Children & Young People's strategic Partnership Minutes

Agenda Items covered in this meeting include:
1. Minutes of Last Meeting
2. Matters Arising
3. Children’s Bill
4. Initiatives Update
5. Social Care Leadership Action Learning Set
6. Any Other Business
7. Date & Time of Next Meeting

Present: Debbie Jones, Head of Children’s Services, Durham SSD (Chair), Carole Payne, Commissioning Manager, Durham SSD, Mark Gurney, Senior Manager – Children in Need, Durham SSD, Lynne Gregory, Head of LSS, Education Department, Kath Tansey, Co-ordinator, Home & Hospital Support Service, Lindsay Smith, Principal Educational Psychologist, Linda Kernohan, Lead Officer, Sure Start – County Durham, David Landes, Director of Public Health, Durham Dales PCT, Harry Cronin, Director of Mental Health/Nursing – County Durham & Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust, Liam Cairns, Investing In Children, Mandy Taylor, Children North East, Michael Farlow, Sedgefield Borough Council, Paul Hebron, Education in the Community, Janice Bray, Connexions – County Durham, Gill Eshelby, Co Durham Youth Offending Service, Christina Blythe, Head of Service – Co Durham Youth Offending Service, Nick Tzamarias, Senior Policy Officer, Derwentside District Council, Anne Beeton, Chairperson, Children’s Fund, Patsy Fullen, Children’s Fund, Jackie McHanwell, Regional Children’s Fund Manager, DFES, Sue Hood, Children’s Therapy Services Manager, Durham & Chester-le-Street PCT, Carole Dixon, North Durham Healthcare NHS Trust, Tricia Cresswell, Director of Public Health, Durham & Chester-le-Street PCT, Judy Lomas, Integration/Coordination Project Team, Ann Armstrong, Corporate Policy Officer, George Osborne, Community Safety Inspector, Durham Constabulary, Michelle Kane, Young People’s Development Officer, Drug Action Team, Melanie Fordham, Sedgefield PCT, Kath Vasey, Sedgefield PCT, Clare Beighton, Children’s Services Integration Manager - CAMHS Strategy, CDDPS NHS Trust, Amanda Johnson, Head of Education Services, Durham LEA, Gail Thompson, Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator.

Apologies: Isobel Porter, Area Children’s Services Manager, NSPCC, Claire Hartley, Co Durham & Tees Valley Health Authority, Marian Dilley, North Durham Healthcare NHS Trust, Jonathan Ewen, Barnardos, Fiona Callaghan, Sure Start, Wear Valley East, Brian Brown, Sure Start, Easington, Philippa Scott, Centrepoint, Denis Robinson, NCH, Mary Hall, LSP Manager, Wear Valley District Council, David Miller, Environment & Technical Services, Maggie Bosanquet, Environment & Technical Services, Sue Younghusband, Durham Dales PCT, Wendy Baker, Easington PCT, Martin Armitage, Easington PCT.

1. Minutes of Last Meeting

• Agreed (Correction – Sue Younghusband had tendered her apologies).
• Agreed as a true record

2. Matters Arising

• Page 3 – NSF – this will now be taken forward at the Leadership Group and not within a sub-group.
• Page 6 – Partnership Development Officer – the post has been advertised. The long listing has been completed and there are five fairly strong candidates. It is hoped that an appointment will be offered by the end of March.

3. Children’s Bill

• A Local Government Association Briefing was circulated in relation to the Children’s Bill. This gives the views of the LGA only. Durham County Council are to present a Briefing Paper to the Coordination Team very soon.
• Tricia Cresswell noted that Durham & Chester-le-Street PCT have some slightly differing views in relation to the Bill. Tricia noted that within the Bill it specifically states children/young people to be ’under 18 years’, she queried whether in the Children Act 1989, it states ’18 years and under’. Tricia asked that this be clarified.
• It was stated that the issues raised in the consultation process have generally been accommodated within in the Bill and that the information within the Bill is consistent with how the Children’s Agenda is moving on in Durham.
• Anne Beeton commented that the Bill does seem to be coming from an adult perspective and does not come across as inclusive.
• Christina Blythe noted that the LGA response to Youth Justice is not very pleasing.
• It is important to acknowledge the timescales that are within the Bill, which are now more realistic.

4. Initiatives Update
i) Children’s Fund
A report was circulated and presented by Anne Beeton, Chairperson of the Children’s Fund. Anne talked about the funding problems that have effected the perception of the Children’s Fund within communities. The reported 15% reduction in funding for 2005/2006 has now been reduced to 3%, however there are no reassurances about funding for 2005/2006 and this reduction could still be 30%. The under-spend of £800,000 has now been withdrawn.

• There are three main criteria that have been put in place to review current and future projects:
  Performance issues.
  Projects not yet started, where funding has been committed.
  Capacity/employment issues.
• At present, there are approximately 6 or 7 projects that will not be able to continue, although the reviewing process has not yet been completed.
• Some major projects that have submitted bids to the Children’s Fund, will not be considered.
• The 25% funding that goes to the Youth Offending Service is looking positive.
• In the future, there will be more flexibility allowed, so that monies can be used throughout the whole year and not just within a specific quarter of the year.
• Jackie McHanwell reported that the longer term issues need to be taken into consideration as well, not just the possible funding reduction in 2005/2006. These recent funding issues have put the Children’s Fund back on the agenda and it is now very much high profile again.
• Christina Blythe queried whether there are to be or have been any legal challenges?
• Mandy Taylor noted that the voluntary sector, in particular NCH and Barnardos are to embark on legal challenges very soon.
• The report was accepted and endorsed by the Partnership.

ii) IRT
Mark Gurney reported that Julie Scurfield, IRT Project Manager has now left and returned to the Youth Offending Service as a Team Manager. It was agreed that Julie would continue some IRT work and report back. Three further workshops have been held, however the attendance was not as good as the first round of workshops. Those who did attend were very positive about the project. It has been agreed that one final workshop will be held to cover the three pilot areas. Research is continuing with the young people.

• An IRT/LPS meeting is to be held on 15 March, to consider the next steps and how to best utilise the IRT Project Manager post in the future. Mark noted that the post will probably be linked to the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) and the common assessment framework. Mark will circulate proposals to the Partnership prior to the next meeting in May. Action MG

iii) LPS
Mark Gurney noted that work is continuing within the localities, which is progressing well. Work is also being done in relation to the general framework and service mapping.

• Lynne Gregory went on to talk about a service mapping exercise that she is currently involved in. Lynne is currently writing the specification for the exercise which will involve looking at identifying needs and identifying the range of services for children and families that are currently available. Services looked at will be both Countywide and those that are specific to certain localities. It is envisaged that the exercise will be a six month piece of work and that someone will be commissioned to develop an audit tool. Once available, further information will be circulated to Partnership members. Action LG/MG.
• Debbie Jones noted that it is hoped that this piece of work will create something that is useful for all and there is a need to look at all services and needs and not be restricted to ‘vulnerable’ groups of young people.

iv) NSF
No further information available at this time.
v) Children’s Centres
Linda Kernohan reported that notification has been received from DFES, confirming that the initiatives can go ahead. There is revenue funding for the next two years and beyond. There will be 11 Children’s Centre, with 3 of those in rural areas. There is currently a reserve list of 3 possible centres. These will be dependent on funding. A meeting is to be held with the Sure Start Regional Unit to further discuss the plans and some issues that have arisen. The individual centres will then be informed.
vi) Children’s Services Integration Project

• Amanda Johnson reported that the Project Group are currently comparing their work so far with against the deadlines in the Children’s Bill. The group are to continue looking at Vision/Values & Outcomes; Processes then Structures. Amanda went on to say that the recent Action Learning Set was very useful. Key priorities for Durham are to be identified, along with the outcomes that matter the most.
• Christina Blythe talked about the multi-agency inspection that is to be piloted in the Youth Offending Services. Issues that will be looked at include, prevention of offending and re-offending; victims; management and leadership and parents. Information will be reported back to the Partnership.

5. Social Care Leadership Action Learning Set

• The next session to be held on 22 April 04, at Van Mildert College. The morning session will be looking at the Vision & Values launch and the afternoon will be looking at work from the leadership sessions.

6. Any Other Business
i) Tricia Cresswell referred to a document called ‘Choosing Health’, which contains a lot of information for children & young people. This document is related to the Wanless Report, which Tricia encouraged colleagues to read. Documents can be found online at: www.dh.gov.uk. The consultation on ‘Choosing Health’ ends in May.
ii) Harry Cronin referred to the review of County Durham & Tees Valley mental health services. Five streams of the service are to be looked at and there will be a nominated lead for each stream. Progress and findings from this review will be reported to the CYPSP.
iii) Lindsay Smith presented two reports by Dr David Philbrick in relation to the Triple P – Parenting Programme. It is hoped that this system can be introduced in County Durham. The programme will aim to develop universal services and integrated service working. A mapping exercise is to take place to look at what is already available and working well. Guidance and advice is required in relation to identifying a ‘parent body’ for reporting purposes. The proposal has been presented to the CAMHS group, who felt that the programme covered broader issues and it wasn’t simply about CAMHS.

• Discussion took place around the most appropriate group for this programme to report to. Issues raised included the need to be sensitive to how children & young people feel and that the programme should report to a broader group, without a specific label. It was also felt that a strategic approach is required. There is a need to be pragmatic in identifying the most appropriate home for this initiative. It was acknowledged that this is a very good and positive project, however it is a classic example for the potential for duplication without the requisite strategic overview.
• It was agreed that the initiative would report to the LPS Steering Group at County level, which in turn will report back to the CYPSP.

7. Date and Time of Next Meeting
Tuesday 18 May 2004.