Issue - items at meetings - Children and Young People - Committee Planning

Report of Strategic Director, People (copy attached)

1. That the draft annual plan as given in 3.7, and reflecting the Corporate Plan should be used to direct the work of this Committee and the officers servicing it; and

2. That Chairs of the various children’s committees should meet bi-annually to agree a common forward plan.

8.1       The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director, People setting out the Committees proposed Business Plan for 2012/13.

8.2       The Strategic Director explained that the revised constitution allowed for a number of committees to direct and oversee work with children. These included the Children and Young People’s Committee, The Corporate Parenting Sub Committee and the Health and Wellbeing Board. Public and community health matters relating to children could also be considered at the Adult Care and Health Committee. The work of these various committees was overseen by the Strategic Director, who also served as the Council’s Statutory Director of Children’s Services (DCS). Scrutiny of decisions by these various boards and committees would be the responsibility of a revised scrutiny process.

8.3       The Committee report was intended to help committee members ensure that their programme of work did not duplicate that of related committees or groups. The various responsibilities of the committees mentioned in the body of the paper were also included as appendices to the report.

8.4       Councillor Wealls stated that whilst in full agreement that an unnecessary duplication should be avoided it was also important that the Committee were aware of work being undertaken in other areas (for instance in relation to on-going scrutiny work) which was germane to the role. Other Members of the Committee were in agreement with that view and. The Chair, referred to a survey relating to autism which was currently underway suggesting that it might be appropriate for a progress report in respect of this matter to come forward to a future meeting. The Strategic Director confirmed that this would occur.

8.5       The Strategic Director explained that as it stood the next meeting of the Committee was scheduled to take place on 17 September, however, that presented practical difficulties in preparing reports for a September cycle as the deadlines for receipt of key information (some to be provided by schools and other key partners) and report preparation fell within the August recess and more importantly during the school summer holidays. To address these problems it was proposed that the September meeting be cancelled and that this be replaced by one to take place on 15 October. It was recognised that this would result in a tight turn around time between the October and November meetings, this would however facilitate in an even flow of business between meetings across the year. It should also be noted that the meeting to which any given item was referred could change throughout the year. For example it was possible that the Annual report on the Music and Arts Service might go to the November, rather than October Committee meeting.

8.6       Members agreed that it would be appropriate to reschedule the meeting which had been due to take place on 17 September and to hold it on Monday 15 October from 4.00pm instead.

8.7       RESOLVED – (1). That the draft annual plan as given in 3.7, and reflecting the Corporate Plan should be used to direct the work of this Committee and the officers servicing it; ( it is noted that the meeting  originally scheduled for 17 September is now cancelled and that a meeting will take place in its stead on 15 October 2012) and

            (2) That Chairs of the various children’s committees should meet bi-annually to agree a common forward plan.