Committees
The Joint Committee on Children and Young People will take place in the Council Chamber, Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Friday, 22 August 2008 at 10.30 a.m. Tea and coffee will be available from 10.00 a.m.
Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive
Highland Council
Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
Business
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of Meeting of the Joint Committee held on 6 June 2008
Circulated for noting.
3. Revenue Budget 2008/09 – Monitoring Report
There are circulated the following reports on Revenue Expenditure:-
a) Revenue Budget - Unaudited Outturn 2007/08
Report No cyp-30-08 by Bill Alexander, Head of Integrated Children’s Services setting out the unaudited Revenue Budget outturn position for the Joint Committee for the year ended 31 March 2008.
Members are invited to note the unaudited 2007/08 Revenue Budget outturn position.
b) Revenue Budget - Monitoring 2008/09
Report No cyp-31-08 by Bill Alexander, Head of Integrated Children’s Services detailing the position of the Joint Committee for Children and Young People budget as at 30 June 2008.
The Joint Committee is asked to note the report.
4. NHS Highland Children and Young People’s Budgets
Report No cyp-32-08 by David McRonald, Head of Finance (Community Care) informing Members of the totality of NHS Highland’s funding for Children and Young People’s Services.
The Joint Committee is asked to note the report.
5. Rates for Early Education Partner Centres
Report No cyp-33-08 by Bill Alexander, Head of Integrated Children’s Services setting out the options for increases in commissioning rates for early education partner centres in 2008/09.
The Joint Committee is asked to consider the issues raised and to agree to meet the inflationary pressure on partner centres, the additional costs of fulfilling the European working time directive and to fund fully the management pressures as highlighted in the report.
6. Care Commission Report on Child Protection in Residential Care
Report No cyp-34-08 by Bill Alexander, Head of Integrated Children’s Services on the Care Commission’s report “Protecting children and young people in residential care: are we doing enough?” It identifies current policy issues in Highland and makes recommendations with regard to further actions.
The Joint Committee is asked to agree that:-
i. all of the recommendations of the report are relevant to private and
voluntary sector establishments within Highland;
ii. the report and the recommendations be brought to the attention of
providers with a request that they undertake an audit;
iii. officers bring the report to the attention of residential schools where the
Council has placements and ask those schools what actions they are taking
with regard to the recommendations;
iv. the Council audit practice its own units against the relevant
recommendations and include any performance improvements in Unity
Quality Improvement Plans; and
v. the Council, in particular,
• explore the enhancement of personal plans for children in residential care
within the new Child’s Plan framework
• review current approved techniques for physical restraint, including the
application of the Care Commission’s “Holding Safely” guidelines
• formally review the respective roles and responsibilities of Who Cares?
Scotland and the Children’s Rights Officer in the management and
monitoring of child protection for children in residential care.
7. Sweet 16: The Age of Leaving Care in Scotland
Report No cyp-35-08 by Linda Maclennan, Resource Manager on a report from Scotland’s Commissioner on Children and Young People entitled “Sweet 16: The Age of Leaving Care in Scotland”. Members will be aware that the report makes 23 main recommendations and identifies 21 specific issues for Highland’s Integrated Children’s Services.
The Joint Committee is asked to consider the issues raised in the “Sweet 16” report and those raised in the response made to the recommendations.
8. Highland Children’s Forum Final Report on “For Highland’s Children
2: “Are We There Yet? – A Way To Go”
Report No cyp-36-08 by Bill Alexander, Head of Integrated Children’s Services introducing a presentation by Highland Children’s Forum of the final report on the consultation with young people about implementation of For Highland’s Children 2. A copy of the final report is circulated as a separate booklet.
The Joint Committee is asked to consider and comment on the final report.
9. Reporting on Services to Young People
Report No cyp-37-08 by Innis Mitchell, Integration Manager introducing a booklet which is designed to be read by all young people of secondary school age explaining the aims and scope of children’s services in Highland. A copy of the draft booklet is circulated separately.
In considering the objectives and method of Reporting to Children and Young People, the Joint Committee is asked to agree that work continues to complete the booklet and that it is then distributed to all secondary aged pupils.
10. Children’s Oral Health – A Trajectory for Improvement
Report No cyp-38-08 by David Babb (Senior Dental Officer, Oral Health Promotion and Epidemiology) introducing a presentation highlighting Highland’s improvement trends in children’s oral health. These trends indicate progress towards the national targets as detailed in the National Dental Inspection Programme reports of recent years. The presentation also introduces Members to the Childsmile programme which is designed to deliver further improvements to child oral health across Scotland.
The Joint Committee is invited to comment on the issues raised by the presentation.
11. Future Business of Joint Committee for Children and Young People
Report No cyp-39-08 by Bill Alexander, Head of Integrated Children’s Services setting out a proposed list of reports to be considered at future meetings of the Joint Committee on Children and Young People.
The Joint Committee is asked to note the proposed list of reports as follows:-
Additional Support in the Early Years
Play Development
Gaelic Medium 0-5 Developments
Analysis of Lifestyle Survey Pilot
Changing Drugs Strategy
Review of Primary Mental Health Workers
Surestart Funding and Future Developments
12. Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Joint Committee will be held on Friday 3 October 2008 at 2.15 p.m. in Committee Rooms 1 and 2, Highland Council Headquarters, Inverness.