Agenda and minutes

Children and Young People Select Committee - Wednesday 14th February, 2024 5.00 pm

Venue: Jim Cooke Conference Suite, Stockton Central Library, Church Road, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 ITU

Contact: Scrutiny Support Officer Rachel Harrison 

Items
No. Item

CYP/23/23

Evacuation Procedure pdf icon PDF 9 KB

Minutes:

The evacuation procedure was noted.

CYP/24/23

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no interests declared.

CYP/25/23

Minutes pdf icon PDF 116 KB

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 17 January 2024.

Minutes:

AGREED that the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2024 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

CYP/26/23

Scrutiny Review of Narrowing the Gap in Educational Attainment

-       To receive a presentation on the Early Help Appreciative Inquiry as context for the Select Committee’s review work

-       To receive an update on stakeholder engagement

Minutes:

 

Following on from discussion at an earlier meeting, the Select Committee received a presentation from Charisse Monero on early help work relating to the new team around the school partnership offer. The work linked in with the Select Committee’s review.

 

The presentation covered:

• What was already going well in Stockton-on-Tees

• What would be different for families?

• Vision for the team around the school and desired impact

• Model options

o Targeted Support

o Graduated Response Model

• School Navigator role and function

 

Anthony Douglas CBE was also in attendance to contribute to discussions.

 

Key issues highlighted and discussed were as follows:

 

           The vision was “To transform the Team around the school offer and design services that schools, and young people say they want and are important to them.”

           The support would be accessible, empathetic and welcoming front-line teams with rapid response to need and personalised, individualised support

           The targeted support option would provide a multifaceted, enhanced and co-ordinated early help offer across all schools, that deployed resources based upon evidence-based need and ensured pupils were getting the right support at the right time

           The Early Help School Navigator role and function included:

         Brokerage and co-ordination of support

         Thresholds guidance and consultancy

         Direct work and intervention

         Partnership working

         System change and thinking

           The proposed graduated response looked at four potential offers:

         Platinum – Navigators based in schools 2.5 days per week

         Gold – Navigators based in schools 2 days per week

         Silver – Navigators based in schools 1 day per week

         Bronze – Navigators based in school 0.5 days per week

           All but one of the 12 schools had been selected for the pilot in disadvantaged areas. After initial contact had been establish, schools were enthusiastic about the work. Names of the schools would be shared once finalised

           Work was being carried out to ensure existing resources were being directed appropriately. In addition, support would be provided from other agencies, children’s services and youth providers to provide a holistic, community response

           The model was recognised as best practice and had been well received by Ofsted. There was evidence that under the model, schools felt supported and reductions in exclusion rates were experienced

 

The draft programme for the stakeholder workshops on 8 and 22 March 2024 were shared with Members and an update provided on initial feedback from the pupil and parent/carer interviews which were being conducted in a range of Stockton primary and secondary schools. Using the same questions, an online survey had been rolled out across Children’s Services. The feedback from all the engagement activity would be available at the March workshops to inform the discussions. 

 

The Committee also received an update about wider work that had been triggered by the Appreciative Inquiry with the following objectives:

 

           Construct a local curriculum which matches the needs of local business and industry in collaboration with school leaders and local business

           Increase attendance by delivering half termly multi-agency networks

•  ...  view the full minutes text for item CYP/26/23

CYP/27/23

Select Committee Work Programme pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Minutes:

AGREED that the Work Programme be noted.