Children & Young People Strategic Partnership

Minutes - 18 October 2007

Commenced : 10.00 am
Terminated : 11.55 pm

Present :

• Councillor AJ Gwynne (Chair)
• Ameena Ahmed, Tameside MBC
• Claire Bibby, Tameside MBC
• Tom Coffey, Tameside MBC
• Alison Cresswell, Learning and Skills Council
• Cheryl Eastwood, Tameside MBC
• Judith Grigg, Tameside & Glossop PCT
• Veronica Hyde, Third Sector Coalition
• Jonathon Knowles, Fire and Rescue Service
• Pat McKelvey, Tameside Primary Care Trust
• Sarah Petts, Tameside Voice
• Sheila Piazza, Tameside MBC/Connexions
• John Rogers, Tameside Primary Heads
• Geraldine Smith, Tameside MBC
• Ian Smith, Tameside MBC
• Jim Taylor, Tameside MBC
• Shaun Walton, Fire and Rescue Service
• Sue Ward, Tameside & Glossop Acute NHS Trust

Apologies for Absence:

• Adam Allen
• John Berry
• Janet Callender
• Annie Dodd
• David Hobbs
• Ahmeed Khan
• Susan Marsh
• Steve Noble
• Melanie Sirotkin
• Ian Young

1. Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting of this Strategic Partnership held on 16th August 2007 were approved as a correct record.

2. Achieve Economic Wellbeing Outcomes Subgroup

Sheila Piazza submitted a report which provided a summary of the scrutiny activities undertaken by the above Sub-Group focusing on three elements, namely:-

• Housing for young people
• Preparing young people for working life
• Ensuring that 14 – 19 years education training was planned and delivered in a co-ordinated manner and to ensure that education and training for 16 – 19 years old was of good quality.

It was further reported that due to the dynamics of the membership of the Sub-Group a holistic view was being taken and a programme of work designed to assist in the preparation of the evidential requirements for the Annual Performance Assessment of Children Services in spring 2008.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

3. Children and Young People Plan 2007 - 2010

The Partnership gave consideration to the final draft of the above Plan and was requested to give views on the list of shared priorities for 2007/2008, detailed within the Plan, which would be the subject of discussion with the Government Office North West in the near future.

Members of the Partnership made the following suggestions for the priorities:-

1. Include the development of a comprehensive and well publicised range of support for parents.
2. Remove the reference to children and young people’s mental and emotional well being into the list of additional priorities.
3. Amend the third priority to read “Continue to raise attainment in all Key Stages of learning”.
4. Amend the reference in the additional priorities to children with disabilities as follows:-
   
   “develop integrated services for children with disabilities through the implementation of the multi-agency strategy”.
   
5. Include anti-social behaviour.

It was also reported that whilst this was a three year plan, an annual review would be undertaken.

Resolved

That the Children and Young People’s Plan 2007 – 2010 be approved and adopted subject to the amendments detailed above in relation to priorities.

4. Update on the Children's Centres Plan and Summary of Performance to date on the Core Officer

Geraldine Smith, Children’s Centres and Extended Schools Manager, reported upon the nine Children’s Centres currently operational throughout the Borough together with the six which were being developed.

The purpose of the Centres was to provide improved access to main stream services for families within the most disadvantaged areas of the Borough by engaging with the community and facilitating continued involvement with those services who supported improved outcomes for children and their families. In conjunction with schools, the Centres would become key vehicles to support health, families, Job Centre Plus, early years and children.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

5. Tameside 2007 Examination Results

Jim Taylor, Director of Education, submitted a report which outlined the overall results obtained by Tameside schools at Key Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4, together with national comparisons where available.

The report highlighted that for the third consecutive year, in relation to Key Stage 2 results in Mathematics, English and Science, all three subjects had been above the national average and compared to statistical neighbours, this Borough was the second highest in English, fourth and fifth in mathematics and science respectively.

He added that a further report in relation to vulnerable groups would be submitted later in the year.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

6. Local Area Agreement - Second Quarter Monitoring

Consideration was given to a report submitted by Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning, which detailed performance again the 17 national and local performance indicators in relation to children and young people.

Overall 59% (10) of measures were improving or on target; 6% (1) were not meeting targets and data was not yet available in relation to the remaining 35% (6), due to annual reporting mechanisms.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

7. Joint Commissioning on Prevention Strategies

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning, reported upon the work on-going with the Primary Care Trust to evaluate the existing Children’s Fund Projects with a view to applying for £710k continuation funding for 2008 onwards, adding that it would be appropriate for the voluntary and community sectors to be involved in the process.

It was also reported that this Partnership’s Executive Group would meet to look at commissioning arrangements and progress would be reported on a regular basis.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

8. Joint Area Review - Progress Report

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning, advised the Partnership of the work currently underway to prepare for the above Joint Area Review, together details of how those processes would relate to the forthcoming Corporate Performance Assessment in 2008 as well as the preparations for the forthcoming enhanced Youth Service inspection.

The Joint Area Review Action Plan contained 11 cross-cutting themes and in-roads were being made into the preparation of documentation and improvement action. One of the major challenges would be case records where a number of agencies each held their own records in respect of the same individual.

Reports were being submitted to Tameside MBC’s Joint Area Review Planning Group and a further report on developments would be submitted to this Partnership.

In relation to joint case management Shaun Walton requested that members of his service receive training on the use of the Jaspar system.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

9. Equalities Standards in Children and Young People's Services

Cheryl Eastwood, Director Children, reported that her Service was currently undertaking an exercise to develop equalities and diversity standards and requested that other agencies provide copies of any action plans already in place.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

10. Aspiration Strategy

Cheryl Eastwood, Director Children, reported that as part of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy work was on-going to develop an aspiration strategy for young people and requested that anyone who would be interested in assisting in that development, to contact her.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

11. Parenting Support Strategy

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning, submitted a draft strategy for supporting and involving parents in Tameside and requested comments from members of the Partnership by 26th October 2007.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

12. Updates and Communications

12(a) Teenage Pregnancy Up-Date

Cheryl Eastwood, Director Children, advised that meetings had taken place the National Support Team who was pleased with the progress being made in relation to developing a strategy to reduce teenage pregnancy across the Borough. An Executive Group had been established, chaired by Tim Riley, Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust.

Further reports would be submitted in relation to the implementation of the Condom Distribution Scheme and the introduction of the curriculum.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

12(b) Children & Young People’s Strategic Partnership Development Plan – Progress

Tom Coffey, Head of Strategy and Commissioning, reported that a detailed report would be submitted to the next meeting of the Partnership in relation to progress against the 11 actions contained within the Development Plan.

13. Dates of Future Meetings

The Partnership was advised of the future dates of meetings as follows, all meetings commencing at 10.00 am:-

• 13 December 2007
• 14 February 2008
• 17 April 2008
• 12 June 2008
• 14 August 2008
• 16 October 2008
• 11 December 2008