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 11 November 2024 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

The Public Health Practitioner will be in attendance to present the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.

The Public Health Practitioner was in attendance and presented the Tees Suicide Prevention - Strategic Plan 2024-2029.

The Public Health Practitioner informed the Panel that the Strategic Plan had been developed using feedback from November 2023’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Conference; analysis of real time surveillance data, and the framework set out by the national strategy.  The Tees Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan set out the key areas for action and how it aimed to achieve the vision of reducing the rates of suicide. The strategy had been developed with and endorsed by key local partners, organisations, services, and communities who contributed to suicide prevention, postvention and supported vulnerable groups. Where possible, and appropriate, the voice of lived experience had been sought.

The following key areas for action were discussed:

1.     Supporting practice through local data collection, research, and intelligence.

2.     Providing tailored, targeted support to key priority groups.

3.     Identifying and addressing common risk factors linked to suicide.

4.     Promoting online safety and responsible media content.

5.     Identifying and supporting crisis pathways across sectors.

6.     Reducing access to the means and methods of suicide.

7.     Providing effective bereavement support to those affected by suicide.

8.     Making suicide everybody’s business.

During discussion, the increase in children’s suicides was considered.  The Public Health Practitioner advised that, often, the young person did not show any signs that this would occur.  The Public Health Practitioner was involved in Child Death Overview Panels (CDOP) and Joint Agency Response (JAR) meetings, whereby a team of key professionals came together for the purpose of enquiring into and evaluating each unexpected death of a child.

A member queried the demographics of those most at risk of suicide.  In response, it was advised that, in Teesside, 75% of suicides were male and between the ages of 30-49; women of a menopausal age were also noted as being at risk. 

In response to a query regarding the success of the strategy, the Public Health Practitioner advised that it would be reviewed in four years’ time.

The Chair thanked the Public Health Practitioner for her 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.

The Independent Chair of the Teeswide Safeguarding Adults Board (TSAB), Adrian Green, was in attendance and presented the TSAB’s Annual Report 2023-24.

The presentation covered the following topics:

·        The purpose of the TSAB.

·        The composition of the Board.

·        The structure of the Board, including details of its five main Sub-Groups and Task and Finish Groups.

·        The key achievements made by the Board over the past year.

·        Safeguarding data for 2023-24, which included details of the number of concerns and Section 42 enquiries raised, and an overview of their content.

·        Communication and engagement.

·        Training opportunities provided by the Board, in conjunction with the local Safeguarding Children Partnerships.

·        Priorities of the Board and the associated work undertaken.

·        Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SAR) data.

·        Partner Activity.

·        Priorities for the Board 2024-25.

During discussion, Members raised a number of points in relation to the following:

·        Modern day slavery,

·        The different organisations raising safeguarding issues.

·        Key Performance Indicators,

·        Training opportunity uptake.

·        Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

·        Learning opportunities across the North East.

·        Safe Places Scheme.

·        Safeguarding Champions and the recruitment of these.

·        Partnership working and the sharing of information.

The Chair thanked the Independent Chair for his attendance and contribution to the meeting,

NOTED

The Head of SEN & Vulnerable Learners and the Head of Inclusion, Assessment & Review will be in attendance to provide information regarding permanent exclusions.

The Head of Inclusion delivered a presentation to provide further evidence on the Panel’s Scrutiny topic of Children Missing Education (CME).  The presentation included information in respect of permanent exclusion.

The national context of permanent exclusion was discussed and the panel was informed that there was a growing rate of permanent exclusion, which was under scrutiny and received significant media attention.  SEND and Inclusion were identified as a priority area for education nationally, focussing on mainstream inclusion.

The local context of permanent exclusion was delivered, as follows:

·        There was a high rate of permanent exclusion and suspension from Middlesbrough secondary schools.

·        The Local Authority had commissioned a range of good quality alternative provision and specialist assessment provision.

·        A 0-25 Inclusion and Outreach service had been developed in partnership with and was available to all schools.

·        There was a well-established Local Area Inclusion Partnership with schools and multi-disciplinary agencies.

In the 2023/24 academic year, 111 pupils had been excluded from Middlesbrough schools.  The reasons for the permanent exclusions were noted as follows:

·        Persistent Disruptive Behaviour - 66

·        Physical Assault on an Adult - 14

·        Physical Assault on a Pupil - 10

·        Damage to property - 9

·        Verbal Abuse / Threatening Behaviour towards an Adult - 5

·        Verbal Abuse / Threatening Behaviour towards a Pupil - 3

·        Other - 3

·        Use / Threat of an Offensive Weapon - 1.

A Member queried how schools defined ‘persistent disruptive behaviour’ and the threshold for this when excluding children.  The Head of Inclusion advised that there was no nationally recognised definition of persistent disruptive behaviour and that this was down to each individual school to determine, via their behaviour policy.

The Panel was advised that the Local Authority had a duty to arrange suitable full-time education for permanently excluded pupils from the sixth school day of exclusion. In Middlesbrough, sixth day education provision was delivered by several registered Alternative Provisions (AP) / schools.

Alternative Provision offered an adapted or alternative curriculum for children who had been unsuccessful in accessing or engaging with a mainstream education.  Alternative Provision also encompassed provision available for children who were unable to attend school because of their physical and/ or mental health needs. A proportion of children in Alternative Provision had additional vulnerabilities or characteristics, often because of trauma and adverse childhood experiences.  For the children in Alternative Provision, it offered an opportunity to gain qualifications (both vocational and academic) alongside participating in personal development activities whilst developing transferable skills and knowledge, which supported onward progression into Post-16 pathways after Year 11.

There were currently 279 children accessing education in an Alternative Provision.  Of these pupils, 264 were secondary and 15 were primary. Of the 279 children in Alternative Provision:

·        188 accessed as result of being permanently excluded from their mainstream school.

·        108 had identified Special Educational Needs (SEN).

·        42 had an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for their Special Educational Needs.

·        38 were open to Social Care on a Child In Need plan (CIN).

·        13 were open to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/44

The Chair will provide a verbal update on matters considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 20 November 2024.

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

·        An overview of Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency (MVDA), with the MVDA Chief Executive in attendance.

·        An update from the Task and Finish Group, in respect of Community Cohesion.

·        Executive forward work programme.

·        Scrutiny Chairs update.

NOTED

The next meeting of the People Scrutiny Panel had been scheduled for Monday, 20 January 2025 at 4.30 p.m. in the Mandela Room, Town Hall.

NOTED

None.