Children & Young People's Strategic Partnership

Minutes - 7th February 2008

Commenced: 9.00 am
Terminated: 10.30am

Present:

Cllr Alison Gwynne, Tameside MBC (in the Chair)
Ameena Ahmed, Tameside MBC
Adam Allen, Tameside MBC
Claire Bibby, Tameside MBC
Tom Coffey, Tameside MBC
Alison Cresswell, Learning and Skills Council
Annie Dodd, Tameside MBC
Cheryl Eastwood, Tameside MBC
Inspector Greener, Greater Manchester Police
Susan Garnett, Tameside MBC
Judith Grigg, PCT
Nicola Hine, Tameside MBC
Veronica Hyde, Third Sector Coalition
Hameed Khan, Third Sector Coalition
Julie Lord, Tameside MBC
Pat McKelvey, Tameside & Glossop PCT
Sarah Petts, Tameside Voice
Sheila Piazza, Connexions Tameside
John Rogers, Tameside Primary Heads
Bob Shaw, Tameside MBC
Shaun Walton, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority
Liz Welsh, Third Sector Coalition
Sue Ward, Tameside & Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust
Tracy Wood, Tameside MBC/PCT
Ian Young, Tameside Voice

Apologies:

Janet Callender, David Hobbs, Susan Marsh, Steve Noble, Ian Smith and Moira Thompson
for Absence:

1. Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting of this Strategic Partnership held on 13th December 2007 were approved as a correct record.

2. Children & Young People Strategic Partnership Development Plan - Progress Report

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning reported on the progress made with regard to the Development Plan 2007/2010, which provided an overall strategic framework for the provision of services to children and families in Tameside. It detailed the Partnership’s plans for achieving integrated services supported by joint working arrangements and for achieving improved access and earlier intervention when support for children was required.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

3. Integrating Services

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning circulated a document in respect of integrated services and group discussions were undertaken.

Feedback from the group discussions centred around the six key elements towards greater integration:-

• Common Processes;
• Risk Assessment;
• Neighbourhood Networks;
• Referral Arrangements;
• Integrated Models;
• Resource Management.

Resolved:

That the feedback from the group discussions be taken on board with regard to integrated services.

4. Joint Area Review Progress Report

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning presented a report which detailed the development areas in the Joint Area Review (JAR) Action Plan and the progress being made in respect of the key actions which he highlighted for members information.

Particular reference was given to the actions highlighted as red (RAG rating) as follows:-

• All agencies to undertake an internal audit of case records and implement action as necessary to meet the required standards;
• Put in place systematic CRB checking system for all staff working with children across the Council to provide ongoing monitoring information;
• Partner agencies ensure staff working with children are CRB checked in accordance with required standards;
• Delivery of ICS and ESCR implementation plans;
• Training plan delivered for relevant staff;
• Develop a comprehensive IT strategy to support Children’s Trust arrangements for all electronic systems across the Council and partner agencies

Resolved:

 That the report be noted.

5. Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Report

Veronica Hyde and Liz Welsh of the Third Sector Coalition reported on the initial response to the partnership in respect of the funding environment for those working with children and families in the voluntary, community and faith sector with a particular emphasis on commissioning.

Particular reference was made to the diminishing and shifting pots of money available for the voluntary, community and faith sector, which impacted on projects in terms of loss of valued staff, the loss of skill base that the organisation had invested in and the loss of flow and motivation around project development.

Needs and requests of the VCS were highlighted as follows:-

• Representation and wider consultation;
• Baseline information;
• A Children and Young People Partnership approach in terms of a fair funding environment;
• Planning for problems and managing future issues – procurement, tendering, commissioning, evaluating and monitoring;
• Evaluating and monitoring – templates for effective evaluating and monitoring to be made available;
• Real cost recovery;
• Commitment to times set out in the documentation – ensuring timescales were communicated;
• Participation of service users in commissioning.

Details were also given of a conference held by the Third Sector Coalition to encourage commissioners and third sector organisations to address issues around commissioning and an action plan was devised to begin to address these issues.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

6. Frontline Survey

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning, reported on the analysis of the frontline survey undertaken by the Audit Commission and highlighted the following key elements:-

• Communications – more consistent;
• Involvement of children and young people;
• Integrated process;
• Lead professional in schools;
• Workforce development.

He further stated that a more detailed report on the findings of the survey would be provided at the next meeting of the Partnership in April 2008.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

7. Children & Young People Partnership Performance Reporting Tool

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning, reported on the actions and objectives against the Improvement Priorities 2007/2010 Action Plan for the monitoring period Quarter 3 2007/08.

He further stated that each of the national indicators had a timescale and a Lead Officer allocated to it and careful monitoring of each of the national indicators was an ongoing process.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

8. Teenage Pregnancy Update

Cheryl Eastwood, Director of Children reported on the appointment pf Paula Henson who would have a strategic lead in respect of developing a communications, strategy/training programme and she further reported that a specification for sexual health services had been produced.

The Teens and Toddlers Project was due to cease at the end of February 2008 and had proved a success and a full report would be submitted to the next meeting of the Partnership in respect of this programme.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

9. Items for Information

1. Tell Us 2 Survey – Local Analysis
2. Local Area Agreement – Quarter 3 Monitoring Report

Resolved:

That the reports be noted.

10. Dates of Future Meetings

The Partnership was advised of future dates of meetings as follows:

• Thursday 17th April 2008 - Committee Room 3
• Thursday 22nd May 2008 - Committee Room 3
• Thursday 3rd July 2008 - The Boardroom
• Thursday 16th October 2008 - Committee Room 3
• Thursday 11th December 2008 - Committee Room 3