Area Coordination Management Meeting

Denton, Droylsden and Audenshaw

Minutes

Time: 10.00
Date: Thursday 7th December 2006
Venue: Greenside Children's Centre

Present:

• Bob Shaw, Area Coordinator
• Lynne Percival, Extended Schools Coordinator
• Margaret Morrison, Senior Education Welfare Officer
• Tracey Rowe, Area Team Manager Social Care

Note Taker: Jacqui Watkins, Children's Centres and Extended Schools Service

1. Welcome

Discussion:

Bob welcomed all to the meeting and the group made introductions; it was noted that other members would be joining in due course

2. Apologies

• Sally Dickin, Youth Offending Team representative;
• Diane King, Area Youth Service Manager;
• Ken Davies, Area Connexions Manager

3. Update on membership of this team and interim chairing arrangements

Discussion:

Bob provided an update on membership

Health - a Health Care Coordinator for children is to be appointed in the coming months and will be a representative on this group. The PCT Area Coordinator will also be appointed in the near future - it is hoped that this will take place within the next 2-3 months.

Children's Centre Manager - this representation is to be arranged with Geraldine Smith until the appointment of an Area Children's Centre Manager is made.

Schools - Bob recently attended a TASH (Tameside Association of Secondary Heads) meeting. The chair, Janet Burns , Head at St Thomas More, indicated that a representative from her school could attend his meeting. However, this would need further discussion with other colleagues. Bob is following this up on behalf of all the Area Coordinators.

Heather Goode from the Denton primary sector has put herself forward as a representative, but more discussion with other Audenshaw and Droylsden headteachers is to take place before coming to a final resolution.

The current options under discussion with schools to secure their inclusion are:

Direct ways (meaning direct representation)

• One head (or other) to represent all schools in the area on the respective area coordination management team (ACMT)
• All cluster heads (which would be 3 for Denton , Droylsden & Audenshaw) to represent the schools in the cluster
• Extended schools coordinator to act as representative of all schools in the area
• Employment of a person to act as representative of all schools in the area and attend ACMT - issues here around, e.g., funding and fair representation of all schools would need to addressed

Indirect ways (meaning communication, information)

• Area Coordinator to attend cluster meetings each half term and report on change for children agenda
• Agendas, minutes, briefings etc. to go to heads for information, comment and discussion at cluster meetings
• Email updates
• Occasional attendance at ACMT - this might be around a particular change/development issue that would benefit from school involvement/expertise.

Lynne is to talk to heads, both primary and secondary, to raise the profile of area coordination and also how she may be used to feed back into the group.

Chairing of the group - Bob suggested that until firmer membership arrangements are in place then he would chair these meetings and that a member of the Children's Centres and Extended Schools Service will minute the meetings.

4. Terms of Reference

Discussion:

The terms of reference were approved by the Children's and Young People's Partnership at their last meeting. Bob expressed his view that the most important of the many points in the TOR was the establishment of a direction of travel leading to the greater integration of services to children and young people.

5. Managers' Update

Discussion:

Bob suggested this item, at least at the initial meetings, be included at each meeting so members could be updated on what each other were doing.

Tracy spoke about Children's Social Care (previously Social Services). The service is based in the main Council Offices in Ashton , but there is a plan to move services out into areas - accommodation issues are being discussed. There are 9 social workers and 2 support workers. There have been changes to the services and there is now no duty team, instead named workers follow through cases to try to ensure consistency and continuity. The service works closely with schools and health visitors and has a good relationship with the Primary Care Trust.

Lynne spoke about her role with the Extended schools team and explained the government's vision is that all schools will offer Extended Services by 2010. There is a growing awareness that standards will not significantly rise unless we focus on the social context of our schools

Building services around children and families in an integrated way through Extended Schools provides a real opportunity to achieve the best outcomes for pupils by:

• Supporting children and families
• Involving the wider community more in the school
• Collaborating with a range of agencies including health, social services, the third sector and early years.

The Core Offer covers 5 areas:

• Swift and easy referral
• Childcare
• Varied menu of activities
• Parenting support
• Wider Community access

This takes us beyond schools' educational function and assists in building capacity. Extended Schools' provision is central to delivering the Every Child Matters strategy for reshaping services for children and young people referenced in the Self Evaluation Form.

Governing bodies exist to help schools provide the best possible education for children. Governors' endorsement therefore is key in the development of these services. Lynne is conducting an initial audit with schools to illuminate what is already going on and identify the gaps.

Margaret spoke about the Education Welfare Service also based in the council offices.  The officers have allocated high schools and their associated primary schools and usually work with them for at least 3 years.  Margaret explained that the schools should deal with non-attendance in the first instance before a referral is made to the EWO's.  There are 5 PA (persistent absence) schools within Tameside These schools have been named by the DfES and extra work will be done by the schools and the EWS to reduce levels of persistent absence. As a whole, levels of school attendance in Tameside are very good.  The EWO's work with other services e.g. Social Care, Connections, Alternative education providers, PRU's, Educational Psychologist and other providers.

6. & 7. CAF and JASPER

Discussion:

Discussion took place within the group.

CAF - It was felt school staff were disinclined to be lead professionals but it was noted that the work of learning mentors within schools was appreciated but is perhaps was not always as valued by all schools as it should be. This highlighted the need for school representation and discussion at these forums.

JASPER - Is not yet live throughout Tameside, however, the pilot in Hattersley seems to have resulted in a reduction in referrals within Children's Social Care

8. Area Coordinator - visiting teams

Discussion:

Bob said that he would he would like, if possible, to attend staff or team meetings to raise the profile of the group and to discuss the terms of reference. The social care team have already indicated they would like Bob to attend a team meeting and Bob had already attended a health practitioner meeting.

It was also noted that there will be a need at some point for this management team to examine how we could engage or network staff/practitioners across agencies.

9. Venue and timings of future meetings

Conclusion: The next meeting is 30th January 2007 at 2pm - venue to be confirmed.