Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership

16th October 2008

Commenced: 10.00 am     Terminated: 12.00 noon

Present:

Cllr Alison Gwynne Tameside MBC (in the Chair)
Ameena Ahmed Tameside MBC
Claire Bibby Tameside MBC
Tom Coffey Tameside MBC
Cllr Gerald Cooney Tameside MBC
Lucy Davies Tameside MBC
Judith Grigg Tameside & Glossop PCT
Nicola Hine Tameside MBC
David Hobbs Connexions Tameside
Veronica Hyde Tameside Third Sector Coalition
Catherine McKay GM Police
Pat McKelvey Tameside & Glossop PCT
Brian Parker TASH – Secondary Heads
Sarah Petts Tameside Voice
Sheila Piazza Connexions Tameside
Jim Taylor Tameside MBC
Ian Young Tameside Voice
Tony Okotie Tameside Third Sector Coalition
Susan Marsh Governors’ Forum
Graham Ashford Tameside MBC
Julie Lord Tameside MBC
Annie Dodd Tameside MBC

Apologies:

Janet Callender, Adam Allen, Adrian Griffiths, Cheryl Eastwood, Christine Troughton, Melanie Sirotkin and Moira Thompson

23. Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting of this Strategic Partnership held on 3rd July 2008 were approved as a correct record, subject to the following amendment:-

1. Annie Dodd’s name to be added to the attendance list;
2. Minute 15 – Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Development Day Feedback – Resolution to read – “That the presentation be noted and that the report be considered at a future meeting of the Tameside Strategic Partnership”.

Jim Taylor stated that he also attended the Tameside Strategic Partnership in his capacity as Executive Director, Children and Young People and stated that he would request that the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Development Day feedback be considered at the next meeting of the Tameside Strategic Partnership.

24. Positive Contributions Outcome Theme Group

Consideration was given to a report of Claire Bibby, Chair of the Making a Positive Contribution Outcome Theme Group, which detailed the main activities undertaken by the Making a Positive Contribution Theme Group during the past year.

The main activities include the following areas:-

• Looking at how key life changes could affect Children and Young People;
• The Establishment of the relationship between the Participation Network and the Making a Positive Contribution Theme Group;
• Further development of school representative groups to be consulted on issues outside school and to develop networks of school representative groups;
• How young people could be involved in local democracy; and
• Report cards had been completed for a number of key judgements in preparation for the Joint Area Review.

Reference was also made to the action plan appended to the report which detailed the improvement actions identified in each report card. The Pupil Assessment Self School programme had been piloted in schools and could be used to measure self-esteem. Further development of school representative groups as networks such as school Councils, Healthy Schools Groups and Eco-Councils could have the potential to embrace consultation issues from outside school and to link in with local democracy.

Resolved
That the report be noted.

25. Contact Point Implementation in Tameside

Consideration was given to a report detailing the creation of a national child index which had been recommended by Lord Laming in the report of his Inquiry into the circumstances which had led to the death of Victoria Climbie.

Ameena Ahmed stated that the Council (through its ContactPoint Implementation Team) would have to provide evidence to the ContactPoint national team of its fitness to connect to ContactPoint and the accreditation process would analyse local progress against national requirements in accordance with key milestones:-

• 30th September 2008 – Current Human Resources and User/System Management business processes of the Council identified and mapped;
• 18th November 2008 – ContactPoint Local Implementation Team in place. Analysis and profile of users complete, especially high priority users;
• 18th December 2008 – Key business support processes in partners aligned with business processes requirements;
• 19th January 2009 – Local Authority Readiness Assessment 7 – GO/NO GO decision – LIT granted Organisational Accreditation by the national team;
• 18th February 2009 – Local Implementation Team to gain access to live ContactPoint system;
• 17th March 2009 – at least one accreditation of a case management system completed; and
• 16th April 2009 – at least one local high priority data source connected to ContactPoint.

She further stated that the deployment of such a high profile national project had major implications for the Council and its work with partner organisations in Tameside and gave details of the arrangements for the governance of the ContactPoint deployment in Tameside.

Particular reference was given to the functions of the groups within the governance structure and it was –

Resolved

1. That the report be noted;
2. That approval be given to Senior Managers and Managers in key roles/positions in their organisations to chair and/or actively participate in relevant aspects of proposed project governance arrangements; and
3. That a wider awareness of ContactPoint and its implications for partners through their local networks and membership of the range of strategic forums and inter-agency partnerships be ensured.

26. Establishment of Integrated Teams and Targeted Youth Support

Consideration was given to a report of Cheryl Eastwood, Director for Children, detailing the further integration of Children Services, including the development of multi-agency prevention teams and options for organisational arrangements.

Jim Taylor stated that there were a number of ways of progressing the integration of services for children and young people which had implications for the way in which some current services were managed and made particular reference to:-

• Direction of Travel;
• Specialist Services;
• Targeted Services;
• Universal Services; and
• Next Steps.

He further reported that the local authority was currently in the process of restructuring its senior leadership team and the Primary Care Trust was working on the establishment of a separate provider arm.

The next three months would be crucial in considering potential future arrangements and the next steps in the development of Children Trust Arrangements. Closer working arrangements between services at the frontline were required, together with strengthening the joint commissioning capacity and the establishment of multi-agency teams working around level 3 of the children’s needs framework would ensure this closer working a reality and would progress both our integrated and targeted youth support strategy and the prevention strategy.

A further report would be considered at a future meeting of the Partnership to report on the progress of establishing multi-agency teams and the organisational models for service provision.

Resolved
That the report be noted.

27. Participation Strategy – Next Steps

Tom Coffey, Partnership Manager, circulated a discussion document, “Tameside Play Strategy Consultation Summer 2008” for information.

He stated that the Participation Network was investigating the provision of a greater voice for young people and their families including a proposal to establish a Participation Manager’s post to take this forward.

He also stated that the Participation Strategy needed reviewing and updating and links had to be made into School Councils for further engagement and participation from young people.

Partners expressed the importance of involving young people and their families and ensuring that all agencies developed good working practices in respect of gaining this involvement and welcomed the establishment of a Participation Manager’s post to take this forward.

Tom Coffey stated that there would be a report back at a further meeting on progress made.

Resolved
That the report be noted and that a further report be submitted in due course.

28. Youth Alcohol – Action Plan

Consideration was given to a report of Shonagh Camacho, Alcohol Lead, detailing the local alcohol strategy and children and young people plan.

Ameena Ahmed stated that the Government had identified five key reasons why more action should be taken on young people and alcohol as follows:-

• There had been significant changes in the level of alcohol consumed by young people, how, where they were drinking and where they obtained the alcohol;
• There was significant evidence about the negative impact alcohol had upon young people such as health, crime and anti social behaviour;
• There was growing public and parental concern regarding young peoples drinking;
• There was a lack of clarity regarding the age young people could start drinking and under which circumstances it was acceptable; and
• There was no single coordinated Governmental approach to addressing young people’s consumption, including why young people drink and the role their parents could play.

The national Plan focussed on five priorities:-

• Enforcement activity to address young people drinking in public places;
• Action with industry on young people and alcohol;
• Developing a national consensus on young people and drinking;
• Establishing a new partnership with parents on teenage drinking;
• Supporting young people to make sensible decisions about alcohol.

She further reported that the newly established Strategic Alcohol Group co-ordinated the implementation and monitoring of the local alcohol strategy, which was made up of partner agencies and representation from each of the thematic partnerships and progress on the children and young people action plan would be reported to the Strategic Alcohol Group on a quarterly basis and an annual report would be compiled on the progress of the local alcohol strategy for the Tameside Strategic Partnership and all thematic partnerships.

Reference was given to the action plans and the priorities for the Children and Young People action plan as follows:-

• To prevent neglect, emotional and physical harm to children as a result of their parents drinking;
• To protect people of all ages from all alcohol-related harm through the education of alcohol safety and sensible drinking messages; and
• To reduce young people’s consumption of alcohol and associated negative consequences.

Resolved

1. That the Children and Young Peoples Partnership be the key partnership to deliver the children and young peoples action plan within the local alcohol strategy;
2. That the process for progressing the implementation and review of the local children and young people alcohol action plan be determined; and
3. That approval be given for a representative from the partnership to be a key member of strategic alcohol group and report on a quarterly basis to that group.

29. Youth Online Survey

Consideration was given to a report of Tom Coffey, Partnership Development Manager, detailing the Youth Online Survey which would be taking place in Tameside Schools for Year 10 students from the end of October 2008.

He stated that the survey would assist in improving the service delivery for children and young people, including Personal, Social and Health education in our schools and a multi-agency steering group had been developing the new survey to complement the Tellus survey and to provide more in depth information to assist in planning and delivering more effective services locally.

He further stated that at the same time as the survey was rolled out a new booklet “Choose Life Choose Health – A Young person’s guide to living in Tameside” would be launched in schools and copies would be available for all Year 10 students, which provided information about healthier lifestyles and sources of support.

Resolved
That the report be noted.

30. Teenage Pregnancy Update

Jim Taylor reported that an updated Teenage Pregnancy Strategy was now in place and the Teenage Pregnancy National Support Team based in London had been monitoring the strategy.

The Chair, Councillor Gwynne, had met with Government Office North West, stating that significant progress had been made towards reducing teenage pregnancy in Tameside and a detailed report would be submitted to the next meeting of the Partnership with regard to the progress made in reducing teenage pregnancy in the borough.

Resolved
That the report be noted.

31. Youth Crime Action Plan

Catherine McKay reported on the Youth Crime Action Plan stating that a consultation exercise had been undertaken with regard to the funding, participation and co-ordination of Children’s Trusts activity in this area and that a detailed report was available which contained an Executive Summary of the recommendations.

Resolved
That the report be noted.

32. Joint Area Review

Jim Taylor, Executive Director for Children and Young People, stated that he had received a draft report from Ofsted with regard to the Joint Area Review, with the official results being announced on 18th November 2008. He thanked all who were involved in the process.

33. Dates of Future Meetings

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

Thursday 11th December 2008 Committee Room 3, Council Offices
Thursday 19th February 2009 Committee Room 3, Council Offices
Thursday 16th April 2009 Committee Room 3, Council Offices
Thursday 18th June 2009 Committee Room 3, Council Offices
Thursday 20th August 2008 Committee Room 3, Council Offices
Thursday 15th October 2009 Committee Room 3, Council Offices
Thursday 17th December 2009 Committee Room 3, Council Offices