Wrthi'n llwytho
Y penderfyniadau fel y mae cofnodion y cyngor yn eu cofnodi. Bydd crynodeb mewn iaith glir yn dilyn pan fydd wedi'i ysgrifennu.
RESOLVED: To note that Council, at its Annual meeting on 23rd May 2024, appointed Cllr Jess Moultrie as Chair of the Committee together with the following Committee Members: Cllrs Saleh Ahmed, Boes, Davies, Gunter, Hopkins, Humphreys, Melbourne and Singh. The Chair welcomed Cllrs Gunter and Humphreys to the Committee for the first time and welcomed back Cllr Singh, before thanking Cllr Bridgeman for his work as the previous Chair.
RESOLVED: To note that Council agreed the following Terms of Reference for the Committee at its annual meeting on 23rd May 2024: “To scrutinise, measure and actively promote improvement in the Council’s performance in the provision of services and compliance with Council policies, aims and objectives in the area of children and young people, including: · School Improvement · Schools Organisation · School Support Services · Education Welfare & Inclusion · Early Years Development · Special Educational needs · Governor Services · Children’s Social Services · Youth Services and Justice · Children’s Play Services To assess the impact of partnerships with and resources and services provided by external organisations including the Welsh Government, Welsh Government Sponsored Public Bodies, joint local government services and quasi-departmental non-governmental bodies on the effectiveness of Council service delivery. To report to an appropriate Cabinet or Council meeting on its findings and to make recommendations on measures which may enhance Council performance and service delivery in this area.”
RESOLVED: That the Chairperson writes to the Cabinet Member on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations captured during the way forward.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: To note that Council, at its Annual meeting on 23rd May 2024, appointed Cllr Jess Moultrie as Chair of the Committee together with the following Committee Members: Cllrs Saleh Ahmed, Boes, Davies, Gunter, Hopkins, Humphreys, Melbourne and Singh. The Chair welcomed Cllrs Gunter and Humphreys to the Committee for the first time and welcomed back Cllr Singh, before thanking Cllr Bridgeman for his work as the previous Chair.
RESOLVED: To note that Council, at its Annual meeting on 23rd May 2024, appointed Cllr Jess Moultrie as Chair of the Committee together with the following Committee Members: Cllrs Saleh Ahmed, Boes, Davies, Gunter, Hopkins, Humphreys, Melbourne and Singh. The Chair welcomed Cllrs Gunter and Humphreys to the Committee for the first time and welcomed back Cllr Singh, before thanking Cllr Bridgeman for his work as the previous Chair.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: To note that Council agreed the following Terms of Reference for the Committee at its annual meeting on 23rd May 2024: “To scrutinise, measure and actively promote improvement in the Council’s performance in the provision of services and compliance with Council policies, aims and objectives in the area of children and young people, including: · School Improvement · Schools Organisation · School Support Services · Education Welfare & Inclusion · Early Years Development · Special Educational needs · Governor Services · Children’s Social Services · Youth Services and Justice · Children’s Play Services To assess the impact of partnerships with and resources and services provided by external organisations including the Welsh Government, Welsh Government Sponsored Public Bodies, joint local government services and quasi-departmental non-governmental bodies on the effectiveness of Council service delivery. To report to an appropriate Cabinet or Council meeting on its findings and to make recommendations on measures which may enhance Council performance and service delivery in this area.”
RESOLVED: To note that Council agreed the following Terms of Reference for the Committee at its annual meeting on 23rd May 2024: “To scrutinise, measure and actively promote improvement in the Council’s performance in the provision of services and compliance with Council policies, aims and objectives in the area of children and young people, including: · School Improvement · Schools Organisation · School Support Services · Education Welfare & Inclusion · Early Years Development · Special Educational needs · Governor Services · Children’s Social Services · Youth Services and Justice · Children’s Play Services To assess the impact of partnerships with and resources and services provided by external organisations including the Welsh Government, Welsh Government Sponsored Public Bodies, joint local government services and quasi-departmental non-governmental bodies on the effectiveness of Council service delivery. To report to an appropriate Cabinet or Council meeting on its findings and to make recommendations on measures which may enhance Council performance and service delivery in this area.”
Apologies were received from Cllrs Boes and Singh. Emily Gao (Youth Council Representative), Carol Cobert (Church in Wales Representative), Celeste Lewis (Parent Governor Representative) and Mel Godfrey (Director of Education and Lifelong Learning) also sent apologies.
There were no declarations of interest.
The minutes of the meeting held on 14th May 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
There were none.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: That the Chairperson writes to the Cabinet Member on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations captured during the way forward.
Members were advised that this item allowed them to undertake pre-decision scrutiny on any objections received relating to the Provision for Children and Young People with Additional Learning Needs (ALN), prior to its consideration by Cabinet on the 20th June 2024. The Chair welcomed Cllr Sarah Merry (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education), Richard Portas (Programme Director for the School Organisation Programme), Brett Andrewartha (School Organisation Programme Planning Manager) and Jennie Hughes (Head of Inclusion, Education & Lifelong Learning). The Cabinet Member was invited to make a statement, in which she highlighted the need for ALN places across the city and outlined the process that had to be followed in order to provide them. These proposals covered a number of schools, and only one objection had been received. The objection related mainly to having a secure fence line at the SRB at Fairwater Primary School and not specifically to the proposals in the consultation. On that basis, the recommendation to Cabinet was that the proposals be progressed. Officers added that these proposals covered more than 100 ALN places, some of which were at different stages in the process – some being available from September 2024 and others from September 2025 – and explained that they formed part of a wider program of ALN provision. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments. The discussion is summarised as follows: Members noted that 4% of learners were in need of specialist places, and queried how many this meant in total. Officers clarified that the number was approaching 2,000 across all statutory age groups. The report to Cabinet in May had set out these figures in more detail, as well as their predicted trajectory over time. Officers noted that despite the recent fall in primary school intakes, secondary school intakes remained high. Members queried the size of the waiting list and the impact on children and young people who were on it. Officers did not have the figures to hand but estimated that around 80 in-year referrals were currently pending, with the exact figure changing from day to day. There was currently something of a surge in referrals but it was unclear whether this was a blip or a longer-term trend. Members welcomed the move towards reducing reliance on out-of-county placements, and asked about the role of independent schools in this. Officers responded that there would always be a cohort who might be better suited to the independent sector, regardless of provision. The sector played an important role for many local authorities when fewer specialist places than desired were available. The Committee highlighted a previous letter to the Cabinet Member which listed issues arising from the 20th March 2024 meeting, and asked for reassurance that they would have more insights into the different aspects of the program as they unfolded. The Cabinet Member was happy to give that assurance. Members queried how unmet demand would be measured, noting that some communities might be less likely to engage due to cultural stigma against identifying ALN, and as a result might have higher levels of unmet demand than it appeared. Officers acknowledged the long waiting list for neurodevelopmental assessments, which currently stood at three years. They reassured members that cultural stigma did not stop social communication difficulties or dysregulation being identified, and they were doing a lot of work to further equip schools to recognise these issues. Members also queried how the sites were initially identified. Officers explained that more than 350 ALN spaces in all had been brought forward in the last few years, and that the space and capacity available were key concerns. Demand was monitored closely and the potential for future growth taken into account. Members highlighted accessibility issues, noting that disabled parking bays would be needed for wheelchair users as well as safe drop-off zones. Officers agreed that these were key concerns which formed part of the criteria for undertaking project. Members cautioned that it might be challenging for schools to meet the diverse needs of youngsters in their entirety in the context of budget constraints, particularly with regard to early intervention. Expertise did not just appear out of thin air, but had to be developed over time, and it was important that support extended to those who did not have an IDP and whose needs would be met through mainstream provision. Officers acknowledged the wider budget pressures on schools, and advocated innovative practice. The budget forum played an important role in these conversations, and working parties could be set up within it to identify the best ways of distributing the funding available. One Member suggested forming up an ALN Task & Finish Group which could conduct site visits and hear first-hand from schools about the challenges they were facing. The Committee was in favour of this. Members were also sceptical of a line in the Cabinet report which suggested that having an SRB base did not have a major financial impact on the school, and felt a Task & Finish Group would allow them to find out schools’ experiences of this. One Member suggested inviting finance officers to the Committee to talk about how different parts of school budgets were allocated. The Scrutiny Officer was happy to arrange this at a future meeting. RESOLVED: That the Chairperson writes to the Cabinet Member on behalf of the Committee expressing their comments and observations captured during the way forward.
Rhan o fater a ddilynwyd ar draws 4 cyfarfod
Tuesday 10th September 2024 at 4:30pm.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
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