This report provides the Committee with a copy of the work undertaken by the Committee for the past year.
(a) Councilor Sue Lent (Cabinet Member, Early Years, Children & Families and Deputy Leader) will be in attendance and may wish to make a statement;
(b) Tony Young (Director of Children’s Service), Irfan Alam (Interim Assistant Director) will introduce the report and be available to answer questions;
(c) Questions from Committee Members.
Cofnodion:
The Chairperson welcomed Councillor Sue Lent (Cabinet Member, Early Years, Children & Families and Deputy Leader) and Tony Young (Director of Children’s Services).
The Council’s Constitution Committee at its meeting on 11 June 2014 recommended to Council the establishment of an advisory committee for Corporate Parenting. The purpose of this report was to provide the Committee with an opportunity to review and comment on the annual report of the Corporate Parenting Advisory Committee (CPAC) 2014-15 and on its work during that time.
The Chairperson invited the Cabinet Member to make a statement. Councillor Lent informed the Committee that as CPAC has not been operating for very long it has been decided that a formal report should not go to the Full Council. CPAC has made a good start. The National Youth Advisory Service (NYAS) regularly attends and advises CPAC. A lot of work has been done to give Members who are new to corporate parenting the opportunity to familiarise themselves with it. There is a good relationship between CPAC and the Operational Manager for Safeguarding.
The Chairperson invited questions from the Committee
The Committee asked how many of CPAC’s terms of reference have been met, how many meetings have been held and asked whether the Council is taking CPAC seriously. The Committee was advised that meetings are held every other month. The annual report covers the period from October 2014 to April 2015. At the first meeting the terms of reference and a programme of work were agreed. As there is not a full year’s work to report on it is too early to say whether or not CPAC is delivering on its terms of reference. Also, there have been some changes in officer support. CPAC does not have its own support officer, in the way that each scrutiny committee has a scrutiny officer with responsibility for it. This is something the Director plans to raise with the Director of Governance & Legal Services.
The Committee was concerned that there have only been two proper meetings and that CPAC appears to have achieved little since it was set up. The Committee was advised that there have been some teething problems and these have affected what CPAC has been able to do. Also, some Members who are on CPAC are new to corporate parenting and have required some induction into what is a complicated area. In terms of transparency, CPAC has already made a significant contribution in establishing a disciplined approach to the presentation to members of key qualitative reports and data that was previously invisible except to officers; the Director listed a number. It is recognised that attention now needs to be turned to developing the proactive championing role of CPAC..
The Committee asked what the situation is regarding having a young person representative at CPAC meetings. The Committee was advised that some interest was expressed following a listening event. CPAC is constantly looking at ways in which it can get the views of young people. It may be that participation in committee meetings is not the best way to get young people involved. Young people have indicated that that they want more of a voice in influencing the Council.
The Committee asked what CPAC has achieved that its predecessor, the Corporate Parenting Panel, did not. The Committee was advised that CPAC reports provide a good quality insight into the lives of young people, into their plans, their education etc. This is qualitative information that has never been routinely provided for Members before the advent of the committee.
The Committee asked what young people might see as a result of CPAC, what has or what will improve for them. The Committee was advised that CPAC can not transform lives but has important work to do in building up knowledge and expertise and championing children and young people in need of social services support or who are Looked After.
The Committee was concerned that the report does not provide enough detail on what is being done to make sure that the Council fulfils its responsibilities as a corporate parent. Members were advised that as well as reporting to the Committee CPAC would also report to the Cabinet. The Corporate Parenting Panel did good work but information on it was not yet widely disseminated.
The Committee’s view was that it would have been better if CPAC had submitted a report to Full Council, even if that report was only a brief one.
The Chairperson thanked the Cabinet Member and the Director for attending the meeting, for their presentation and for answering questions from Members.
AGREED: That the Chairperson on behalf of the Committee writes to the Cabinet Member highlighting the issues raised during the Way Forward discussion.