Meeting documents

Details of all Members’ interests in District, Town and Parish Councils can be viewed on the Council Website at

County Councillors membership of Town, City, Parish or District Councils and this will be displayed in the meeting room (Where relevant).

The Statutory Register of Member’s Interests can be inspected via request to the Democratic Service Team.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

The Committee is asked to confirm the minutes are accurate.

The minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020 were approved as a correct record.

The Chair will allow members of the public to ask a question or make a statement about any matter on the agenda for this meeting. These questions may be taken during the meeting, when the relevant agenda item is considered, at the Chair’s discretion.

There were no questions submitted by members of the public.

To receive an update from the Governance Manager, Scrutiny and discuss any items for the forthcoming work programme.

To assist the discussion, attached are: -

a) The Committee’s work programme

b) Outcome Tracker

c) The Cabinet’s Forward Plan

Please use the following link to view the latest Cabinet Forward Plan of planned key decisions that have been published on the Council’s website: -

Cabinet Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The Committee considered the current work programme, the outcome tracker for the Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet Forward Plan.

The Council’s Scrutiny Manager, outlined the key points relating to the documents and the outcome tracker was updated as follows: -

·      Add to agenda for 3 March - Future schools provision  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider presentation on Children’s Services data trends (to follow).

Note – The Chair will be allowing at least an hour for this agenda item.

The Committee received a presentation from the Council’s Deputy Director, Children Services Claire Winter, on Children’s Services data trends. The Deputy Director explained that the purpose of the presentation is for the Committee to consider children services data and partnership qualitative information to identify areas of possible concern and success  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

This will be a multi-agency session, with representatives from Children’s Services, Public Health, CAMHS, CLA team presenting. The presentation will be circulated prior to the meeting.

All Members of the Adults and Health Scrutiny Committee are most welcome to attend for this item.

Note – The Chair will be allowing at least an hour for this agenda item.

As background to the item, the following documents are attached as pre information for members and which may be interesting / informative prior to the session: -

·           The Mental Health Continuum which provides a brief overview of the Mental Health continuum

·           Young Somerset - the attachment provides detailed information in the initial slides regarding Young Somerset and their work, with the wider work being covered in the later slides & will be covered briefly at the meeting itself 

·           The Wellbeing for Educational Returns attachment gives details of the initial evaluation of this COVID19 initiative.

(Members of the Adults and Health Scrutiny Committee had also been invited to attend the meeting for this agenda item).

The Chair advised that this is a multi-agency session on mental health and wellbeing and that some background information had been published with the agenda pack. He welcomed the following  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive the report and discuss the recommendations.

The Committee considered a report from the Council’s Director of Finance, Jason Vaughan, introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Mandy Chilcott, which summarised the key areas of specific interest within the Medium-Term Financial Plan to the scrutiny committee for Children and Families. The Committee was asked to consider  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Oral update on the proposed Task & Finish Group.

The Scrutiny Committee discussed the Task and Finish Group looking at the continuity of Children’s Services through local government reorganisation in Somerset. The Council’s Scrutiny Manager, Jamie Jackson advised that the terms of reference needed some final amendments and the final version will be agreed outside of the meeting.

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The Chair may raise any items of urgent business.

The following items of urgent business were raised at the meeting: -

(a)Cllr Munt – asked about the SCC’s plans for the Easter Holiday relating to food and activities for children – the Council’s Deputy Director Children’s Services said that she would provide a written response to all members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.