Area Coordination Management Meeting

Hyde, Hattersley and Longdendale

Time:  9.30am - 11.30am
Date:  Thursday 24th July 2008
Venue:  YOT, Clarence Arcades, Ashton

Present:

Joyce Boyd Team Manager, Youth Offending Team
Jo Brown, Connexions
Sue Garnett, Area Co-ordinator & Chair
Rekha Patel-Harrison, Area Youth Service Manager
Sandra Burns, Children’s Community Nurse Team
Helen Hobday, Inclusive Services
Jan Cooper, Children’s Social Care
Chris Thean, Hattersley Neighbourhood Partnership
Mary Clowrey, Education Welfare Service
David Hoyle, TMBC 0-19
Vicky Cuddy, Children’s Centres

Note taker:  Lindsay Patchett

Item 1: Welcome

Sue welcomed everyone to the meeting and informed the group that this was to be Jan Coopers last meeting as she has accepted at post with Cheshire Council. Sue thanked Jan for her hard work/commitment to the group and wished her well in her new post. 

Sue suggested that this meeting should be scheduled for an earlier date next year as many group members were not in attendance due to end of term activities in schools and annual leave.

Item 2: Apologies

Janet Rathburn -  Primary School Rep, Dowson
Beryl Oliver - Hyde Tech
Gill Gibson -  NHS
Jane Cooke -  Children’s Social Care, Assessment Team
Linda Sidebottom -  New Charter

Item 3: Notes of last meeting and matter arising

The minutes of the last meeting were accepted as a true and accurate record with no matters arising

Item 4: Common Processes

Sue introduced David Hoyle to the Group. David is the new ISA Manager

David gave a brief outline of his role including his wider role in information sharing, working closely with the Area Co-ordinators and JASPER/Contact Point. David and Sue then proceeded to discuss the attached papers and their background.

Both stressed the importance of the Partnership’s Statement of Expectations. The intention is to bring all staff on line with this way of working.

David gave details of the Action plan and how this had been designed and its purpose.

• Operational Managers to monitor the use of CAF’s
• To ensure adequate training for staff involved.

The Common Processes Position Statement was developed in part response to the recent JAR inspection but has proved a valuable tool in informing us where we are in relation to other Local Authorities. It represents an encouraging position.

David stated that there would be support for practitioners now that the role of CAF Adviser had been recruited to. David informed the group that Jane-Ann Birkitt is to be the new CAF Adviser. Bob mentioned the area-based Common Processes workshops now planned for the autumn term and dates were given to members of the team.

Sue discussed the latest JASPER statistics.
There is concern that the figures are not completely accurate as it appears that all CAFS are not being loaded onto JASPER.

Jan commented that Book Start are unable to put their figures on to JASPER.

Further work is needed to ensure that CAFs are recorded accurately.

A discussion took place surrounding CAFS and JASPER.
David that there was a gap for user friendly materials and that Oldham/Wigan authorities had very user friendly - small handbook. Tameside have a similar booklet at draft stage and hopefully will be ready by the time Jane-Anne is in post.

Sue passed round an example of the type of booklet we are aiming for.
Oldham Connexions have CAF cards for use with young people, giving them details of CAFs.

David gave a broader outline of Contact Point and answered the groups questions.

• There will be access for the voluntary sector
• Children will not automatically be on Contact Point
• Authorities cannot opt out of Contact Point
• Tameside go live in February 09
• Contact Point wont be 100% perfect to begin with
• It is hoped that CAF champions would be identified.
• The group asked how these champions were to be identified.
• David/Sue suggested that in many cases there will be a natural progression
• What is the level of commitment needed/would they be the lead professional?
• David/Sue reassured the group that the CAF champion would not be the lead professional, but would offer support/coordination role - basically co-ordination not accountability.
• It was suggested that Lead Co-ordinator may have been better used than Lead Professional.
• David was keen for there to be a differentiation between Contact Point training and JASPER training.
• Jo Brown commented that CAFs are a lengthy process and in education they have found that parents do not always wish to commit to that length of time.

Action: Any Questions regarding SID to go to David Hoyle

Item 5: Connexions Statistics

Jo Brown gave verbal presentation surrounding Connexions Statistics

• The statistics were broken down by Ward
• Out of 132 NEET in Hyde 70 are job seekers, 62 are complex needs
• 10% NEET in Hyde
• Hyde Connexions can assist with CV and interview preparation
• Various reasons for NEET
• Good to have stats for predicted/actual grades and where these Young People are one year down the line.
• Put intensive support in for year 11 pupils with complex needs
• Following Jo’s presentation an interesting discussion pursued:
• Claire Bibby working on Personalisation Plan
• Fischer Family Trust suggested as a very helpful tool for Personalisation Plans. This is a charitable trust set up approx ten years ago. They have a whole set of indicators for young people with projections of where they should/could be and what they can achieve.
• PASS - Pupils Attitude to School and Self being used in the BEST project and being rolled out to primary schools, this looks at trends and it is hoped that disaffected young people will be flagged up at an early stage - at present this is being used at Copley and three feeder primary schools - Not sure about this
• Members of the group were concerned that once needs were identified would we be able to meet these needs?
• There is a need to target resources where needed.
• Rekha suggested a chart detailing what services were available would be helpful to practitioners - age appropriate for 0 - 19 - Sue said that SID should be able to provide this information
• It would be good to know what services are universal.

Action: Jo to email statistics to Lindsay

Item 6: Role of the Community Paediatric Team

Sandra Burns gave an informative and enjoyable presentation outlining the work the Community Paediatric Nursing Team.
Main points:

• The team consists of 12 trained Paediatric nurses who care for children in their own homes, nurseries, relative’s homes.
• They are at “Sister” level of nursing
• They are hospital based/part of the acute service.

Their main priorities are to:

• Reduce the length of stay in hospital
• Reduce the need for hospital admission

Some of the conditions are:

• Asthma
• Eczema
• Changing dressings
• Constipation

• Children with complex needs - along with complex needs team
• End of life service at home - parents given 24 hour phone number They work 365 days a year from 8.00am - 6.00pm
• Referrals come from various sources e.g. GP’s (certain conditions), A&E department, Observation & Assessment Units, Tertiary Centres, Allied Health Professionals.

Sandra invited questions from the group

Q) If a child has multiple problems - do you complete a CAF?
A) Nurses will complete a CAF is one has not already been completed.

Q) Do you give talks at Children’s Centres? If not is this something that you would/could do?
A) Not something that we have done, but can see no reasons why we can’t do in the future.

Item 7: Introduction to the Area Profile 2009

Group members were asked to look at the Intro to Area Profile and bring their comments to the next meeting

Item 8: Good News Items/Events

Hyde Tech calendar to be looked at in the next meeting
Feed back from the inspection given as “fine” with an expected Action Plan
Sue announced that Ian Smith - Executive Director, Services for Children and Young People is to retire.

Jan Cooper reported that there is a programme for Social Workers to be patch based - Stalybridge team to be based at Wildbank Primary and Denton team will be based at Duke Street School when refurbed - at present the work has gone out to tender.

Vicky Cuddy informed the group that a bid for funding for the BME Young Parents project has been shortlisted. This project is to find out more about the BME Young Parents/attract them into the service.

Presentations to take place in August.

Jo Brown informed the group that Connexions have got funding through.

Item 9: AOB

No other business

The meeting closed at 12.00
Next Meeting 23rd September at 9-30am
New Charter

Sue thanked the YOT Centre for their kind hospitality.