Issue - items at meetings - DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES CABINET MEMBER PRESENTATION

Presentation from the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and the Director of Children’s Services.

30.1    Vanessa Brown, Cabinet Member (CM) for Children and Young People and Di Smith, Director of Children’s Services, outlined priorities for the Children’s Trust and answered questions.

30.2    In response to a question on how children from low income families were identified and offered appropriate help, members were told that information on take up of family tax credits could be useful in identifying ‘at risk’ families. Sure Start centres, based in areas of significant deprivation, were also an important factor in addressing this issue.

30.3    In regard to questions on safeguarding of children in care and  how this can provide value for money, Members were advised that Children’s Services were working on reducing the number of children in care and looking at more effective preventative measures, in order to prevent as many children as possible from entering the care system in the first place.

30.4    In answer to a question as to why the Trust Board was being chaired for two consecutive years by the Cabinet Member (CM) for children’s services, when there was an agreement that chairing should alternate between the CM and the Chair of the PCT, members were informed that the PCT Chair had not wished to assume the Chair of the Trust Board and had asked the CM to take his place.

30.5    In regard to questions about a serious case review on child protection which was taking months to investigate, Members were advised that the Police had requested that a Police review should take place in advance of any social care review. The case will go forward to the Local Safeguarding Board on 02 December 2008.

30.6    Members requested information on the ratio of Children to Social Workers, how many Social Workers were on short-term contracts and whether only experienced social workers were employed on ‘front-line’ cases. In addition, a question was asked about the ratio of Health Visitors to under 5’s (where there was a high perception of risk). The Director of Children’s Services offered to provide this information in writing.

30.7    In reply to a question on educational services for disabled children, it was explained that the Comparison and Analysis of Special Pupil Attainment (CASPA) service was in place to assess the needs of disabled children and that this was a challenging area for the Trust.

30.8    RESOLVED-

(1)   That the Committee noted the presentation from the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and the Director of Children’s Services;

(2) That the statistical information requested (see point 30.6) be circulated to the Committee.