Agenda item

To inform the Scrutiny Committee of the work undertaken by Children’s Services to allow effective scrutiny of the service.

Councillor Cain, Cabinet Secretary (Resilient Communities), Councillor Jones, Cabinet Member with responsibility for School Improvement and Children’s Safeguarding and Mrs Delyth Curtis, Director of People (Statutory Director of Children’s Services) attended the meeting to answer questions on the Children’s Services Improvement Report.

Members commented that there was no information in the report regarding Looked After Children. Mrs Curtis advised that she would ensure future reports contained this information and that the current number of Looked After Children was 441. Blackpool had the highest number of Looked After Children in England per head of population, however, the current number was the lowest it had been in some time. Mrs Curtis added that that was a natural decrease in number and that it could increase again at any time.

The Committee queried the impact the high levels of transience in Blackpool had on the numbers of Looked After Children. Mrs Curtis advised that transience was an issue and that some families moved to Blackpool to escape problems. Councillor Jones stated that the Council had a responsibility to make sure every child in Blackpool was safe and that it was not an easy decision to take a child into care. He added that work was ongoing to provide support to families to try and prevent a child being taken into care.

The Committee further queried the liaison and support with the parents once a child had been taken into care. Mrs Curtis advised that the Council provided a range of services were provided and that children were taken into care for a number of reasons. Councillor Jones added that an increasing number of children were being placed with family members in a private fostering arrangement and that the Special Guardianship Allowance Order was increasingly being used to help children to stay with extended family members.

Members questioned the number of Blackpool children being cared for outside of the Borough and the number of children being cared for in Blackpool from outside the area. Mrs Curtis advised that she would circulate this information after the meeting, however, the figures were similar. Children were placed outside of the Borough for a number of reasons including a requirement for specialist care that could not be provided in Blackpool and risk of child sexual exploitation amongst others.

Members challenged how the Council was working with other agencies to try and tackle child sexual exploitation. Mrs Curtis advised that there was close partnership working. Blackpool had received a ministerial visit last year. The four ministerial departments had undertaken a piece of work with the Council and had reported favourably on the work being undertaken in Blackpool on the issue to date. There were issues to tackle and best practice would be adopted. A self assessment was also currently underway. The result of the visit would be reported to the Blackpool Children’s Safeguarding Board.

Councillor Jones reported that child sexual exploitation was a key concern and that raining was being provided to all Elected Members, Council Officers, taxi drivers and providers.

Councillor Cain added that it was vital that all Members attended training and understood their responsibilities as corporate parents. He stated that preventing child sexual exploitation was the highest priority of the Council and assured the Committee that he would not allow the situations that had occurred at other authorities to happen at Blackpool.

In response to a further question, Councillor Jones advised that he was speaking to Headteachers regarding the approach of schools to child sexual exploitation. He added that it was also important to engage with parents on the issue.

The Committee noted that a thematic discussion on child sexual exploitation was planned for the next meeting of the Committee.

Members noted that the report had not included performance information regarding adoption. Mrs Curtis advised that adoption rates were rising and that she would include a full update on adoption in the next report to Committee.

The Committee discussed the school profile. In response to a question Mrs Curtis advised that engagement with academies had improved. Blackpool Challenge Board had been established to improve educational attainment and and all schools had signed up to the Blackpool Challenge.

Members discussed concerns around the Pupil Referral Unit and queried the percentage of Looked After Children within the Pupil Referral Unit. Mrs Curtis advised that it was proportionately quite high and that Blackpool’s Pupil Referral Unit was one of the largest in the country. She added that the services were working with schools to prevent pupils being excluded to reduce numbers in the Pupil Referral Unit. Members acknowledged that there were safeguarding risks attached to children not in full time education.

Members queried the variance in terms of performance from primary schools to high schools in Blackpool. Mrs Curtis highlighted that reasons could include the size of high schools, the move from a single teacher to numerous teachers when pupils left primary school and that behaviour tended to be better in a primary school setting.

The Committee acknowledged the issues associated with high schools but sought clarification on the plans in place to address performance. In response, Councillor Jones advised that work was taking place with schools to ensure a smooth transition between primary school and high school. Mrs Curtis added that transition was a key priority of the Blackpool Challenge Board.

The Committee discussed the requirements of children in education, the importance of the child’s opinion and the importance of keeping children in full time education and out of the Pupil Referral Unit.

Members requested further information on the recent Ofsted inspections of schools in particular the reason for a school to be considered as ‘outstanding’ and then four years later ‘require improvement’. Councillor Jones advised that that could be due to a number of reasons including a change of headteacher and leadership or the overall quality of teaching staff at the school. It was noted that it was often difficult to attract the best staff to Blackpool schools. Mrs Curtis advised that the performance of schools was monitored and services worked with schools on improvement and put procedures in place, but it was sometimes not possible to make the necessary improvements to the school before Ofsted undertook an inspection.

The Committee agreed:

1.      To receive copies of the School Profile and School Improvement Plan outside of the Committee meeting to allow Members to escalate any issues to the Committee.

2.      To consider the impact of the work of the Blackpool Challenge Board as part of the next Children’s Services Improvement Report.

3.      To receive a performance update in relation to the priority to reduce the number of children in the Pupil Referral Unit.

4.      To request a summary of all Ofsted inspection reports within the Children’s Services Improvement Report and to receive full Ofsted inspection reports outside of the Committee meeting as and when they are published to allow Members to escalate any issues to the Committee.

Background Papers: None.