Area Coordination Management Meeting
Ashton

Time: 10.00am – 12.00pm
Date: 14th May 2009
Venue: YOT Team meeting Room, 31 Clarence Arcades

Present:

Tracy Wood -  Area Co-ordinator
Tim Grahamslaw  -  TMBC
Heather Kozer  -  Sports Development
Jane-Ann Birkitt  - TMBC
Penny King  - PCT
Robin Elms -  Dale Grove School
Julie Waterhouse - SEWO –TMBC
Annie O’Malley -  Connexions
Jane Dufty  - TSSS (H1)
Julie Waterhouse - SEWO
Julian Sacofsky  - Family Group Conferencing Co-ordinator
Chris Thean - TMBC

Note taker: Lindsay Patchett

Item 1: Welcome

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

Item 2: Apologies

Anne Okwei, Sue Warburton, Carl Kelsall, Robert Skeldon

Item 3: Notes of last meeting and matter arising

Agreed as accurate

Item 3.3: A demonstration of PIP will be given at the next meeting – this will be followed by area data.

Item 3.7: Restructure – recruitment to the Service Unit Manager Posts beginning. Expected to be complete by beginning of June.

Item 4: Family Group Conferences – Julian Sacofsky

Julian gave a verbal presentation to the group.

The idea for FGC originated in New Zealand. Social workers working with Maori families found that care packages were not working as children were being placed in “white” families and this was proving not to be a positive experience for the children. They therefore decided to work with the whole family when problems arose. By engaging the whole family they found that placements were available within the wider family as opposed to placing children with families from other cultures.

Julian explained the process for FGC within Tameside.

• Members of the family will be involved alongside professional at the family meeting. The professionals will give details of their input with the child/children and any concerns they have. The family will be given “private” time to discuss the issues raised and their ideas will be put into the “pot” and looked at alongside other solutions offered by professionals.
• Professionals wishing to set up family meetings will make referrals through Julian.
• Julian stated that he had already had a lot of requests/enquiries for meetings.
• The earlier the meeting is called the better the outcomes appear to be.
• Everyone who attends the meeting is there because the family have agreed to them being there.
• The family are required to complete a consent form before Julian contacts them.
• Families may see this process as a better option before “social work” involvement.
• Some families have a very good capacity to deal with family issues

There were some concerns raised by members of the meeting:
Is there was a target age for the conferences?
Julian responded that the conferences cover all age of children and young people.

Who would be responsible for a review of the action plan?
Julian said that there need to be systems in place to undertake reviews and this is something that he will be looking at.

Are conferences just for “high end” cases or low level also
Julian responded that due to limited resources he was having to prioritise the “high end” for the time being.

Julian distributed a leaflet giving details of the service and his contact details.

Item 5: Sport and Physical Activity Developments in Ashton

Heather Kozer for Sports Development gave details of her role and informed the meeting of activities taking place in the Ashton area.

• 7 forums that feed into The Sport Physical Activity Alliance Action Group
• Three main Action Groups – Active Teens, Active Families, Back to Activity
• Active Parks – activities take place each quarter
• Festival of sport at Oxford Park – community based projects, bowling, family badminton, multi sports – free taster sessions from clubs in the area to encourage participation in activities.
• X-Club magazine for under 16’s across Tameside. Lots of activities throughout the borough.
• Tracy to assist in setting up distribution list for the X-Club magazine.
  

Item 6: Youth Online – Ashton Perspective – Tim Grahamslaw

Tim gave a Power point presentation regarding the Youth Online Survey.
Members of the meeting were asked to identify key issues/points of interest in the Ashton Area and suggested actions to be taken – this will be fed back to the YOL steering group

Item 7 : Common Processes

• Tracy circulated the JASPER data for information
• Good news is that more CAFs have been completed
  

Item 8: Area Intervention Teams

Sinead Brophy and her team are back in Tameside – CLT have been informed of their suggested actions.
It is recommended that the teams be called Early Intervention Teams and that these teams should be co-located. No final decisions as yet – work still ongoing. Small planning workshop being held today – this will then be followed by Area based workshops to progress issues such as team make-up and processes to be used.

Item 9: Children and Young Peoples Plan update 09/11

• Summary of review and consultation form gone out – responses to Tom Coffey by 15.5.09
• We need to be thinking about how we can contribute to developing the 2010 - 2013 plan
  

Item 10: AOB

No other Business

Date & time of next meeting: 9th July – Ashton Primary Care Resource Centre NB) Change of venue.