomes.

Members were reminded that on 20 June 2017, Executive agreed to a period of consultation until 31 August 2017 with a range of stakeholders on the proposed remodelling of SEND services for children and young people from ages 0-25.

As a result of feedback and responses during that period of consultation, particularly from schools, internal staff teams and national organisations representing children and young people with sensory impairment, the proposals in the previous report to Executive were changed.

The changes took  account of the feedback received in order to:

·         Ensure that the proposals improved the quality of support and provision for all SEND pupils and met the SEN Improvement Test.

·         Ensure that the funding from the Dedicated Schools Grant High Needs Block (HNB) was used effectively and efficiently to meet the full range of SEND needs across the  0-25 years age range;

·         Provide an option which both reduced pressure on the High Needs Block and increased specialist places.

As a result of the announcement in September 2017 about the new National Funding Formula (NFF) which the government would introduce from April 2018, providing funding for children and young people with SEND. Bradford should have gained £15m but under the new proposals Bradford would now receive only £7.5m. The impact of that would be significant on the High Needs Block with the HNB spending forecasted to exceed what would be available by approximately £2m per year for the next four years. 

Members questioned the timescales for the consultation as the Council budget would be set shortly.  In response it was explained that the funding was from the Dedicated Schools Grant and would be considered by the Executive on 3 April 2018.  The decision may, however, be deferred as the time scale impinged on the pre-election period. 

Resolved –

That the details of Document “AA” be noted.

ACTION: Strategic Director, Children’s Services

(Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee