North Yorkshire County Council
Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 10th March 2023
Draft Work Programme – 2023/2024
Report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services)
1.0 Purpose of Report
1.1 To seek Members views on a draft Work Programme for the 2023/2024 Council Year. |
2.0 Introduction
2.1 The current Work Programme only goes up to this meeting on 10th March. Therefore, the Committee needs to consider and agree a Work Programme for 2023/2024.
2.2 Meetings of the Committee are scheduled for June, September and December 2023 and February 2024. Accordingly, the Work Programme will cover the period from June 2023 to February 2024.
3.0 Key background information
3.1 The main role of the Committee is to scrutinise the planning, commissioning and delivery of services for children, young people and their families, including education, care and protection and family support.
3.2 The Committee comprises sixteen elected Members and nine Co-opted Members, who represent a range of Sectors.
3.3 Enclosed, at Appendix A, is a draft Work Programme for consideration.
3.4 The rationale for the inclusion of Items in the draft Work Programme is based on them being a mix of areas that the Committee:-
a) has tended to consider on an annual basis (such as the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board Annual Report);
b) has considered previously, that have been of particular interest to Members and which Members may want to be updated on (for example, Children’s Mental Health); and
c) has not considered previously at a formal meeting (for instance, County Lines)
3.5 Appendix B contains a list of other potential Items.
3.6 In relation to point b) in paragraph 3.4, above, any Items suggested in this category are pencilled in at least 12 months since they were last/initially considered, to ensure that the information/data will be different to what was previously reported and that the conversation is current.
3.7 Whatever content for the Work Programme is agreed, it is not set in tablets of stone. It can be updated as circumstances change – at either the Mid Cycle Briefing or the formal Committee meeting – but the benefit of earmarking particular Items for particular meetings is that it enables officers within the Children and Young People’s Service Directorate and (where appropriate) partner organisations to plan the work required.
3.8 Whilst there is no set limit to the number of Items to be considered at each meeting, the presentations are often quite detailed and experience has shown that the Committee usually seek responses from the presenters on a number of questions. This discussion is, of course, a positive aspect but, for these reasons, it is suggested that you might want to continue to concentrate on a maximum of two or three topics per meeting.
3.9 Please bear in mind also that, as well as highlighting the Agenda for the forthcoming meeting and considering the Work Programme, the Mid Cycle Briefing can be used to receive a presentation on a subject that will increase Members awareness of a particular area. Examples have included Parents against Criminal Exploitation and County Lines. Members may want to continue to utilise the Mid Cycle Briefing for this purpose. They can then decide whether or not they feel it would be appropriate for the topic to go on to be considered further at a formal meeting of the Committee.
4. Financial implications
4.1 There are no direct financial implications.
5 Legal implications
5.1 There is a statutory requirement upon the Council to establish Overview and Scrutiny Committees in accordance with the Local Government Act 2000, as amended by the Localism Act 2011.
6. Equalities Implications
6.1 There are no direct equalities implications.
7 Climate Change Implications
7.1 A Climate Change Impact Assessment Screening Form has been completed. This indicates that there is no need for a full assessment to be carried out.
8.0 Recommendation
8.1 The Committee is asked to consider what areas it wishes to be included in its Work Programme for the 2023/2024 Council Year. |
Barry Khan
Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services)
Report Author:
Patrick Duffy
Principal Democratic Services Scrutiny Officer
North Yorkshire County Council
County Hall, Northallerton
Tel: 01609 5345346
Email: Patrick.Duffy@northyorks.gov.uk
2nd March 2023
Background papers relied upon in the preparation of this report – None
APPENDIX A
YOUNG PEOPLE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – DRAFT WORK PROGRAMME 2023/2024
The interests of young people, including education, care and protection and family support.
|
FRIDAY 23RD JUNE 2023 - COMMITTEE MEETING AT 10.00 A.M. |
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|
ITEM |
DRAFT OUTLINE/COMMENT |
METHOD |
LEAD |
|
Annual Report of the Young People’s Champion |
· Summary of the work of the Young People’s Champion, covering her year in the role |
Report |
Councillor Alyson Baker |
|
Growing up in North Yorkshire |
· Summary of the results of the bi-annual survey of primary and secondary school pupils in North Yorkshire
· Identification of trends
|
Report/Presentation |
Assistant Director, Education and Skills |
|
Early Years Update |
· To be confirmed, but could include: Update on the number and range of providers; identification of any issues/challenges.
|
Presentation |
Assistant Director, Education and Skills |
|
FRIDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER 2023 - COMMITTEE MEETING AT 10.00 A.M. |
|||
|
ITEM |
DRAFT OUTLINE/COMMENT |
METHOD |
LEAD |
|
Children’s Mental Health |
· Update on demand pressures and unmet need
· The impact of social isolation and disruption to education on children and young people’s mental health
· The level of that impact – is it primarily, say, low level anxiety - or more profound? |
Report and presentation |
Assistant Director, Inclusion |
|
School Closures/Governors |
· Why a School is closed i.e. the process and how Academies work within this.
· Whether School closures and a lack of Governors is related. How Governors are recruited; trained; and retained.
|
- |
Assistant Director, Education and Skills |
|
Child Death Overview Panel – Annual Report 2022/2023 |
· Information on the number of children who have died; whether the death was expected or unexpected; and the category of death. |
Report and presentation |
Assistant Director, Children and Families |
|
FRIDAY 8TH DECEMBER 2023 - COMMITTEE MEETING AT 10.00 A.M. |
|||
|
ITEM |
DRAFT OUTLINE/COMMENT |
METHOD |
LEAD |
|
North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership - Annual Report 2022/2023 |
· Summary on the work of the Partnership between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023. |
Report and presentation |
Corporate Director |
|
Strengthening the Offer for Post-16 Education |
· The current offer and proposals for building on this.
NOTE: This is one of the Rural Commission’s recommendations. As part of this, it may be possible to build in another of its recommendations – Pioneering a two-stream education system post-GCSE in rural and remote areas – vocational and academic. |
To be determined |
Assistant Director, Education and Skills |
|
Financial position - Children and Young People’s Service |
· Information on Local Authority Maintained Schools accumulated balances information and projected start budget information by school phase. · Update on school funding arrangements for 2024/2025. |
Report |
Assistant Director, Strategic Resources |
|
FRIDAY 23RD FEBRUARY 2024 - COMMITTEE MEETING AT 10.00 A.M. |
|||
|
ITEM |
DRAFT OUTLINE/COMMENT |
METHOD |
LEAD |
|
Schools Update |
· The current picture, in terms of figures for all North Yorkshire Schools and Academies, including:
- Performance and standards - Funding - Strategic planning |
Report/Presentation |
Assistant Director, Education and Skills |
|
County Lines |
· The situation nationally
· The position in North Yorkshire
· The approach in North Yorkshire |
Presentation |
Assistant Director, Children and Families |
|
Healthy Child Programme |
· Are the desired outcomes being achieved? |
Presentation |
Public Health |
|
DATE |
POTENTIAL ITEM |
|
Friday 28th April 2023 at 10.00 a.m. (in respect of the Committee meeting on 23rd June) |
To be determined |
|
Friday 14th July 2023 at 11.00 a.m. (in respect of the Committee meeting on 1st September) |
To be determined |
|
Friday 13th October 2023 at 11.00 a.m. (in respect of the Committee meeting on 8th December) |
To be determined |
|
Friday 26th January 2023 at 11.00 a.m. (in respect of the Committee meeting on 23rd February) |
To be determined |
|
POTENTIAL OTHER AREAS THAT THE COMMITTEE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER |
|
|
AREA |
OUTLINE OF WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED/COMMENT |
|
Foster Care |
Allowances, numbers, capacity, etc |
|
SEND |
Number of plans, capacity of schools, capital plan, High Needs Block overview |
|
Youth provision outside of schools (suggested by Councillor Dave Whitfield) |
|
|
North Yorkshire Youth Commission – feedback from Young People (suggested by David Watson, Co-opted Member) |
Feedback from young people on the work they are doing as part of the Commission and their priorities for the year ahead (Link in with CYPS Participation Team) |
|
Breakfast Clubs in Schools (suggested by Councillor Paul Haslam) |
Data |
|
School attendance (suggested by Councillor Dave Whitfield) |
How it is monitored; how we support Schools, etc |
|
Being Young in North Yorkshire Strategy |
Examination of progress against the outcomes and priorities in the Strategy. |
|
Education Health Care Plans |
Numbers and trends |
|
Over 16’s Transport |
A recommendation from the Rural Commission. Could consider how things might be done differently after three years of Covid-19. There may be new possibilities and opportunities. |
|
Referrals to Children’s Social Care |
Numbers/trends/reasons. |
|
School Admissions |
Are the processes still working well? |
|
Transitions |
How well is the interface working between the Directorate and Health and Adult Services? |
|
Young Carers |
Update on the presentation made in September 2022 e.g. The practical and emotional support made available to young carers; how the Council commissions and works in partnership to identify young carers, raise awareness and offer the support they need. (As stated, a presentation was made in September 2022 – suggest, therefore, that any update should not be considered until the latter part of 2023) |
|
Attainment Results |
Comparison with previous years. |
|
North Yorkshire Coast Opportunity Area |
How well are the desired outcomes on social mobility across Scarborough, Whitby and Filey being met? |
|
North Yorkshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education Annual Report |
Examination results in Religious Education. How has SACRE engaged with Schools? Progress against its Development Plan |
|
One Adoption Agency - Yorkshire and Humber - Annual Report |
Have the positive trends identified in the current Annual Report continued? |
|
Drugs and Alcohol Strategy |
Opportunity to comment on the Strategy which is being developed. |