Agenda and draft minutes

In the event the fire alarm sounds attendees will be advised to evacuate the building via the nearest fire exit and assemble at the Bottle of Notes opposite MIMA.

WELCOME AND EVACUATION PROCEDURE

The Chair welcomed those present and advised that as there were no scheduled tests, should the fire alarm sound, attendees should evacuate the building via the nearest fire exit and assemble at the Bottle of Notes opposite MIMA.

** SUSPENSION OF COUNCIL PROCEDURE RULE No. 4.13.2 – ORDER OF BUSINESS

The Chair proposed that there be a change to the order of business in the agenda of the meeting in accordance with the Constitution paragraph 4.30.1 (c), to deal with Agenda Item 6.1(i) as the final item of business and that Members would be asked to consider passing a resolution to exclude the press and public from the meeting, prior to the item being heard due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

ORDERED that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 4.57, the Board agreed to vary the order of business to deal with the items in the following order: Agenda Items 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, then Agenda Item 6.1(i).

The Minutes of the previous meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 18 December 2024 were submitted and approved as a correct record, subject to the word ‘singed’ being amended to ‘signed’ at page 5.

Councillor Henman, Executive Member for Children’s Services, was in attendance at the meeting, accompanied by J Tynan, Executive Director of Children’s Services, and D Alaszewski, Director of Children’s Care, to provide the Board with an overview of his portfolio in relation to Children’s Services.

The Executive Member introduced himself, advising the Board that he was elected as a Councillor for Acklam Ward in July 2024 and was appointed as Executive Member for Children’s Services in November 2024.  He had previously been an employee of Middlesbrough Council and currently worked for a housing association.

Members were provided with an outline staffing structure for Children’s Services, naming the following Teams that sat within the Children’s Care area of the directorate:-

·        Early Help

·        MACH and Assessment

·        Safeguarding and Care Planning and Children with Disabilities

·        Children in Care, Care Leavers and Fostering

·        Residential Resource and Supported Accommodation

·        Learning, Review and Development

Headline figures for Children’s Services included:-

·        658 families currently accessing Early Help.

·        297 child and family assessments being completed.

·        418 children subject to Child in Need Plans.

·        350 children subject to Child Protection Orders.

·        504 young people in the care of the Council.

·        165 children placed in internal foster care placements (including 64 placed with connected carers).

·        135 children placed in independent foster care placements.

·        22 young people placed in internal residential placements.

·        77 young people placed in external residential placements.

The Executive Member highlighted that there was a discrepancy between the total number of children and young people in the care of the Council and the breakdown of figures (above) in relation to placements.  This was due to just over a 100 young people who were currently subject to Care Orders but being cared for by family members.

In terms of the budget for 2024-25, Children’s Services had a budget of £55 million.  This was 38.5% of the Council’s overall budget of £143.2 million.  It was highlighted that the budget for Children’s Services had been cut significantly from £81 million in 2013, but had increased this year from the previous year when it was £35 million.

As part of the Transformation Programme and required savings going forward, £5.36 million of savings had been identified for 2024-25, with a further £3.25 million of savings identified for 2025-26.  Current savings were on track to achieve £3.485 in 2024-25 with ongoing financial assurance on projects.

Projects that had been completed included the establishment of a review of Children’s Care and a review of Special Guardianship Orders.  This had achieved a significant cost avoidance of £3.08 million against high-cost external placements.

New projects for 2025-26 included Edge of Care and Modernising Fostering.  This would examine final interventions to prevent a young person coming into care which should reduce pressure on residential care places being required.

The Board heard that the key areas of focus for Children’s Services were:-

·        Implementation of ‘Signs of Safety’ – new practice model to be rolled out in the coming months.

·        Demand management and managing complexity – providing the right levels  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/58

The Chair introduced the item for the Board’s consideration.  A copy of the Work Programme was attached at Appendix A and Members were asked to raise any issues they had in relation to any of the items listed.

No issues were raised.

AGREED that the report be noted.

People Scrutiny Panel

The Chair of the People Scrutiny Panel updated the Board that the Panel had met on 20 January 2025 and had received further evidence, in relation to its scrutiny topic of Children Missing from Education, from the Virtual School.  The meeting was attended by the Head of Outward Academy Ormesby and, following discussion, Members requested further input from schools prior to concluding evidence-gathering on the topic.

The Panel also received an introduction to its new topic of Homelessness and would consider terms of reference at its next meeting on 17 February 2025.

Place Scrutiny Panel

The Chair of the Place Scrutiny Panel updated the Board that the Panel met on 6 January 2025.  The meeting was attended by representatives from Jomast Properties who provided further information in relation to the Panel’s scrutiny topic of ‘Empty Properties’.  The Panel also received statutory annual updates in relation to the Community Safety Partnership and Prevent and Chanel programmes.

The Scrutiny Panel’s Task and Finish Group on Home to School Transport had met with the Integrated Transport Manager and the draft final report on the topic was currently being compiled.

Overview and Scrutiny Board – Task and Finish Group: Community Cohesion

Councillor Branson updated Members that the above Task and Finish Group had recently met with Andy McDonald MP to obtain his views in relation to community cohesion and were due to meet with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland.

AGREED that the information provided be noted.

There were no other urgent items to be considered.

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

Members were asked to consider passing a resolution to exclude the press and public from the meeting, due to the sensitive nature of the topic.  Following a vote, Members agreed to exclude the press and public as follows:-

ORDERED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that, if present, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

i)              Levick Court

**DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

At this point in the meeting, Councillors Clynch and Ewan both declared non-pecuniary interests in relation to the following item as they were both Members of the Levick Trust.

Members of the Board had previously identified Levick Court as an item of interest on the Executive Forward Work Programme and had requested an update prior to consideration by the Executive.

The Interim Director of Adult Social Care and Health Integration was in attendance at the meeting and provided a verbal update in relation to the item.

AGREED that the information provided be noted.