Agenda item

Policy Update from Executive Member for Children's Services

To receive a policy update from the Executive Member for Children’s Services.

Minutes:

The Chairman explained that a proposal to introduce an update by the Executive Member for Children’s Services as a standing item had emerged from discussions that had taken place at the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.  The idea was that Executive Members would work with their respective Scrutiny Committees during the development of policies.

 

Mark Ashwell, Executive Member for Children’s Services stated that he welcomed the opportunity to work with the Committee and asked for suggestions and ideas as to what lines of enquire the Committee wished to pursue, and what outcome was expected out of this item. 

 

During the discussion of the item the following comments were made:

 

·           The Chairman asked Members to email her with any ideas or suggestions of key lines of enquire that they may wish to pursue;

·           Councillor Ashwell stated that the work of Children’s Services could be divided between Children’s Social Care and Early Help and Children’s Education;

·           Councillor Ashwell suggested the Committee could look at a proposal to introduce council tax relief for Care Leavers;

·           Members were informed that a lot of work in relation to Children In Care (CIC) was carried out by the Corporate Parenting Board (CPB);

·           The Chairman stated that in the past councillors had signed a Pledge to Looked After Children at a meeting of the Council with the presence of the mayor.  She believed that it would be a good idea to do this again;

·           Lisa Humphreys, Head of Social Care and Intervention stated that the CIC received an annual questionnaire which was submitted to CPB for analysis and discussion;

·           Councillor Miall felt it would be better to send out the questionnaire twice a year in order to have a more complete picture of the CIC’s feedback;

·           Councillor Ashwell explained that the Children In Care Council (CICC) attended CPB and gave the Board an update at every meeting, their views were already being considered regularly;

·           Lisa offered to include the questionnaire with the CPB annual report to the Committee;

·           Councillor Ashwell suggested including Corporate Parenting training in his forward planning;

·           Caroline stated that most CIC did not know what the elected Members’ work was, therefore they were not always sure what they could ask of Members.  She suggested that a group of Members could champion a group of children and take a more active role as corporate parents;

·           Lisa stated that in August there had been an event day for CIC which had been attended by some councillors and there had been great integration;

·           Councillor Ashwell stated that most councillors contributed to CIC’s Christmas presents every year, he suggested that this fund could be used to fund events during the year;

·           The Chairman suggested that Councillor Ashwell, Lisa and Caroline meet outside of this meeting to explore the ideas that arouse during the discussion;

·           In relation to the proposal to exempt Care Leavers of council tax, Lisa stated that a lot of work was already being undertaken in the background.  She informed the Committee that some Care Leavers already received a 25% reduction in their council tax.  Lisa stated that the Council incurred costs in relation to debt collection and tenancy management of Care Leavers and young vulnerable people.  Should the Council opt to exempt Care Leavers of council tax, this would fulfil the Council’s statutory duty in relation to the Social Care Bill and it only affected around 30 people;

·           Councillor Shepherd-Dubey suggested increasing the reduction of council tax to 50%;

·           Councillor Hobbs explained that the proposal to exempt Foster Carers of council tax had been put forward by CPB in an effort to encourage more people to become Foster Carers;

·           The Chairman mentioned a report by the Children’s Society which presented a convincing argument in favour of tax relief for Care Leavers.  Members asked that this report be circulated to the Committee;

·           Members asked that two separate reports be produced in relation to council tax exemption for further discussion at the next meeting: one for Foster Carers and one for Care Leavers; and

·           Members were in favour of discussing the proposal of tax exemption for Care Leavers at the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee before this was presented to Executive.

 

RESOLVED That:

 

1)     Members would email the Chairman with ideas and suggestions of key lines of enquiry; and

 

2)     The Committee would receive and consider two reports at its January meeting in relation to:

a)     Foster Carers’ council tax exemption and

b)     Care Leavers’ council tax exemption

Supporting documents: