Agenda and minutes

County Councillor P. Farley declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest, pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct, in respect of agenda item 5 – Summer Play Provision 2016, as Chepstow Town Council invests in the summer play scheme and he is a Chepstow Town Councillor.

County Councillor P. Farley declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest, pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct, in respect of agenda item 6b – Children’s Services Quarter 2 Performance, as he is a Local Authority Governor at the Dell Primary School and a Trustee of Chepstow Senior Citizens Welfare Trust.

County Councillor L. Guppy declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest, pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct, in respect of agenda item 5 – Summer Play Provision 2016, as she is a member of Rogiet Community Council which contributes to the play provision.

County Councillor R. Harris declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest, pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct, in respect of agenda item 5 – Summer Play Provision 2016, as he is a member of Abergavenny Town Council which contributed funds in 2016 for the scheme.  The Town Council has also budgeted for a contribution in 2017.

County Councillor M. Powell declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest, pursuant to the Members’ Code of Conduct, in respect of agenda item 5 – Summer Play Provision 2016, as she is a member of Abergavenny Town which has budgeted to support this provision.

The minutes of the Children and Young People Select Committee meeting dated 3^rd November 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.  In doing so, it was noted that the Finance Manager has spoken to the Welsh Assembly Member, the Shadow Finance Minister, regarding the lack of funding in Children’s Services.  The Finance Manager will prepare a report for a future meeting of the Select Committee outlining the response received.

Context:

We received a presentation by Mr. E. Price, Principal Challenge Adviser for the Education Achievement Service (EAS) regarding the new qualifications at Key Stage 4 from the summer of 2017.

Key Issues:

From 2017, there will be no one main measure to be focused on at school level.  Instead, a suite of measures will be considered.  These will include:

·         Level 2 inclusive (Welsh Baccalaureate Foundation and National measures from 2018)

·         Level 2 threshold (2017 only).

·         Level 1 threshold (2017 only).

·         Capped Points Score (the revised, ‘Capped 9’ measure from 2017).

The changes to performance measures are in line with recommendations contained within Successful Futures and will have the positive effect of widening curriculum choice.

All updates will be posted on the Welsh Government website.

2016

·         Change to Year 11 based cohort from existing 15 year old based cohort.

·         Maximum of two GCSE equivalence value applied to any individual non- GCSE qualification in all performance measure calculations.

2017

·         Core Subject Indicator no longer required.

·         Changes to the Capped Points Score.

·         Only the new reformed qualifications for English / Welsh, mathematics count towards these subject specific requirements of measures (literature qualifications no longer count).

·         Maximum of two GCSE equivalence for the total contribution value of non - GCSE qualifications in the threshold measures.

·         Essential Skills Wales and Wider Key Skills no longer hold a contribution value in Key Stage 4 measures and are approved for post – 16 delivery only.

·         Qualifications of 60 up to 119 (inclusive) guided learning hours allocated a 0.5 GCSE equivalence.

·         Reformed Welsh Baccalaureate qualification awarded for the first time.

2018

·         Welsh Baccalaureate measures replace threshold measures.

·         For science, only GCSE qualifications count towards subject specific requirements of the Capped Points Score; non-GCSE science qualifications no longer count towards science components but can count towards a learner’s ‘other 4’ best qualifications.

No single measure is emphasised at school level.  The Capped Points Score will hold similar status to the Level 2 inclusive and the Welsh Baccalaureate measures.  A suite of measures should be used to consider schools performance from different angles.  Which measures to use will depend on the particular questions being asked.

Summary of changes – 2017

·         Any non-GCSE Level 1 or Level 2 qualification will be worth a maximum of two GCSEs.  Current qualifications can continue to be taken but performance value capped at equivalent of two GCSEs.

·         The Core Subject Indicator will no longer be published as a performance measure.

·         The following new GCSEs will be used as the literacy and numeracy elements of the Level 2 Inclusive measure:

-       English Language / Welsh Language.

-       Mathematics or Mathematics Numeracy (whichever is the learner’s best).

·         Literature qualifications will not count towards the literacy requirements of measures, but can still count towards the non-subject specific measures.

The ‘new’ Capped Point Score

·         The score will be based on nine rather than eight qualifications.  Five of the nine qualifications used to calculate the score will be:

-       GCSE English Language or GCSE Welsh Language (whichever is the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Context:

To receive an update on the revised model for staffed play provision implemented for the 2016 summer period.

Key Issues:

Towards the end of 2015, the Select Committee had received a report on a number of play related issues, including proposed changes to staffed play provision for 2016 and the timetable for producing the Play Sufficiency Audit and Action Plan for 2016/17.

In previous years the Council had provided summer holiday play schemes at the four leisure centres plus a “satellite” provision at the Bulwark Community Centre, the latter provision having been run on behalf of and paid for by Chepstow Town Council. The play schemes were effectively a form of childcare registered with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW) and provided staffed play provision for four weeks of the summer holidays for children between 5 and 11 years of age.

The proposal when this matter was last scrutinised by the Select Committee was to move to a model of play provision in summer 2016 that contained two main components – sports camps held at the four leisure centres and open access play sessions held in a number of community venues across the County. Delivery of open access play was dependent on the outcome of consultations with partners, most notably Town and Community Councils, due to the reliance on their funding to enable these schemes to take place. The discussions with the Town and Community Councils were successful and they all agreed to maintain (and in some cases increase) their contributions at the existing levels. 

The sports camps (the Monmouthshire Games) were run by Leisure Services as self-financing schemes on a daily basis over a five week period (25^th July to 26^th August  2016) from 9.00am to 3.00pm. These did not have to be registered with the CSSIW, as they were regarded as sports activities rather than play provision.

The open access play sessions were organised and managed on behalf of the Council by the Torfaen Play Service (TPS). These were run over a 19 day period (1^st to 25^th August 2016).

Attendance at the open access sessions was free of charge and they were fully inclusive for children with disabilities / additional support needs. Because the sessions lasted for just under two hours each, these sessions also did not require registration with the CSSIW.

The open access play schemes were staffed by a mixture of predominantly paid staff and some volunteers and immediately prior to the schemes commencing all staff underwent a full week of training, during which over 40 different modules were delivered to ensure that the staff had the necessary skills to work with children and young people.

In delivering the open access schemes, Torfaen Play Service adhered to all safeguarding policies and procedures in line with Monmouthshire County Council and the South East Wales Safeguarding Board, which was one of the provisions in the Service Level Agreement entered into between the two authorities.

All of the delivery  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Context:

To receive quarter 2 performance data for the Improvement Objectives which are under the remit of the Children and Young People Select Committee: 

·         Improvement Objective 1 - Improve at all key stages of education.

·         Improvement Objective 2 - Safeguard people, whether young or old, while reducing people’s dependence on social care.

To receive the latest performance against wider key national performance indicators that are under the committee’s remit.

Key Issues:

Improvement Objectives are set annually by the Council to deliver on priorities, these are set in the Improvement Plan 2016/17. Despite objectives being focussed on the long term, the specific activities that support them are particularly focussed for the year ahead.

Activity that contributes to the delivery of some objectives cross cuts Select Committee remits and these will also be reported to other relevant committee(s). 

The progress with most of the actions and performance indicators that form part of Improvement Objective 1 have recently been reported to the Children and Young People Select Committee as part of the Children and Young People Directorate Chief Officer report. Due to the importance of Members scrutinising progress being made specifically on the actions, performance indicators and targets set in the Improvement Plan 2016/17, a full progress update on Improvement objective 1 has also been completed.

The Improvement Objectives will be evaluated at the end of the year (2016/17) based on the Council’s self-evaluation framework, as set in the Improvement Plan 2016-17. Performance against them will be reported to the Select Committee and in the Stage 2 Improvement Plan published in October each year.

This is likely to be the final annual cycle of Improvement Planning in this format. The Council is currently undertaking two substantial assessments of need and wellbeing within the County as a consequence of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act and the Social Services and Wellbeing Act. This information will provide a much deeper evidence base of well-being in the County and will be used to review the Council’s current improvement objectives in preparation for the publication of the Council’s well-being objectives by 31st March 2017.  

 Appendix C of the report sets out further Key Performance Indicators from the National Performance indicator set that are under the committee’s remit. The primary purpose is to highlight the performance achieved so far in 2016/17. In some cases this may result in duplication of indicators already included in other sections of the report. Where indicators relate to the performance of services that are under the remit of more than one committee these will also be reported to the other relevant committee(s).

Member Scrutiny:

·         For future meetings, cohort information will be contained within the report.

·         The first phase of upgrading schools’ ICT infrastructure is 80% complete.

·         In response to a Select Committee Member’s question regarding ALN provision, it was noted that in 2012 Estyn had identified some flaws and challenges within the Authority’s ALN Provision.  A rapid review of ALN had been undertaken in that immediate period.  This work fell into three phases  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Context:

To provide a report card that considers quarter 2 performance in children’s social services.

Key Issues:

The Social Services and Well-being Act came into force from April 2016 and has changed the way social services are delivered in Wales. The principles of the Act are:

• The Act supports people who have care and support needs to achieve well-being.

• People are at the heart of the new system by giving them an equal say in the support they receive.

• Partnership and co-operation drives service delivery.

• Services will promote the prevention of escalating need and the right help is available at the right time.

Each local authority must have arrangements in place to collect and return the data on the statutory performance measures detailed in the report to the Welsh Government from May 2017 onwards. The performance measures are a blend of quantitative (numerical) data and qualitative data which includes asking people about their experience of social services and whether this has contributed to improving their well-being.

Qualitative data is being collected through questionnaires to children and parents. At quarter 2 this process is still underway, therefore the responses in the report constitute part of the total collection. 

Quarter 2 is the first full compilation of the new measures and in many cases neither baseline nor comparable data is available. Targets have been set where feasible but will be better informed when baseline data is further established and other local authority data is available.

Member Scrutiny:

·         In response to a Select Committee Member’s question regarding questionnaire responses from children, it was noted that 68% considered that they had received the correct information or advice when they needed it. However, this issue was still being analysed.  More analysis will be undertaken when more data has been received.

·         Looked After Children are always at the forefront of decisions. Ideally, in all cases is that intervention occurs early enough so that cases are identified early enough and preventative work is undertaken.

·         It was considered that data presented to future select committee meetings should be available numerically alongside its percentage value.

·         Having viewed the data relating to the percentage of looked after children experiencing a non-transitional school move and the percentage of looked after children with three or more placements, it was noted that one of the challenges in Monmouthshire is the geography of the County which could have an effect on the child’s placement.  Therefore, the report indicates that the numbers are higher than the Authority would like to see because the Authority wants to see stability in terms of the children’s education.

·         In response to a Select Committee Member’s question regarding the questionnaire, it was noted that the results of the questionnaire were outlined in the report.  There was also an option to add free text in addition to answering the set questions.  This provides a sense of what has been asked and details of response rates.  It is intended that this questionnaire will be used year on year as a means of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Context:

To provide an overview of the current strategic risks facing the authority.

Key Issues:

The risk assessment ensures that:

·                Strategic risks are identified and monitored by the authority.

·                Risk controls are appropriate and proportionate.

·                Senior managers and elected Members systematically review the strategic risks facing the authority.

The existing risks on the Strategic Risk Assessment have been updated based on evidence available in 2016.   Changes to the Council’s risk management policy were approved by Cabinet in March 2015 and continue to be applied to the strategic risk register.  These are:

·                Including pre-mitigation and post-mitigation risk scores, this was also a key recommendation from scrutiny of the 2014 risk assessment.

·                Ensuring greater clarity to the phrasing of risk so that each statement includes an event, cause and effect.

 The risk assessment only covers high and medium level risks.  Lower level operational risks are not registered unless they are projected to escalate within the three years covered.  These need to be managed and monitored through teams’ service plans. The pre and post mitigation risk levels are presented separately. In most cases mitigating actions result in a change to the likelihood of the risk rather than the consequences as our actions are generally aimed at reducing the chance of a negative event occurring rather than lessening it’s impact.  Clearly, there will be exceptions.

Following presentation to select committees, the risk assessment will be presented to Cabinet to be signed off. The risk assessment is a living document and will evolve over the course of the year as new information comes to light. An up-to-date risk log is accessible to Members via the Council’s intranet - The Hub.  This will ensure, as well as the ongoing specific scrutiny of the risk assessment annually, that select committees are able to re-visit the information at any point in the year to re-prioritise their work plan as appropriate.

Member Scrutiny:

·         In response to a Select Committee Member’s question regarding recent revelations regarding certain sports coaches across the UK, it was noted that this matter would sit with the Whole Authority Safeguarding Group.

·         Teacher sickness and absences data would be made available to the Select Committee.  Teacher sickness levels are better than compared to the broader sickness levels of Council staff. Also, teacher sickness levels in comparison to pupil sickness levels could also be brought back to the Select Committee.

·         In response to a Select Committee Member’s question regarding whether a risk assessment has been undertaken with regard to a potential change in administration of the Authority in May 2017 due to the upcoming local elections, it was noted that delivery of political priorities is broadly covered via one of the risks identified in the report, i.e., political priorities being delivered.  However, there has not been a specific risk identified with regard to a potential change in administration of the Authority

We received and noted the list of actions that had been completed arising from the Children and Young People Select Committee meeting held on 3^rd November 2016. 

We resolved to receive the Children and Young People Select Committee Forward Work Plan and noted its content.

We resolved to receive the Council and Cabinet Business Forward Work Plan and noted its content.

Thursday 12^th January 2017 at 2.00pm.

The next meeting will be held in the Council Chamber, County Hall, Usk, on Thursday 12^th January 2017 at 2.00pm.