Agenda item

To present performance against the Council Plan for the period 1 April – 30 September 2017.

The Committee considered a report which detailed performance against the priorities in the Council Plan 2015 – 2020. The report contained seven indicators from the Headstart programme and ten indicators based on young people. The report was presented by Mrs Val Watson, Delivery Development Officer, who explained that it was the first report of its type to be presented to the Committee and would be developed further in the future.

The Committee asked whether the indicator referring to the number of young people benefitting directly from Head Start Universal Support, referred to those enrolled on the programme or actually deriving benefit from it, and were it the latter, how that was quantified. Mrs Watson agreed to explore the matter further and report back in due course.

The Committee raised questions around the indicator concerned with the number of pupils on the Elective Home Education Register, pointing out that despite showing significant increases in numbers since 2015/2016, it was indicating green in terms of performance. Mrs Diane Booth, Director of Children’s Services, explained that the indicator referred to an improvement in performance between quarter 1 and quarter 2 of 2017/2018. She acknowledged however that more needed to be understood about the reasons why children were being educated at home and that Children’s Services was part way through developing a full Inclusion Strategy, which she offered to present at the next meeting of the Committee. She further explained that part of the Strategy would be around elective education, but also about the wrap around support that was available.

The Committee asked whether checks were made as to whether children were being properly educated at home. Mrs Booth explained that a robust system of monitoring was in place and that this was part of the Inclusion review being carried out.

In response to questions regarding the figures appertaining to non-attendance at school, Mrs Booth confirmed that pupil referral numbers did not affect those figures. She agreed to bring further information about the Blackpool Led Improvements System to the next meeting of the Committee.

The Committee pointed out that the numbers of permanent exclusions had risen and asked why this was the case. Mrs Booth explained that the statistics related to individual schools and that inclusion workshops being held on 9 and 10 November 2017 would examine this in more detail. She pointed out the need to look at the individual requirements of each school and provide appropriate wrap around services to support them.

The Committee discussed the indicator relating to the rate of hospital admissions for self-harm and the higher numbers referring to the 10-24 age group. Members queried how the figures were accumulated and pointed out that (an unknown) proportion might well relate to people from outside of Blackpool. Mrs Booth acknowledged the question and agreed to query this further and report back in due course.

The Committee agreed to defer any questions from Members concerning the numbers of looked after children until the next agenda item.

The Committee agreed to note the report and to receive further information on both the Inclusion Strategy and the Blackpool Led Improvements System at the next meeting.

Background papers: None.