Area Coordination Management Meeting

Ashton

Minutes

Time: 10.00am - 12.00noon 
Date: 27th September 2007
Venue: St. Peter's Children's Centre, Ashton-under-Lyne

Present:

• Christine Redmond - Children's Social Care
• Julie Lord - Area Co-ordinator
• Jane Ann Birkitt - Stamford High School
• Pam Chadwick - Youth Service
• Annie O'Malley - Connexions
• Danielle Henniker - Canon Johnson
• Karen Davies - DV Project
• Briana Bamforth - Education Welfare & Young Carers

Note Taker: Jo Cole

Item 1: Welcome

Jane – Ann welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made around the table.

Item 2: Apologies

• Catherine Matthews - Youth Offending Team
• Anne Okwei - Children's Centres
• Jane Dufty - Inclusive Services
• Mary Clowrey - Education Welfare

Item 3: Notes of last meeting and matter arising

The minutes of the last meeting were accepted as true record with no matters arising.

Item 4: Karen Davies – Domestic Violence Project

• Karen is the Domestic Violence Project Manager and has been in post since May 2007.
• The project is funded until May 2008 by the CWDC, who monitor it to ensure the funding is being spent correctly. Karen is currently in the process of applying for more funding to continue the project once CWDC funding ceases.
• A part-time admin person works alongside Karen, collecting data and stats relating to referrals.
• A youth support group called ‘What About Me?' is being set up to help young people in domestic violence situations.
• Targeted at secondary school age - 11 to 16.
• One venue at the moment – Waterloo Children's Centre.
• The sessions can accommodate 6 – 8 young people.
• The group will run for 10 weeks and each session will focus on a different outcome.
• The young people receive OCDs if they attend for the full 10 weeks.
• Karen is currently looking at further venues – hopefully to have a group in each area e.g. Duke Street , Bennett Street , another venue in Ashton, Children's Centres.
• As well as venues, more youth workers are also needed to help run the groups.
• Leaflet / poster / website will be designed by the young people once the support group is up and running.
• If the young person lives too far away they will be picked up and dropped off - if appropriate.
• Referrals can be from schools, youth bases, GPs, Connexions, Off the Record and self-referrals.
• As well as the support group, a drop-in session has been organised for once every 2 weeks for St Damian's and Droylsden Girls. Referrals can then be made to Connexions, Off the Record and the Young People's Information Centre.
• Karen handed out a flyer for a drama production and explained in more detail.
• Year 10 students from 5 secondary schools are involved in this. The young people involved are known to Children's Services / Women's Refuge / Victim Support.
• The production will be shown in Alder, Fairfield , Mossley Hollins and Egerton Park , and a DVD will be produced for Dale Grove.
• It was suggested that pre and post interviews should be undertaken with the young people involved to establish the benefits and the outcomes.

Christine Redmond suggested that Karen attends one of her Children's Social Care management meetings, which take place on Tuesday afternoons. Christine to follow up.

Annie O'Malley suggested that Karen attends one of the Connexions Education Team meetings, which take place on a Wednesday afternoon. Karen confirmed that this is already in the process of being arranged. Annie to follow up.

Item 5: Area Action Plan – Updates & New Actions

Action 2.1/2.2 – Integrated Processes - Update

Sue gave an update on Integrated Processes.

• The flowchart and wallchart have been finalised.
• The launch of the Children's Needs Framework takes place w/c 1 st October 2007. Guidance will also go out. It was noted that not everyone has been invited who should have been – Julie to follow up.
• Common Processes Practice Workshops are being organised – 3 workshops in each area - 20 –25 attendees at each.
• 469 people trained on JASPER.
• 15 th October 2007 – CAF/JASPER goes live.

General CAF Feedback

Connexions

• They're putting information on JASPER – not all agencies are – information missing.

Children's Social Care

• Issues with training – this is now being resolved – target dates now set.
• CRB checks also an issue.

Action 4.4 – Autumn Change for Children Events - Update

• Following meetings with the Children's Centres, the format for the days has been changed and is now more informal.
• The first one to take place will be for the Ashton area on 17 th October 2007. This will be in conjunction with the official open day of the Waterloo Children's Centre.
• Discussions have taken place regarding:
• Target audience / attendees.
• Good Food/Good Health – PCT – Healthy food stall.
• Feedback wall – neighbourhood needs
• A meeting is taking place tomorrow afternoon at Waterloo Children's Centre to finalise details.
• Planning is currently taking place for the Denton , Droylsden and Audenshaw event – most likely to also be in a children's centre.

Action 3.5 – Staff Directory - Update

• There will be a staff directory for each of the four areas.
• The information is ready for Ashton – just needs compiling.
• It is hoped that it can be web-based – possibly attached to SID.

A draft version of the staff directory was circulated at the meeting. There was a discussion regarding content and which services / people should be included. Concerns were raised over how the information will be kept up-to-date. It was suggested that managers needs monthly reminders to check the content is accurate.

Action 2.3 – Referral Arrangements - Discussion

Jane-Ann circulated version 3 of the document outlining the proposed arrangements.

Jane-Ann explained for members who had not been involved in previous discussions that this is a way of listing all students in a particular school, and mapping what agencies are working with them.

Comments and suggestions were welcomed.

• It was acknowledged that the data will be able to identify the level of activity of different service in each area / across the borough.
• An end date would be useful to show if a particular service is no longer working with the young person.
• Young Carers should be added to the contact list.
• Action Plus Information should be included.
• It was suggested that Pastoral Managers should trial it – possibly working with their own year group.
• What is the overlap with JASPER? Same students on this list don't meet threshold for JASPER.

Julie reported that the area co-ordinators have been collecting examples of referral forms from different agencies. It was agreed that Julie will email the list she has so far – please send any additional forms to her.

It was agreed that Jane-Ann will bring this back to the meeting once further progress has been made.

Action 9.1 – Area Profile of Need and Services - Draft

The latest version of the area profile was circulated at the meeting. The purpose is to identify local needs in this area.

Comments and suggestions were welcomed.

• Teenage pregnancy rates need including.
• It was suggested that the information on growing and declining industries in Tameside should be included in the Occupation Section.

Members were asked to e-mail further feedback to Julie.

Item 6: Ashton Pilot

For members not involved in previous discussions, the Ashton Pilot is a case study, focusing on students in a particular school and developing a procedure for identifying the various services that can be involved with any one young person at a time.

As mentioned earlier in the meeting (Item 5 – Referral Arrangements) Jane-Ann is continuing to work on this and will update the meeting when appropriate.

Julie reported that at the Stalybridge, Dukinfield and Mossley ACMT, the Youth Offending Team rep commented that Community Safety had undertaken a piece of work looking at what agencies are involved with young people. It was agreed that Julie should investigate this further and report back.

Item 7: AOB

NCF Teenage Pregnancy Research

Julie reported that Pauline Lees from the NCF has recently undertaken a piece of research regarding teenage pregnancies.

This involved interviewing 50 teenage mums

A great deal of interesting information has come from this, so much so that they want to follow it up with a conference.

Julie will report back with any more information.

APA

Julie reported that the Annual Performance Assessment which is an annual inspection carried out by Ofsted, took place on 20 th September.

The initial feedback is very positive and the report cards were highly praised.

Confirmation letter of grades to follow from Ofsted.

Young People & Public Transport

There was a discussion regarding young people travelling to different areas of the borough for work and the issues surrounding public transport e.g. safety, money, confidence.

Outcomes Framework

Julie gave a brief update on the recent work Mark Friedmann has done on the new Outcomes Framework.

The new version circulated at meeting.

Ashton Area Co-ordination

Julie informed everyone that Tracy Wood has been appointed as the Area Co-ordinator for the Ashton area. She starts on 19 th November.

Meeting Closed at 11.20

Glossary

• ACMT Area Co-ordination Management Team
• APIR (profile) Assessment, Planning, Implement and Review
• BEST Behaviour and Education Support Team
• BIP Behaviour Improvement Programme
• CAF Common Assessment Framework
• CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
• CF Children's Fund
• CLASS
• COLT Consolidation of Learning Team
• CYP Children and Young People
• CYPSP Children and Young People Strategic Partnership
• DfES Department for Education and Skills
• E2E
• EAL English as an Additional Language
• EBSD Emotional, Behavioural and Social Difficulties
• ECM Every Child Matters
• EMA Education Maintenance Allowance
• EWO Education Welfare Officer
• EWS Education Welfare Service
• GONW Government Office for the North West
• NEET Not in Education, Employment or Training
• PA(s) Persistent Absence (in Education Welfare)
• PCT Primary Care Trust
• PRU Pupil Referral Unit
• SEN Special Educational Needs
• SID Service Information Directory
• T3SC Tameside Third Sector Coalition
• TRASST Traveller, Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Team
• VCF Voluntary, Community, Faith
• YOT Youth Offending Team