Agenda item

We welcomed Estyn Inspectors Gerard Kerslake, Lead Safeguarding Officer and Karen Newby-Jones, Local Authority Link Inspector, who were in attendance to present the outcomes from a recent monitoring visits.

The Inspectors wished to thank the Authority for working with Estyn during the recent monitoring visits, which had helped the inspectors draw some firm conclusions.

We were informed that the visits followed the original inspection in 2012 which had achieved an overall judgement of unsatisfactory, with a consequence of the Authority being placed in special measures. 

Following this visit, Estyn has judged that Monmouthshire County Council has made strong progress in addressing two of the six recommendations arising from the inspection of November 2012, and satisfactory progress in addressing the other four.

As a result, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales considers that the authority is no longer in need of special measures and is removing it from further follow-up activity.

Key messages in the report were highlighted.

Recommendation 1: Ensure that safeguarding procedures are robust and underpinned by a clear policy. The authority has made strong progress in addressing this recommendation.

Recommendation 2: Improve standards of attainment for all groups of pupils, particularly in secondary schools. The authority has made satisfactory progress in addressing this recommendation.

Recommendation 3: Strengthen the level of challenge to schools and use the full range of powers available to the authority to improve leadership and management in underperforming schools.  The authority has made satisfactory progress in addressing this recommendation.

Recommendation 4: Improve corporate planning to strengthen links between the local authority’s priorities and service level targets. The authority has made strong progress in addressing this recommendation.

Recommendation 5: Improve self-evaluation across all services and make better use of data to plan services strategically and target resources appropriately.  The authority has made satisfactory progress in addressing this recommendation.

Recommendation 6: Ensure that performance management is effective and robust and allows elected members and senior officers to identify and address underperformance.  The authority has made satisfactory progress in addressing this recommendation.

Following presentation of the item Members were invited to comment.

A Member commented that as the Authority had been in special measures for three years it was disappointing that no recommendations were in the higher categories.  It was evident there was further work to be done and important to tighten scrutiny processes.  It was noted that information passed to senior management and the Cabinet Member for education should be received by the scrutiny committee, addressing the highlighted issues and a timetable of actions to be taken over the coming years.

Mr.Kerslake advised the Committee to take heart from the letter that good progress had been made.  The Authority was commended for coming out of special measures and it was noted that there were well designed systems and practices in place.  However it was stressed that there was room for continuous improvement and the good evaluation taking place could be improved upon.

A Member referred to the ‘next steps’ highlighted in the report and the use of the Recovery Board and other external experts.  It was requested the Committee be advised of any suggestions or pointers from experiences at other authorities.  In response, Mr. Kerslake expressed that the use of external challenge could be highly productive in moving things forward, and noted that in a recent round of monitoring visits to authorities in special measures, external challenge had been productive and should be maintained.  It was suggested that a conversation with an authority regarding approaches taken and the groups engaging would be beneficial.

In response to a Members question regarding the EAS, we heard that a number of authorities in the EAS went into special measures, and in terms of criticism of the EAS, it would be worthwhile to wait for the outcome of the inspection of the EAS.

We were informed that the Chair and Vice-Chair were members of the EAS Audit Committee and would be able to take forward ideas of the Authority.

The Leader of the Council, speaking also on behalf of the Cabinet Member for Education thanked the Inspectors for the way the visits were carried out over the last few months, and noted that it was absolutely important to continue on the journey of continuous improvement.  The Leader welcomed the perspective that the Authority had made good progress but there was still more to do.  It was noted that Children and Young People Select was a strong scrutiny committee, and the whole organisation had strengthened due to the Estyn inspection. The Chief Executive and Leader had met with the Minister to provide information on how we would maintain the continuous improvement, and it was felt important to maintain external challenge.

To conclude, we welcomed the final letter and acknowledge the key messages.