Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED- The minutes of the last meeting held 18 May 2016 were agreed as a correct record.

Apologies for absence were received by Councillor Daschinsky who was substituted by Councillor Sowerby and Co-opted members Darren Warrington Simon Clifford.

None.

None.

Councillor Anne Hutton introduced her Member’s item relating to safeguarding implications of volunteer-run partnership libraries and unstaffed libraries.

Following discussion of the item the committee unanimously RESOLVED:

That the Commissioning Director of Children and Young People will circulate to Councillors the details of OJEU and safeguarding specifications for Parnership Libraries   

Councillor Hutton introduced her Member’s item which related to cuts to schools and the National Funding Formula.

Following discussion of the item, the Chairman moved a motion to amend the recommendation to read:

Council notes the announcement of a new National Funding Formula for schools, which is aiming to ensure a settlement fair to all pupils, schools and localities. Council notes that Barnet’s schools may, collectively, face a cut to their funding as a result - although the Department for Education have not yet confirmed proposed funding levels.

Council  notes  that  the  re-allocation  of  funds  through  the  National  Funding Formula could hit London the hardest, given current levels of funding when compared to other regions.

Council therefore supports efforts to make the case to government for continued investment in London’s schools, taking into account its complexities including deprivation, mobility and other local factors.

Council  asks  the  Leader of the Council and the Chairman of the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee  to  write  directly to the Secretary of State for Education  setting  out  LB Barnet’s  position in relation to the National Funding Formula and advocating on behalf of all the borough’s schools.

The committee unanimously AGREED the motion, therefore the motion was CARRIED.

The Chairman moved to the vote of the recommendation as amended. The committee unanimously agreed the recommendation.

The recommendation was therefore carried and it was RESOLVED that:

‘Council notes the announcement of a new National Funding Formula for schools, which is aiming to ensure a settlement fair to all pupils, schools and localities. Council notes that Barnet’s schools may, collectively, face a cut to their funding as a result - although the Department for Education have not yet confirmed proposed funding levels.

Council  notes  that  the  re-allocation  of  funds  through  the  National  Funding Formula could hit London the hardest, given current levels of funding when compared to other regions.

Council therefore supports efforts to make the case to government for continued investment in London’s schools, taking into account its complexities including deprivation, mobility and other local factors.

Council  asks  the  Leader of the Council and the Chairman of the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee  to  write  directly to the Secretary of State for Education  setting  out  LB Barnet’s  position in relation to the National Funding Formula and advocating on behalf of all the borough’s schools.’

Paulette Thompson-Omenka introduced the item that related to the review of Special Guardianship policy and support.

Following discussion the Chairman moved a motion to amend recommendation 2 to read as:

That the Committee approve the proposal to consult on a new SGO allowance rate  and maintenance rates for kinship foster carers and foster carers and a corresponding increase in the skills based fee for foster carers, with a paper incorporating the consultation findings, along with any amendments following such consultation, returning to CELS Committee for final sign-off. The costs of consultation are minimal and will be met within the project budget.

The committee unanimously agreed the motion.

The Chairman moved to the vote of recommendation 1 as set out in the cover report and recommendation 2 as amended.

The committee unanimously agreed the recommendations.

The recommendations were therefore carried and it was RESOLVED:

1. That the Committee noted the SGO policy.

2. That the Committee approved the proposal to consult on a new SGO allowance rate  and maintenance rates for kinship foster carers and foster carers and a corresponding increase in the skills based fee for foster carers, with a paper incorporating the consultation findings, along with any amendments following such consultation, returning to CELS Committee for final sign-off. The costs of consultation are minimal and will be met within the project budget

The Commissioning Director for Children and Young People introduced the report relating to the Barnet and Young People Plan 2016-2020.

Following discussion of the item the Chairman moved to the recommendations outlined in the report. The committee unanimously agreed the recommendations and the following was therefore RESOLVED:

1. That the Children, Education, Library and Safeguarding Committee considered and approved the revised Children and Young People’s Plan 2016-20 as summarised in 1.1 to 1.11 and contained in Appendix A.

2. That the Children, Education, Library and Safeguarding Committee delegated authority to the Commissioning Director for Children and Young People to work with partners to develop an action plan and implement the new Children and Young People’s Plan.

The Education and Skills Director introduced the report relating to the future provision of specialist places for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities 2015/16-2019/20.

Following discussion of the item, the Chairman moved to the vote of the recommendations outlined in the report. The committee unanimously agreed the recommendations and the following was therefore RESOLVED:

1.    That the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee noted the results of the consultation and approved the need for a new all-through special school for children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to meet current and future demand.

2.    That the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee noted that a Free School application to establish a new all-age special school in Barnet has been submitted to the Department for Education by Oak Lodge Special School and agreed that such a school would meet the need identified in recommendation.

3.    That the Commissioning Director, Children and Young People be authorised to pursue the development of a school to meet the need set out in recommendation 1 and to report back to the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee on any capital requirements if such a school cannot be funded via a free school application.

The Commissioning Director for Children and Young People introduced the item which related to the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment. A wide ranging discussion was held about the statutory duty and how the council were delivering the requirements. Members noted the proposed actions.

Councillor Levine suggested that a strategic document is circulated to Members on how to address the issues in the Jewish community.

Councillor Levine moved a motion to amend Recommendation 5 in the report to add ‘…and the Jewish Community’ so that it reads:

That across relevant areas of the council there are plans for the impending demand for additional childcare in areas where regeneration work is currently taking place, actively promoting the creation of new childcare provision in Colindale and Burnt Oak and the Jewish Community, where there is a current shortfall in childcare and where there is predicted to be a higher demand for places.

The committee unanimously agreed the motion.

Following discussion of the item, the Chairman moved to the recommendations as outlined in the report and recommendation 5 as amended.

The committee unanimously agreed the recommendations, the following was therefore RESOLVED:

That the Committee approve the following:

1.    The Child Sufficiency Assessment is agreed for 2015/16

2.    That the Early Years’ Service continue working to improve the London Borough of Barnet’s childcare information so that parents are able to access better information about childcare in their area.

3.    That the council is in the process of rolling out a new Provider Portal which will capture live information about childcare providers and vacancies. This will belinked to the LB Barnet website, giving greater transparency of local childcare services to parents.

4.    That the Early Years’ Service continues to work closely with those groups identified in this report that are not accessing the two year old offer. This work includes addressing specific barriers to accessing services by particular groups and continued delivery of a targeted action plan of support to increase take-up.

5.    That across relevant areas of the council there are plans for the impending demand for additional childcare in areas where regeneration work is currently taking place, actively promoting the creation of new childcare provision in Colindale and Burnt Oak and the Jewish Community, where there is a current shortfall in childcare and where there is predicted to be a higher demand for places.

6.    That the Early Years’ service work closely with Private, Voluntary andIndependent (PVI) providers to explore opportunities to expand provision for the forthcoming childcare policy to provide an additional free 15 hours for 3 and 4 year old children in working families, and increasing out of school childcare. The policy will include creating a clear Strategy to respond to the demands placed on the childcare system in Barnet by the additional 15 hours childcare for working families.

7.    That the Early Years’ service and Cambridge Education will work with schools to look for further opportunities to develop the role they play in providing early years services, and addressing the shortage  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The Director of Education and Skills introduced the report which related to the annual report on school funding in Barnet and the Government’s consultation on a national school funding formula.

Following discussion of the item, the Chairman moved to the recommendations outlined in the report. The committee unanimously agreed the recommendations and the following was therefore RESOLVED:

That the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee:

1. Noted the annual report on school funding in Barnet and the recent

government consultations on potential changes to school funding.

2. Delegated to the Commissioning Director, Children and Young People (Director of Children’s Services) authority to consult schools on any potential changes proposed by Barnet Schools Forum, as a consequence of further published Government regulation or guidance, expected in Autumn 2016.

3. Delegated to the Commissioning Director, Children and Young People

(Director of Children’s Services) authority to make any necessary

amendments to the Schools Funding Formula for 2017/18 to enable the

changes to be included in the submission of the Authority Proforma Tool (APT) to the DfE on 31 October 2016 (or alternative date required by central government.

The Chairman introduced the committee’s work programme for the forthcoming year.

It was agreed that theAnnual Safeguarding Board Report and Response to Annual Safeguarding Board Report are moved to the September meeting and the Social Care Performance Report will be moved to the July meeting.

The committee unanimously noted the work programme.

None.