Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that –

1. the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th January 2012 be agreed as a correct record.

Apologies for absence were received from: Councillor Ansuya Sodha, who was substituted by Councillor Julie Johnson; and Councillor Zakia Zubairi.

a)      Personal and Prejudicial Interests

b)      Whipping Arrangements (in accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 17)

None received.

None.

Cabinet Member for Adults, Councillor Sachin Rajput, presented to the Committee the Council’s first Local Account of Adult Social Care Services, which set out the Council’s social care performance and service commitments to service users and residents.

The Committee were asked to make comments and recommendations on the Local Account of Adult Social Care Services.

The Committee commented that the format of the Local Account was very accessible, though noted that one section could have been better written and proof read. Members also questioned the meaningfulness of data from the service user survey and requested further details on the breakdown of service user satisfaction levels.

The Committee sought further information on the use of telecare equipment by service users and its effectiveness. Members were advised that the total numbers of users of telecare equipment was unknown and that a strategy was being developed to take this issue forward. The Assistant Director of Transformation agreed to provide a report to the Committee on the use of telecare equipment in the autumn.

The Committee sought assurance that appropriate services were being provided to older people who were caring for adults with special needs such as autism. The Assistant Director of Transformation informed the Committee that Carers would be prioritised and that contingency plans to minimise risk or areas of concern would be developed. The Cabinet Member for Adults agreed to provide a report to the Committee on the work being undertaken to support carers in the borough.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)       that the report be noted

(2)       Officers from Adults Social Care and Health provide reports to the Committee on the following:

(i)  Carers Support

(ii) Telecare equipment strategy

(3)       Further details from the survey on service user satisfaction levels presented in the Local Account are provided to the Committee.

The Joint Associate Director of Joint Commissioning gave a presentation on the development of a business case for changes to inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

The Committee sought further information on the new clinical model and how the needs of young people would be managed in the community. Members sought reassurance about the future of the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) and the education of CAMHS users in Barnet.

The Joint Associate Director of Joint Commissioning agreed to work with Children’s Services to provide a report to the Committee on the future education provision for young people using CAMHS.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)   The Joint Associate Director of Joint Commissioning and Children’s Services provide a report to the Committee on the future education provision of CAMHS service users in Barnet.

The Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families introduced a report on the plan to address the recommendations arising from the Ofsted inspection of safeguarding and looked after children services. The Committee were informed that the Council had received an assessment of good overall in relation to both its safeguarding and looked after children services. The Cabinet Member thanked Members for their contribution during the inspection period.

The Committee sought further information on the process of inspection and what progress had been made in implementing Ofsted’s recommendations. Members were informed that the inspection had lasted ten days and that intensive preparation had been undertaken. Ofsted had assessed case files and conducted interviews with various personnel, including young people, and held group meeting across all partnership agencies within Barnet.  The Committee were advised that their exemplary role within safeguarding across the borough had been noted by Ofsted as excellent.

Members were informed that the relevant Children’s Services Officer would receive alerts and reminders to ensure that plans to address the recommendations made by Ofsted were completed within given timescales.

The Committee discussed the safeguarding role of Members of the Council, criminal record bureau (CRB) checks and safeguarding training. Members agreed to discuss in their group meetings the possibility of recommending that all Members of the Council receive a CRB check.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)       The report be noted

(2)       An update report on the progress of implementing Ofsted’s recommendations be added to the work programme.

The Committee received the most recent Cabinet Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED -

(1) That the report on the Cabinet Forward Plan be noted

The Committee considered the work programme and requested that the following items be added to the Committee’s work programme for the 2012/13 municipal year:

(i)                 Update report on action plan to address recommendations arising from Ofsted inspection on Safeguarding and Looked After Children

(ii)               Education Services for young people in receipt of CAMHS

(iii)             Support for Barnet Carers

(iv)             Telecare Strategy

The Committee discussed the absence of educational matters on the work programme and requested that the Scrutiny Office identifies which items had been previously considered by the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee during 2010/11 which had not been considered by the Safeguarding Committee in 2011/12 and to circulate this information to the Committee for information.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)       the items listed above be added to the Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2012/13.

(2)       the Scrutiny Office identifies the items previously considered by the Children’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee which had not been considered by the Safeguarding Committee in 2011/12 and circulate this information to Members of the Committee.

The request from Councillor Kate Salinger for this Members’ Item to be included on the agenda for the meeting had been received following the publication of the Committee agenda. To enable Councillor Salinger to present the item the Chairman agreed that the item should be dealt with as an urgent late item of business.

Councillor Kate Salinger introduced her Member’s Item on Child Abuse and Child Sexual Exploitation. Councillor Kate Salinger expressed dismay at the national increase in the numbers of children being exploited and abused and felt that it was important that the Committee were aware of the scale of the problem in Barnet.

The Committee agreed to recommend to the Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee that at Task and Finish Group should be established to scrutinise child sexual abuse and exploitation in Barnet.

RESOLVED that -

(1)     The Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee be recommended to convene a Task and Finish Group on child abuse and sexual exploitation to examine how widespread child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation is perceived to be in the borough and what is being done to combat and support the victims.

That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act (as amended) shown in respect of each item:

RESOLVED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 12A of the Act (as amended):

                                                                           Exemption category

Members’ Visits to Barnet’s Children’s Homes                      3

Statutory Officer visits                                                                      3

RESOLVED -

(1)   That the exempt information be noted

(2)   That the Member rota for visits to Barnet’s Children’s Home and Young People’s Hostels tabled at the meeting be agreed

(3)   That the Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care develop an options paper on the proposed management  and reporting arrangements for future Member visits for consideration by the Safeguarding Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

  RESOLVED that-

(1)  The exempt information be noted.