Supporting Children and Young People to Achieve Economic Wellbeing

Notes of Meeting

Time: 9.00
Date: 22nd July 09
Venue: Greenside Children’s Centre

Chair: Lucy Davies

Note taker: Lindsay Patchett

Attendance:

Bob Shaw Area -  Co-ordinator and Theme Lead, TMBC
Caroline Gregory -  Neighbourhood Regeneration
John Symington -  TMBC
Andrew Leah -  TMBC – Housing
Nigel Gilmore -  TMBC
Sheila Piazza -  Connexions
Paula Henson -  TMBC
David Burdis -  New Charter

1. Welcome and Introductions

Lucy welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made around the table.

2. Apologies

Zulf Ahmed
Alan Franco
Phil Spence
Steve Openshaw

3. Minutes of the Last Meeting

Agreed as an accurate

4. Matters Arising

6.3 - Still delays in getting Employment Advisors into the Children’s Centres due to job evaluation process

Bailey Hall Café – launch event has been held. Opening on 8th August. Can provide outside catering also.

Actions from last meeting:
Updates on all actions for October meetings requested.

Report cards 4&5 actions – New Neighbourhood Manager in St Peters will be able to provide a better picture in due course.

5. Theme for the meeting

Young people, children and families have access to transport and material goods

5.1 Update on previous Improvement Actions
5.1.1 None: First exploration of theme
5.2 Presentation

An overview of transport and access to transport in Tameside – Nigel Gilmore
Nigel Gilmore gave background of transport in Tameside
Details of transport as it is now and in the future plans
GM Transport Fund – Budget for future

5.2.1 Report Card
N1 198: Children travelling to school – mode of travel usually used

• Target not met by Tameside for reduction of number of children travelling to school by car
• There is a team of people working on improving transport to school
• Figures show a decline in the numbers of children and young people travelling to school by car.
• Downward trend on secondary pupils travelling to school by car

Initiatives:

• Walk to school once a week
• Cycle to school once a week
• Dinosaur Feet – depicting routes to school
• Bike maintenance sessions – repairing bikes/ensuring bikes are in good repair and safe for children to ride.
• Sustainable school transport on website.
• Spring watch – children encouraged to look out for nature on their walk to school

Points raised:

Bob: To what extent can you think about schools working in local networks/clusters on travel plans

Nigel: Each school has its own transport plan, but it is looked at a strategic level

Bob: Would be useful to look at nurseries – perhaps encouraging parents of children moving on to primary to look at walking their children to school

Lucy: - possible to launch initiatives at Head Teachers’ meetings – secondary and primary.

Eco Schools – perhaps need to be joined up

John: 14 -19’s some evidence post 16 won’t travel – need to look at evening travel

Sheila: Young people 16+ NEET – Connexions staff take small groups into Manchester on the train – travel is a real problem in young people’s aspirations.

Lucy: There are 17 Children’s Centres across the borough attracting disadvantaged families, but those families need assistance in learning about the various ways to get to various places.

David: Are there bike buying schemes for children?

Nigel: Not at the moment

David: There is a need to look at a scheme for bikes for young people and more bike sheds in schools

Bob: Irwell Valley sponsor a bike scheme for 12-16 years olds with rides every Saturday for young people. The young people could be trained to maintain their own bikes.

5.2.2 Discussion and Judgement
Judged as heartening with qualifications/exceptions

5.2.3 Future Action
Positive options arising from the discussion of this report card will be listed, presented to Nigel Gilmore and be the subject of further discussions (led by Nigel Gilmore).

6 Teenage Pregnancy Dashboard presentation – Paula Henson

Paula Henson (Senior Strategy Manager for Teen Pregnancy Service) gave an informative verbal presentation with regards to Teenage Pregnancy to the group.

• There has been a national strategy in place for the past 10 years.
• We have lots of good practices in Tameside, but no improvement in our teen pregnancy record
• Data takes 14 months to be published
• Small percentage of our population are teen pregnancies
• Majority of post 16 pregnancies are attending college.
• Tameside higher than North West and England
• Encouraged to promote “fit & forget” methods of contraception – must also promote C-card scheme to avoid STI’s
• Working with the six highlighted schools – peer mentors to go into the schools with respect to Teen Pregnancies. Teens and Tots groups. The work is targeted at those pupils who are seen as being at risk of becoming teen parents – working on self esteem and aspirations.
• Support schools to target those young people at risk – encouraging schools to use the personalisation planner.
• Identifying issues in certain schools
• Health mentors working with young women who have had a termination to prevent further pregnancies
  

7 Draft Child Poverty Strategy

The meeting was presented with a draft Child Poverty Strategy for Tameside and brought up to date with the progress of the Child Poverty Bill. Royal Assent for the Bill is expected in spring 2010.. Positive comments were received on the range, usefulness and the detail of statistics presented. Members were invited to submit comments to Bob by email.

It is expected that the draft will then progress to the Partnership Executive, Executive Team and or TSB Board in due course.

8 AOB

For the next meeting Andrew will prepare a summary presentation of new Housing Strategy and provide an update on the last Improvement Actions

Additionally, Bob would prepare a list of list of Improvement Actions from the last year to provide the group with a position statement before we move onto the next phase for outcome theme groups and performance management.

9 Date and Venue of next meeting

Wed 30 September 9.00, Greenside Children’s Centre