Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from those Members who are unable to attend the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillor Ashleigh Robinson, Councillor Hannah McKerchar and Councillor Tanisha Bramwell.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 26^th March 2024.

That the minutes of the meetings held on the 26^th March 2024 be approved as a correct record.

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

No interests were declared.

Most agenda items take place in public. This only changes where there is a need to consider exempt information, as contained at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. You will be informed at this point which items are to be recommended for exclusion and to be resolved by the Committee.

All items were considered in public session.

The Panel will receive any petitions and/or 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 submit a petition at the meeting relating to a matter on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, Members of the Public must submit a deputation in writing, at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting and shall subsequently be notified if the deputation shall be heard. A maximum of four deputations shall be heard at any one meeting.

No deputations or petitions were received

To receive any public questions.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, the period for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Any questions must be submitted in writing at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

Suzanne Wright asked the following questions: 1. “Did the Council consider whether the Post 16 Transport provisions were lawful under the Equality Act, The Education Act and the Human Rights Act?” and 2. “How do the Council propose to deliver the education provision and in my son’s Education and Health Care Plan if he is unable to get to college?”

The Chair advised that the Panel were unable to answer the questions as they did not have the specialist knowledge regarding this matter, and that the questions would be passed on to the relevant Cabinet Member to provide a written response.

The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Children, Councillor Kendrick, advised that any public questions regarding personal matters could not be responded to in a public meeting to protect the individual concerned but that the Cabinet Member with responsibility for this area would be able to respond direct. 

The Chair read out the second set of public questions which had been submitted by Neil Clarkson who had not been able to attend the meeting.

Neil Clarkson asked the following questions – 1. “Was an impact assessment done by officers under the public sector equality duty?” and 2. “Of the four travel bands in transport provisions, band three and four are woefully inadequate and unaffordable for disabled young people and their parents. As these bands cover young people travelling long distances using public transport is often not an option as lots of young people are not able to travel independently due to their disabilities. Their parents face punitive and unaffordable taxi costs to enable them to access the educational provision specified in their Education and Health Care Plan. This means the allocated transport grant will prevent some from being able to attend college at all. How were these figures calculated and what assessment was made of how much parents would have to top up this figure to enable their children to participate in the educational provision prescribed in their EHCP?”

The Chair agreed to forward the questions onto the relevant Cabinet Member to provide a written response.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the Members of the Public be thanked for their questions.

2)    That the questions be forwarded to the relevant Cabinet Member for a written response.

The Panel will consider a verbal update on the performance highlights from the latest Children’s Services data report covering period ending 31st July 2024.

Contact:        Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director

Kieran Lord, Service Director

Vicky Metheringham, Service Director

The Panel considered a verbal update on the performance highlights from the latest Children’s Services data report covering period ending 31^st July 2024.  The report provided a summary of consistent and improved areas of practice and a review of how data was helping with work improvements and challenges.

Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director for Learning and Early Support, highlighted the following key points –

·       Educational Outcomes - Further analysis would be undertaken of the previous academic year to July 2024 and reported to the Panel at a future meeting.

·       Increase in take-up of Free Early Education for Eligible 2 year-olds - Those eligible for this offer were mainly from low-income families, families in receipt of benefits, Children Looked After or children with an Education, Health and Care Plan. There had been a focus on this as a route out of poverty, with the aim of narrowing the attainment gap, and encouraging parents to take up education or work.

·       At the end of the Summer term there was 87% take-up of the offer, which was the highest level it had ever been at that time of year, as the data often dipped between Spring and Summer Term. It was also the 7^th term in a row where there was at least 80% take-up by eligible families. The national average take-up figure was significantly lower, at 74%.

·       The Service had taken positive action to achieve this success. Since 2022 there had been increased targeted work to contact and support eligible families, particularly in areas of Kirklees where take-up had been below average. Six priority wards were identified, Batley East and Batley West, Dewsbury East and Dewsbury West, Crosland Moor and Greenhead.

·       All eligible families had been contacted and of 1,491 children identified as eligible, 87% were accessing free early education, due to the work done to encourage take-up and highlight eligibility. It was recognised that take-up was not 100%, however some families had made a personal choice not to take up the offer.

·       Increase of Education Health and Care Plans issued within statutory timescales - Progress was outlined regarding the SEND Transformation Programme, particularly in relation to statutory compliance in issuing Education Health and Care Plan (EHCPs). EHCPs identify additional educational, health or social care needs of children and young people aged 0 to 25, and set out the additional support that needs to be in place to meet those needs.

·       There had been a significant rise in the number of EHCPs being maintained, from 4,146 at the end of December 2023 to 4,601 at the end of July 2024. Historically, performance had not been as good as it should be in this area, with statutory compliance at the end of 2023 being very poor.

·       Figures now demonstrated that improvements had been made, with 38% of EHCPs issued within the statutory 20 week timescale, compared to January 2024 when no EHCPs were issued within the 20 weeks.

·       There were a number of EHCP applications currently outside the statutory 20 weeks, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Panel will consider any potential areas of pre-decision scrutiny in accordance with any cabinet decisions relating to children and young people which are on the horizon and receive updates from senior officers in Children’s Services.

Contact:        Service Directors (Children’s Services)

The Panel noted that they would consider the outcome of the Ofsted Inspection of the Children’s Service at the October meeting.

The Panel noted that recommendations from the Children’s Scrutiny Panel could be submitted to Cabinet to be considered and discussed. Councillor Kendrick advised that recommendations to Cabinet from the Children’s Scrutiny Panel had previously enhanced the direction of travel in relation to decisions made.

Panel Members who attend the Kirklees Parenting Board, will feedback on key areas of focus considered by the Board, which will be of interest to the Panel.

The Panel noted that there had been no meetings of the Kirklees Parenting Board since the start of the new municipal year.

The Panel will consider the proposed areas of focus and activity for the 2024/25 municipal year and discuss the method and means to be used to continue the Panel’s work going forward.

Contact:        Helen Kilroy, Assistant Democracy Manager

The Chair noted that the Work Programme for 2024/25 and Agenda Plan had been finalised and circulated, and thanked governance officers for their role in putting it together. The work programme had been approved by Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, but it was noted that updates would be made to the work programme during the municipal year. The Chair had met with the Chair of Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel to discuss the immunisation of babies and children and children’s dentistry, which were on the work programmes of both scrutiny panels. The Chair would attend the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel early in 2025, when these matters would be considered and Members from both Scrutiny Panels had been invited to attend the Joint meetings.

The Chair noted that there was a full work programme and agenda plan for the 2024/25 municipal year which included a number of visits, and encouraged Members of the Panel to attend as many of the visits as possible to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced and of the issues that would be scrutinised by the Panel.

RESOLVED:

That the progress on the Work Programme and Agenda Plan for 2024-25 be noted.