No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were received.

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 9 and 23 March 2022 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Jill Bell/Kawal Amrez – 07970 413716/07929 070288)

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 9 and 23 March 2022 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. 

(Jill Bell/Kanwal Amrez – 07970 413716/07929 070288)

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

There were no referrals to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee is asked to confirm and recommend to Council the

appointment of the following non-voting co-opted representatives for the

2022/2023 municipal year:

NON VOTING CO-OPTED MEMBERS:

Teachers Secondary School Representative: Tom Bright

Children’s Social Care – Dr Samina Karim

                                    (Jill Bell/Kanwal Amrez – 0970 413716/07929 070288)

Following the tragic deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in Solihull in June 2020, Star Hobson in Keighley, Bradford in September 2020, and the subsequent two murder trials and convictions in December 2021 of their parents and partners, a national review of learning from the two cases was initiated.

The review was undertaken by the national independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. This panel commissions reviews of serious child safeguarding cases, focusing on improving learning, professional practice and outcomes for children, based on the possibility of identifying improvements from cases that it views as complex or of national importance.

The review's primary focus was to try and understand how and why public services and systems designed to protect children were not able to do so. The review looked in detail at service responses to the two children's experiences, to make sense of what can be learned and must do differently in the future locally and nationally. The review, published on the 26^{th of} May 2022 has six local and eight national recommendations. The Overview and Scrutiny report (Document “A”) focuses primarily on the national and local recommendations in respect of Star Hobson.

Recmmended -

            That the Overview and Scrutiny committee commit to working closely with partners to deliver on the recommendations within the developmental action plan and progressing the extensive wider work presently on going in Bradford.

                                                            (Darren Minton 01274 434361)

The Board Manager from Safeguarding Children's Board advised Committee Members that the Review Panel conducted an investigation into the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson, the report was balanced and fair.

The Officer advised that challenges had been identified amongst various issues. Focussed work was underway to revise protocols and train staff in relation to assessing risk, sharing information and provide quality supervision of social workers. Review and action was being taken on all statutory multi-agency processes used to keep children safe including child protection medicals, strategy discussions and Section 47 enquiries

The Review had set out eight national recommendations and six recommendations for the partnership in Bradford. There is a need for sharper communication between partners/organisations.

It was reported that specific training had been delivered to the CSC and Health care staff on coercive and controlling behaviours in relationships and the impact on children learning, hidden partners and diversity.

The Safeguarding Partnership, the Children's Commissioner and Chair of the improvement board are reviewing arrangements including governance and performance to ensure actions are taken and that agencies are held to account.

The Chair of the Committee asked if partners were confident that changes had been made that would make something like this less likely to happen.

The Strategic Director for Children’s Services advised that something like this could never be eliminated but now there would be a much more open culture with agencies and more readiness to work together. New efforts had been made with training staff and encouraging them to report any concerns.

The Officer from West Yorkshire Police advised that they had introduced a Neglect toolkit which could be drawn upon by practitioners from all agencies to identify and effectively respond to cases of neglect and that they would work to recommendations but it was a difficult environment and the main challenge from the report is to have key partners to work together and share information so that swift action could be taken. It was reported that more officers and practitioners were now in post with expert knowledge.

The Officer said that one of the key things that stood out from the report was partnership, all the organisations have already made some changes and the protection of children was of high priority for all partners and agencies in Bradford.

The Officer suggested on better ways of working collectively with Partners, have better communication and to also identify ways of following up on action plans to monitor progress.

The Chair of the Committee pointed out that the calls of family members for Star Hobson reporting concerns were dismissed and requested to know what measures had been put in place to ensure that social workers and other key staff do not dismiss vital information.

The Officer from West Yorkshire Police reported that the department had undertaken further training, in Star’s case the initial assessment had set the case as malicious from the beginning. Officers had been trained to challenge everything and to not be frightened of sensitivity.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The report of the Chair of the Children’s Services Overview and

Scrutiny Committee (Document “B”) presents the Committee’s Draft

Work Programme 2022-23.

Recommended-

(1) That members consider and comment on the areas of work

included in the work programme.

(2) That members consider any detailed scrutiny reviews that

they may wish to conduct.

                                                (Mustansir Butt – 01274 432574)