Resolved-

No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were received.

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 February and 14 March 2018 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Fatima Butt – 01274 432227)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 February and 14 March 2018 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

ACTION: City Solicitor

(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. 

(Fatima Butt - 01274 432227)

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

To receive referrals that have been made to this Committee up to and including the date of publication of this agenda.

The Committee is asked to note any referrals and decide how it wishes to proceed, for example by incorporating the item into the work programme, requesting that it be subject to more detailed examination, or refer it to an appropriate Working Group/Committee.

No referrals had been received.

The Chair on behalf of the Committee thanked Councillor Val Slater for her dedication and exemplary service in her role as the Health and Wellbeing Portfolio and wished her well for the future.

Judith Kirk was also thanked for the work she had undertaken which the Chair stressed had made a positive difference to the service.

Judith thanked the Committee for making her feel welcome.

Previous Reference:           Minute 43 (2017/18)

Members are reminded that the Committee asked for regular updates to be provided on the work of the Schools Forum.

In accordance with the above the Strategic Director, Children’s Services will submit Document “AL” which reports that the Schools Forum has met once (14 March 2018) since the Committee’s last update and the report provides progress since that meeting.

Recommended-

That the update provided in Document “AL” be noted.

                                                            (Andrew Redding – 01274 432678)

Previous Reference:           Minute 43 (2017/18)

Members were reminded that the Committee asked for regular updates to be provided on the work of the Schools Forum.

In accordance with the above the Strategic Director, Children’s Services  submitted Document “AL” which reported that the Schools Forum had met once (14 March 2018) since the Committee’s last update and the report provided progress since that meeting.

The following points from the report were highlighted:

·         The Schools Forum recommendations on the allocation of the 2018/19 Dedicated Schools Grant were approved by Council on 22 February 2018; the Local Authority was now engaged in delivering those recommendations.

·         The reviews of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability)  and SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) provisions, and Bradford’s High Needs Block financial strategy would continue to be  high priority agenda items for the Schools Forum and for the Authority during 2018; the Authority was currently establishing a High Needs Block Steering Group.

·         Other reports to the Schools Forum meeting on 14 March provided updates on DSG and school and academy budget matters, including an interim update on the anticipated volume of conversions of maintained schools to academy status in Bradford and the likelihood of liabilities resulting from the conversion of schools holding deficit budgets.

·         From April 2018, the value per Looked After Child nationally increased to £2,300 with the Authority planning to continue to retain £575 (25%), passing £1,725 to schools and acadamies.

·         The Schools Forum had confirmed its recognition of the value Trade Union Support Services to schools funded from the DSG and had ratified its initial decision to continue de-delegation at current values in the 2018/19 financial year.

There was a short discussion on how the reserve of £917,000 from the Early Years Block would be used.

Resolved-

That Document “AL” and the continued updates provided to the Committee be welcomed.

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services will submit Document “AM” which updates the Committee on a number of key areas relating to school organisation in the Bradford District and includes school expansions, Education Capital Funding and academy conversions.

Recommended-

That the report be noted.

                                                                                    (Judith Kirk -01274 431078)

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services submitted Document “AM” which updated the Committee on a number of key areas relating to school organisation in the Bradford District and included school expansions, Education Capital Funding and academy conversions.

The following points from the report were highlighted:

·         A number of secondary schools had increased their Published Admission Numbers and two new Free Schools, which the Educational Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) were in the process of delivering, would create an extra 1,200 places.

·         The increase in primary numbers had slowed with forecast numbers in some areas of the District starting to reduce. The pressure on pupil numbers at secondary level was increasing as the increased primary numbers moved through the system. The secondary school expansions that the Council was undertaking together with the new Free Schools the ESFA were delivering should deliver sufficient places for future years.

·         Schools Capital Maintenance Grant and Devolved Formula Capital allocations were normally announced by the ESFA in March/April 2018 for all Councils. 

·         The ESFA was also expected to announce whether the Council would be allocated any Basic Need funding for 2020-2021.  Basic Need funding was the money the ESFA allocated to Councils to be used for School expansion projects so that Councils could fulfill their statutory duty to make sure there were enough school places for children in the local area.

·         The Council was also undertaking a program of School Academy conversions in line with the requirements of the Academies Act 2010. To date, the Council had converted 79 schools to academy status, and, there were a further 18 in progress. This left a balance of 125 schools which were not academies – this included maintained schools, trusts, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools, nurseries and PRUs (primary, secondary and special).

·         £300,000 had been allocated from the Healthy Pupil Capital Fund; Multi Academy Trusts and the Diocese had also been allocated the Healthy Pupil Capital funding; discussions were being held with schools and colleges on how this funding would be allocated.

A short discussion was held on the method used in allocating the Healthy Pupil Capital Funding and the late announcement by the Educational Skills and Funding Agency of the Schools Capital Maintenance Grant and Devolved Formula Capital allocations.

In response to a Member’s question it was reported that Governing Bodies of schools decided whether they continued to have/or not have a sixth form.

 Resolved-

That the report be noted.

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services will submit Document “AN” which provides an update on the progress and development of the Fostering Service and the changes introduced since the appointment of the new Service Manager on 23 October 2017.

Recommended-

That the significant developments in the Fostering Service including areas that were not necessarily addressed in the Fostering Review, due to restrictions on time and the size of the service be noted.

                                                                        (Jim Hopkinson – 01274 432904)

The Strategic Director, Children’s Services submitted Document “AN” which provided an update on the progress and development of the Fostering Service and the changes introduced since the appointment of the new Service Manager on 23 October 2017.

The following points from the report were highlighted:

·         A full time Recruiting and Marketing Manager was appointed in early October 2017 as well as a Community Resource Worker which supported the Service with the recruitment activities undertaken to attract new foster carers.

·         The Service joined a regional campaign ‘You Can Foster’, which had been advertised widely through social media, street side posters, radio and TV adverts; to date for 2017-18, the campaign had generated 100 enquirers, of which 4 had progressed from initial enquiry.

·         There were currently 28 households still in active enquiry stage.
Bradford had shown the best return on investment in the Yorkshire and Humberside region so far with 1.9 enquiries per 10K in the population, compared to Leeds (1.4 per 10K), Kirklees (1.3 per 10K) and North Yorkshire (1.45 per 10K).

·         The Service had revised its telephone service for those interested in fostering. The “You Can Foster” campaign and website directly relayed people into the service.

·         At the start of the financial year 2017/18 the target was to recruit 50 new fostering households; the figure to date had now exceeded this with 71 new households; this improvement was significant and was a direct impact of the marketing activity and management direction.

·         Additionally, to meet future demand, the service had now shortlisted 9 social workers from the wider Children’s Service  who would be ‘casual workers’ for the Fostering Service. The target although ambitious, for the next financial year was to double the mainstream provision to 42.

·         The Service had done some drop in information sessions for Council workers across the District. This had provided an opportunity for council staff to pick up leaflets about Fostering and more were planned in the year.

·         A Fostering event took place on the 14^th September 2017 to launch the revised foster carers’ handbook. 

·         The Fostering Service had now set a date for the first annual carer conference taking place 23^rd May 2018 which would be joined by the Director and Founder of Foster Focus, who himself was brought up in care to deliver a Keynote speech.

·         Worry Monsters had picked up in pace and the community in the Bradford district had got behind their production. The pace and size of knitting groups had supported social workers being able to put an order in for a worry monster for children they were supporting. The monsters supported direct work with children and young people. The children were reassured that it was ok to have worries, they wrote them down and pop their worries into the worry monster’s mouth and the worries could stay there until they were ready to talk to a trusted adult.

·         A significant development within the service was the launch of the Fostering Service’s Standards of Practice in January 2018.  It was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77.

The Chair of the Committee will submit Document “AO” which details the progress made against the resolutions passed by this Committee during the 2017/18 municipal year.

The Committee is asked to comment on areas where resolutions do not appear to have been acted upon or feel insufficient progress has been made.

                                                                        (Licia Woodhead – 01274 432119)

The Chair of the Committee submitted Document “AO” which detailed the progress made against the resolutions passed by this Committee during the 2017/18 municipal year.

Resolved-

That the report be noted.

The Chair thanked Members and Officers for their positive contribution to the work of the Committee and thanked officers who supported the Committee for their valued advice offered to Members.