Issue - meetings

Policy Update from Executive Member for Children's Services

Meeting: 23/01/2018 - Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 49)

49 Policy Update from Executive Member for Children's Services

To receive a verbal report from the Executive Member for Children’s Services including updates on:

·         Policies

·         Arrangements

·         Timescales

·         Consultations

Minutes:

Councillor Ashwell, Executive Member for Children’s Services addressed the Committee and explained that he had taken the opportunity to review the services with the arrival of Paul Senior in November 2017.  His review revealed a number of strengths within Children’s Services, such as: good schools, good Children’s Social Care and single front door to early help, 98% permanent staff in Children’s Social Care and an effective Corporate Parenting Board.  However, Councillor Ashwell stated that the management structure was fragile, with a high number of interim posts.  Paul Senior reassured the Committee that there were plans in place to secure permanent solutions.

 

Councillor Ashwell stated that the service was expecting two inspections to take place this year: a Special Education Needs and Disability inspection and a new Children’s Social Care inspection by Ofsted.

 

Councillor Ashwell informed the Committee that work was being undertaken to develop the following strategies for the Borough:

 

·      Education Vision Strategy, integrating it with Health.  In an effort to develop this strategy, a Wokingham Learning Partnership (WLP) had been set up, which involved a partnership with schools, other groups and the Local Authority.  An independent chair was in the process of being recruited to chair the WLP.

 

·      SEND Strategy, this would cover 0-25 year olds.

 

·      Secondary School Admissions Strategy, in recognition of the pressure that had been created in secondary schools around the Borough with the opening of Bohunt School.

 

Councillor Ashwell stated that he would continue to update the Committee on the development of these strategies.  In response to a question he stated that he would bring the timescales to the next meeting.  

 

RESOLVED That the update report be noted.