Agenda item

The Cabinet Member will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update provided.

Councillor Dine Romero, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture addressed the Panel. A copy of the update can be found as an online appendix to these minutes.

She informed them that yesterday she had received a briefing from CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and felt that the Panel would also benefit from receiving it in due course.

Councillor Liz Hardman had submitted the following question.

Once again a number of children (41) are reported not to have received any of their preferences when being allocated a secondary school place.  I’d like to understand why this is.  Is it because parents are still under the impression that if they express a preference for only one or two schools they are more likely to get a place in one of those schools or is it because parents are using all their preferences but there are insufficient places in those schools to accommodate them?

Councillor Romero replied that this was due to parents/carers only expressing a preference for one or two schools and/or a preference for schools not local to their address. She suggested whether additional communication / advice should be given in the coming years to parents/carers when taking part in this process.

Councillor Michelle O’Doherty said that she recalls a great deal of work taking place on this issue a few years ago and so it would be good to check that the message about utilising the number of preferences is still being given.

Councillor Liz Hardman commented that she felt there was a role for the Primary Headteachers to play in advising the parents of the process. She asked if it was known how far some of the children would have to travel as a result of not being allocated one of their preferences and what was the general level of sufficiency within Secondary schools.

The Director of Director of Children's Services & Education replied that general communications about the process and using as many preferences as possible will be reiterated to families and schools and they would consider what could be done further. She added that in terms of sufficiency she could supply a separate briefing to the Panel.

Kevin Burnett commented that Secondary Headteachers could also provide advice when prospective parents attend their open evenings.

Councillor Romero advised the Panel that if contacted by parents of children who have not been given their preferred place then they should be made aware of the School Appeals process that would have been outlined in the letters they had received.

Councillor O’Doherty asked if all councillors could be sent this guidance to then be in a position to advise families if contacted.

Councillor Romero replied that she would arrange for this to be circulated.

The Director of Director of Children's Services & Education commented that the Panel could receive a report on School Admissions at a future meeting.

Councillor Paul May said that he welcomed that the final reports relating to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care and Ofsted ILAC Inspection would be shared with the Panel when completed.

The Chairman asked if the Panel could be informed of the names of the 10 Local Authorities that met on February 15th 2022 as part of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.

Councillor Romero replied that she would supply this information to the Panel.

Kevin Burnett asked if any further comment could be given on the matter of work relating to the symptoms / causes of mental health in children and young people.

Councillor Romero replied that prevention was also very much part of the work of CAMHS.

Kevin Burnett asked if there was any update on Operation Encompass and whether that was to be fully rolled out to schools in B&NES and had the Police been successful in their Automated Notification System bid.

The Director of Director of Children's Services & Education replied that the Police have been successful in their Data Accelerator bid and were now working with Local Authorities in the Avon & Somerset area to implement Operation Encompass in due course.

The Chairman thanked Councillor Romero for her update on behalf of the Panel.