Outcome Theme Group

Enjoying and Achieving

Time: 9.00am – 11.00am
Date: 18th March 2009
Venue: Stalybridge Civic Hall

Present:

Graham Ashford - Chair
Ameena Ahmed – SCYP
Joyce Swann, School Improvement, SCYP
Lynn Barber – SCYP Childrens Centres
Kim Brooks – SCYP Education Resource Team
Alan Fish – Scouts & Community
Nick Caws – SCYP
Catherine Moseley – SCYP
Lyndsey Whiteside – SPA
Penny King – T&G PCT
Paula Hendon - TMBC
Note taker: Lindsay Patchett

Item 1: Welcome and Introductions - Graham

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

Item 2: Apologies - Graham

Bev Connolly

Item 3: Notes of last meeting and matters arising - All

Minutes agreed as an accurate record

Item 4 – Teenage Pregnancy Dashboard – Paula Henson

Paula Henson (Senior Strategy Manager for Teen Pregnancy Service) gave an informative verbal presentation with regards to Teenage Pregnancy to the group.

• There has been a national strategy in place for the past 10 years.
• We have lots of good practices in Tameside, but no improvement in our teen pregnancy record
• Data takes 14 months to be published
• Small percentage of our population are teen pregnancies
• Majority of post 16 pregnancies are attending college.
• Tameside higher than North West and England
• Encouraged to promote “fit & forget” methods of contraception – must also promote C-card scheme to avoid STI’s
• Working with the six highlighted schools – peer mentors to go into the schools with respect to Teen Pregnancies. Teens and Tots groups. The work is targeted at those pupils who are seen as being at risk of becoming teen parents – working on self esteem and aspirations.
• Support schools to target those young people at risk – encouraging schools to use the personalisation plans.
• Identifying issues in certain schools
• Health mentors working with young women who have had a termination to prevent further pregnancies
• Need to look at what schools are doing right and learn from them.

Graham thanked Paula for her presentation and informed that group that we need to look at what our individual services can do to help reduce the figures.

Lyndsey - maybe target this vulnerable group for Friday/Saturday evening activities as drink appears to play a part in some of the unprotected sexual activity.
Joyce – suggested that the Teens and Tots group needed to work on raising aspirations - working with the parents of future teenagers.
Paula – the Speak Easy programme has been extremely successful in Tameside.
Kim – LAC – all children’s homes have information and we make sure foster parents are encouraged to take up training
Catherine – we are working to get children into schools
Paula – there is to be a focus on peak periods which are Christmas and the summer holidays.
Ameena – The Youth Online Survey indicated that year ten pupils didn’t wish to have sex using a condom. Perhaps more work needs to be done with the young men.
Paula – plans to use young male parents as Peer Mentors

Paula was invited to the next meeting – team members asked to bring their proposals/ideas to the next meeting.

Item 5 – Feedback on discussions on Outcome Theme Groups – Graham/Ameena

Ameena/Graham reported on the discussions regarding the Outcome Theme Groups

1) Keep to terminology for judgements

• A report to go to CLT
• OTG – multi-agency
• Groups considered better than there was before
• More scrutiny from the groups
• Progress is reasonable
• Better engagement needed.

2) Relationship - governance not clear

• Terms of reference need reviewing
• Complementary and added value
• New innovative work – joined up work

3) JAR – need to move on from JAR – looking at DCFS frameworks

4) Have a focus helped to focus on real service issues

• Need to ask for information from other groups
• Look at trend data
• Neighbourhood and area data

5) Useful tools – report cards

• Need to get other bodies to accept our report cards
• Tameside consistent with other authorities
  

Item 6 CYPP review process - Ameena

Ameena gave feedback to the group with regards the CYPP

• People felt improvement actions were appropriate
• More tighter relationship between partnership and Outcome Theme Groups

Graham – more opportunities for real scrutiny - challenging questions within the group

Lyndsey – using report cards to create headlines from these groups to be included in the Business Plan

• Limited look at NSF – some groups thought not relevant
• General view – good multi-agency representation
  

Item 7 – Persistent Absence – Catherine Moseley

Catherine reported back to the group on persistent absence.

• Persistent absentees have been identified – but not all schools picking this up
• Health panel consisting of EWO’s/Heath Visitors/Parents/School – helping to get all ill children back into school – trying to identify problems.
• Working with schools – have data that shows correlation between attendance and grades (Catherine to email this data)
• Penalty notices now being issued by EWO service
• Secondary school attendance group to share good practice
• 2008/09 is 5% which has to be achieved – there is a lot of work to be done to meet this target
• Good effective data being used with schools
• Need to work with primary schools as often patterns emerge at this stage.
• Work with schools to give confidence to tackle the issues
• SIP’s looking at primary and secondary to tackle immediately
• In primary schools illness is sometimes an issue but quite often persistent absence a result of a chaotic home life.
  

Item 8 – Report Card 8.b – Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are helped to Enjoy and Achieve - Sheena Wooding

Deferred to a later meeting

Item 9 – Update on Report Card – Kim Brookes

• Report cards now include trend line and recent data
• Key Stage 1
• Good reading/writing/maths
• Key Stage 2
• English good upward trend
• Maths and science – there is an upward trend
• Out performing national figures
• Key Stage 3
• Slightly above national
• GCSE
• 5 A-G – good progression
• 5 A*-C – exceeded floor target
• 5 A-C including Maths and English – slight improvement, but behind their peers

Progression from key stages:

• Some children made better progress
• Some children have severe mental health issues or are non attendees
• Work taking place with colleges to try to keep the post 16+ group engaged

Graham – progress charts were very useful
Worrying group appears to be the Key stage 2 group of 4 who score but didn’t translate into outcomes.

Kim – 2 of the boys had mental health issues but went on to extended curriculum. 1 boy out of borough and had a statement. 1 girl had severe behaviour issues.

• Need to look at outcomes of alternative curriculum

Catherine – will get the exclusion data to Kim.

Graham – The Report cards were greatly improved.

Judgement – Card judged has heartening.

Item 10 – AOB - All

No other business

 Item 11 – Date and Venue Next Meeting

20th May – Dukinfield Town Hall