Minutes of meeting
North Lanarkshire Council · 10 September 2024
Back to Education, Children and Families Committee — 10 September 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Education, Children and Families Committee - Tuesday, 10 September 2024 1 Tuesday, 10 September 2024 at 14:00 PM. A Meeting of the EDUCATION, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMMITTEE PRESENT Councillors McBride (Convener); Baudo (Vice Convener); Ballinger, Barclay, Boyd, Brannan-McVey, Burgess, Carragher, M Coyle, S Coyle, Currie, Di Mascio, Dunbar, Fotheringham, T Johnston, Jones, Kelly, Khan, Lennon, Loughran, Masterton, McCluskey, B McCulloch, McDade, McKay, McKendrick, McPake, McVey, Reddin, Robinson, Smith, A Stubbs, Toner and Wilson. ALSO PRESENT In accordance with Standing Order 64(A) Councillors Mitchell, Bustard, Brennan and McCrory attended as substitutes for Councillors Ashraf, Costello, McManus and Patton respectively. CHAIR Councillor McBride (Convener) presided. IN ATTENDANCE Chief Officer (Education - South); Chief Officer (Education - North); Chief Officer (Children, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice); Business Finance Manager; Senior Education and Families Manager; Principal Psychologist; Learning and Improvement Manager; Operations Manager Inclusion and Early Years; Principal Officer and Democratic Manager. APOLOGIES Councillors Ashraf, Costello, Larson, McManus and Patton. In terms of Standing Order 15, Councillor Lennon moved that an urgent item of business be added to the agenda to enable consideration of the petition on school transport. Councillor McBride advised that in terms of Standing Order 15 it would not be competent to discuss the petition as it was being dealt with in accordance with the procedure agreed by the Council on 9 June 2022, and a report would be presented to the next meeting of the Committee. 1 Declarations of Interest In Terms of the Ethical Standards In Public Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 The meeting noted that there were no declarations. 2 Minute - Education Employee Appeals Sub-Committee - 7 June 2024 There was submitted the minute of the Education Employee Appeals Sub Committee held on 7 June 2024 for approval.
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Education, Children and Families Committee - Tuesday, 10 September 2024 2 Decided: that the minute of the Education Employee Appeals Sub Committee, held on 7 June 2024, be approved. 3 Educational Psychology Standards and Quality Highlights 2023-24 There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Officer (Education - North) and the Chief Officer (Education - South) (1) evidencing the high quality of service delivery during 2023/24; (2) setting out details of how the educational psychologists deliver their statutory core function; (3) informing of the adaptations made to the psychological offering for session 2023/24 in response to the continued impact of the pandemic and the rising levels of Additional Support Needs, and (4) highlighting the positive impact of the interventions for children, families and practitioners to improve outcomes. During discussion on this matter a question was asked to which officers committed to respond outwith the meeting namely:- "Of the 26% of children who are recognised as having difficulties and the 100 parents who attended the workshops, how do the 100 parents who attended compare with the 26% who require a home/school intervention?" (Councillor Loughran) Decided: that the contents of the report be endorsed. 4 1140 Early Learning and Childcare Update There was submitted a joint report by the Chief Officer (Education - North) and Chief Officer (Education - South) (1) providing an update on the 1140 hours Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Expansion Programme within North Lanarkshire; (2) setting out the progress of minor adaptations and improvements across the ELC estate; (3) providing an update in relation to Heathery Park Family Learning Centre; (4) informing of the progress in relation to the realignment of staffing to the agreed model and the ELC quality improvement; (5) summarising updates on admissions, deferred entry and cross boundaries; (6) explaining the rationale for increasing the sustainable rate for ELC and (7) detailing the statutory duty to consult with parents/carers to support future improvements in ELC. Councillor Wilson requested that future reports include an update on the adaptation works being undertaken at Craigneuk Family Learning Centre, which was agreed. Decided: (1) that the position regarding Heathery Park Family Learning Centre be endorsed; (2) that the progress of the programme of minor adaptations and improvements be acknowledged; (3) that the progress in relation to the realignment of staffing to the agreed model be acknowledged; (4) that the progress in relation to ELC quality improvement be acknowledged; (5) that the admissions, deferred entry and cross boundary updates be acknowledged; (6) that the increase to the sustainable rate for ELC be endorsed, and (7) that the statutory duty to consult with parents/carers to support future improvements in ELC be acknowledged. 5
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Education, Children and Families Committee - Tuesday, 10 September 2024 3 Resilient People and Brighter Furtures - Progress in Relation to Community Learning and Developement Activity There was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Children, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) providing an overview on progress in relation to community learning and development activity during 2023/24; (2) informing of universal and targeted work, which has an emphasis on engagement with vulnerable people living in the lowest 20% data zones in Scotland which is reflected in the national self-evaluation framework for community learning and development and (3) attaching, as an appendix to the report, the Community Learning and Development Action Plan for 2022/25. Decided: that the contents of the report be endorsed. 6 Getting It Right for Children in Conflict with the Law With reference to paragraph 11 of the minute of the meeting of this Committee held on 28 February 2023, when, inter alia, it was agreed that Early and Effective Intervention (EEI) be integrated with the Council's approach to Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), there was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) providing an update on the development of an in-house youth work response to EEI to enhance holistic supports to young people and their families; (2) summarising some of the key changes, together with the implications for children and young people, introduced by the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024; (3) advising that the Act defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 and, therefore, extends the benefits and protections of the welfare-based children's hearing system to 16 and 17 year olds, and removes most children from the adult court system; (4) stating that this aligns with the values of trauma-informed and rights-based working that underpins the way the Council works, as articulated in the Children's Services Plan 2023/26, and (5) highlighting a number of actions and next steps in the Council's approach to supporting young people in conflict with the law. During discussion on this matter, a question was asked to which officers committed to respond outwith the meeting namely:- "Can statistics be provided on the number of attacks on teachers by pupils within North Lanarkshire?" (Councillor Lennon) Decided: that the approach to supporting young people in conflict with the law, as set out in section 2 of the report, be endorsed. 7 Embedding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and Realising Children's Rights in North Lanarkshire - Update There was submitted a report by the Chief Social Work Officer (Education, Families, Justice and Integrated Practice) (1) providing an update on activity to support and strengthen the realisation of children's rights in North Lanarkshire and on the relevant legislative and the expectations of public bodies further to the commencement of duties under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 (UNCRC) from 16 July 2024; (2) advising that, following Committee approval in May 2023 on embedding UNCRC, internal systems were in place to support children's rights, woven through strategic aims, action plans and professional standards ensuring the Council meets the specific obligations under legislation; (3) intimating that supporting guidance had been strengthened, and (4) summarising planned next steps and actions within paragraph 2.23 of the report. Decided: (1) that the next steps, as outlined in paragraph 2.23 of the report, be approved, and (2) that the contents of the report be endorsed.
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Education, Children and Families Committee - Tuesday, 10 September 2024 4 8 Annual Bad Debt Write-Off Exercise There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer (Education - North) (1) summarising outstanding debtor accounts deemed uncollectable, following all attempts at recovery, or considered to be uneconomically viable to continue pursuing; (2) advising that the Chief Officer (Education - North) and the Chief Officer (Finance), in terms of their delegated authority, had written off debts with a value under £500 amounting to £2,778.05, and (3) seeking approval to write off debts with a value greater than £500 amounting to £12,977.53. Decided: (1) that the decision of the Chief Officer (Education - North) and the Chief Officer (Finance), under delegated authority, to write-off debts with a value under £500 totalling £2,778.05, be noted; (2) that the write-off of £12,977.53 for debts with a value greater than £500 be approved, and (3) that the report be remitted to the Finance and Resources Committee. 9 Revenue Budget Monitoring Report There was submitted a report by the Chief Officer (Education - North) (1) providing a summary of the financial performance of the Education, Children and Families Service for the period from 1 April to 19 July 2024 (Period 4), and (2) illustrating the projected outturn position as at 31 March 2025, with major outturn variances highlighted and explained as per the Council's financial regulations. During discussion on the matter, a question was asked to which officers committed to respond outwith the meeting namely:- "In relation to the underspend, what is the breakdown of ASN and Gaelic Education?" (Councillor Loughran) Councillor Lennon, seconded by Councillor Di Mascio, moved as an amendment:- "This Council agrees to extend the report recommendation of home to school contractual expenditure to include:- 1. Pause the current school transport cuts until a thorough review can be conducted. 2. Initiate a comprehensive review of the safe walking routes, including input from parents, schools, and independent safety experts, to ensure that all routes are genuinely safe for children. 3. Provide clear and detailed information on the decision-making process that led to the designation of these routes as safe. 4. Schedule a full debate at the next meeting of North Lanarkshire Council to discuss these issues, with a roll call vote on the necessary mitigations the council can introduce to ensure the safety and well-being of all children affected by these transport cuts. As this matter is costed, we will use the £187,000 to undertake a more in-depth comprehensive review of safe walking routes. Realtis Arcadia / safe walking routes contractor has been given 3 or 4 contracts by NLC which amount to £3.4 million, we hope the irony is not lost here given the cost saving for school transport cuts." The Convener advised that, in term of Standing Order 58, the amendment was not competent. Decided:
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Education, Children and Families Committee - Tuesday, 10 September 2024 5 (1) that the financial position of the Education, Children and Families revenue budget be noted, and (2) that the contents of the report be otherwise noted.