Meeting documents

SCC Scrutiny for Policies, Children and Families Committee
Thursday, 9th September, 2021 10.00 am

Venue: Luttrell Room - County Hall, Taunton. View directions

Contact: Jamie Jackson on 01823 357628 or 07790 577336 or Email: jajackson@somerset.gov.uk  Fiona Abbott on 01823 357337 or Email: fabbott@somerset.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

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.

 

Minutes:

There were no new declarations of interest made at the meeting.

2.

Minutes from the previous meeting held on 7 July 2021 pdf icon PDF 75 KB

The Committee is asked to confirm the minutes are accurate.

3.

Public Question Time

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.

Minutes:

There were no questions submitted by members of the public.

4.

Scrutiny for Policies, Children and Families Committee Work Programme pdf icon PDF 77 KB

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) The Committee’s 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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered and noted the Committee’s current work programme and outcome tracker and the Council’s Forward Plan of proposed key decisions in forthcoming months including Cabinet meetings to March 2022.

 

The following items were added to the work programme: –

 

·         Roll out of Pantry Project etc and support to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

SCC Response to the Afghan Refugee Position

Verbal update from Simon Clifford, Corporate Affairs Director and Brittney Strange, Health Promotion Manager – Resettlement.

 

Note: The Chair will be allowing 30 minutes for this agenda item to allow for discussion.

Minutes:

The Committee received a verbal update from the Council’s Corporate Affairs Director, Simon Clifford and from the Council’s Health Promotion Manager (Resettlement) and the Council’s Health Promotion Manager, Brittney Strange on the County Council’s response to the Afghan Refugee position.

 

SCC is the lead authority for co-ordinating the countywide response,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Social Care - The Experience of Younger Children in Care pdf icon PDF 432 KB

To consider presentation from Jayne Shelbourne-Barrow, Strategic Manager CLA and Leaving Care –  Presentation (to follow)

 

Note: The Chair will be allowing 1 hour for this agenda item to allow time for discussion.

Minutes:

The Committee received a PowerPoint presentation from the Council’s Strategic Manager CLA and Leaving Care, Jayne Shelbourne-Barrow on the experience of younger children in care.

 

The presentation covered the following areas: -

-      what we are trying to achieve in Somerset – best outcomes for all children and keeping children  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Task and Finish Group - update

Oral update on the work of the Task & Finish Group, on the ‘Continuity of Children’s Services through Local Government Reorganisation’.

Minutes:

The Chair provided a verbal update to the Committee on the work of the Task and Finish Group, on the ‘Continuity of Children’s Services through Local Government Reorganisation. The work of the Task and Finish Group has re started, following the Secretary of State’s decision in July 2021 that a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Information Items circulated to the Scrutiny Committee since the last meeting

(a) Youth Offending Service - Update on HMIP Inspection – circulated on 1 September

 

Briefing paper from Lise Bird, Strategic Manager Prevention Services and Helen MacDonald, Service Manager, Operational Management and update on actions from the meeting held on 12 November 2020

 

If Committee members have any questions or comments on the information, please contact fabbott@somerset.gov.uk in the first instance.

Minutes:

The Committee noted the following item which had been circulated for information since the last meeting: -

 

(a)    Youth Offending Service – update on HMIP Inspection and actions from the meeting held on 12 November 2020 – briefing paper from Lise Bird, Strategic Manager Prevention Services and Helen MacDonald, Service  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Any other urgent items of business

The Chair may raise any items of urgent business.

 

Meetings of the Scrutiny Committee for the remainder of 2021 are as follows:-

- Monday 4 October 2021 @ 10am

- Monday 8 November @ 10 am

- Wednesday 1 December – now beginning @ 2 pm

 

The meetings will be held in The Luttrell Room, County Hall, Taunton.

Minutes:

There were no other items of business.