Agenda and decisions

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Peter Clayton (no substitute) and Mrs Eileen Tipper (co-opted member).

To receive and note any declarations of interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

(The other registrable interests of Councillors of Somerset Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes: City, Town & Parish Twin Hatters - Somerset Councillors 2023 )

To approve the Minutes from the meeting held on Wednesday 13 September 2023.

Resolved that the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee - Childrens and Families held on Wednesday 13 September 2023 be confirmed as a correct record.

To approve the Minutes from the Joint Meeting of the Scrutiny Committee – Children and Families and the Scrutiny Committee – Adults and Health on Wednesday 25 October 2023.

Resolved that the minutes of the Joint Meeting of the Scrutiny Committee – Children & Families and the Scrutiny Committee – Adults & Health held on Wednesday 25 October 2023 be confirmed as a correct record.

The minutes will also need to be confirmed by the Scrutiny Committee – Adults & Health.

The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.

We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, please see details under ‘click here to join online meeting’.

To receive an update from the Service Manager, Governance Scrutiny. To assist the discussion, the following documents are attached:-

(a)  The Committee’s work programme

(b)  The Committee’s outcome tracker

Please use the following links to view the latest Somerset Council Forward Plans and Executive Forward Plan of planned key decisions that have been published on the Council’s website:

Somerset Council Forward Plans

Somerset Council Executive Forward Plan

The Committee received and noted the current work plan and outcome tracker and Executive Forward Plan.

The Chair highlighted the following:

·      There is an additional meeting scheduled for Tuesday 12 December at 10 am at Brympton Way, Yeovil.

·      To note that Committee Members will be invited to attend the Adults and Health Committee on 7 December for the following agenda item – Overview of Crime & Disorder.

·      The outcome tracker on the vaping item, considered at the joint meeting on 25 October, should be ‘orange’ (rather than ‘green’) as there are still actions outstanding.

·      Add ‘Connect Somerset’ as an item on the work plan.

The 2023/24 budget monitoring slides in the PowerPoint presentation will be led by the Council’s Strategic Manager, Finance Business Partnering, Sian Kenny.

The Committee received a presentation on the 23/24 Children’s Services budget and a verbal update on the month 6 position, which is showing a slight increase in forecast overspend (£11.8m to £12.4m).

A key area of deficit is the DSG, High Needs Block and will include more detail on this and the 2 areas overspending in the next update to the Committee.

Also requested a briefing note explaining differences between ‘mainstream home to school transport’ and ‘SEND transport’ (statutory / non statutory elements).

To consider PowerPoint presentation.

The item will be led by the Council’s Executive Director – Children, Families and Education, Claire Winter and the Service Manager, Caroline Barnes.

Note – the Chair will allow 50 minutes for agenda item 7.

The Committee received a presentation on Children’s Transformation Programme / Business Plan.

The transformation priorities are – sufficiency, efficiency, managing risks (slide 8). The 4 strategies underpinning the priorities 2023 - 2026 (slide 9) are –

·      Education for Life

·      CLA Transformation

·      SEND Strategy

·      Connect Somerset

The Chair asked that the committee think further on these areas and at the next meeting will ask for volunteers, to act as champions for each area.

To receive presentation.

The presentation provides a summary of the Education Finance consultation (which runs until 10 November), including responses as at 6 November. The link to the consultation has been shared previously – see

How should we meet education funding challenges in Somerset? Have your say - Somerset Council - Citizen Space

The item will be led by the Council’s Executive Director – Children, Families and Education, Claire Winter.

Note – the Chair will allow 30 minutes for this agenda item.

The Committee received a presentation on the Education Finance consultation on how can meet education funding challenges in Somerset, and which concluded on 10 November 2023. There were 346 responses to the consultation survey.

The committee discussed the areas which it is proposed will be developed further into detailed, costed options for consultation.

The Chair asked for clarification around ‘banding’ at next meeting, referenced on slide 7).

To receive briefing note and update from the Chair of Panel, Cllr Evie Potts-Jones.

Note -the Chair will allow 15 minutes for this agenda item.

The Committee received an update from the Chair of the Education Standards Panel, Cllr Evie Potts-Jones. The first, introductory meeting had been held on 26 October. Going forward the Panel will recommend items or certain data for the Scrutiny Committee to discuss.

The Committee welcomed and noted the update.

This is a standing agenda item and will provide details of information sent to Committee members in between meetings, that cover the Committee’s policy areas.

(a)  SSCP Learning Bulletin - September 2023 – circulated on 20 September 2023

(b)  Children & Young People LGA bulletin – September 2023 – circulated in 28 September 2023

(c)  Link to the consultation on ‘creating a smoke free generation and tackling youth vaping’, which runs to 6 December - Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: your views - Department of Health and Social Care (dhsc.gov.uk) – circulated on 30 October 2023

(d)  Link to NHS dental statistics for England 2022-23, Annual Report  - circulated on 30 October 2023

(e)  Information on the Education Finance consultation – circulated on 1 November 2023

(f)   LA maintained schools core offer – update – circulated on 6 November 2023

If Committee members have any questions or comments on the information, please contact the Committee Administrator on democraticservicesteam@somerset.gov.uk in the first instance and before the date of the meeting.

The Committee noted the following items for information: