Minutes of meeting
Renfrewshire Council · 9 June 2022
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 9 June 2022 and its agenda
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Minute of Meeting Education and Children's Services Policy Board Date Time Venue Thursday, 09 June 2022 13:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Present: Councillor Jennifer Adam, Councillor Fiona Airlie-Nicolson, Councillor Audrey Doig, Councillor Edward Grady, Councillor Gillian Graham, Councillor John Gray, Councillor Anne Hannigan, Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Councillor Robert Innes, Councillor David McGonigle, Councillor Iain McMillan, Councillor Will Mylet, Councillor Jim Paterson, Councillor Emma Rodden, Mr Ravinder Singh, Councillor Ben Smith Chair Councillor Rodden, Convener, presided. In Attendance S Quinn, Director of Children's Services; J Calder, Head of Service (Curriculum & Quality), T McGillivary, Head of Education and J Trainer, Head of Childcare & Criminal Justice (all Children's Services); J Connolly, Senior Communications Officer (Chief Executive's); and R Conway, Finance Manager, G Dickie, Partnering & Commissioning Manager, E Gray, Senior Committee Services Officer, D Cunningham and J Barron, both Assistant Committee Services Officers and D Pole, End User Technician (all Finance & Resources). Webcasting of Meeting Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Board would be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast on the Council's website.
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Apologies Provost L Cameron, Councillor Davidson; and Mary Jane Bird. Declarations of Interest There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting. 1 Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2022-2025 There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan 2022-2025. The Service Improvement Plan was set out at Appendix 1 to the report. The Service Improvement Plan was designed to sit beneath the Council Plan, Community Plan, Risk Management Plan, and the Workforce Plan to form a suite of documents which provided the strategic direction for the service. The Plan identified the priorities being addressed, the key tasks to be implemented, the implementation timetable and the measures of success. The report also provided a detailed outturn report for the period 2021-22 as set out at Appendix 2 to the report. It was noted that a mid-year progress update on the Service Improvement Plan would be submitted to the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board in the autumn of 2022. DECIDED: (a) That the Service Improvement Plan 2022/25, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; (b) That the progress made in delivering the Service Delivery Plan 2021/22 be noted; (c) That it be noted that mid-year progress with the Service Improvement Plan would be reported to this Policy Board in the autumn of 2022; and (d) That it be noted that a revised Service Improvement Plan would be presented to this Policy Board in autumn 2022. 2 Scottish Attainment Challenge Progress and Next Steps There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the Scottish Attainment Challenge Fund. The report provided background to the Fund and set out the next steps in Renfrewshire.
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The report detailed the main work-streams identified for the Fund and summarised the key messages from the Scottish Government mid-year report, the revised framework which was launched in March 2022, and the bi-annual report outlining the progress made towards long-term outcomes in Renfrewshire. The report identified a reduction in funding available over the next four years and the expected implications for the overall delivery of the programme. DECIDED: That the content of the report be noted. 3 Gaelic Medium Primary Education Provision in Renfrewshire There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to Gaelic Medium Primary Education (GMPE) provision in Renfrewshire. The report provided a summary of the GMPE methodology, current provision in Renfrewshire and the process which was to be followed should a request for the service be submitted. It was noted that, following the submission of several requests, the threshold for delivery had been triggered and GMPE in Renfrewshire would commence in August 2022. Provision would be delivered from West Primary School and the catchment area would cover the whole council area. DECIDED: That the progress made to date in relation to Gaelic Medium Primary Education be noted. 4 School Holiday Arrangements School Session 2023/2024 There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to proposed school holiday arrangements for the school session beginning August 2023. The report intimated that in line with consultation arrangements three possible proposals were circulated to staff, parent and pupil councils, teaching and other trades unions for consideration. The school holiday proposal preferred by the majority of consultees was detailed in Appendix 1 to the report with Appendices 2 and 3 showing the holiday patterns less favoured. Appendix 4 provided a summary of consultation responses. DECIDED: That the Director of Children's Services be authorised to set school holiday arrangements for academic year 2023/24 in line with Appendix 1 to the report. 5 Children’s Services Health and Safety Policy Update 2022 There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the Children’s Services Health and Safety Policy. The policy was set out in the appendix to the report. The report provided a background to the Council's health and safety policy which required each service to review its health and safety policy every three years, or earlier if significant service changes occurred. The proposed Children’s Services Health and Safety Policy had been revised in line with standard health and safety industry guidance on effective policies which were used to set a clear direction for the service to follow.
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DECIDED: That the Health and Safety Policy for Children’s Services, as set out in the appendix to the report, be approved. 6 Children’s Social Work Covid Recovery Plan There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the delivery of children's social work services and plans which had been put in place on how to return to pre-pandemic standards of practice. The report set out the challenges faced throughout the pandemic as the delivery of services continued to operate within the government guidance. The proposed short and medium-term actions detailed in the Covid Recovery Plan were summarised including a return to office accommodation, an updated training and development programme, the piloting of the 'Early Help' initiative to divert families away from social work referrals where possible and improvements to the recruitment process. The process for reviewing progress made towards achieving these actions was also set out. DECIDED: That the work undertaken by Children’s Services Social Work to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic be noted. 7 Looked After Children and Child Protection Annual Census 2021 There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the Scottish Government's annual census in relation to looked after children and children on the child protection register. The most recent report on the census data was published on 29 March 2022 and set out the position as at 31 July 2021. Information was provided on the overall position for and a breakdown of information by each of the 32 local authority areas. Data was provided on the number of looked after children, where these children were living when previous censuses were completed and the number of children on the child protection register. Data was also provided on the position in 2012, 2019 and 2020 along with data for neighbouring authorities to allow comparisons to be made. DECIDED: (a) That the publication of the annual census in relation to looked after children and child protection dated 29 March 2022 be noted; (b) That the reduction in the number of looked after children in Renfrewshire over the period 2012 to 2022 be noted; (c) That the information in relation to children on the Renfrewshire child protection register at 31 July 2021 be noted; and (d) That it be noted that the information relating to Renfrewshire’s looked after children and child protection would be presented to this Policy Board on a six- monthly basis.
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8 Duty of Candour – Annual Report There was submitted a report by the Director of Children's Services relative to the annual report on the Duty of Candour as required by the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016. The report set out details on the number of incidents or events where the duty of candour was triggered, how the policy was followed in these incidents and any learning from the incidents. Renfrewshire had no reportable duty of candour incidents during the period covered by the report. DECIDED: That the annual duty of candour report be noted.