Ms Elizabeth Hartley, the Senior Manager Children’s Services introduced her report that detailed information on the ‘Children Are Ready for School’ pledge co-ordinated and delivered through the multi-agency Early Childhood Reference Group. The report informed that within the group there were four Priority Action Leads who work in partnership with various professionals to deliver the outcomes of their specific action plans. On a quarterly basis, the Early Childhood Reference Group met to receive updates from the Priority Action Leads, provide advice and support, offer challenge and agree progress updates for corporate pledge reporting.

The report provided the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee with information on the four Priority Areas for the Children Are Ready for School pledge, namely:

• To improve multi-agency arrangements to safeguard and protect our youngest children;
• Children in Wirral will start life well;
• Children receive sensitive and responsive care from their main caregivers in the first years of life; and
• Increase the % of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

A Member questioned why the 6-8 week development checks for infants continued to be missed by G.P.s, and what actions were being taken to address this failing. The Senior Manager Children’s Services informed the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that the current figure stood at 84% with a year-end target of 90%. She added that a written response / update on this matter would be provided to Members.

Another Member asked if the multi-agency Early Childhood Reference Group had made any significant progress against its planned outcomes. The Senior Manager informed that significant progress had been made against the named priorities and provided some key examples relating to arrangements to safeguard and protect the boroughs youngest children. These included:

• Year to date (YTD) figures showed 104 unborns had been discussed at the pre-birth liaison meeting, with 82 receiving additional support;

• an increase in the number of unborns supported through a co-ordinated Team Around the Family approach. YTD figure was 56 against the 2016-17 figure of 12; and

• an increase in the number of under 5s being supported through a Team Around the Family approach. YTD figure was 532 against a figure of 234 for 2016-17.

The Senior Manager Children’s Services also provided a summary of the challenges as identified by the Early Childhood Reference Group to ensure school readiness. These included improving outcomes for disadvantaged children, avoiding a plateau for good levels of development, increasing service integrations and improving information sharing across the partnership.

The Chair commented on the benefits of the reality check visit to the Early Childhood Service on 7 December 2017, the subject of a report later on the meeting agenda. Ms Hartley agreed that the joint approach and well established relationships between the local authority and health services should be replicated wherever possible. She added that the reality check visits had helped in this regard.

A Member questioned the Senior Manager on the subject of the current consultation with parents (identified under Priority 3 (ix) of the report) regarding ‘parenting programmes’ that sought to provide further insight into ‘what works’. Ms Hartley informed that the consultation was due to be completed by mid-February 2018

Resolved – that the report be noted.