Issue - meetings

The draft Children’s Services Medium Term Service & Resource Plan (MTSRP) update is presented for consideration by the Panel to ensure all members of the Panel are aware of the context and enabled to comment.

The Deputy Director for Children & Young People, Strategy and Commissioning introduced this item to the Panel. He highlighted some of the key policy context changes for Children’s Services.

·  Ongoing implementation of the Children & Families Act 2014 and the Care Act 2014, setting out wide-ranging changes including for social care and in respect of children with special educational needs and disability;

·  Ongoing changes in the education landscape with a limited increase in the number of schools becoming academies and the creation of new entities such as Teaching Schools and Studio Schools;

·  Publication of the Council’s Health & Wellbeing Strategy and also the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment that supports it;

·  Population changes creating localised pressures on primary school places;

·  Changing statutory inspection frameworks

Councillor Liz Hardman commented that it was sad to see the level of cuts imposed on the service especially involving Children’s Centres where specialist services such as breastfeeding, speech and language, infant mental health and post-natal parent/child attachment may cease.

The Deputy Director for Children & Young People, Strategy and Commissioning replied that discussions were on-going with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to replicate these.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked his thoughts on the current Staff Mutual proposals.

The Deputy Director for Children & Young People, Strategy and Commissioning replied that he saw some positive opportunities within it.

The Divisional Director for Children & Young People Specialist Services added that a will exists to help staff with this process and that he was optimistic.

Edward Joseph asked if four Divisional Directors was enough for the People & Communities Department.

The Chair replied that she had confidence in the officers undertaking those roles.