Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned; and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 1 September 2016 as a true and correct record.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 1 September 2016 were signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.

To consider any applications from members of the public to speak at the meeting.

The Committee noted that there were no applications for public speaking on this occasion.

The Committee to consider the Executive and Cabinet Member decisions within the remit of the Resilient Communities Scrutiny Committee. 

The Committee considered the Executive and Cabinet Member decisions within the portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary, taken since the last meeting of the Committee.

Members raised questions in regards to decision number PH54/2016 ‘Hornby Road and Coopers Way Commissioning Review’ and Mrs Curtis, Director of People, advised that the service would remain operated as a seven day service.

A query was raised in relation to decision number PH58/2016 ‘Tendering for Community Advice and Information Provision’ and Councillor Kirkland, Cabinet Member for Third Sector Engagement and Development advised that the tender to provide the independent advice and information service was currently open and that there had been a number of expressions of interest and applications received. Councillor Kirkland advised that she would report the outcome of the tender exercise to the Committee in due course.

With regards to decision number PH62/2016 ‘Housing Related Support’, the Committee questioned the impact of the decommissioned Emergency Direct Access Accommodation provision for young people aged 16 to 24 years old. Mrs Curtis advised that young people would have access to beds through Streetlife.

To consider the content of the Council’s Forward Plan, October 2016 – January 2017, relating to the portfolio of the Cabinet Secretary.

The Committee considered and agreed to note the items contained within the Forward Plan, October 2016 – January 2017.

To consider the Workplan, together with any suggestions that Members may wish to make for scrutiny review.

The Chairman presented the workplan to the Committee and highlighted the ‘Implementation of Recommendations’ table.

The Committee agreed:

1.         To approve the Scrutiny Workplan.

2.         To note the ‘Implementation of Recommendations’ table.

To consider improvements in the Youth Offending Service since Full Joint Inspection in 2013, the impact of developments in the sector and the opportunities the developments present.

Mr Lowe, Youth Offending Team Manager, provided the Committee with a summary presentation of the improvements in the Youth Offending Service since the Full Joint Inspection in 2013, the impact of developments in the sector and the opportunities the developments presented.

It was explained to the Committee that the Youth Offending Team Partnership’s vision was to prevent offending and reduce reoffending by young people, through working effectively with partners. Mr Lowe advised Members that there had been significant rises in the number of young people coming into the youth justice system in the past decade as a result of the growth of ‘sanction detentions’ by the police, which had imposed formal responses to incidents that would have previously attracted an informal response. The impact in Blackpool of the rise had been that caseloads became twice the national average and were considered to be a significant barrier to achieving quality and effectiveness in the protection of the public and of young people themselves. It was noted that the result had been a poor inspection outcome from the HM Inspector of Probation in 2009.

In response to the poor inspection, Mr Lowe informed Members that the aims of the Youth Justice Strategy had been to develop processes and services to divert young people with low level offending behaviour away from the youth justice system into informal and voluntary forms of support. The Committee was advised that the success and improved performance of the Partnership could be demonstrated through an 80% reduction in the number of ‘first time entrants’ into the Youth Justice system in Blackpool.

The Committee was provided with case study examples of the young people the Youth Offending Team had worked with, which helped to illustrate the support that was provided to young people. Members noted the high rate of youth offenders with mental health problems and raised questions regarding what work was undertaken with the particular cohort. Mr Lowe advised that managing the cohort of young offenders with mental health problems was a challenging process, particularly with the transfer from youth to adult services at 16, but that the Youth Offending Team met monthly with the Adult Mental Health Team in order to improve pathways and ensure appropriate care was identified.

Members discussed the provision of sport opportunities and other activities as a potential rehabilitator of young offenders and Mr Lowe informed Members of the wide variety of various activities that were provided around the town, including the Summer Arts College, which were used to divert young people away from offending. Mr Jack, Chief Executive and Chairman of the Youth Offending Team Board, advised the Committee that in the past a lot of focus of the Youth Offending Team Board had been on preventing re-offending, but now the emphasis of work had shifted to prevent first time offending. He informed Members of the work that was being undertaken into how the issues causing young people to offend were addressed, reporting that the focus of Headstart and the work being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To consider the Blackpool Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report, which provides evidence of the activity of the Board during 2015/2016.

Mr Sanders, Independent Chairman of Blackpool Safeguarding Children Board, presented the Blackpool Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report, which provided evidence of the activity of the Board during 2015/2016.

He advised the Committee that the key success during the 2015-2016 year was that the Improvement Plan was lifted in July 2015 and the Safeguarding Children Board resumed its full statutory duties. Mr Sanders reported that another achievement had been overseeing an increasing commitment to the Safeguarding Children Board from Blackpool schools.

The Committee discussed the demographics of Blackpool, which experienced high levels of deprivation and nearly a third of children living in poverty. It was reported to the Committee that Blackpool experienced far higher levels of safeguarding referrals than the England average. Mr Sanders explained to the Committee that it was hoped that the Early Help Strategy and work on the Neglect tool would have an impact in helping to reduce the number of referrals and number of looked after children as the current numbers were not sustainable with the current resources available. Upon further questioning from Members, Mr Sanders considered that partners needed to find new, smarter ways of working to reduce the number of referrals.

Members were advised of the new Neglect Assessment tool that would be rolled out over the coming year and would enable practitioners to effectively and consistently evaluate the scale of neglect that children in Blackpool experience.

The Committee questioned when the Early Help Strategy and Neglect tools would be launched and would have an impact. Mr Sanders advised that the Early Help Sub-Group was currently working on the Early Help Strategy, which aimed to ensure quantifiable provision of early help by all agencies who work with children and families in Blackpool. It was hoped that the Strategy would be launched soon. With regards to the Neglect tool, Mr Sanders informed Members that it was hoped to be ready later in November and that 25 practitioners had now been trained to be able to train others in using the tool.

The Committee raised concerns regarding the level of appropriate attendance at safeguarding meetings, noting that the report highlighted that the majority of Strategic Board members during the reported period, did not meet the required threshold for attendance. Mr Sanders advised that he had spoken to all key personnel within the partnership agencies and discussed the issue. He considered that low levels of attendance had not been due to a lack of interest, but had been as a result of officers having other commitments. However, Mr Sanders reported that there had been recent improvements in attendance levels.

Mr Sanders advised that the end of the reporting period covered by the report marked the halfway period of the current 2015-2017 business plan. He advised that the new business plan was due to be agreed by the Blackpool Safeguarding Children Board in February 2017. Members considered that the new business plan should be presented to the Committee once it had been agreed by the Blackpool Safeguarding Children Board.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To consider performance against the Council Plan 2015-20 for the period 1 April – 30 June 2016.

Mrs Ruth Henshaw, Corporate Development Officer presented the performance against the Council Plan 2015/2020 for the period 1 April 2016 to 30 June 2016 and highlighted the key exceptions.

Mrs Henshaw reported that the majority of the Council Plan indicators for ‘Resilient Communities’ that were due to be considered by the Committee were either annual or bi-annual and therefore could not be reported on for the quarter.

Of the indicators where data was available, it was reported to the Committee that there were three indicators where performance had deteriorated in Quarter 1 2016/2017:

·         Number of referrals / rate of referrals to social care per 10,000 children;

·         Number of looked after children / rate of looked after children per 10,000 population; and

·         Percentage of children who became subject to a child protection plan for a second or subsequent time.

The Committee noted that all three of the deteriorating indicators had been discussed in detail in recent meetings of the Committee.

The Committee agreed to note the report.

To consider the Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/2016.

The Committee considered the Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/2016.

The Committee approved the Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/2016.

Background papers: None.

To note the date and time of the next meeting of the Committee as Thursday, 8 December 2016, commencing at 6pm.

The Committee noted the date and time of the next meeting as Thursday, 8 December 2016 commencing at 6pm in Committee Room A, Town Hall, Blackpool.