Agenda and minutes

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Contact: S. Tautz (Principal Democratic Services Officer) 

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Items
No. Item

511.

Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence from the meeting.

 

The Executive Director (Children and Public Health) reported that apologies for absence had been received from Professor Maggie Atkinson, the Independent Adviser for the Southend Safeguarding Partnership, who had hoped to attend the meeting in connection with the scrutiny of the annual report of the Partnership for 2021/22.

 

 

512.

Declarations of Interest

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The following interests were declared at the meeting:

 

(a)        Councillors L Burton, K Mitchell and S Wakefield (Cabinet Members) - Interest in the called-in items, attended pursuant to the dispensation agreed at Council on 19 July 2012, under S.33 of the Localism Act 2011.

 

(b)        Councillor L Salter (Chair) - Minute 517 (Mid & South Essex Integrated Care System - Service Harmonisation Consultation) - Husband is a consultant surgeon at Southend Hospital.

 

(c)        Councillor N Folkard (Vice-Chair) - Minute 517 (Mid & South Essex Integrated Care System - Service Harmonisation Consultation) - Relative employed at Broomfield Hospital.

 

(d)        Councillor B Beggs - Minute 515 (SEND Strategy) - Family member has special educational needs and disabilities and is in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan.

 

(e)        Councillor B Beggs - Minute 518 (Children’s Services Improvement Board) - Member of the Southend Adoption and Fostering Service Panel.

 

(f)         Councillor T Cox - Minute 515 (SEND Strategy) - Family member has special educational needs and disabilities and is in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan; Family member is a pupil of Shoeburyness High School.

 

(g)        Councillor T Cowdrey - Minutes 515 (SEND Strategy), 517 (Mid & South Essex Integrated Care System - Service Harmonisation Consultation) and Minute 519 (Passenger Transport Services - Performance Monitoring) - Employed as a social worker and practice educator at SEND school within Southend-on-Sea.

 

(h)        Councillor T Cowdrey - Minute 518 (Children’s Services Improvement Board) - Appointed member of the Council’s Fostering Panel.

 

(i)          Councillor K Evans - Minute 515 (SEND Strategy) - Family member is mentally handicapped.

 

(j)          Councillor B Hooper - Minute 515 (SEND Strategy) - Director of Blade Education, a not-for-profit company that works with local SEND children and MENCAP.

 

(k)        Councillor L Hyde – Minute 518 (Children’s Services Improvement Board) – Appointed member of the Council’s Adoption Panel.

 

(l)          Councillor I Shead - Minute 516 (Annual Safeguarding Report) - Family member has special needs and receives services from Essex County Council.

 

(m)      Councillor L Burton (Cabinet Member) - Minute 519 (Passenger Transport Services - Performance Monitoring) - Employed as a teacher at a school outside Southend-on-Sea that has pupils that are resident within the City.

 

(n)        Councillor K Mitchell (Cabinet Member) - Minute 516 (Annual Safeguarding Report) - Council’s representative on the Board of Southend Association of Voluntary Services.

 

(o)        Councillor K Mitchell (Cabinet Member) - Minute 517 (Mid & South Essex Integrated Care System - Service Harmonisation Consultation) and Minute 519 (Passenger Transport Services - Performance Monitoring) – Close family member has SEN and learning difficulties.

 

 

 

 

 

513.

Questions from Members of the Public pdf icon PDF 68 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee noted the responses of the Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Inclusion to questions presented by Mr David Webb.

 

514.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 11 October 2022 pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 11 October 2022 be confirmed as a correct record and signed.

 

515.

SEND Strategy pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Minute No. 458 (Cabinet Book 2, Agenda Item No. 11 refers)

Called-in by Councillors Cox and Davidson

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered Minute 458 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 8 November 2022, which had been called-in for scrutiny, together with a report of the Executive Director (Children and Public Health) presenting the Southend SEND Strategy for 2022-2025.

 

The Executive Director (Children and Public Health) undertook to provide a written response to questions raised by members of the Committee, with regard to the organisations, groups or individuals that had been invited to participate in the co-production of the draft SEND Strategy and the process for referrals to be made to the Play and Parenting Service (Jigsaws).

 

Resolved:

 

1.          That the matter be referred back to the Cabinet for reconsideration as the Committee was concerned that the draft SEND Strategy was not fully co-produced with the involvement of children and young people with SEND and their families and that it was considered that the draft Strategy should be clearer around the full extent of the SEND support offer.

 

2.          That, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 39, the matter be referred to full Council for consideration.

 

Note: This is an Executive Function

Cabinet Member: Councillor L Burton

 

516.

Annual Safeguarding Report pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Minute No. 463 (Cabinet Book 3, Agenda Item No. 16 refers)

Called-in by Councillors Cox and Davidson

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered Minute 463 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 8 November 2022, which had been called-in for scrutiny, together with a joint report of the Executive Director (Adults and Communities) and the Executive Director (Children and Public Health), presenting the annual report of the Southend Safeguarding Partnership or 2021/22.

 

In response to concerns expressed by the Committee, the Executive Director (Children and Public Health) undertook to investigate options for the issues raised in the annual report around the current level of resource allocation for the Business Unit for the Safeguarding Partnership to be addressed by the Leadership Group for the Partnership and (if appropriate) the Health and Wellbeing Board, as soon as possible.

 

Resolved:

 

That the following decision of the Cabinet be noted

 

“That the Southend Strategic Safeguarding Partnership Annual Report 2021-2022, be noted.”

 

Note: This is an Executive Function

Cabinet Members: Councillors L Burton and Councillor K Mitchell

 

517.

Mid & South Essex Integrated Care System - Service Harmonisation Consultation pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Report of Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation from Ronan Fenton (Medical Director) and Claire Hankey (Director of Communications and Engagement) of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) with regard to the proposals of the ICB to harmonise the provision of six service areas (Bariatric surgery, breast asymmetry, breast reduction, female sterilisation and tertiary fertility services), as a result of differing historic commissioning policies within the previous clinical commissioning groups.

 

Members were advised that current arrangements for the delivery of the six services differed across Mid and South Essex and that the ambition of the harmonisation proposals was for everyone living in Mid and South Essex to have the same opportunities and access to the services. The Committee was advised that consultation on the proposals of the ICB was being undertaken from 31 October to 19 December 2022 and that the consultation process placed emphasis on seeking participation from groups most likely to be impacted by changes in service provision.

 

Resolved:

 

1.          That the proposals of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the harmonisation of the provision of the service areas presented to the Committee, be noted.

 

2.          That the Committee support the promotion of the consultation on the harmonisation of service delivery by the ICB.

 

3.          That the ICB present an analysis of the results of public consultation with regard to the service harmonisation proposals, to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

Note: This is a Scrutiny function

518.

Children's Services Improvement Board pdf icon PDF 115 KB

To receive a presentation from the Executive Director (Children and Public Health).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director (Children and Public Health) that provided an update on the work of the Children’s Services Improvement Board.

 

The Committee also received a comprehensive presentation from the new independent Chair of the Board, Lou Williams, on the findings of a ‘deep dive’ exercise undertaken across the provision of children’s services.

 

Resolved:

 

1.          That the current work programme and progress of the Children’s Services Improvement Board, be noted.

 

2.          That the findings arising from the ‘deep dive’ exercise undertaken by the independent chair of the Board, be noted.

 

3.          That a further report be made to a future meeting of the Committee setting out progress on the achievement of actions to address relevant findings arising from the ‘deep dive’ exercise.

 

Note: This is a Scrutiny function

519.

Passenger Transport Services - Performance Monitoring pdf icon PDF 101 KB

At its meeting on 25 November 2021, the Council requested that a report on the monitoring of the performance of Vecteo be made to each meeting of the People Scrutiny Committee. Report of Interim Executive Director (Neighbourhoods and Environment) attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report in relation to the ongoing monitoring of the performance of the Vecteo Joint Venture Company established for the provision of passenger transport services.

 

Resolved:

 

That the report be noted.

 

Note: This is a Scrutiny function.

520.

In-Depth Scrutiny Project 2022/23 - 'Providing First Class Services for Families with Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities'

To receive an update on the progress of the in-depth scrutiny project for 2022/23.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received an update on progress with regard to the in-depth scrutiny project for 2022/23.  

 

Resolved:

 

That the report be noted.

 

Note: This is a Scrutiny function

 

 

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