Agenda and minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2010 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            It was reported that no public questions had been received.

            The Board received a report which contained the minutes relating to the Children and Young People Portfolio which had been considered by the Executive Board since the last meeting of the PPB.

            RESOLVED: That the minutes be noted.

            The Board received a presentation from Professor Keith Milsom, which provided an update, on the Oral Health Scrutiny Topic undertaken previously by the PPB. The key recommendations from the review were outlined in the report for information.

            The presentation set out the following:

• Dentistry was currently allocated 2.5% of the NHS budget
• Improving levels of dental health in adolescents (England had the best statistics in Europe);
• Dental health inequalities in the child population by regions in England, (the northwest had the worst dental health in England)
• Percentage of 5 year olds with 1 or more decayed, missing or filled teeth;
• Dental attendance amongst the child population in Halton and St Helens as of June 2010
• Child dental health in Halton;
• The PCT introduced a public health prevention programme for children which provided;
1. The equivalent of 11 new dentists had been commissioned in Halton and St Helens since 2008;
2. 33,000 aged 3 – 11 receive toothpaste and toothbrush through the post twice yearly;
3. All children that attend the dentist are offered fluoride varnish application.

• There had been a reduction in tooth decay of 17% amongst 5 year olds;

• Fluoride varnish reduces tooth decay by 33%-46% when applied by a dentist in the dental surgery, however a Random Controlled Trial had recently been carried out where fluoride varnish was carried out in schools, and research findings where currently being written up prior to publication; and
• A survey of dental health of 3-4 year olds in Halton would be completed by April – May 2011, the data would help focus dental resources; and

Professor Milsom thanked and commended HBC staff in the Children and Young People’s directorate for the excellent support his team had received in facilitating the survey of 3-4 years olds dental health.

Arising from the presentation the following points were raised:

• The possibility of providing 3 or 4 tubes of toothpaste per year to children aged 3 -11;
• The dental health survey of 3-4 year olds should ideally also include those in child minder settings;
• Effect of high impact visual campaigns and the re-instatement of them;
• 6 months was the ideal age to start taking children to the dentist;
• Students could participate in devising advertising campaigns as part of a project for them to carry out; and
• Where budgets permitted the Board noted their support for the work Professor Milsom and his team were undertaking.

RESOLVED: That

1)     the presentation be noted;

2)     the Board consider the findings from the Lancashire Schools study; and

3)     where budgets permitted the Board support the work carried out by Professor Milsom and his team.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Chidren and Young People which provided an update on Halton’s 2010 school performance data, including progress data where available for Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and Key Stages 1 to 4.

            It was reported that the results were yet to be validated and could change slightly over the next few weeks.

            The main headlines for Halton were summarised in the report for information.  It was reported that Halton’s attainment at the expected level 2b+ was broadly in line with national levels across reading, writing and maths for Key Stage 1.  Performance at Key Stage 2 levels also showed an improvement.  Although the achievement gap between those children receiving Free School Meals (FSM) and other children had narrowed, this needed to be reduced further.

            Performance could not be reported for Key Stage 3 as this was teacher assessment only and was assessed during year 9.  Summary level information was hoped to be available at a later date and would be circulated accordingly.

            In relation to Key Stage 4 the percentage of students gaining 5+A* including English and Maths had increased to 50% which was a rise of 5% from last year’s results. Again as in Key Stage 2, the achievement gap between FSM and other pupils needed to be reduced further.

            The Board was informed of challenges particularly in the higher levels of maths such as level 3 in Key Stage 1 and level 5 in Key Stage 2 which had decreased slightly since last year.  This area would be targeted.  In addition for Key Stage 2, it was felt there was too large a disparity between improvement in reading and in writing, and this would be investigated further.  

            Arising from the discussion the Board discussed the following:

·        the possibility of NEET using technology such as SKYPE and Facebook to aid learning from the home using a virtual environment rather than having to attend a college;

·        the impact of the dissolution of educational maintenance allowance;

·        multi-agency approach for tackling the vulnerable groups and increase in parental engagement to encourage learning at home; and

·        schools testing regimes with regards to children with dyslexia.

RESOLVED: That the Board note the attainment of children in Halton schools for the 2009/2010 academic year.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which outlined the attainment and attendance analysis of Children in Care for the academic year 2009-2010.

            It was reported that the children in care cohort was extremely small for example there were only 11 children in Key Stage 2, which makes the overall statistics appear quite low, when in fact 64% of children in care achieved their level 2 progression.

            It was further noted that the National Strategy Team did not allow the Local Authority to set targets based on actual intelligence of the cohort.

            Members were informed of the wide range of strategies to address the underachievement of children in care as follows:

• one to one support in the home;
• direct work sessions focussing on literacy and numeracy skills, delivered by the Education Support Service;
• holiday activities;
• support children with homework to help them catch up with gaps in learning through being absent from school;
• subject specialist work during the build up to Key Stage tests;
• provision of a skills based programme for employability skills; and
• Letter Box Club (a numeracy and literacy pack which carers can complete with children).

The Board suggested that this report be rolled out to all Members, either by way of a seminar or a briefing before Council, to remind them of their responsibilities as corporate parents.

It was further noted that attainment and attendance data was currently collated and held by the Virtual School Head for Children in Care.  The Directorate was to look at this as part of overall arrangements for data collection, with a view to the information being held and managed within the Resources Directorate.

     RESOLVED: That

1)     the PPB note the information provided within the report;

2)     children in Care performance and data be held and managed within the Resources Directorate; and

3)     a seminar or briefing be held to remind Members of their responsibilities as corporate parents for Children in Care.

            The Board considered a report which provided an update on the potential impact on service delivery within children and young people’s services as a consequence of the recent announcement of the Non-Departmental Public Bodies that would be dissolved following a review by the Coalition Government. 

            The report also set out the list of other ‘QUANGOs’ that related directly to children and young people’s services that had either been retained or remained under consideration before a final decision was made.  Bodies which have been abolished would have their functions performed by the Civil Service.

            The overall breakdown of which organisations had been abolished was set out in the report for information. Those being abolished included the Audit Commission, Standards Board for England and the Regional Development Agencies.

            Members discussed the Schools Food Trust and the impact this would have on school meals, it was noted that school meals were subsidised by grants from the School Food Trust, however colleagues in the Catering Section would be contacted with plans for the future of school meals.

            RESOLVED: That the Board consider the potential implications on service delivery in Halton caused by the dissolution of the ‘QUANGOs’ outlined in section 3.6.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Resources which provide an opportunity for Members to contribute to the development of Directorate Business Plans for the coming financial year.

            It was reported that each directorate of the Council was required to develop a medium-term business plan, in parallel with the budget, that was subject to annual review and refreshment. The process of developing such plans for the period 2011-2014 was just beginning.

            Members were invited to identify a small number of priorities for development or improvement that they would like to see reflected within those plans.

            The timeframe for plan preparation, development and endorsement was set out in the report for information.

            RESOLVED: That Members contact the Chair with any priority suggestions.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children, Young People and Families which provided an analysis on complaints processed under the Children’s Act 1989, Representation’s Procedure.

            It was reported that there were 3 categories to the representation process as follows:

1. Statutory Complaint – the complaint was eligible as stated in the Representations Procedure to make a formal complaint;
2. Representation – where a complaint was not eligible under the Representations Procedure to make a formal complaint but their comments were noted and responded to; and
3. Compliment – positive feedback.

Members were advised that the formal complaints procedure had a process of four stages which were outlined in the report for information.

It was reported there were 23 Statutory complaints, 17 representations and 14 compliments made to the Local Authority in 2009/2010, details of which were set out in the report for consideration.

It was further noted that training had been commissioned from the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) Office for Principal and Practice Managers within the Children’s Social Care Division.  The training focussed on carrying out an investigation of a complaint and the expectations of the LGO.  It was reported that there was a 93% attendance and feedback received was excellent. The Board was advised that training for the Children and Families department would continue and would be provided by the Customer Care Manager.

RESOLVED: That the information be noted as the mechanism by which the Local Authority is kept informed about the operation of its complaints procedure.

            The minutes from the Halton Children’s Trust meeting held on 7^th September 2010 were presented to the Board for information.

            In receiving the minutes Members raised concerns in relation to high teenage pregnancy rates and whether information could be sought from other countries, in relation to good practices. 

            In response it was noted that there was a national support team which carried out research, however officers would investigate evidence of achieving good practice in other European countries.  Teenage pregnancy continued to be a key priority as the figures had risen slightly this year.

            Members also discussed second conceptions, terminations, the mobile outreach bus and counselling, and suggested that a report be brought to a future meeting to provide data and on update on the strategies for tackling teenage pregnancy in the borough.

            RESOLVED: That

1)     the minutes be noted; and

2)     a report be brought to a future meeting providing data and strategies around tackling teenage pregnancies in the borough.