Julie Graham presented her annual report from the Being Healthy Strategy Group.

Julie noted that the new priorities area for the delivering the Healthy Child Programme, this is spit into two age groups:

·  From conception to age five

·  5 to 19

Julie commented that the Being Healthy Group are reviewing their membership and have noted there needs to be better representation from the 3^rd sector and partners other than those Health.

Key achievement for the group include:

·  All Wirral Children’s Homes have healthy homes status.

·  Excellent reduction in the teenage conception rates.

·  Peer education programme for drugs and alcohol and teenage pregnancy.

·  98% coverage for National Child Measurement Programme which compares well to benchmark groups.

·  Positive effect from the 1:1 interventions and working well.

Key issues for 2013/14

·  Steady reduction in alcohol admissions has been identified.  There is more evidence to support the need for schools drugs advisor.

·  Emergency 0-4 admissions (deliberate and unintentional injuries).  A study has been conducted to explore some of the issues for families.

·  Take up of child weight services isn’t as well as expected.

·  Breastfeeding initiation rates are not improving as well as expected.  A milk bank has now been established.

·  Locally, the MMR immunisation rates are very good with provision in GP surgeries.

Plans are in place to look at feasibility of extending school nursing service wider than term time and school time only.

·  Work is underway to establish a pathway from Breastfeeding to Bariatric Surgery to support work around obesity and weight management.

Partnership Involvements include:

-  Breastfeeding initiation rate.

-  TP support continues.

-  Links between Children’s Trust and Wirral CCG.

-  Do all organisations feed into the JSNA?

-  Cultural awareness training will be re-commissioned in 2013/14.

Councillor Wendy Clements asked for clarifications on the breastfeeding to bariatric surgery.  Julie noted that the clear link between breastfeeding and adult obesity and it was an opportunity to map out a health eating pathway for the journey of an individual’s life. 

Mary Kilcoyne noted to the Board that she will take back the request for 3^rd sector involvement.

Julia asked how Partners can help within this area.  Julie noted the feasibility of the school drug advisor and a teenage pregnancy co-ordinator.

Julie Webster noted the importance of joint planning across Public Health and how this needs to work.

Gary Price noted that this great work has been undertaken under a time of significant change for the Health Services and Public Health in particular.

Tracy Little updated that the Wirral CCG have been invited to have representation on the WCTB.  Julie Webster noted this was a good start and links were required at all levels.

Julia Hassall noted that a key driver working together would come from the work under the Early Preventative Services and Intensive Family Intervention Project.

Cllr Smith asked for clarification around the immunisation service commissioned from NHS England.  Julie Webster noted the importance of ensuring the large footprint commissions works well at a local level.

Cllr Smith asked  ...  view the full minutes text for item 164.

Julia Hassall gave a presentation around the work Wirral have undertaken with the Children’s Improvement Board.  Julia added that although the national funding has ceased the work regionally will continue as long as possible.

Dennis Chorlton commented this was a comprehensive and balanced evaluation.  He commented that there was a lot of media attention recently, especially issues around sexual exploitation of children.  Dennis added that all partners need to ensure that they are clear around safeguarding children.

Julie Webster added that information/experience on joint planning would be of great benefit.

Cllr Smith asked how Academies fit with Children’s Services and safeguarding children.  Steve Dainty commented that all Academies have bought in to the Education Quality Safeguarding training.  Dennis added that the new working together guidance place a duty to co-operate on Academies.

RESOLVED:  The Board note the report.

  Cllr Smith thanked Julia and Colleagues for their work in this area.

Janice Monty gave an overview on the commissioning process for 2012/13.  She outlined the process undertaken and also the lessons learned for the next commissioning round.

Cllr Clements noted her agreement that commissioned contracts are currentlt too short.

Gary Price commented that this evaluation was comprehensive; he also noted that the contracts are to short.  He added as a commissioned service the Chest is an excellent tool.

Julie Graham noted that Public Health have commissioned services which have been joint ventures between small and larger organisations.

Janice reiterated the importance of the evaluation process.

Mary Kilcoyne noted that as one of the services bidding in the commissioning process that the evaluation does ensure that the process gets better every cycle.  She added that the relationship between commissioners and commissioned is strong and helps drive this improvement.

Cllr Smith updated on the City Region Child Poverty Group.  Cllr Smith noted that the work at the last meeting was looking at narrowing the gap across the key stages.  He added that the group is growing and collating regional information around issues affecting children.

Julia updated that the Springboard Project is well underway, working with children from conception to aged 5. A project manager, Zoe Mumby, is now in post.

The Child Poverty Working group are looking at the impact of the welfare reform, One Stop Shops, Christian against Poverty and Job Centre Plus.  A following meeting focussed on the journey from poverty to being in work.  Julia added that the use of ‘Direct Key Worker’ was centre to improving outcomes for job seekers.

The use of community assets will be the focus of the next project.

Tracy Little outline the final version of the Children and Young People’s Plan 2013 – 16. The plan has been developed through the Strategy Groups and pulls together 11 priorities that the Children’s Trust will deliver for Children, Young People and their families over the next three years.

The 11 priorities are:

Priority 1: From conception to age five Wirral Children have the best possible physical, social, emotional and psychological start in life.

Priority 2: From 5 - 19 years, Wirral children and young people’s health and well being will continue to develop through healthy lifestyle choices in preparation for adult life.

Priority 3: To support those children and young people who require extra help at the earliest opportunity.

Priority 4: To improve outcomes for children and young people in need of protection.

Priority 5: To improve outcomes for Children in Care and Care Leavers.

Priorities 6: To ensure that there is appropriate support and challenge to educational settings.

Priority 7: To ensure children and young people across Wirral will have improved attainment levels and skills, to enable then to fulfil their aspirations.

Priority 8: Effectively promote and enable participation and progression for all young people.

Priority 9: Improve the educational outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.

Priority 10: Improve provision, choice and outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.

Priority11: Enhance the involvement of children and young people in the decision making process.

The Plan will now be published and displayed on the Children’s Trust Website.

Resolved: The Board endorse the Children and Young People’s Plan 2013-16.

Tracy Little presented the draft Equality Impact Assessment for the Children and Young People’s Plan 2013-16.

The report notes that Wirral Children’s Trust has a commitment to contributing to a fairer society by ensuring that unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation is eliminated, equality of opportunity is advanced and good relations are fostered between different groups. It also understands its specific equality duties under the Equality Act to analyse the effect of policies and practices and how they further the equality aims and to publish the results of that analysis which includes the information used and the engagement that took place.

It has therefore undertaken an equality impact assessment of the Children and Young People’s Plan for 2013-16 focusing on the impact of the priorities of the plan on people from protected groups. An assumption has been made that the lead organisation for delivery of the individual projects will undertake their own equality impact assessments.

Tracy made reference to the Wirral Children’s Service Equality Pledge which has been developed by working with children and young people. It was proposed that the Children’s Trust adopt this equality pledge with reference to the delivery of the Children and Young People’s Plan and also the wider Partnership.

Resolved: The Board endorse the Equality Impact Assessment and also the Wirral Children's Services Equality Pledge.

Tracy Little outlines that as a result of the changes to the Children’s Trust structure, outlined in the Children and Young People’s Plan 2013/16. The Children’s Trust Executive would like to take this opportunity to forge stronger links between themselves and the Children’s Trust Board. The Executive proposed that the three revised strategy groups are chaired by a member of the Children’s Trust Board.

This proposal came from the need to strengthen links and also to ensure that communication channels were improved. The strategy leads will remain responsible for driving the delivery of the Children and Young People’s Plan at an operational level and the Chair will keep strategic oversight and linkage with the wider Trust Board.

There would be a requirement for three Chairs, one for each of the new Strategy Groups. The Chairs role included attending meetings and maintaining the strategic links to the wider Trust Board. The Strategy Lead will ensure that meeting papers are provided and that the Chair is brought up to speed with current or emerging issues for the group.

Julie Webster will take Chair for the Being Healthy group.

Resolved: The Board endorse the Chair roles and request volunteers for nomination for the Staying Safe and the Achieving and Economic Wellbeing strategy groups.

Tracy Little gave a presentation on the year end performance of the Children and Young People’s Plan 2012-13.

Highlights for last year include:

·  The gap for KS4 is reducing faster than that of statistical neighbours

·  Teenage conceptions continue to fall

Resolved: The Board noted the report.