Agenda and minutes

The Chairman informed all members and those present in the public gallery that the audio of the meeting would be streamed live through the council’s committee section of the website.

RESOLVED – The minutes of the meeting held on 21^st September 2016 were agreed as a correct record.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Val Duschinsky, who was substituted by Councillor Tom Davey.

Co-opted member Darren Warrington was absent.

The following interest was declared:

None.

Public comments were made by Ms Joanna Conway and Ms Jennifer Conway in respect to item 11, ‘Review of Special Guardianship policy and support – Consultation Feedback’.

Public questions and their corresponding answers were detailed in the item’s supplementary paper.

Supplementary questions were asked and answers given at the meeting.

The Commissioning Director, Children and Young People, and the Head of Service, Placements (Fostering, Adoption and Placements Team), introduced the item, which related to a review of the Special Guardianship policy and support with consultation feedback.

Following discussion of the item the Chairman then moved to the recommendations as outlined in the cover report. The Chairman took each recommendation in turn, with votes recorded as follows:

Vote on recommendation 1:

Vote on recommendation 2:

Vote on recommendation 3:

Recommendations 2 and 3 were therefore carried, and the following was RESOLVED:

• The Committee approved the new rates for new special guardianship orders.

• The Committee delegated authority to the Commissioning Director, Children and Young People, to undertake an annual review on special guardianship allowances.

None.

The Chairman invited the Education and Skills Director to the committee table to outline key information in the report and answer questions from the committee.

The Commissioning Director, Children and Young People, introduced the report; the Education and Skills Director then provided an overview of the report’s contents.

Following discussion of the item the Chairman then moved to the recommendations as outlined in the cover report.

The following was therefore RESOLVED:

1.            The Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee noted the Government’s consultation on proposals for education reform.

2.            That the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee noted the outcome of the education service reviews undertaken by Cambridge Education.

The Commissioning Director, Children and Young People, introduced the item, which related to business planning for the committee’s areas of responsibility.

Following discussion of the item the Chairman then moved to the recommendations as outlined in the cover report. Votes were recorded as follows:

The recommendations were therefore carried, and the following was RESOLVED:

1. The committee agreed the Vision and Commissioning Priorities as set out in Appendix A to the report.

2. The Committee recommended the savings programme as set out in Appendix B to the report to the Policy and Resources Committee.

The Commissioning Director, Children and Young People, introduced the report with related the Youth Service Review. The Strategic Lead, Children and Young People, then provided an overview of the content of the report.

Following discussion of the item the Chairman then moved to the recommendations as outlined in the cover report. Votes were recorded as follows:

The recommendations were therefore carried, and the following was RESOLVED:

1. The Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee noted the content of the report and approved the strategic outlines case.

2. The Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee delegated authority to the Commissioning Director of Children and Young People to prepare a draft outline business case, with options for consultation, and for a report to be brought back to a future meeting of the committee.

The Chairman introduced the item which related to the London Regional Adoption Agency.

The Head of Service, Placements (Fostering, Adoption and Placements Team) then provided further information in relation to how the proposals would impact Barnet.

Following discussion of the item the Chairman then moved to the recommendations as outlined in the cover report. Votes were recorded as follows:

The recommendations were therefore carried, and the following was RESOLVED:

1. The committee agreed, in principle, for the council to join a London Regional Adoption Agency;

2. The committee delegated authority to the Commissioning Director, Children and Young People (Director for Children’s Services) to progress arrangements relating to the development of the detailed financial analysis and the implementation of the London Regional Adoption Agency model;

3. The committee agree that a paper setting out the detailed financial analysis, and the detail of the proposed model, will be brought back to a future meeting of Children’s Education Libraries and Safeguarding Committee for consideration and agreement.

The Chairman introduced the item which related to the Children and Young People’s Health and Joint Commissioning in Barnet.

Following discussion of the item the Chairman then moved to the recommendations as outlined in the cover report. Votes were recorded as follows:

The recommendations were therefore carried, and the following was RESOLVED:

1. The Committee noted the update on children and young People’s health and the update on jointly commissioned services.

2. That the Committee approved the extension of the Health Visiting and Family Nurse Partnership contracts to March 2018 to align with the School Nursing contract and the 0-19 Family Services Review. The extended contract price will be subject to the allocation from the Public Health Grant.

The Chairman introduced the report which related to the committee’s forward work programme 2016-17.

The Chairman recommended that the committee approve to cancel the meeting of the committee scheduled for January 17^th 2016, and that the items scheduled for that meeting be considered at the meeting of the committee scheduled for 21^st February 2016. The committee unanimously agreed the recommendation.

The following was RESOLVED:

1. The committee agreed for the 17^th January 2016 meeting of the committee to be cancelled, and that all scheduled items for that meeting be considered at the meeting of the committee scheduled for 21^st February 2016.

2. The committee noted the 2016-2017 work programme.

None.