Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everybody to the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Amanda Bloor, Councillor Janet Sanderson, Councillor Simon Myers, Jonathan Coulter (Matt Graham as substitute), Jonathan Dyson, Matt Sandford and Nic Harne.

Resolved

a)    That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2025 are approved as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice and provided the text to Democratic Services (democraticservices.central@northyorks.gov.uk) no later than midday on Friday, 14 November 2025, three working days before the meeting takes place. Each speaker should limit themselves to three minutes on any item. 

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chair who will instruct those taking a recording to cease whilst you speak.

No public questions or statements were received.

Heather Pearson, Chair of the Partnership, introduced the report and highlighted the following key points.

·         The report was presented for noting and had already been published.

·         It aligns with national statutory requirements and reflects the priorities for the current year.

·         Statutory partners have been actively involved, with working groups established to ensure delivery against objectives.

·         The annual report is typically published in March; therefore, the Committee is already midway through the following year’s work. Members discussed whether the timing of this item could be reviewed for future agendas.

During the discussion, the Board raised the following points.

·         The importance of sharing information across all partners and agencies was emphasised.

·         It was confirmed that significant learning takes place from the Partnership, with information disseminated nationally through briefings.

·         The need for robust scrutiny and assurance processes was highlighted.

·         The Board welcomed the high level of partner engagement and collaboration evident in the work.

·         It was noted that mock inspections are undertaken and work well.

·         It was reported that external feedback indicates the partnership is performing strongly, with positive results.

Resolved

a)    That the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report for 2024/25 is noted.

Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health, introduced the report and highlighted that the BCF represents a significant amount of funding and that the quarterly returns require formal sign-off.

The Board made the following comments.

·         Work on the Disabled Facilities Grant is ongoing.

·         A question was raised about whether there is a risk of funding being reduced because how the money is used might not be clear. In response, it was noted that the BCF is well-established and unlikely to be removed. It was highlighted that additional responsibilities can be added without extra funding.

·         The Section 75 Agreement complements the BCF and adds complexity, underlining the importance of integration.

·         Members noted that the Better Care Fund should be regarded as a mechanism to achieve wider objectives, rather than an objective in itself.

·         The Board stressed the need to ensure the BCF meets population needs and encouraged transformational thinking about how funding is used.

·         Thanks were expressed to Saskia Calton for her support.

Resolved

a)    That the Better Care Fund 2025/26 Section 75 update is noted.

b)    That the Quarterly Returns for 2024/25 Outturn and 2025/26 Quarter 1 and 2 submissions are noted.

The Chair introduced the item and invited Members to suggest any additional topics for inclusion on the Board’s work programme.

No items were added, but it was highlighted that ideas may arise out of the workshop that was to follow the meeting.

Any other items which the Chair agrees should be considered as a matter of urgency because of special circumstances

There were no other items.

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 at 10:30am on Microsoft Teams.

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 at 10:30am on Microsoft Teams.