Councillors McEwan, J Sharkey, Glen, Cameron, Henry, McCartin, Hood, McGee, I McMillan, Bibby, M Brown and Harte.

Councillor I McMillan, Convener, presided.

P Macleod, Director of Children’s Services; D Leese, Chief Officer Designate (Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership); D Hawthorn, Head of Childcare and Criminal Justice; A McMillan, Head of Resources and P McCulloch, Joint Services Manager, Renfrewshire Learning Disability Service (all Children’s Services); and D Low, Senior Committee Services Officer, D Forbes, Finance Manager and E Currie, Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources); and S Strachan, Head of Adult Services.

Councillors Andy Doig and Gilmour.

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.

There was submitted a joint revenue budget monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Children’s Services for Social Work for the period 1st April, 2014 to 2nd January, 2015.

DECIDED:

(a) That the budget position and the forecast year end overspend of around £400,000 (0.4%) be noted;

(b) That it be noted that monies used to help to mitigate the current budget position would be available in the current year only; and

(c) That it be noted that there had been net budget realignments of £1,231,208 processed since the last report related primarily to the agreed transfer of Social Work transport functions to Community Resources.

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources for Social Work for the period 1st April, 2014 to 2nd January, 2015.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the service improvement plan (SIP) outturn report for the service to February 2015.

The SIP detailed the key challenges facing the service and outlined the range of activities the service would aim to achieve during 2014/17. The plan also contained the service scorecard which detailed how the performance of the service would be monitored going forward. Progress on the implementation of the SIP was monitored and reported to the Board on a six-monthly basis to allow the Board to review progress. This report updated the progress which had been achieved with the implementation of the SIP to the end of February 2015.

The report referred to imminent structural changes to Social Work and intimated that the Council had agreed that the most appropriate governance arrangement for Social Work services for Children and Criminal Justice Services was within a new Directorate of Children’s Services, which also included Education. An update on the Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan for 2015/18 would be submitted to elected members in November 2015. Social work services for adults would be part of the new integrated health and social care partnership.

DECIDED:

(a) That the progress made with the implementation of the 2014/15-2016/17 Service Improvement Plan actions be noted;

(b) That the performance of the service as detailed in the balanced scorecard attached to the report be noted; and

(c) That it be noted that an update on the Children’s Services Service Improvement Plan for 2015/18 would be submitted to elected members in November 2015.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to Scottish Government consultation on the redesign of community justice arrangements in Scotland.

The report intimated that on 15th December, 2014 the Scottish Government had published a response to its consultation ‘Future Model for Community Justice in Scotland’. The response had identified that, to provide the strategic vision for community justice in Scotland, a new national strategy would be developed with local government and key partners, in consultation with stakeholders. The aim was to deliver against a set of long-term outcomes around reducing reoffending; increasing positive citizenship; increasing public safety; increasing public reassurance; reducing costs and reducing stigma.

The new model would deliver a community solution to improved outcomes for community justice; reoffending and offender management, building upon investment made by the Scottish Government and local government in community planning and utilising strengthened provisions expected under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill. Local strategic planning and delivery of services through Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) was central to the new arrangements. With this emphasis upon collective responsibility approaches could be developed to best meet the needs of the local community both in terms of victims and offenders.

The report advised that local authorities would continue to be responsible for the delivery of criminal justice social work. With the disassembling of the Community Justice Authorities the grant funding for criminal justice social work services would be allocated directly to the local authority.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be noted that strategic planning for community justice would become the responsibility of the Community Planning Partnership. The first plan was due to be produced by the Community Planning Partnership by December 2015;

(b) That it be noted that a new national strategy for offenders and a performance and improvement framework would provide the model against which partnerships would plan and report; and

(c) That it be noted that criminal justice social work would continue to be delivered by the local authority.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the development of day services and employability opportunities for adults with learning disabilities following the review of day services in November 2011.

The report intimated that to further improve the quality of Renfrewshire’s day services for adults with learning disabilities action was required in a number of specific areas: young adults in transition from school who had particularly high levels of need; older adults with a severe to moderate learning disability who had additional needs; adults with learning disabilities who also had mental health issues; and employability, creating more opportunities for employment for adults with a learning disability who were capable of accessing a range of options around employment. 

The report set out the various issues that required to be addressed and how services could be further developed in order to meet future needs. Under the delivery models detailed in the report it was intended that all centres and services involved in the delivery of day and employability opportunities for adults with learning disabilities would be retained.

The Joint Services Manager, Renfrewshire Learning Disability Service, gave a presentation which complemented the report.

DECIDED:

(a) That the report and the progress made since the day services review of November 2011 be noted;

(b) That the model be approved as one which would deliver appropriate outcomes for people using day opportunities;

(c) That the additional investment in the development of day services be noted;

(d) That the proposals for the continued development of opportunities for employability using Project Search in partnership with Economic Development be agreed; and

(e) That the change of name for the Intensive Support Service to “Gateway” be agreed.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to consultation on Draft Statutory Guidance for Part 9 (Corporate Parenting) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

The report intimated that Draft Statutory Guidance for Part 9 (Corporate Patenting) had been issued to provide clarity on the duties of corporate parents. The Draft Statutory Guidance included sections on corporate parenting responsibilities; planning by corporate parenting; collaborative working among corporate parents; reports by corporate parents; relations between corporate parents and those holding parental rights and responsibilities for individual children and the outcomes which corporate parents were expected to deliver for looked-after children.
 
The response to the consultation, which had been submitted by the 2nd March, 2015 deadline was appended to the report.

In addition, the Scottish Government had issued consultation on draft Statutory Guidance for Parts 4, 5 and 18 (Section 96) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 on 6th February, 2015 which covered the provisions within the 2014 Act on Getting It Right For Every Child. This consultation would end on 1st May, 2015. In view of the timescales it had not been possible to provide a draft response for consideration at this meeting of the Board. A response would be sent to the Scottish Government and a report presented at the first meeting of the new Education and Children Policy Board on 14th May, 2015.

The report advised that the Scottish Government had indicated that draft Statutory Guidance on Parts 10 and 11of the Act would be published in December 2014 covering aftercare and continuing care.  This draft statutory guidance had not yet been published and a report would be presented to a future meeting of the Education and Children Policy Board.

DECIDED:

(a) That the consultation on draft Statutory Guidance for Part 9 (Corporate Parenting) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 be noted;

(b) That the response appended to the report be homologated;

(c) That it be noted that a report would be presented to the first meeting of the Education and Children Policy Board on the draft Statutory Guidance for Parts 4, 5 and 18 (Section 96) of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014;

(d) That the Director of Children’s Services be authorised to prepare a response to that consultation; and

(e) That the Director of Children’s Services provide a report on the draft Statutory Guidance on Parts 10 and 11 covering aftercare and continuing care to a future meeting of the Education and Children Policy Board.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to care home fees for 2015/16.

The report intimated that in accordance with the agreement between the Scottish Government, CoSLA and Scottish Care, care home fees were subject to annual negotiation. This year’s fee negotiations were still ongoing and therefore the fees which would apply for financial year 2015/16 had not yet been set. The report sought approval to authorise the Director of Children’s Services to implement the care home fees for 2015/16 once they had been agreed nationally.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Director of Children’s Services be authorised to implement the care home fees for 2015/16 once they had been agreed nationally; and

(b) That it be noted that the Director of Children’s Services would report back to the Board if the upratings were not in line with the expected levels.


SEDERUNT

Councillor M Brown left the meeting during consideration of the following item of business.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) annual uprating for 2015/16 in respect of both residential and non-residential services such as care at home.

The report intimated that CoSLA issued guidance annually in relation to charging for non-residential services and that this guidance took into account the annual DWP upratings. At the time of writing the report the guidance had not yet been issued for 2015/16 and the report advised that all residential and non-residential charges would apply from 6th April, 2015 in line with anticipated DWP benefit increases. However, the Head of Resources advised that guidance had recently been agreed and issued and increases were in line with the expected annual levels. Given this development, it was agreed that recommendation (b) of the report, which related to the Director of Children's Services reporting back to this Board if the upratings were not in line with expected annual levels, was no longer required.

DECIDED: That the Director of Children’s Services be authorised to update the Council’s financial assessment frameworks for charging purposes to reflect the agreed DWP rates for 2015/16.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Children’s Services relative to 10 applications received for funding for 2015/16 under Section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.  The report proposed that funding amounting to £17,050 be awarded to the organisations as detailed in the appendices.

The report intimated that this Board had sought approval previously to continue to make Section 10 payments to Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau pending the implementation of alternative payment arrangements arising from the corporate review of advice services. A further payment to cover January 2015 had been paid through the Section 10 process to ensure funding continuity, and the report requested that the decision to make this payment be homologated.

DECIDED:

(a) That the funding in respect of the organisations detailed in the appendices, totalling £17,050 be approved; and


(b) That the award of Section 10 grant funding for January 2015 amounting to £3,917 to Renfrewshire Citizen’s Advice Bureau to ensure continuity of funding pending completion of alternative payment arrangements arising from the corporate review of advice services be homologated.