Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Social Services and Service Manager, Children’s Services which was presented to provide scrutiny Members with safeguarding performance information and analysis from Children’s Social Services from 1st April 2019 to the 31st March 2020.

The Strategic Education Improvement Manager provided an overview to Members on the reasons why the Education Directorate had been unable to provide performance information to be included in the report at this time.

The Chair said that he understood the need for Headteachers and staff to focus on operational challenges within schools during the pandemic and accepted the reasons why the routine collection of performance data was not available at this time.  He requested that the briefing note be circulated to Members.

The Committee AGREED this course of action.

The Service Manager, Children’s Services spoke to the report and highlighted the main points contained therein.  She explained that due to the pandemic the information contained in the performance report was historic information.  It was reported that throughout the four quarters there was consistency with regard to referrals and the Service Manager reassured Members that safeguarding remained a priority for Children’s Services and safeguarding responsibilities continued for those children that had been deemed at risk.

A Member commented that safeguarding had been one of a number of recommendations from Estyn when Blaenau Gwent Education Services had been in special measures and enquired when safeguarding was last reviewed by Estyn.  The Interim Director of Education said that since the Council had been removed from special measures, termly meetings with the Local Authority and Estyn Link Inspectors were held and periodically safeguarding featured on the agenda whereby Link Inspectors were advised of any developments such as policy updates etc. At the last Estyn monitoring visit they had recognised that good progress had been made against the recommendation that had been put in place against safeguarding procedures. Estyn now regulated local authorities on a wider education perspective as part of the Local Government Education Services (LGES) framework.

The Strategic Education Improvement Manager said that in relation to the Local Government Education Services (LGES) framework the Directorate had completed their Self Evaluation of which safeguarding was a key component under the leadership and management aspect of that framework.  She enquired if Members wanted a future report in terms of the safeguarding extract from the Self Evaluation to be prepared for a future meeting.

The Committee AGREED to recommend that the report be accepted and endorse Option 2; namely

·        that the briefing note, on reasons why the Education Directorate had been unable to provide performance information to be included in this report at this time be accepted; and

·        a report on the safeguarding extract from the Self Evaluation be prepared for a future meeting.