Children & Young People's Strategic Partnership Minutes

Agenda Items covered in this meeting include:
1. Minutes of Last Meeting
2. Matters Arising
3. Report of Partnership Development Officer
4. Partnership Development Group Update
5. Launch of the Youth Engagement Service
6. Centrepoint Homelessness Strategy
7. Teenage Pregnancy
8. Northeast Regional Senior Commissioning Unit Proposals
9. Any Other Business

Present: Debbie Jones, Acting Director Social Care & Health, Carole Payne, Social Care & Health, Amanda Johnson, Durham Education, Lynne Gregory, Durham Education, Judy Lomas, Corporate Team – DCC, Rachel Green, Durham Constabulary, Domestic Violence Strategic Planning Co-ordinator, Paul Hebron, Education – Youth Service, Michelle Kane, Drug & Alcohol Action Team, Eva Alexandratou, Children & Young People Strategic Partnership, Sue Hood, Durham & Chester le Street – PCT, Miriam Davidson, Durham & Chester le Street – PCT, Gail Thompson, Teen Pregnancy Co-ordinator, Nick Tsamarios, Derwentside District Council, Christine Blythe, Co Durham, Youth Engagement Service , Gill Eshelby, Co Durham, Youth Engagement Service, Louise Charlton, Co Durham & Darlington Priority Service, Debbie Edwards, Co Durham & Tees Valley Health Authority, David Landes, Durham Dales PLT, Judith Tuck, DISC, Ijou Derrache Thompson, Darlington & Durham Racial Equality Group, Phil Ball , Sedgefield District, Council, Liam Cairns, Investing in Children, J Freak, Councillor, District of Easington, John Murphy, District of Easington, Mandy Malone, Derwentside PCT, Phillipa Scott, Centrepoint, Mary Hall, Wear Valley LSP, Stephen Clark, Easington District Council, Martin Armitage, Easington PCT, Janice Bray, Connexions County Durham, Val Goodrum, Connexions County Durham.

Apologies: Isobel Porter, N.S.P.C.C. Tricia Cresswell, Durham & Chester le Street PCT, Denis Robinson, NCH, Johnathon Ewen, Barnardos, George Osborne, Durham Constabulary, Inspector for Community Safety, Lesley Crawford, County Durham & Darlington HA, MHSOP & CAMHS, Kath Vasey, Sedgefield PCT, Judith Laverton, Barnardos, Ann Armstrong, Durham County Council – Corporate Policy, Brian Brown, Sure Start, Peterlee, Fiona Callaghan, Sure Start, Wear Valley East, Ann Beetham, Children’s Fund, Mark Weeding, DISC, Mel Fordham, Director of Commissioning & Performance, Sedgefield Primary Care Trust.

1. Minutes of Last Meeting

• Correction page 3 - Mapping Exercise, Martin Armitage and not Mark Gurney suggested further health organisations (University Hospital Sunderland, North Tees, Hartlepool) to be included.

2. Matters Arising

• Mapping Exercise – Things are progressing and written report should be available at a future meeting.
• Youth Engagement Service Inspection report should have been published 19 July but has been delayed until 4 August

3. Report of Partnership Development Officer

• Document “Every Child Matters in County Durham” was circulated
• EA introduced her presentation “Every Child Matters in County Durham”. Setting out current and agreed future partnership arrangements for Children & Young People.
• Eva reported the summary of her meetings with almost every partnership member over her 2 months in post.
• Services need to identify relevant people to attend meetings consistently to move towards a common direction.

4. Partnership Development Group Update

• AJ stressed it was important to get the right link with local planning groups as there are currently 5 groups at different stages of development. Targets were so similar yet they did not interlock.
• Pathfinder Activity – A suggestion of 2 emerging areas, one Pathfinder on services to disabled children, and another that would take an integrated approach to services in one locality including Sure Start Children’s centres. Full services extended schools and associated targeted and specialist support services.
• A number of different options are possible and suggestions from members are welcome.
• A more comprehensive report would be made available in September. The Children & Young Peoples Strategy Partnership gave their support to this proposal.
• DJ – Progress was generally being made and commitment has been given to this area at all levels, which we need to maintain.
• AJ – In order to move forward the commissioning bodies have to deliver a integrated Children’s Service by 2008. Pathfinders need to test out pilot schemes and learn from others, we need to consider proposals and feedback.
• Concerns were raised regarding the agreed Partnership Structure, - Appendix B of Eva’s report.

DJ advised that some groups were already in place. However Children & Young People Strategic Partnership Development Group will be replaced by an Executive Group that has not yet been formed. In the meantime the Development Group is striving to ensure the work is completed.

• MA, expressed concern that the executive group may elect themselves. MH, suggested that chairs of local Planning Groups should sit in on Development Group.
• It was agreed that it would be helpful to hold a meeting with all chairs of the local Planning Groups.

5. Launch of the Youth Engagement Service

• CB presented a video presentation on the launch of Youth Engagement Service.
• CB, advised the principle objective of the organisation, was to keep people out of trouble and at present there had been a good success rate.

6. Centrepoint Homelessness Strategy

• PS - A short presentation was completed on the work of the organisation and the main objectives. The aim of the group was to improve services as it was found one of the problems was poor coordination. Emphasis on action and not just creating another partnership was needed. The planning group meets every 6 weeks and a time limited had been set for completion of actions by September 2004.
• Homelessness Action Programme seminar was held previously and it is hoped a homeless strategy will link all organisations together so everyone has a part to play in prevention. However a clear direction is still needed. Sedgefield has a 75% success rate in homelessness, however it was not known the success rate for other parts of the county.

7. Teenage Pregnancy

• GT/MD gave a short presentation of prevention of “Teenage Pregnancy” and advised the government wants the figure halved by 2010, given that the government figures are at present 2 years behind, the organisation was definitely on line at present to meet the target, however there was still a lot of work to do done in this area.
• Copies of the annual report and action plan was distributed although the report raised many serious issues were being addressed with timescales for completion.
• It was agreed that a six monthly report on progress would be presented to the Children & Young People Strategic Partnership.

8. Northeast Regional Senior Commissioning Unit Proposals

• DJ - All members received a circular by email on a series of reports on regional commissioning. These reports may not be relevant to all organisations. The basis of the proposal was to work in conjunction with all regional authorities looking towards more economic ways to provide services to a small number of young people, three leading agencies, Social Care & Health, Health and Education will share the costs although at present costings are being queried.
• DL & DE queried the role to the existing Health Commissioning Unit, for which they already pay.

9. Any Other Business
None Reported