(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

Notes:

(1)       Members may remain in the meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an interest which the Member feels would call into question their compliance with the wider principles set out in the Code of Conduct.  Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

(2)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

(3)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity.

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

                                                                        (Jill Bell – 01274 434580)

No disclosures of interest in items under consideration were received

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 March and 12 April 20219 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Jill Bell – 01274 434580)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meetings held on 8 March and 12 April 2021 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 - 01274 434580)

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

The Strategic Director of Children’s Services will present a report (Document “A”) that provides members of the Corporate Parenting Panel with an update on current care arrangements for our looked after children and to review the Corporate Parenting Consultation review held 28^th July 2021.

Recommended -

This report is for information only.

(Children’s Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee)

(David Johnstone – 07811 504159)

The Assistant Director, Children’s Services submitted a report (Document “A”) that provided members of the Corporate Parenting Panel with an update on current care arrangements for Bradford’s looked after children and a summary of the outcome of the Corporate Parenting Consultation review held 28th July 2021.

The Panel noted that a major theme to emerge from the Corporate Parenting Consultation review on 28 July 2021 (“the July 2021 Consultation”), which had involved both young people and carers, had been lack of consistency and responsiveness of contact with social workers.  Asked how the Panel could support stabilisation of the social work workforce,  Assistant Director, Children’s Services, stated that Bradford’s current Ofsted status presented challenges to recruitment. Having reviewed how this issue had been addressed by similarly positioned local authorities, officers were exploring options to:

·         improve retention of social workers;

·         recruit agency social workers as permanent staff; and

·         where continued use of agency social workers could not be avoided, establish a single contract to provide a team of social workers, so that the social workers supplied remained in place for the duration of the contract. 

Examples of such options included:

·         reviewing salaries: Bradford social worker salaries were comparable with those of other local authorities – an increase could be considered;

·         inclusion in the contract of social workers of a guaranteed number of training days;

·         inclusion in the contract of social workers of guaranteed supervision arrangements;

·         support for the costs of car parking: while social worker salaries in Bradford were comparable with those of other local authorities, car parking charges significantly reduced the actual take-home pay of Bradford staff;

·         an offer of a two-month sabbatical after three years in post; and

·         recruitment and retention allowances.

A Member asked whether more needed tobe done to ensure rigorous and consistent record-keeping by social workers so that, in the event of staffing changes, a young person’s new social worker was fully informed of their background, issues and necessary actions.  The  Assistant Director, Children’s Services replied that, while record-keeping could reduce the impact of turnover of social workers, record-keeping alone was not enough to ensure that a new social worker was fully abreast of the rapidly changing circumstances that often affected young people in or approaching care.  Furthermore, good record-keeping could not substitute for the development of the trusting relationships that were essential to enable young people to thrive.

Action Point: in order to improve the recruitment process to attract permanent Social Workers, the Director (or HR) be asked to establish an attractive recruitment package that included car parking etc

Action: Strategic Director, Children’s Services

The Panel noted that a second major theme to emerge from the 28 July 2021 Consultation had been pathway planning and entitlements.  The Panel had previously been informed that pathway planning was strong, but this was not the perception of young people themselves, who were unclear about their entitlements.   Asked how information about pathways and entitlements was being clarified and communicated more effectively to young people, the Assistant Director,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.