Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership

Minutes - 21 June 2007

Commenced: 10.05 am
Terminated: 12.05 pm

Present:

Councillor AL Gwynne (Chair), Tameside MBC
Ameena Ahmed, Tameside MBC
Adam Allen, Tameside MBC
Claire Bibby, Tameside MBC
Tom Coffey, Tameside MBC
Cheryl Eastwood, Tameside MBC
Hilary Garrett, Primary Care Trust
Judith Grigg, Primary Care Trust
David Hobbs, Better Choices
Veronica Hyde, Third Sector Coalition
Hameed Khan, Third Sector Coalition
Julie Lord, Tameside MBC
Pat McKelvey, Primary Care Trust
Steve Noble, Tameside MBC
Sarah Petts, Third Sector Coalition
John Rogers, Head Teacher
Jim Taylor, Tameside MBC
Shaun Walton, Fire & Rescue Service
R. Yates, Tameside MBC
Ian Young, Tameside Voice
Sue Ward, Acute Trust

Apologies for Absence :

Janet Callender, Tameside MBC
Councillor G. Cooney, Tameside MBC
Annie Dodd, Tameside MBC
Susan Marsh,
Chris Scarborough, Pennine Care, NHS Trust
Ian Smith, Tameside MBC

1. Minutes

The Minutes of the meetings of this Strategic Partnership held on 19th April 2007 and 17th May 2007, were approved as a correct record.

2. Teenage Pregnancy Update

Cheryl Eastwood reported Ian Smith and Tim Riley had met with Cathy Hamlin who was the Head of the National Teenage Pregnancy Team. An Executive Board had been established comprising Tim Riley, Ian Smith and Melanie Sirotkin and it was hoped that a Senior Strategic post would be established and filled as soon as possible, to deal with the Borough’s Teenage Pregnancy strategy.

It was also proposed to introduce a condom distribution scheme and the Spira curriculum in September together with more targeted working using an identifying risk approach. Work would also be undertaken in relation to prevention of second pregnancies.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

3. Children's Fund

Julie Lord reported the Children’s Fund budget had been reducing year on year and would finish in March 2008. There would be some funds available to local authorities to continue to provide preventative services for children aged five – 13 years old, however, the amount was still unknown.

This situation was a major cause for concern not only for project security but also the staff who were delivering those projects. The matter was also an issue for those involved in joint commissioning processes.

Cheryl Eastwood commented that there were a number of other funding streams which would be coming to an end and all projects would need to be examined and analysed over the next two months.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

4. Talking Trusts

Cheryl Eastwood submitted the document “Talking Trusts” which had been produced by a consortium of national infrastructure organisations who supported local networks for voluntary and community sector organisations. The document was intended to inform the discussion regarding how children’s trusts would best involve the voluntary and community sector, especially the smaller organisations. It also set out some straight forward recommendations which, if implemented, would have far reaching implications for the way in which children’s trusts work with the voluntary sector. The recommendations cover the following five areas:-

• Active engagement
• Representation
• An effective funding environment
• Operational co-ordination
• Infrastructure development

In welcoming the document some concern was expressed regarding the commissioning of services from local voluntary groups who were competing against larger national in the context of current tendering processes.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

5. European Funding Opportunities for Children & Young People

Russell Yates, Resource Procurement Team Leader, Economic Development Unit, submitted a report advising the Partnership of a number of European funding programmes and initiatives which might be used to support children and young people, including

• The Youth in Action programme;
• The Lifelong Learning Programme, in particular its sub programmes of COMENIUS and Leonardo da Vinci;
• E-twinning.

Discussion ensued and Members were requested to refer any projects considered suitable to Mr. Yates for consideration for funding and Mr. Noble stated that he would also liaise to create a link to school groups.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

6. You're Welcome Quality Criteria: Making Health Services Young People Friendly

Sue Ward, Divisional Nurse Manager, submitted a summary of the above Department of Health quality criteria which had been developed with young people and cover the following 10 areas:-

• accessibility
• publicity
• confidentiality and consent
• the environment
• staff training, skills, attitudes and values
• joined-up working
• monitoring and evaluation, and involvement of young people
• health issues for adolescents
• sexual and reproductive health services
• child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

Each of the 10 criteria had a number of key issues which members of this Partnership were required to bring together and it was suggested that a local set of standards be adopted through the local area co-ordination arrangements. A piece of work would be undertaken to look at combining the “You’re Welcome” standards with those from IAG guidance and work undertaken by the Tameside Participation Network.

Resolved

That the report be noted a further report be submitted to the next meeting of this Partnership on 16th August 2007.

7. The Tameside Strategic Partnership - Partners Portal

Joanna Foskett, TSP Co-ordination, advised the Partnership of the above Portal which was a “members only” section of the Tameside Strategic Partnership website for Tameside Strategic Partnership partners, aimed at improving communication, information and resource sharing.

It was hoped that all Link Officers to the thematic partnerships would post agenda, reports and Minutes of all partnership meetings on the portal once electronic versions were available.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

8. Children & Young People's Strategic Partnership - Action Plan

Consideration was given to the above Plan which set out the Partnerships objectives for improving outcomes for children and young people across the Borough for 2007 – 2008, which also incorporated the actions arising from the Away Day held in February 2007.

Resolved

That the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership Action Plan 2007 – 2008 be approved and adopted.

9. Healthy Outcomes Sub-group - Reducing Health Inequalities

Pat McKelvey reported upon the activities and work programme of the above Sub-Group which would be focussing upon the six Annual Performance Assessment and Joint Area Review “Be Healthy” indicators as follows:-

• Parents and carers receive support to keep their children healthy.
• Healthy lifestyles be promoted for children and young people.
• Action be taken to promote children and young people’s physical health.
• Action be taken to promote children and young people’s mental health.
• Looked After Children’s health needs be assessed.
• The health needs of children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities be addressed.

It was further stressed that it was important to align the different work streams and groups that meet, to ensure an appropriate reporting mechanism to this Partnership.

Resolved

That the report be noted and progress reports be submitted to future meetings of this Partnership.

10. Mock Joint Area Review

Cheryl Eastwood reported upon the arrangements that had been put in place for feedback on the above mock Joint Area Review by Tribal, adding that invitations had been issued to all who had been involved to attend a briefing meeting on 2nd July 2007 at 11.00am.

Resolved

That the report be noted and a progress report would be submitted to the next meeting of this Partnership.

11. Review of the Children & Young People's Plan

Tom Coffey advised the Partnership that the above Review had been forwarded to the Government Office North West and that final copies of the Review would be sent to all members of the Partnership. The self assessment rating for this year’s Annual Performance Assessment had also been submitted, giving a rating of “3* – Good - across all areas of the five outcomes” and a “4* - for capacity to improve”.

Resolved

That the report be noted.

12. Integration Progress Update

Tom Coffey reported upon progress in relation to joint planning, joint commissioning, performance management, integrated processes, participation and consultation, workforce development, communication and voluntary and community links. It was agreed that the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership Action Plan 2007 – 2008, agreed earlier in the meeting, would form the basis for future progress reports covering these matters:-

Resolved

That the report be noted.

13. Dates of the Future Meetings

The Partnership would meet on the following dates, all meetings to commence at 10.00 am:-

• 16th August 2007
• 18th October 2007
• 13th December 2007