Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership Minutes - 16 August 2007
Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership
Minutes - 16th August 2007
Commenced : 10.00 am
Terminated : 12.15 pm
Present :
Councillor AJ Gwynne
Ameena Ahmed, Tameside MBC
Adam Allen, Tameside MBC
John Berry, Greater Manchester Police
Claire Bibby, Tameside MBC
Dave Billinge, Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service
Shonagh Camacho, Tameside MBC
Tom Coffey, Tameside MBC
Alison Cresswell, Learning and Skills Council
Annie Dodd, Tameside MBC
Cheryl Eastwood, Tameside MBC
Judith Grigg, Tameside & Glossop PCT
Veronica Hyde, Third Sector Coalition
Hameed Khan, Third Sector Coalition
Susan Marsh, Tameside Governor’s Forum
Steve Noble, Tameside MBC
Sarah Petts, Tameside Voice
Sheila Piazza, Tameside MBC/Connexions
John Rogers, Tameside Primary Heads
Chris Scarborough, Pennine Care Trust
Melanie Sirotkin, Tameside & Glossop PCT
Sue Ward, Tameside & Glossop Acute NHS Trust
Apologies for Absence:
Janet Callender
Hillary Garrett
David Hobbs
Pat McKelvey
Ian Smith
Ian Young
1. Minutes
The Minutes of the meetings of this Strategic Partnership held on 21st June 2007 were approved as a correct record.
2. Making a Positive Contribution Outcomes Sub-group
Claire Bibby reported upon work of the above Sub-Group and in particular the key area it had prioritised from the Area Performance Assessment, namely “improve targeted participation by minority ethnic groups in initiating voluntary activities to support the community and environment”.
An additional priority – “develop self confidence and successfully deal with life changes and challenges” had been identified, however, there were not targets or indicators within the framework and therefore further work would be undertaken with children and young people to develop targets and indicators. There were a number of initiatives that did measure children’s self-esteem and the Participation Network had experience of involving children and young people in such measures. It had been agreed that consultations would take place with the Chair of the Participation Network to progress the development of targets and explore the complementary role of the two Groups.
Resolved
That the report be noted.
3. “Pushed into the Shadows”
Chris Scarborough reported upon the above report commissioned by the Children’s Commissioner which focussed upon the experiences of young people under 18 years old who had been admitted onto adult psychiatric in-patient units.
The report recommends that situation be resolved as soon as possible and that young people are only admitted to adolescent wards and as a minimum requirement young people had access to trained CAMHS staff to support them and ensure they were safeguarded during their admission.
The new Mental Health Act also proposed that all young people under the age of 16 years cease to be admitted to adult wards by 2008 and 18 years old by 2010.
Details were given of the number of young people admitted to adult wards across the Pennine Care NHS Trust area and plans were being developed to reconfigure services to provide an adolescent facility which would be made available to all commissioners.
It was further reported that the Department of Health had recently submitted guidance regarding the admittance of young people under the age of 18 years to adult wards, which stated that a serious untoward incident form be completed in such circumstances and reported to the Strategic Health Authority. The guidance also stated that young people under the age of 16 years, placed on adult wards, should have a plan in place to transfer them to alternative appropriate accommodation within 48 hours. The guidance was operational with immediate effect and would pose considerable challenges for all agencies, particularly Primary Care Trusts and the Pennine Care NHS Trust.
In conclusion, the proposed capital bid and development of an in-patient unit should resolve the problem in the long term albeit the Department of Health required immediate action to ensure young people were not admitted to adult wards.
In the short term protocols and procedures were being drawn up and would be circulated to Local Safeguarding Children Boards for approval and discussions were on-going with commissioners regarding short term solutions.
Resolved
That this Partnership provide support through Tameside’s Services for Children and Young People, the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the Tameside Primary Care Trust, in relation to on-going work and developments to improve services for seriously ill young people.
4. Health Improvement in Tameside - "Everybody's Business"
Melanie Sirotkin introduced the above report which detailed the current position in Tameside in relation to health improvement, health promotion and lifestyle change, stating that in order to improve the health characteristics of the Borough, a holistic partnership approach, with all stakeholders (including the community and individuals) acknowledging their role in improving health, need to be adopted.
As part of the proposed holistic approach, all the thematic partnerships, under the auspices of the Tameside Strategic Partnership were being approached, to encourage a positive and creative involvement and contribution to the priorities and accompanying Action Plan. Many of the Partnerships’ members were large employers in the area and some simple key health messages and actions for staff could be extremely influential in relation to lifestyle change.
A joint Health Improvement Team was being created to provide some infrastructure and capacity to support and co-ordinate this agenda and part of the Team’s work plan was to engage and support the thematic partnerships.
The Partnership was now requested to formulate five or six key actions to support the delivery of the six Key Priorities from the Tameside Health Improvement/Health Inequalities Strategy. These would then be used to augment the existing Action Plan.
The Health Improvement Team would initially assist the Partnership in putting in place measures and monitoring arrangements for its key actions, co-ordinate monitoring information and feed into the Health Partnership Board and the Tameside Strategic Partnership.
Resolved
- That the report be noted.
- That this Partnership endorse the concept that health improvement in Tameside is “Everybody’s Business” and that the Be Healthy Outcome Sub-Group be requested to consider how these aims could best be supported.
5. Tameside Alcohol Strategy 2007-2010
Shonagh Duran submitted the Tameside Alcohol Strategy 2007 – 2010, this being the second multi-agency Alcohol Strategy to be produced for the Borough. The Strategy aimed to further develop local interventions to reduce alcohol related harms in addition to reflecting new national developments and developing closer links with the criminal justice system.
Specific reference was made to the key activities and indicators within the Children and Young People Action Plan, and it was –
Resolved
That this Partnership endorse the Tameside Alcohol Strategy 2007 – 2010 together with the key activities and indicators contained within the Children and Young People Action Plan.
6. Children & Young People's Plan
Cheryl Eastwood informed the Partnership that the first draft of the above Plan was expected to be completed by the end of August 2007.
7. Children Workforce Strategy - Draft Action Plan 2007/2008
Tom Coffey submitted the above Draft Action Plan 2007/2008, adding that the Plan was a companion documents to the Children’s Workforce Strategy – “A Three Year Strategy to Build a World Class Workforce for Tameside’s Children, Young People and Families – March 2006 to April 2009”.
The document set out the second year of planned actions in relation to the achievement of the strategic objectives for Tameside’s children.
Resolved
That the Children’s Workforce Strategy Action Plan 2007/2008 be approved and adopted.
8. Common Integrated Processes
Cheryl Eastwood suggested that the Partnership receive the following three reports prior to considering the issues arising therefrom in small groups, followed by a feedback session:-
- How to ensure people used the common processes?
- Setting of a date for compulsory usage?
- Training
- Information sharing
- Timing and content of the Frontline Survey
8 (a). Position Statement
Tom Coffey submitted a report summarising the current position in relation to the roll out of common processes for children’s services across agencies within Tameside, progress to date and the next steps to consider.
To clarify, he added that common processes included Common Assessments, Child and Family Meetings, Lead Professional arrangements, Information Sharing, Jasper/Contact Point and the Service Information Directory.
Overall the data available suggested that there had been only limited progress in rolling out the use of common processes across universal providers within the Partnership. This would necessitate a change in approach to achieve greater integration in assessing and meeting children’s needs and make sufficient progress which would be fit for purpose in relation to the Joint Area Review scheduled for July 2008.
8 (b) Information Sharing, Governance and Training – Draft Protocols
Ameena Ahmed reported that the Information Governance Group of this Strategic Partnership had been developing the implementation of a revised framework for local information sharing and governance by means of a toolkit developed by Greater Merseyside, which had been officially endorsed by DCSF as a suitable tool for use within children’s services.
The toolkit would establish a comprehensive and consistent standard within and across organisations and authorities in respect of the treatment of personal, identifiable and related information by ensuring that each element involved in the process was properly considered.
The toolkit comprised four tiers and agreement was needed on how best to deliver the training that would be required by different groups of practitioners.
8 (b) Frontline Staff Survey – Progress of the “Every Child Matters – Change for Children”
The Partnership was requested to consider the submitted draft Survey to determine progress in the use of common processes such as Jaspar, CAF and the Lead Professional.
Following discussion in small groups, the following points were noted:-
- The Children’s Needs Framework guidance should be amended to specify when a CAF should be completed.
- The use of common processes should no longer be seen as optional.
- There were issues to resolve in relation to whether certain groups of staff should be “exempt” from any of the common process requirements.
- The plans to in crease support available for practitioners undertaking CAFs were welcomed.
- Agencies to ensure practitioners actively use Jasper following training.
- Need to ensure continuity in plans for Jasper and ContactPoint training and how the terminology is used.
- Need to reconsider the timing of the Audit Commission front-line survey.
Resolved
That the reports and feedback be noted.
9. Public Information Management and Marketing Group
Tom Coffey submitted proposals for the establishment of a Public Information Management and Marketing Group which would oversee the following:-
- The greater integration of partner agency’s public information and marketing of services.
- Enhance the distribution and integration of public information via universal service providers to better support children with additional needs at levels 1, 2 and 3 on the children needs framework.
- Improve the marketing of services to children young people, families and professionals.
It would also act as a central management group to ensure that public information and marketing services provided by the Partnership and its partners, was clear, consistent, regularly up-dated and met local and statutory information requirements, quality standards and was appropriately targeted.
The Group would report to the Information Sharing and Assessment Steering Group and membership would comprise of nominated lead officers with responsibility for the co-ordination of public information from the following organisations:-
- Tameside MBC Services for Children and Young People, together with other Council Departments providing services to children and families.
- Tameside & Glossop Primary Care Trust
- Connexions
- Tameside & Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust
- Pennine Care Trust
- Third Sector Coalition
Resolved
That the establishment of the Public Information Management and Marketing Group, be approved and adopted.
10. Inter-agency Protocol for Children with Complex Needs
Claire Bibby submitted the final draft of the above Protocol for approval by this Partnership, and it was –
Resolved
That the Inter-Agency Protocol for Children with Complex Needs be approved and adopted.
11. Joint Area Review Action Plan
Following the mock Joint Area Review exercise undertaken by Tribal, Tom Coffey submitted a draft Joint Area Review Action Plan, which focussed upon a number of areas where improvements were required on a cross cutting basis in relation to the organisation and delivery of children’s services across the Partnership, together with the corporate approach of Tameside MBC.
The areas for improvement had been derived both from external scrutiny processes, including the mock JAR, as well as internal evaluation and review. The development areas were identified as having known risks in relation to anticipated Joint Area Review lines of enquiry.
Resolved
That the Joint Area Review Action Plan be approved and adopted.
12. Updates and Communications
12 (a) Teenage Pregnancy Up-Date
Cheryl Eastwood reported that the National Support Team for teenage pregnancy had reported back and had made a considerable number of recommendations once of which was to establish a strategic post with responsibility to reduce teenage pregnancies within the Borough. She added that the post was currently being advertised.
Resolved
That the report be noted.
12 (b) Children & Young People’s Strategic Partnership – Development Plan – Progress
Tom Coffey submitted the above progress report against the Development Plan for 2007/2008 and it was –
Resolved
That the report be noted.
13. Summary Findings of the Mock Joint Area Review
The power point presentation given by Tribal Consulting in relation to the preparations for the Joint Area Review to be undertaken in July 2008 was circulated for information.
14. Dates of Future Meetings
To note that the Partnership would meet on the following dates, all meetings to commence at 10.00 am:-
- Thursday 18th October 2007
- Thursday 13th December 2007