Issue - items at meetings - Children's Services s75 Agreement

Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached).

RESOLVED –

(1)       That the Committee notes the proposed principles of the S75 agreements as set out in Appendix One and the proposed governance arrangements as set out in Appendix Two and makes any comments in relation to those known to Cabinet in time for its meeting on 11 March 2010.

(2)       That the Committee notes the proposed new duties in relation to establishing a Children’s Trust Board outlined in paragraph 4.1 of the report and notes that these proposals will be taken forward by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.

87.1         The Committee considered a report of the Director Children’s Services concerning proposed changes to the Council’s existing partnership arrangements with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and South Downs Health NHS Trust (SDH) in relation to Children’s Services and addressing new draft Statutory Guidance in relation to Children’s Trusts Boards.

87.2         In response to a question from Councillor Taylor regarding councillor membership of the new Children’s Trust Board, Councillor Brown confirmed that there were no plans to change the cross-party make-up of the existing Board.

87.3         The Assistant Director for Strategic Commissioning & Governance for the Children & Young People’s Trust explained that the proposals represented the creation of separate agreements between the council and the PCT, and the council and SDH in respect of commissioning and provision. Two newly created Joint Management Groups of officers would meet regularly to monitor performance in relation to the agreements and the role of the Children’s Trust Board would change to fulfil new statutory requirements. He added that the PCT had requested for issues escalated from their Joint Management Group to first go to their Strategic Commissioning Board before being taken further.

87.4         Councillor Oxley assured Councillor Taylor that the proposed new arrangements would in no way prevent scrutiny of the work carried out by all three organisations; monthly meetings of the officer groups would ensure that performance would be monitored more closely than had previously been possible.

87.5         RESOLVED –

(1)         That the proposed principles of the S75 agreements and the proposed governance arrangements be noted and any comments from the Committee be made known to Cabinet in time for its meeting on 11 March 2010.

(2)         That the proposed new duties in relation to establishing a Children’s Trust Board be noted and that it be noted that the proposals would be taken forward by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People.