Agenda and 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.

The Chair welcomed all attendees to the meeting and explained the fire evacuation procedures.

The minutes of the People Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 14 October 2024 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

A Member requested that an update on the CQC Inspection be scheduled for a future People Scrutiny Panel meeting.

The Partnership Manager will be in attendance to present the annual report of the South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership.

The Partnership Manager was in attendance and presented the annual report of the South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership (STSCP).

The STSCP Annual report summarised and reflected on the work of the STSCP between 01 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.

The report covered the fourth full financial year of operation by the STSCP and included the following:

·        Introduction to the STSCP.

·        STSCP Governance Structure.

·        South Tees, the Place.

·        Achievements.

The four priorities of the STSCP were presented, as follows:

1.     Exploitation, formerly Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing, Trafficked (VEMT): The aim was for children/young people to be free from the risk and harm of exploitation, going missing or being trafficked.

2.     Neglect: The aim was to reduce neglect, reduce the impact of neglect and ensure help and support was provided at the earliest opportunity.

3.     Empowering Young People: The aim was to create a clear focus on the needs and experience of young people.

4.     Working Together: The aim was to achieve excellent partnership working across all areas.

An essential objective of the annual report was to demonstrate the impact of the partnership and the multi-agency safeguarding arrangements that it had put in place. The report presented a month-by-month look at the activity of the Board and the safeguarding impact that this had.

The Chair thanked the officer for his attendance and contribution to the meeting.

NOTED

The Independent Chair of the TSAB, Adrian Green, will be in attendance to present the TSAB’s Annual Report 2023-24. 

A copy of the TSAB Strategic Plan 2022-25 is attached for information only.

Item deferred.

The Head of Achievement will be in attendance to provide information regarding ethnic minority children missing education.

The Head of Achievement was in attendance to provide further evidence on the topic of ‘Children Missing from Education’.

The presentation highlighted the challenges of transient communities in Middlesbrough and how the Ethnic Minority Achievement Team (EMAT) tracked and worked with newly arrived families.

An overview of the EMAT was provided.  EMAT was a buyback service and therefore in-school support was limited to partner schools and or Local Authorities. Partners consisted of schools or Local Authorities (LAs) that had signed up for EMAT services and agreed to a Service Level Agreement (SLA). The current position of the EMAT was:

·        22 schools on EMAT SLA.

·        1x LA on EMAT SLA (for Traveller Education Services).

·        5x Specialist or Bilingual Teaching Assistants deployed in schools – EAL support and TES support.

·        4x Family Support Workers (daily liaison between EMAT and schools in respect of behaviour issues, PEX meetings, ACC, attendances, support FSM, and school transport applications).

·        All 22 schools invited to sign up for LILAC and EAL Support training this academic year.

·        2x EAL Network meetings scheduled for this academic year (frequency agreed by EMAT and all partner schools).

·        24 strategic school visits (SLA/EMAT support meetings, ACC meetings, Initial school start date meetings, Pupil Progress Review meetings, and EHCP meetings).

·        40 traveller family children supported in Redcar and Cleveland through the TES LA SLA.

·        30 Traveller family children supported in Middlesbrough Council through the TES LA SLA.

It was noted that the centre of the town was the main area of residence for transient communities and, as such, there was a shortage of primary school places in Middlesbrough town centre which could result in newly arrived children waiting for a suitable place to become available. It was highlighted to Members that there were sufficient school places available for all of the children in Middlesbrough, but sometimes families found it difficult to travel longer distances to attend school in other parts of the town.   It was indicated that, in July 2024, there were 11 primary-aged children who had been waiting for a school place for over one month, but none had been waiting over three months.   There were around 45 secondary-aged children awaiting places in July 2024 - the majority of these children had received offers of school places before the end of term.

During discussion, Members considered the next steps in terms of the scrutiny review.  It was agreed that it would be helpful to include the views of School Leader’s on the topic, and to also consider the role of the Virtual School.

NOTED

The Chair will provide a verbal update on matters considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 23 October 2024.

The Chair provided an update on items discussed at the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 23 October 2024, which included:

·        Executive Member Update - Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Education and Culture.

·        Final Report - Environment Scrutiny Panel - Waste Management - recommendations were approved and was hoped this to be scheduled for Executive consideration in January 2025.

·        Scrutiny Work Programme 2024-25.

·        Executive Forward Work Programme.

NOTED

The next meeting of the People Scrutiny Panel had been scheduled for Monday, 16 December 2024 at 4.30 p.m. in the Spencer Room, Town Hall.

None.