Minutes of Meeting of the Joint Committee on Children and Young People held in the Board Room, Assynt House, Beechwood Park, Inverness on Friday 20 November 2009 at 10.30 am.
Present:
Members:
NHS Highland
Ms P Courcha (in the Chair)
Mr I Gibson
Mrs A Bethune
Mrs G McCreath
Mr C Punler (by video-conferencing)
Mrs J Baird
Highland Council
Mrs M C Davidson
Mr W Fernie
Mr A M Millar
Mrs E McAllister
Mrs E MacDonald
Ms J Douglas, Chairman of the Highland Drug and Alcohol Action Team
Mrs H Dempster, Chairman of Highland Child Protection Committee/Director of Social Work
Officers:
Highland Council
Mr D Goldie, Head of Housing
Ms M Campbell, Development Officer (Disability)
Mrs R Moir, Principal Administrator, Chief Executive’s Office
Miss M Murray, Committee Administrator, Chief Executive’s Office
Highland Council/NHS
Mr B Alexander, Head of Children’s Services
NHS
Ms S Amor, Child Health Commissioner
In attendance:
Mrs L Munro, Children’s Champion
Mrs M E Paterson, Children’s Champion
Mr C Munro, Highland Children’s Forum
Ms C MacLean, Children in the Highlands Information Point + (CHIP+)
Preliminaries
Members were informed that, in order to take forward various changes in Social Work Services, the Council had created the temporary post of Chief Operating Officer, to which Mr Bill Alexander had been appointed for a period of six months. During that period, Mr Jon King, Head of Operations (Community Care), would undertake the role of Head of Integrated Children’s Services although Mr Alexander would maintain an overview. Mr King would be in attendance at the next meeting of the Joint Committee.
1. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Mr M Monahan, Ms A Darlington and Mr H Fraser.
2. Minutes of Meeting of the Joint Committee held on 2 October 2009
The Minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 2 October 2009 had been circulated and were NOTED.
Arising from the Minutes, also NOTED, in relation to the following:-
i. Item 4 – For Highland’s Children 3 – a final draft of the document would be
circulated to allow Members of the Committee the opportunity to
comment on the changes which had been incorporated before going to
print during the first two weeks in December; and
ii. Item 10 – Children’s Rights Services – Who Cares? Scotland would make a
presentation to the Committee on 15 January 2010.
3. Revenue Budget 2009/10 – Monitoring Report
Report No CYP-42-09 by Bill Alexander, Head of Children’s Services had been circulated detailing the position of the Joint Committee’s budget as at 30 September 2009.
At this stage in the financial year, year end projections were becoming increasingly meaningful and the budget as a whole was currently projected to underspend by £550k. In relation to the Out of Authority Placements budget, there was currently a projected underspend of £300k; however, there was a related increase in the number of independent sector care placements being made within the authority, many of which were a direct alternative to a residential school placement, and this was likely to incur some expenditure from this budget.
In relation to the underspend, particularly on the Early Years and New Community Schools Approach budgets, Members were assured that investment was still taking place in early intervention. A review of early years provision was ongoing and, to sustain that service, more focus on core centres was necessary. The Joint Committee budget would be less for this in the future and accordingly it was necessary to adopt a phased expenditure approach.
During discussion, it was suggested that consideration be given to establishing a post relating to early intervention and that there might be money available within existing budgets which could be reassigned in this regard. Details of projects which were models of early intervention were also provided.
NOTED the current budget position as at 30 September 2009.
4. Update – Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)
Report No CYP-43-09 by Bill Alexander, Head of Children’s Services had been circulated providing an update on the implementation of GIRFEC in Highland.
The Head of Children’s Services informed Members that the national evaluation was now complete and this would be announced by the Minister for Children and Early Years at a press conference on Monday, 23 November 2009. The Scottish Government was extremely pleased with the evaluation and GIRFEC would now be implemented nationally. A summary of the main findings of the evaluation report was tabled and a number of positive outcomes were highlighted. It was also emphasised that there were issues in relation to sustaining good practice which had been introduced. The Joint Committee had led the implementation of GIRFEC in Highland and Bernadette Finnie, the Council’s GIRFEC Project Manager, would be in attendance at the Scottish Government’s press conference.
During discussion, the following comments were made:-
• the importance of publicising the findings of the evaluation throughout
Highland was emphasised and it was suggested that an in-depth press
interview be carried out;
• the Minister for Children and Early Years had supported the Committee
throughout the implementation of GIRFEC and it would be appropriate to
send him a letter of thanks;
• staff in Highland had helped to shape children’s services in Scotland and this
would become more evident as GIRFEC was implemented nationally over the
coming months;
• the difficulties faced by front-line staff, officers and partners involved in the
implementation of GIRFEC were acknowledged and it was important that
they were congratulated for their efforts at the earliest opportunity; and
• appreciation was expressed for the hard work and dedication of the
evaluation team, particularly Morag MacNeil.
NOTED the report and AGREED that:-
i. the findings of the national evaluation of GIRFEC be publicised throughout
Highland and the possibility of carrying out an in-depth press interview be
investigated;
ii. a letter be sent to the Minister for Children and Early Years thanking him
for his support in relation to the implementation of GIRFEC; and
iii. congratulations be conveyed to all front-line staff, officers and partners
involved in the implementation of GIRFEC.
5. Improving Accommodation for Young People
Report No CYP-44-09 by David Goldie, Head of Housing had been circulated providing an update on issues relating to young people and families with children becoming homeless, including the use of temporary accommodation.
Speaking to the report, the Head of Housing highlighted a number of key statistics. In particular, there had been significant improvement in the Council’s performance in relation to The Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order 2004 which set out what was acceptable as accommodation for pregnant women or families with children. Planefield House, which provided intensive support to young people, was now operational and a supported lodgings scheme run by Barnardos Springboard was underway. The Council’s Housing and Property and Social Work Services had developed a Protocol on accommodation and support for young people leaving care and this was being implemented. In addition, work was ongoing on incorporating the duties placed on the Council under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 into the GIRFEC programme.
In response to questions, the Head of Housing explained that there were a number of tenancy support services, the majority of which were commissioned from external support providers, and he undertook to investigate the position in Badenoch and Strathspey in particular and inform Ms J Douglas accordingly. In relation to engaging with young people before they left school, this was a key action in the Homelessness Strategy. The issue of continuing housing support for care leavers was also raised but it was pointed out that this would be addressed more fully in the report on transitions at Item 8 on the agenda.
During further discussion, the following comments were also made:-
• the progress which had been made over a short period of time was
welcomed;
• it was vital that Council rent arrears cases were addressed at an early stage
to avoid eviction proceedings where possible;
• information was sought on how much housing support was provided to
young people and the potential budget implications;
• an analysis of young people presenting themselves as homeless, who had
previously been in the care of a local authority, was requested to identify
how many were prison leavers;
• steps should be taken to increase levels of intervention for young women in
Cornton Vale Prison;
• young women leaving prison faced significant difficulties and consideration
should be given to providing a dedicated facility for them; and
• community service needed to be more relevant to female offenders.
Thereafter, the Director of Social Work undertook to prepare a briefing note for Members on the issues which had been raised in relation to Cornton Vale Prison.
NOTED the progress which had been made in relation to the use of accommodation and AGREED that:-
i. information be provided to Ms J Douglas on tenancy support provision in
Badenoch and Strathspey;
ii. information be presented to a future meeting of the Committee on how
much housing support was provided to young people and the potential
budget implications;
iii. an analysis be carried out, and presented to a future meeting of the
Committee, to identify how many young people presenting themselves as
homeless, who had previously been in the care of a local authority, were
prison leavers;
iv. a briefing note be presented to Members on the issues surrounding young
women leaving Cornton Vale Prison and the possibility of improving service
links with the Prison.
6. Improving Services for Looked After Children – An Action Plan
Report No CYP-45-09 by Bill Alexander, Head of Children’s Services had been circulated providing an opportunity to review the outcome of the Corporate Parenting Seminar held on 30 October 2009, particularly in relation to the Looked After Children Action Plan and the Scottish Government Letter to NHS Chief Executives.
The issues raised at the Corporate Parenting Seminar were summarised. In relation to the Looked After Children Action Plan, it was explained that this had been enhanced following discussion at the Seminar. The revised Improvement Objectives and Targets were detailed in the report and, subject to Members’ comments, would be incorporated in ‘For Highland’s Children’s 3’. Further information was also provided on implementation plans relative to the Scottish Government’s letter to NHS Chief Executives regarding Looked After Children.
During discussion, the following comments were made:-
• the Seminar had been well attended, moving and informative;
• Looked After Children at home tended to have poorer education outcomes
than those who were accommodated and it was important that this was
addressed in conjunction with the target to increase the proportion of
Looked After Children at home;
• in relation to the target to increase the number of children in permanent
placements, the importance of communicating with children to prepare
them for any such move was stressed;
• the benefits of adoption were emphasised and it was suggested that the
target relating to increasing the number of children in permanent
placements should include adoption;
• numbers of adoptions had reduced and it was suggested that an advertising
campaign be carried out to address this;
• the emphasis on listening to the views of children and young people was
welcomed;
• with regard to continuity of public services for the Armed Forces, there
were a number of service families in Highland and it was an issue which
required to be addressed; and
• it was necessary to work closely with the Children’s Panel to try to secure
the future of Looked After Children more quickly.
In relation to education outcomes for Looked After Children at home, Members were informed that a second Education Link Worker had been approved for the current year and it was hoped that this additional support would lead to improvements and discussions could then take place regarding identifying funding for continuation of the post.
Reducing placement moves for Looked After Children was a challenging area given the pressure on the accommodation system as a whole which was largely due to increasing numbers of young children and babies in foster care.
In response to questions, it was explained that there were a number of complex indicators in relation to each target and the Looked After Children Strategy Group would interpret the data and report the findings to the Committee. The Children’s Plan would be published in December and reporting would begin as soon as possible thereafter.
With regard to kinship care, a support service for families was being delivered by Social Work Services on a trial basis. Some families sought support outwith the formal systems and Children 1st were able to provide that support. In addition, a number of families received support from a kinship carer group. As part of the budget setting process, discussions were taking place with Children 1st regarding the range of services they might continue to provide and it was hoped that the kinship care service would be a priority.
NOTED the outcome of the Corporate Parenting Seminar and AGREED:-
i. the Looked After Children Action Plan, subject to inclusion of the
comments made by Members at the meeting, and that the Committee
should ensure robust scrutiny and governance of the Plan as part of its
corporate parenting responsibilities;
ii. that the possibility of running an advertising campaign aimed at people who
might be willing to adopt be investigated; and
iii. that a progress report on the Looked After Children Action Plan be
submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.
7. Review of Respite Provision
Report No CYP-46-09 by Marlyn Campbell, Development Officer (Disability) had been circulated updating Members on progress with the review of respite provision.
The review of children’s respite provision in Highland had commenced early in 2009 following the introduction of new Scottish Government guidance which stressed the need for partnerships to make explicit plans for respite provision, building on the implementation of GIRFEC. A Working Group had been established to undertake the review and develop a Highland Strategy on Short Breaks (Respite). The report summarised the remit of the Working Group and some of the key local issues. Progress had been made but increasing respite provision continued to be a challenge at a time of reducing budgets.
During discussion, the following comments were made:-
• respite provision was a challenging area and it would be useful to have a
presentation at a future meeting of the Committee;
• caring for children with complex needs was a difficult role both for parents
and carers;
• it was important to focus on the outcomes that direct payments for respite
delivered in terms of preventing family breakdowns and improving the quality
of life of children and it was suggested that this should be examined and
incorporated into the proposed presentation to the Committee;
• the intention to consult with users of respite services was welcomed; and
• the importance of fully utilising respite facilities for children and young people
was emphasised.
In response to questions, Members were informed that although there was some evidence of misuse of direct payments this was negligible. Approximately 40 to 45 families in Highland received such payments, the majority of which were for respite. Respite was delivered in a range of ways but, in general, families preferred residential provision. To assist in effective monitoring, a review of how the performance indicator for respite was calculated was currently underway.
Specific issues in relation to provision at The Orchard and the Staffin Respite Centre were explained. With regard to unused capacity, this was being addressed by improved service links and the matching of needs to resources. Further detail was also provided on the role of The Young Karers East Sutherland (TYKES) project, Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers Project and the Princess Royal Trust Action for Children Service in providing respite provision for young carers, for which there was a lack of explicit funding.
In relation to the proposed presentation, it was suggested that this should take place in May/June 2010 when more accurate statistics would be available to demonstrate the range of respite provision in Highland, from residential to after-school activity.
NOTED the progress made and the outcomes to date and AGREED that a presentation on children’s respite provision be made to the Committee on 4 June 2010.
8. Improving the Transition for Children into Adulthood – A Multi-
Agency Response
Report No CYP-47-09 by Jon King, Head of Operations (Community Care) had been circulated indicating developments in the co-ordinated multi-agency strategic and operational management of transitions for young people into young adulthood.
A Chief Officers Group had recently been established to improve co-ordination and co-operation between services and agencies throughout the transition years. In seeking to develop an appropriate structure to achieve those goals, the Head of Operations (Community Care) had undertaken a review of existing workstreams and the outcomes of the review were summarised.
During discussion, the following comments were made:-
• if the Council’s bid to the Future Jobs Fund was successful, up to 90
temporary training places would be created and it was important to ensure
that some of those positions were offered to young people for whom the
Council were corporate parents;
• as corporate parents, it was essential to consider what could be done to
help Looked After Children through transition to adulthood;
• transitions was a cross-service issue and it was important that all Councillors
were well informed on the matter;
• although the proposed management framework comprised a number of
services and agencies, the overall responsibility for transitions management
lay within Community Care and Children's Services;
• NHS Highland did not have separate management for Community Care and
Children's Services and it was important that capacity was monitored;
• a review should be carried out in 12 to 18 months time to assess the impact
of the proposed developments;
• at present there was an artificial division between child and adult services
and consideration should be given to planning seamless services from
childhood to adulthood;
• it was important to ensure that transitions management was on the
Community Planning Partnership's agenda;
• it was suggested that Children's Champions be invited to attend the
proposed Area Transitions Management Groups;
• concern was expressed in relation to employers accepting young people on
short term training courses which then ceased with no possibility of a
permanent position;
• there was a particular issue in relation to 16 to 18 year olds as they often fell
between child and adult services;
• some children leaving school were unprepared for the transition to
adulthood; and
• in relation to the consultation which had been carried out previously by the
Highland Children's Forum, the young people concerned would be followed
up for a further three years, possibly five, and the reports would be made
available to officers.
In relation to the proposed Area Transitions Management Groups, it was explained that they would seek solutions to specific problems in local communities. Education, employment, housing and social care representatives would work together to establish positive destinations for young people which were also sustainable.
With regard to information held in children's services which did not transfer to the relevant agencies in adult services, a "transitions bridge" had been developed to address this.
AGREED:-
i. to endorse the various developments as detailed;
ii. that a review of transitions management be undertaken in 12 to 18
months time; and
iii. that Children’s Champions be invited to attend the Area Transitions
Management Group meetings.
9. Future Business of Joint Committee for Children and Young People
Report No CYP-48-09 by Bill Alexander, Head of Children’s Services was circulated which set out a proposed list of reports to be considered at future meetings of the Committee.
NOTED the proposed list of reports and AGREED that a report also be considered on Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education’s (HMIE) Résumé of Child Protection Inspections in Scotland.
10. Date of Next Meeting
NOTED that the next meeting would be held on 15 January 2010 at 2.15 pm in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Inverness and would be preceded by a morning workshop, for Members only, to review the work of the Joint Committee.
The meeting ended at 12.45 pm.