Agenda and decisions

The Chair will welcome everyone to the meeting and propose a number of changes to the Membership which will be reported verbally at the meeting.  The Chair will also announce any apologies received.

1.    The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and apologies had been received from Cllr Marchington, Ophelia Rix, Barry Lockwood, Keith Fielding and Julie Bragg.

2.    The Board agreed to amend the Membership of the Board to include the Interim Head of Service for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance (Children) and to amend the Head of Safeguarding and Quality Assurance to Principal Social Worker.  The Board noted that the Terms of Reference would be updated to reflect these changes.

3.    The Board noted that Martin Green who represented the Chair of Governors would be leaving the Council and agreed that enquiries should be made as to whether the new Chair should attend future Board meetings.

The Board Members will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have disclosable pecuniary interests, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items, or any other interest.

No interests were declared.

Most debates take place in public. This only changes when there is a need to consider certain issues, for instance, commercially sensitive information or details concerning an individual. You will be told at this point whether there are any items on the Agenda which are to be discussed in private.

It was agreed that all agenda items would be held in public session.

The Board will receive any petitions and hear any deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also hand in a petition at the meeting but that petition should relate to something on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10 (2), Members of the Public should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of presenting a deputation.  

No deputations or petitions.

The Board will consider an Annual Report from One Adoption West Yorkshire.

Contact: Sarah Johal, One Adoption

1.    The Board noted the Annual Report from One Adoption West Yorkshire and thanked Sarah Johal from One Adoption for her contributions.

2.    The Board agreed that an animation by adoptive teenagers giving important key messages to social workers, teachers and adoptive parents about what had and had not helped the adopted teenagers throughout their childhood into adulthood as adopted people, should be shown at the next meeting of the Corporate Parenting Board.

The Board will consider a verbal update on key issues from Ofsted and the Improvement Board.

Contact: Steve Comb, Head of Corporate Parenting

                Julie Bragg, Head of Corporate Parenting

The Board noted the update on Ofsted and Improvement Board and thanked Steve Comb for his contributions.

The Board will consider a report giving key highlights on Performance Monitoring data for the Children’s Service for April 2019. 

Contact: Steve Comb, Head of Corporate Parenting

              Julie Bragg, Head of Corporate Parenting

               Janet Tolley, Virtual School Head Teacher

1.    The Board noted the Children’s Performance Highlight Report (April 2019) and thanked Steve Comb, Janet Tolley and Gill Addy for their contributions.

2.    The Board agreed that arrangements should be made for Substance Misuse nurses from Change Grow Live to visit the new drop-in facility in Dewsbury.

3.    That a future report be considered by the Board giving an update on Educational Employment and Training and what was being done with local businesses for care leavers.

4.    The Board agreed that delegated authority for Personal Advisors to approve expenditure on behalf of care leavers needed to be reviewed.  The Care Leavers Advocate agreed to liaise with the Heads of Corporate Parenting regarding this matter.

The Board will consider an overview of the number of children in care (snapshot) including age profile.

Contact: Julie Bragg, Head of Service (Children in Care and Care Leavers)

1.    The Board noted the report on Number and age of Children in Care and thanked Steve Comb for his contributions.

2.    That the Board consider a future report on sufficiency of foster placements living outside the area to include subset data showing the residual number of children on placement living outside Kirklees.

3.    That the representative from the Kirklees Fostering Network would liaise with the Head of Corporate Parenting (Sufficiency) to discuss some issues in relation to the support needed for foster carers of birth children.

The Board will consider a summary report giving a summary of the educational outcomes analysis for children and young people in care from 2018.

Contact: Janet Tolley, Virtual School Head Teacher

1.    The Board considered a summary report giving a summary of the educational outcomes analysis for children and young people in care from 2018.

2.    The Board agreed to consider a future report showing the number of secondary school moves for looked after children, together with the number of placement moves and an update on what action was being taken to reduce the number of moves that take place and improvements being made.

3.    That the Board consider the draft Head Teachers report in October 2019.

4.    That the Board consider the Learning Strategy at a future meeting, with particular focus on looked after children.

The Board will consider an Annual Report on the Statement of Purpose for the Fostering Service.

Contact: Andy Quinlan, Service Manager (Fostering)

1.    The Board noted the Annual report on the Statement of Purpose for the Fostering Service and thanked Andy Quinlan for his contributions.   

2.    That the Statement of Purpose Fostering Service brochure be circulated to Board Members for information.

3.    That the Young Persons draft version of the Fostering Service Statement of Purpose be circulated to Board Members for comment. 

4.    The Board agreed to receive details of future Foster Carer Recruitment events. 

5.    The Board agreed that Foster Carers should have access to a wide range of services and that Benefit Advisors, CAMHS representatives and employment agencies should attend future recruitment events to provide advice to potential Foster Carers.

6.    That Foster Carers should have access to the employee health care services, including advice on immunisations for carers and family members.

7.    That events be arranged for existing foster carers to raise awareness of what support was available.

8.    That the Board consider a future report on the impact of Staying Put on foster carers, to include learning from what was being implemented in other local authorities.

The Panel will consider areas for Board Members to champion and the agenda plan for 2019/20 municipal year.

Contact: Helen Kilroy, Principal Governance & Democratic Engagement Officer

1.    The Board Members agreed to interact with other services on a number of key areas to challenge the role of Corporate Parent and voice of the child and report back to future Board meetings on progress and findings.

2.    The Board noted that interaction with services could be in the form of a formal meeting with the service or partner or a telephone conversation or email exchange.

3.    The Board agreed that key contact points for the respective areas to be focused on be circulated to Members of the Board.

4.    The Board noted the Agenda Plan for the 2019/20 municipal year.

The Board will consider verbal updates from Board Members on interaction with Services.

Contact: Helen Kilroy, Principal Governance and Democratic Engagement Officer

1.    The Board noted the updates from Board Members on interaction with services.

2.    The Board agreed that this item be considered earlier on the agenda in future.

To note provisional future meeting dates of the Board during the 2019/20 municipal year:

-       28^th August 2019, 10 am

-       23^rd October 2019, 10am

-       13^th December 2019, 10am

-       10^th February 2020, 10am

-       9^th April 2020, 10am

            The Board noted the dates of meetings in the 2019/20 municipal year:-

-       28^th August 2019, 10 am

-       23^rd October 2019, 10 am

-       13^th December 2019, 10 am

-       10^th February 2020, 10 am

-       9^th April 2020, 10 am