Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bradford, Caffrey, McMaster and Mullen.

The Committee is asked to approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting held on 27 April 2023

Report of the Chief Executive

Joint Report of the Chiief Executive and the Strategic Director, Corporate Services and Governance

Report of the Strategic Director, Resources and Digital

The Committee received a report and presentation on the Council’s Performance Management and Improvement Framework, reporting performance on the delivery of Council priorities for the period April 2022 to March 2023. It also provided an overview of performance relevant to the role and remit of this committee.

The Committee were advised that the analysis of performance for 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 against each of the 6 policy objectives of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Balanced Scorecard was set out and attached to the main report at Appendix 1. Areas of particular relevance to this Committee were highlighted in the report, however, the full Performance Management & Improvement Framework is provided to enable members to see the full picture of performance across all priority areas at Appendix 1.

The Committee were advised that the report outlines the challenges, achievements, actions and resources for each policy objective. It also contains performance data, including strategic and operational measures and is informed by qualitative and quantitative assessment to inform policy and resource decisions.

The Committee were advised that following a request in June 2022 for additional support in relation to the Performance Management and Improvement Framework, the Commercialisation and Improvement team are working with the Workforce Development team on a focused training session for councillors. A training brief has been drafted and is being shared at the next meeting of the Councillor Support and Development Group (date tba) for their contribution. It is intended that this training opportunity will be delivered in late September.

Work is ongoing to improve the presentation of performance information and analysis, particularly as a catalogue of data is gathered over time through performance reporting phases and it is important the PMIF is flexible and able to evolve to ensure it remains relevant.

Report of Deputy Strategic Director, Children Social Care, Early Help and Specialist Services

The Committee received a report and presentation on the Annual Review of Corporate Parenting Activity 2022/23.

The report provided an overview of the Corporate Parenting Board activity over the last 12 months and covers the period up to the end of March 2023, proposals for the forward plan (attached at Appendix 1) and work to be undertaken by the Corporate Parenting Board over the next 12 months.

The Committee were advised that the current situation was that Gateshead’s Corporate Parenting Board is currently held quarterly, and the membership is broad reaching. The board is chaired by the Children’s Portfolio holder, Councillor Gary Haley and membership spans across children social care, education, health, commissioning, elected council members and the voluntary sector and young ambassadors. Further work is needed to engage police and probation stakeholder in the board membership.

Over the past 12 -18 months the board has been revised and the corporate parenting partnership has been re-established and strengthened. Six young ambassadors were recruited following proposals from the Corporate Parenting Board and have been in post for 12 months. Their work plan is routinely reported into the Board for consideration.

The Board has been routinely appraised of the activity across services and updated on service developments and innovations, performance of services, inspections activity, partnership activity and regional and national policy changes.

The Committee were also advised of the next steps going forward, the Corporate Parenting Board agenda has been aligned with the Corporate Parenting Partnership plan and it is proposed that the forward plan for each meeting follows the one of the four themes identified in the plan.

This will enable members to have greater clarity about the work being undertaken across the partnership and in the service to address the four priorities. It will also enable robust discussions about partnership interventions and delivery of services and allow opportunities for the board to shape plans in the best interest of children and young people.

It is proposed that a Corporate Parenting Board Training programme is developed with the support of our young ambassadors. Members are encouraged to engage in sessions which will enhance their understanding of the Corporate Parent Board member role.

Measuring the impact of the board is pivotal and going forward an annual report will be produced detailing the work undertaken by board members and detailing the difference this has made to children and young people.

Report of Strategic Director, Children Social Care and Lifelong Learning

The Committee received a report and presentation which provided an overview of the development and progress of the new Trauma Informed Care Service, which is initially been funded for a 2-year pilot project within Gateshead.

The report provided background, policy content, Gateshead prevalence and details of building on good practice to the Committee.

The Committee were advised that the Service will deliver a trauma informed model that will upskill practitioners across Children’s Services to be trauma informed. The service will support professionals supporting children and young people who are classed as high risk, high harm and high vulnerability from a consultation and formulation basis. The service will be focused on the children and young people who need it most, providing support to carers, social workers and everyone in the child/young person’s care team/network of children including their families to enable them to recognise the signs and symptoms of trauma, respond appropriately and seek further help and support when needed. The service will also provide speech and language screening and support recognising the impact on speech, language and communication of trauma in childhood.

This service will provide the opportunity to develop trauma-informed formulations and speech and language screening for Children and young people. The service will offer a consultation service to consider the wellbeing needs of all looked after children and their primary caregivers from a trauma informed perspective.

The service will offer a consultation to all children in our care, involved in the youth offending service and young people with complex needs, including those who remain with their families, or who are on the edge of care.

The Committee were advised of the proposed outcomes, staffing requirements and progress to date and the next steps were outlined as follows:-

·        Agree workforce training strategy to ensure all practitioners in Gateshead Children’s Services are trauma aware

·        Agree co-production model to ensure the lived experience of young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and trauma shape the service delivery model

·        Develop and agree pathways into the trauma informed care service

·        Develop and agree pathways into specialist services for those young people who need more help from specialist services within CNTW and the wider partnership

·        Develop and agree a joint basket of key performance indicators and dashboard to help measure outcomes and success of the pilot

Report of Strategic Director, Children Social Care and Lifelong Learning

The Committee received a report and verbal presentation on the LADO Annual Report.

Each Local Authority are required to have a designated officer (LADO) whose role it is to oversee the safe and effective management of allegation against individuals who work with children whether they are employed or working in a voluntary capacity.

Safeguarding procedures are in place to manage allegations against staff or volunteers who work with children in Gateshead. These procedures are applied where there are concerns, or there has been allegations that an adult who works with children, either as an employee or in a voluntary capacity, has:-

·        Behaved in a way that has harmed a child or may have harmed a child;

·        Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;

·        Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children;

·        Behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

The Annual Report for the period 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022 was attached at Appendix 1 for information.

Report of Strategic Director, Children Social Care and Lifelong Learning

The Committee received a verbal update on the Gateshead Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report 2021/22-23.

The Committee were advised that the Annual Report covers an extended reporting period in order to re-align the Gateshead Safeguarding Children Partnership (GSCP) Annual Report to the financial reporting period from April 2023. As a result, the report covered a period of 18 months (September 2021 – March 2023).

A new Independent Scrutineer has also been appointed as Chair and Independent Scrutineer and that person is Heather Pearson.

The Committee were advised that looking back over the 18 months there has been much to focus the partnership. During the latter half of 2021 there was a continued response to the impact and challenges of Covid. During 2022 partnership organisations responded to the growing cost of living crisis, ensuring advice and support was available to families experiencing hardship. In July 2022 the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) transitioned to the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB). There has also been changes in the strategic leadership of the three statutory partners (Police, Local Authority and Integrated Care Board).

The Committee were advised that whilst the partnership arrangements in Gateshead comply with the multi-agency obligations to safeguard children (as laid out in Working Together 2018) the new changes have offered the opportunity to review the current arrangements for how we deliver safeguarding across Gateshead. As such, we have commenced a review of the partnership arrangements which will focus on the following areas:

·         Leadership

·         Engagement of Relevant Agencies

·         Outcomes for Children and Young People

·         Quality Assurance and Information Sharing

·         Learning from Local and National Reviews and Research

·         Multi Agency Safeguarding Training and Workforce Development

The Committee were advised that in February 2023 an initial review workshop involving two of our Young Ambassadors, the leader of our Youth Council and GSCP Members. Discussions focussed on governance and structures, strengthening involvement of young people in our arrangements and what was felt to be the issues that were of most concern currently. The feedback will be used to develop and strengthen the partnership during the review. The outcome of the review will then be utilised to develop our partnership further and refresh the plan and priorities during 2023.

Joint Report of the Chief Executive and Strategic Director, Corporate Services and Governance

The Committee received a report which provided details on the development of the work programme for OSC Committee’s and the provisional programme for Families OSC for the municipal year 2023-24.

The proposed 2023/24 work programme was attached the main report as Appendix 1 and remains provisional as:-

·         Cabinet may wish to refer further issues to OSC’s for further consideration

·         It does not take account of new policy issues which may be identified during the year, which Cabinet may wish to refer to Overview and Scrutiny; and

·         It does not include issues identified by members of committees on an ongoing basis during the year as a result of scrutiny decisions, call in and councillor call for action