Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - 2nd Floor West Wing, Guildhall. View directions

Contact: Julie Mayer
tel. no.: 020 7332 1410  Email: julie.mayer@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

There were no apologies.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

Members' declarations under the code of conduct in respect of items on the agenda

Minutes:

There were no declarations.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 260 KB

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 June 2016   .

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Minutes:

The public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 2 June 2016 were approved.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Ofsted Inspection Reports pdf icon PDF 537 KB

Reports of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 4.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Sub Committee received two of reports of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of the recent Ofsted Inspections.  Members were very pleased to note that Children’s Services had been judged as ‘Good’ with a number of ‘Outstanding’ features and  the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board had been rated ‘Outstanding’.  The Audit and Risk Management Committee had received this report at their last meeting and had asked for their congratulations to be passed on to both Officers and Members of this Sub Committee. 

 

Very good report. What will be the oversight and reporting mechanism to ensure recommendations from the inspection are followed up?

 

Members noted that there had been six recommendations arising from the Inspections, which had been included in an action plan and this would be a standing item on future Safeguarding Sub Committee agendas. 

 

One recommendation was to look at how Members could have more opportunities for engagement with LAC and Care Leavers. How would the young people like to see our Members engaging more with them?

 

Officers suggested that Members might like to visit the Children in Care Council and/or offer shadowing opportunities.  The Chairman and Deputy Chairman offered and it was also suggested that LAC and care leavers be invited to events at the City of London Academies, when Members were due to attend. 

 

In response to other questions, Members noted that, the Children’s Service Manager had written to the Director of the Whittington Health Service in respect of record keeping on education and health matters; records were now being audited every 6 months and there had been an improvement since June 2016.  All LAC in the City had their medicals on time but the health histories were taking a little longer.  Officers suggested, and Members agreed, that Whittington Health Service be

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Annual update on Custody (Young Persons, Children and Mental Health) And Use of Force pdf icon PDF 988 KB

Report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner, City of London Police.  

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 5.

Minutes:

The Sub Committee received a joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner, City of London Police, which provided an overview and update on three key areas of policing; young persons and children in custody, mental health crisis in custody and use of force.  Members noted that this was the first report on youth custody which had been presented to the Safeguarding Sub Committee.  The new Custody Manager was working on baselines, in order to improve the commentary and provide comparative data in future reports, but Members noted that, anecdotally, the City was performing well when compared to neighbouring boroughs. 

 

Given the majority of children detained in custody are not CoL children , do the CoL Police share information with local areas regarding the young people regarding the detention?

 

Members noted that a Child Coming to Notice Report was raised for all children which came into custody and this was cross checked monthly.  The reports were reviewed daily by the Public Protection Unit  and the information about all children (City or non-City) was shared with the City’s Children’s Services Team.  In addition, the Police made direct referrals to the Borough where the child resided and the City’s Children’s Service Team also followed this up.   The number of children was also shared with the local Safeguarding Board as part of  performance reporting.  The Children’s Service Manager confirmed the very high standards of the above procedures; which had an additional benefit in identifying patterns and vulnerability from a social work point of view. For example, there had been occasions where child sexual exploitation risks had been identified.

The report highlights the role of the Professional Standards Department in respect of governing complaints and conduct matters. Has there been any LADO referrals from Custody via the PSD.


There have been no LADO referrals

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Annual Quality Assurance Report 2015 to 2016 pdf icon PDF 100 KB

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Sub Committee received a report of the Director of Community and children’s Services in respect of the Quality Assurance activity that had taken place within Children’s Social Care between April 2015 and March 2016.

 

Very good report.  The QA work of the service was complimented in the Ofsted inspection.   Ofsted also recommended the need to engage children and families more directly in QA work.  How will the service go about implementing this. 

 

An audit had been taking place during November, as part of this, all children and families open to the service have been written to, seeking their views about the service.  The findings from this will feed into the overall quality assurance analysis and service improvement planning.

 

RESOLVED, that – the report be noted. 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Self Neglect (and Chronic Hoarding) Protocol pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Sub Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services, which summarised the City and Hackney Safeguarding Adults Board Self-Neglect (and Chronic Hoarding) Protocol. 

 

Helpful report introducing the new protocol.  To what extent is this an issue for us in the City and what impact has the new protocol and panel had on supporting vulnerable adults?

 

The Protocol had engaged all of the City’s Estates including the Guinness Trust and there had been referrals by housing officers.  Officers had also been working with the City Solicitors and Environmental Health officers.  Members noted that, anecdotally, self-neglect and hoarding had been a big issue in the City but now forms part of multi-agency safeguarding work.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Sufficiency and Commissioning Strategy for Children in Care pdf icon PDF 96 KB

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 8.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Sub Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services which summarised the proposed commissioning strategy for placements in the future and how this would ensure that there are sufficient placements, with the capacity to meet the diverse cultural and ethnic needs of the City of London’s LAC population.  In response to a question about opportunities for young people leaving care, this had been covered under agenda item 4 (Ofsted Inspection Reports).

 

RESOLVED, that – the report be noted

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Questions of matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no questions. 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Any other business the Chairman considers urgent

Minutes:

There were no items.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Exclusion of the Public

MOTION - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 11.

Minutes:

RESOLVED - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Item                                                       Paragraph

12-17                                                               1&2

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Non-Public Minutes

To agree the non-public minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 June 2016.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

Minutes:

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 2nd June 2016 were approved. 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Children's Safeguarding Report for Quarter 4 2015/16 and Quarter 1 2016/17

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 

PLEASE NOTE:  The appendix to this document will be provided in A3 at the meeting, as the text is very small.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

Minutes:

The Sub Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services, which updated Members on the performance of the City’s safeguarding function. 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Quarter 1 Adult Safeguarding Report Performance Indicator Outcomes

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Minutes:

The Sub Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of the level and nature of adult safeguarding concerns received by the City of London Corporation during the first quarter of 2016/17.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

Annual Report Virtual School Headteacher Academic Year 2015/16

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Minutes:

The Sub Committee received a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services which summarised the achievement of the Virtual School for the Academic Year 2015/16. 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

16.

Non-public questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no questions

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

17.

Any other business that the Chairman considers urgent and which the Committee agree should be considered whilst the public are excluded

Minutes:

There were no items.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.