Members are asked to consider whether they have personal or prejudicial interests in connection with the item on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they are.

Members are reminded that they should also declare, pursuant to paragraph 18 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, whether they are subject to a party whip in connection with the item to be considered and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of the whipping arrangement.

Members were asked to consider whether they had a personal or prejudicial interest in connection with the item on the agenda and, if so, to declare it and to state the nature of such interest.

Members were reminded that they should also declare, pursuant to paragraph 18 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, whether they were subject to a party whip in connection with the item to be considered and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of the whipping arrangement.

Councillor C Meaden declared a personal general interest because of her daughter’s employment within the Children and Young People’s Department.

Attached is the motion which was moved at the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 14 September and at which it was agreed to refer it to a special meeting of this Committee for consideration.

Further to minute 23 (14/9/10), the Committee considered the motion which, having been moved at the last meeting, it was then agreed to consider it at a special meeting.

Councillor McArdle moved, seconded by the Chair, that –

“In view of the fact that this Scrutiny and Overview Committee is charged within the Council’s Constitution with the task of Scrutinising Children’s Services, and that this role appears to have been bypassed through the appointment of a Task Force acting outside the normal range of Council meetings and procedures, this Committee urgently requests the following:

(i)  A standing item of the regular minutes of the Children and Young People’s Task Force on this agenda for the duration of its existence.

(ii)  A report which sets out the process that was followed in the selection and appointment of the Task Force members.

(iii)  A copy of any register or declaration of interests by Task Force members.

(iv)  Details of whether any vetting procedures were required as they have apparently been given access to Looked after Children, and, if so, whether or not those procedures were followed.

(v)  A presentation from Officers that mirrors the presentation that was originally given to the Task Force which has informed the questions on this area within the consultation questionnaire.

(vi)  A detailed explanation from officers on the exact meaning and implication of each question concerning Children’s Services in the questionnaire. (For example, when questions talk about voluntary services stepping in to provide alternative services, are we talking about commissioning services from voluntary agencies, or just hoping they will fill a gap with no additional resources provided if we withdraw from providing services ourselves?)

(vii)  Any potential costings that may have been drawn up as part of the options being considered.”

Committee members had also been circulated with a copy of a minute on the task forces from the Scrutiny Programme Board of 20 September (minute 28 refers) which had resolved, “That the matters referred to by the Chair in relation to the Task Forces be referred to each of the themed Overview and Scrutiny Committees and they be requested to seek information in relation to those issues which fall within their remit.”

After some debate on the motion, the Director responded to the points raised and emphasised that at no point during Task Force meetings was children’s safety compromised, all the Task Force members having been CRB cleared anyway. The presentations which were given to the Task Force were all available to view on the internet along with the papers which they considered and the minutes.

As members of the Task Force were not elected members, bound by a code of conduct, there was no formal requirement for a register of interests but at the first meeting of the Task Force, Mr Potter, the Chair had asked everyone to introduce themselves describing what they did and their connection with young people.

The Director remarked that, from his observations the Task Force had looked at the way  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.